Andrew Mentzer, Executive Director

Andrew is the Executive Director for the West Central Mountains Economic Development Council, he works closely with stakeholders across the region to build systems for economic success. Previously, Andrew founded Boise’s first international traveler’s hostel, and managed the Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (IGEM) for the Idaho Department of Commerce. He holds a BS in Political Science, Masters Certification in Community & Regional Planning, and Master of Public Administration—all from Boise State University.

Andrew Propst, Chief Financial Officer

Andrew Propst has over 15 years of experience both in residential and commercial real estate management. Currently Andy is the CEO of HomeRiver Group (the parent company of Park Place Property Management) and a Business Developer for Park Place, a Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC®), in Boise, Idaho. Andrew has illustrated throughout his career his resolute commitment to delivering first-class results for clients, as well as consistently improving efficiencies and operations across his companies. Industry knowledge and a keen focus on technology has been a major priority for Andy. He has obtained four of the leading industry designations: Certified Property Manager® (CPM®) from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM®), Master Property Manager ® (MPM®) Residential Management Professional ® (RMP®), both from the National Association of Residential Property Managers ® NARPM®, and Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM®) from the CCIM Institute.

Annie Bacci, Associate Director

Annie Bacci has over 10 years of professional experience in creating supportive housing opportunities for those greatest in need. Currently a Program Manager for CSH’s Government Affairs & Innovation unit, she focuses on Pay for Success pilots and initiatives. Previously, she served with the Colorado Division of Housing (DOH) for four years. Ms. Bacci most recently served as an Asset Manager at DOH, working with grantees to preserve and expand their affordable housing portfolios and programs. Previously, she served as the Manager of Homeless Programs with the Division of Housing. In this role, Ms. Bacci was charged with overseeing several federal and state supportive housing programs. Under her oversight, the Homeless Programs Team has successfully launched three new permanent supportive housing programs, The Colorado Second Chance Housing and Reentry Program (C-SCHARP) and the State Housing Voucher program serving those experiencing homelessness and mental health disorders in Colorado. Prior to that, Ms. Bacci worked for Volunteers of America in Denver as the manager of supportive housing programs for families and youth transitioning from homelessness. At Volunteers of America, Ms. Bacci created a new supportive housing team and successfully rolled out two programs serving formally homeless families. Ms. Bacci is a graduate of school of social work at The University of Iowa as well as the Master’s Program of Business Administration at the University of Colorado Denver.

Breanna Vanstrom, CEO

Breanna Vanstrom, MBA, has over 15 years of experience in marketing, association management, and real estate. She’s been a REALTOR® and Director of Communications for REALTOR® associations in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Minneapolis, Minnesota — where she’s from originally. Since 2015, she has served as the Chief Executive Officer for Boise Regional REALTORS®, the largest local trade association in Idaho, with more than 4,400 members. Breanna also serves on the Board of Directors for Aquability, a Boise-based nonprofit, that provides therapeutic aquatic programs for children and teens living with disabilities.

Brenda Blitman, Human Resource Consultant

Brenda Blitman is a Human Resource Consultant with a deep background as a leader in a high-growth small business, as a small business owner and consultant, and as a Business Educator. A career Certified Public Accountant with Big 8 accounting firm experience, Brenda’s strong financial and analytical skills help clients build, update, and implement changes in their Affirmative Action Plans.

Brenda is an active board member with the Idaho Industry Liaison Group, and participates in trainings offered at the National Industry Liaison Group National conference (San Antonio, New Mexico in 2017).

As a human resource consultant with a focus on cost-effective strategic improvements, Brenda consults with our members on organizational and leadership development, implementing values based human resource strategy, coaching, staff relations, compensation benefits, and compliance issues. As an educator, Brenda has experience training the millennial workforce.

Brenda recently completed her Masters Degree in Adult/Organizational Leadership & Learning and the SHRM-Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) credential. Professionally, she is a member of the American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity, Society for Human Resource Professionals, Human Resources Association of Treasure Valley, Idaho Society of CPAs, Association for Career and Technical Education and Idaho Business Educators. 

In her community, Brenda is a member of the Future Kuna Boys & Girls Club Steering Committee and the Kuna Youth Recreation Association.

Brian Cusick, Product Development Manager

Brian has over 20 years in the financial services and housing industries. He began his career at Fannie Mae in 2000 and currently manages pilots that test innovative solutions to simplify the mortgage process and provide a superior borrower experience.

Brittany Gardner, Program Manager

Britteny Gardner works for Wells Fargo as a Program Manager, the Wells Fargo at Work Program. Wells Fargo at work or “WFAW” is a program designed to educate individuals on money management skills. This program also reaches out to specific markets; Students / Military / Community and employers. Britteny also serves as the President of the Board for The Education Foundation for West Ada Schools and serves as the Co-Chair for Wells Fargo’s Women’s Team Member Network.

Britteny Gardner, Program Manager

Britteny Gardner works for Wells Fargo as a Program Manager, the Wells Fargo at Work Program. Wells Fargo at work or “WFAW” is a program designed to educate individuals on money management skills. This program also reaches out to specific markets; Students / Military / Community and employers. Britteny also serves as the President of the Board for The Education Foundation for West Ada Schools and serves as the Co-Chair for Wells Fargo’s Women’s Team Member Network.

Caroline Nilsson-Troy, Housing Representative, Genesee

Born in Lewiston, Idaho; attended St. Stanislaus Grade School, Maru a Pula Secondary School in Botswana; graduate of Orofino High School; B.S. in communications, University of Idaho; Leadership Idaho Agriculture; Idaho Community Foundation, board of directors; College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Idaho, advisory board; University of Idaho Cooperative Extension, advisory board; owner of nonprofit consulting firm Nilsson Advisory Group.

Cece Gassner, Director of Economic Development

Cece Gassner is the Director of Economic Development for Boise State University. Prior to working at Boise State, she served as the Director of Economic Development for the City of Boise for nearly six years, and practiced law for almost 13 years, focusing on intellectual property and privacy issues. She serves on the boards of the Boise Valley Economic Partnership, the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Ketchum Innovation Center and has served on the boards of many other nonprofits including the Association of Junior Leagues International, Family Advocates, and the Discovery Center of Idaho. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University and her law degree from Boston University. She has been recognized as an honoree of the Accomplished under 40 Award, the Idaho Women of the Year Award and the Tribute to Women in Industry (TWIN) Award.

Chad McCloud, Co-founder, Epic Realty

Chad McCloud is co-founder of Epic Realty. He Boise native that has been a licensed real estate agent for more than twelve years in the state of Idaho. During his early years as a realtor Chad made great progress professionally and honed his skills to the point where many people in the real estate industry began to see Chad as one of the premier realtors in the Treasure Valley. Chad then changed careers and moved into medical device sales for 8 years. Upon returning to the real estate industry a Chad began to focus on how 3D/VR technology, enhanced marketing techniques, and data analytics could significantly improve the real estate industry.

Christi Rood, Assistant Vice-President

Christi Rood is the Assistant Vice-President of Economic Development for College of Western Idaho. In her role at CWI she is responsible for economic development and workforce development programs. Workforce Development programs are the short-term training programs offered at CWI. Prior to joining CWI, she served as the Director of Academic Affairs for University of Phoenix, Boise campus. Christi started her career as a 9th grade reading teacher, and enjoys all aspects of K-20 education and workforce development. Christi is a proud Idaho native, and has an active blended family with one in college and three in high school. They enjoy downhill skiing, golf, and all things Idaho.

Dan Faricy, Executive Director

Dan is the Executive Director for Trailhead. He has spent over 20 years in management, sales and marketing and international business. Focused on digital marketing, Dan was a partner in Digital Effects and a founder of Wire Stone. Key brands in the agencies portfolio were Apple, EBay Boeing and Hewlett Packard.

Challenges for new start-ups are real feedback and customer focus. Distilling the idea into an actual product is where Dan likes to focus his energy. From there it is time to tackle a list of prioritized objectives. If it is measured, it gets attention.

Dan Sullivan, Mortgage Lending Manager

Dan Sullivan is the Mortgage Lending Manager for CapEd Credit Union, he is a graduate of Oregon State University with degrees in both Finance and Economics. Dan has been in the lending and real estate field in the Treasure Valley since 1990, and originated his first mortgage loan in 1987.

He is on the board of directors for the Idaho Mortgage Lenders Association, and Velma.com, a mortgage marketing automation system. He has been married to his wife, Amy for 19 years. They have two very active teenagers who enjoy skiing, golf, cycling, and travel.

Dave Penny, Partner, Cosho Humphrey, LLP

David Penny is a partner in the law firm of Cosho Humphrey, LLP. He is a graduate of Boise State University and Gonzaga University School of Law. For 30 years, David has represented a variety of clients before the State and Federal Courts of Idaho. His general litigation law practice includes the representation of owners and management companies of commercial and residential properties.
David advises clients on managing the landlord-tenant relationship including the drafting of leases, lease enforcement, lease termination/eviction, as well as the selling and purchasing of real property. David advises housing providers on Fair Housing compliance and defends housing providers against housing discrimination claims.

Dennis Weed, Director, Boundary County Econ. Dev. Council

Dennis spent 33 years working for The Boeing Company in Seattle, Europe and Wichita, Kansas. He started his career at Boeing working in the Manufacturing Engineering area and finished the last few years as a Program Business Manager. He worked on a diverse Boeing Defense product line including the Joint Strike Fighter and 767 International Tanker in a variety of leadership positions.
Upon his retirement from Boeing, he and his family moved to Bonners Ferry Idaho. He has been the Director of Economic Development for Boundary County for last 22 months. He uses his private industry experience working County and City issues for launching, growing and attracting businesses. Dennis holds a MBA and a JD degree.

Diana Lachiondo

Diana Lachiondo is the director of community partnerships for the City of Boise. In this role she serves as a convener and catalyst to drive change on issues related to children and youth, seniors, veterans, homelessness and refugees, among others. Under Diana’s leadership and in partnership with multiple stakeholders, the City of Boise launched the Housing and Homelessness Roundtable in Feb 2015. The Roundtable has supported the development of the first site-based Housing First effort to address homelessness in the state of Idaho. Diana also spearheaded the development of the Boise Pre-K project in conjunction with the Boise School District. Recent assessment results demonstrate that children participating in this high-quality pre-k program are 30% more prepared than their peers upon entering Kindergarten. In addition, Diana is a key leader driving the work of Neighbors United, our community’s plan to help refugees successfully integrate and thrive. Boise was recognized by the White House Task Force on New Americans for this work in 2015.

Diana is a native of Boise and a graduate of the University of Washington. She previously spent more than a decade in the nonprofit sector in Seattle, Denver and Boise before joining the City of Boise.

Diana Lachiondo, Director

Diana Lachiondo is the director of community partnerships for the City of Boise. In this role she serves as a convener and catalyst to drive change on issues related to children and youth, seniors, veterans, homelessness and refugees, among others. Under Diana’s leadership and in partnership with multiple stakeholders, the City of Boise launched the Housing and Homelessness Roundtable in Feb 2015. The Roundtable has supported the development of the first site-based Housing First effort to address homelessness in the state of Idaho. Diana also spearheaded the development of the Boise Pre-K project in conjunction with the Boise School District. Recent assessment results demonstrate that children participating in this high-quality pre-k program are 30% more prepared than their peers upon entering Kindergarten. In addition, Diana is a key leader driving the work of Neighbors United, our community’s plan to help refugees successfully integrate and thrive. Boise was recognized by the White House Task Force on New Americans for this work in 2015.

Diana is a native of Boise and a graduate of the University of Washington. She previously spent more than a decade in the nonprofit sector in Seattle, Denver and Boise before joining the City of Boise.

Emmett L. Munson, Branch Manager

For the past nineteen years, I have been fortunate to acquire a very diverse background in the mortgage industry. I started as an investment accountant for an insurance company recording pass throughs for Mortgage Backed Securities in 1999. Today, I lead a team of residential mortgage professionals in the Treasure Valley. From my professional and academic experiences, I have been able to provide excellent customer service, education and mentoring in all things mortgage related. My passion for teaching and educating people about mortgage financing; drives me to find additional mediums to deliver the message to achieve greater awareness for personal financial responsibility.

Helping my clients achieve the dream of home ownership is extremely gratifying, but educating them along the way is absolute satisfaction. My time in the industry has given me many opportunities to reach and affect people from all over the world and in the past seven to eight years, it has given me the opportunity to train and mentor new mortgage professionals so they may achieve their own personal goals and assist as many people as they possibly can in achieving home ownership.

I have an undergraduate degree from Idaho State University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix in Reno, NV. In my spare time, my wife and I enjoy spending time together and with our family. We like to do all activities and spend a lot of time on the weekends with our children at the West Y. If we are not at the Y, we are on the golf course!

Holly Conti, Producer and Accounting Manager

Holly is a producer and account manager at Oliver Russell. She’s produced live television on location and in-studios, as well as photo and video shoots for clients across the country. She is the Co-founder of Good Morning Guru, a wellness website dedicated to mindfulness and meditation. A graduate of Syracuse University, Holly believes effective marketing starts with respect for the consumer.

Isaac Chavez, Chief Executive Officer

Isaac Chavez began his tenure as the CEO of the Idaho REALTORS on April 18th, 2017.
Isaac came to Idaho from the Vermont REALTORS® where he was the CEO since 2012. Prior to that, he served as CEO of the Las Cruces Association of REALTORS® in southern New Mexico for three years. Isaac is a proud U.S. Army Veteran, who served 8 years in the JAG Corps Reserves as a legal specialist.
Isaac has been fortunate to live and work in various international locales and is proud to consider himself a “Japanophile” after having lived in Nagasaki, Japan for 8 years.

Jaap Vos, Ph.D., Director

Jaap vos is the Director of the Urban Design Center and the Program Head for Bioregional Planning and Community Design at the University of Idaho. He has a Ph.D. in Regional Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a MS in Environmental Science from the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands. HIs main research interests include environmental justice, sustainable development, community involvement and planning education. He has published articles about planning education, community participation, environmental justice and equity in planning as well as technical reports on redevelopment, the relationship between land use and transportation, equestrian planning and fire in the wildland urban interface. After he moved to Idaho in 2012, he has increasingly become interested in planning and increasing planning capacity within the unique context of the American West.

Jamie Cooper, CEO

Jamie’s career has centered around helping brands build value through honest and exciting ways of engaging audiences. Today, as CEO of Drake Cooper, Jamie leads a team of over 50 creators, instigators and innovators in Seattle and Boise focused on just that. When he’s not brand building with ambitious clients, he worries incessantly about making Drake Cooper the best place anyone could ever work. Outside Magazine has agreed with him five times, awarding the agency a top spot on their ‘Best Places to Work’ list again in 2018.

Jan Rogers, Chief Executive Officer

Jan Rogers is CEO of Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho (REDI), a public/private partnership established to diversify and strengthen the economies of fourteen counties. She works with community partners to promote business expansion and implement a focused marketing program to attract new businesses.

An expert on rural economic development and FDI, Rogers has spent the last 16 years developing the economies of southern and eastern Idaho. Prior to her current position, she was the executive director of Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization for 14 years. During her tenure, Southern Idaho lured over 35 companies, generating $1 billion in capital investments and over 5,000 jobs to the region.

Since Ms. Rogers was hired of CEO of REDI in 2015, numerous new businesses and expansion announcements have been made, propelling strong economic growth in Eastern. She has secured the region’s first foreign direct investment, Japan-based Sakae Casting, to Idaho Falls.

Rogers has been invited by IEDC and SelectUSA to attend the annual White House Economic Development Forum and participated in the 2015 SelectUSA Academy as a panelist. She serves on the board of IEDC and is a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce Investment Advisory Council.

Jana Jones, Executive Director

The University of Idaho Office of Research and Economic Development appointed Jana Jones as the Executive Director of Economic Development in March 2017. In this role, Jones will report directly to Vice President for Research and Economic Development Janet Nelson and will lead and coordinate the university’s statewide economic development activities through proactive engagement with regional businesses, communities and economic and community development organizations.

Jones, an Idaho native, has extensive experience in economic development, project management, and business, and is a University of Idaho alumna with a degree in marketing and public relations. She was the Director of Economic Development Services for the Boise Valley Economic Partnership for over 10 years as well as Economic Development Manager at the Idaho Department of Commerce for 4 years and President/CEO of Quality Produce, a wholesale fresh produce processor and distributor for 12 years in Boise. She is also a Board Member and part-owner of her family’s winery, Crossings Winery in Glenns Ferry Idaho.

Jones was named among North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers by Consultant Connect in 2015, a 2013 IBR Woman of the Year nominee, is an executive board member and founding member of the Southwest Idaho Manufacturing Association, and is a past president and current board member of the Idaho Economic Development Association. She is also a graduate of Leadership Idaho Agriculture, and a Fellow with IAMC (Industrial Asset Management Council) and former board member at Capital Matrix.

Jay Saenz, Digital Marketing Manager

As Digital Marketing Manager, Jay oversees digital strategy development and tactical implementation for Oliver Russell. Jay specializes in educating people about the potential of harnessing digital advertising, virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence for good.

Jeff Nishita, Partner

Jeff Nishita is a partner in the San Francisco office of Novogradac & Company LLP and is a co-founder of the firm’s LIHTC Working Group, a membership organization that addresses technical issues in the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) industry. Mr. Nishita provides numerous services in the real estate industry, including audit and tax services, consulting, forecasting, LIHTC and tax exempt bond application assistance, and training. He is experienced with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Uniform Guidance (and A-133), and numerous state auditing requirements. In addition, he is in charge of maintaining the firm’s Financial Forecast Model. He works with for-profit and nonprofit real estate developers, syndicators, lenders and direct investors. Mr. Nishita also speaks at various real estate conferences throughout the year and is a technical editor for the firm’s Special Reports. He is also the founder of the firm’s community service program. Mr. Nishita has served on the Housing Colorado NOW! Conference Planning Committee since 2013. Before joining Novogradac, Mr. Nishita worked with several start-up companies and small businesses in executive positions. Mr. Nishita graduated with Honors from Santa Clara University’s M.B.A. program with concentrations in operations, entrepreneurship, managing technology and innovation, and finance and also received a bachelor’s degree in business economics, with a concentration in accounting from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He currently serves on the Santa Clara University Accounting Advisory Board. He is licensed in California and Colorado as a certified public accountant.

Jennifer Seamons, Senior Vice President and National Acquisition Manager

Jennifer Seamons currently serves as Senior Vice President and National Acquisition Manager of Key Community Development Corporation for KeyBank. In this position, she is responsible for leading acquisition efforts of low income housing tax credits, new markets tax credits and historic tax credits through both direct investment as well as syndicator platforms throughout KeyCorp’s 15 state footprint to support Key’s Community Reinvestment Act investment efforts. Jennifer joined KeyBank in 2000 and her background in banking includes experience in branch operations, commercial underwriting, along with community development lending. She brings financial expertise, counsel, and customized solutions to help organizations reach their complex goals. Jennifer has a BBA in Accounting and Finance from Boise State University and a Master’s Degree in Accounting at Boise State University. Jennifer’s passion and commitment to her community is evident in her active participation in her community. She serves as President to the Idaho-Nevada Community Development Financial Institution, Inc. Board of Directors, Vice President of the Affordable Housing Investors Council and Board Member of the Boise State Alumni Association.

John Williamson, Executive in Residence

John Williamson is an experienced senior executive with strong passion to serve Idaho and grow our business community. He has taken his nearly 3 decades of experience in finance, banking, and business to help bring new programs to the Idaho market that will enable entrepreneurs to obtain greater levels of success.

In partnership between the College of Business and Economics at Boise State University and VentureCapital.Org he is building a program to assist emerging entrepreneurs in successfully navigating the “Valley of Death” funding gaps by offering strategies to more quickly attain critical access to capital.

Jon Barrett, Executive Director

Jon has been the Executive Director of the Idaho Rural Partnership since April 2015. Jon grew up in Colville, Washington. His career in community and economic development began soon after graduating from Washington State University with a degree in Landscape Architecture. He has worked for numerous rural Idaho and Washington communities as an employee and consultant. From 1997-2006 he was the Co-Executive Director of Idaho Smart Growth. He created his Clearstory Studios in 2007 to provide services to government agencies, tribes, and nonprofit organizations.

He has completed advanced training in mediation, fundraising and other topics. He has expertise in project management, group facilitation and multi-interest collaboration, organizational development, strategic planning, community design, policy development, and grant writing. In 2004 the Idaho Chapter of the American Planning Association recognized Jon as Idaho Planner of the Year. He is also a graduate of Leadership Idaho Agriculture.

Kate Holgate, Vice President and Creative Director

Kate Holgate is the Vice President and Creative Director of Stoltz Marketing Group, an integrated marketing communications agency specializing in brand development, strategic planning, digital experience, advertising, design and content marketing. Kate has spent the past 16+ years cutting through the clutter to connect people to products and services that make their life genuinely better. With a background in creative concept development, art direction, and digital UI/UX design, her work has been recognized in Communication Arts, the American Advertising Federation, Oh So Beautiful Paper and For Print Only

Kathryn Almberg, Directory

Kathryn has been with IHFA since 2001 and The Housing Company since 2005. As Director of The Housing Company she oversees all aspects of the company including development, property management and accounting. Prior to becoming director, she was in charge of real estate development – from acquisitions and due diligence, financing, resource and grant applications, to project-team hiring, coordination and construction. She has more than 30 years of experience in finance and real estate development in Idaho, California and Nevada, building properties that range from apartments to business parks, office buildings and big box stores. She has used a wide variety of financing strategies to successfully complete difficult to develop properties including historic rehabilitation and adaptive reuse using Historic Tax Credits. Kathryn serves on the USGBC Green Building Advisory Committee as well as the Ada County Historic Preservation Council.

Kendra Lutes, Clinical Professional Counselor

Kendra Lutes is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and the Clinical Supervisor for Homeless Services at Terry Reilly, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Boise, Idaho. Kendra has a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Gonzaga University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Narrative Therapy. From 2012-2015 Kendra was program manager for a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant-funded program that provided wrap-around support and housing assistance to people experiencing chronic homelessness. In 2016, she participated in the Transatlantic Practice Exchange program sponsored by the National Alliance to End Homelessness in the United States and Homeless Link in Great Britain (GBR). Through this exchange, Kendra spent two weeks in Newcastle, GBR with the Fulfilling Lives program, part of a national effort to transform the system of care to better address the needs of people experiencing multiple complex needs, including homelessness. Kendra will provide program oversight of the on-site support services at New Path.

Kim Wilson, AIA, Partner and Quality Director

Kim Wilson, AIA, is Partner and Quality Director at Holst Architecture in Portland, Oregon. During Kim’s 19-year tenure at the firm, she has been instrumental to its growth and key in establishing Holst’s reputation for quality design and execution. Her body of work at Holst includes a range of multi-family residential projects, including The Fowler, a new 200,000 square foot rental building in downtown Boise, as well as commercial, educational, and non-profit projects. Kim is a licensed Architect in Oregon, California and Idaho.

Kristen Jensen, Director

Kristen Jensen is the director of the Great Rift Business Development Organization and has 10 years of experience in economic development work.

She has served as an American Falls city council member for 26 years, and was recently re-elected to serve her 7th term in office. She has also served on the Power County and City of American Falls Planning and Zoning Boards. She was appointed by the U.S. Department of Energy to serve a third term as a board member on the INL Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board in Idaho.

Kristen is currently serving as past-president of the Idaho Economic Development Association, and has served as president of the Eastern Idaho Economic Development Partners. She has held a variety of leadership roles in public, private, and nonprofit organizations. Kristen holds a B.A. in business with a minor in marketing from Idaho State University. She has been married to Randy Jensen for thirty years and they are the parents of four children.

Lars Hansen, President

Lars joined Brighton Homes as President in 2007 to develop and implement new strategies in residential development and product design to address an evolving marketplace. His role includes market research and analysis, product development and prototyping. Lars plays a major role in the quality of future developments as an integrated land planning and product development approach is pursued. He received the American Institute of Architects School Medal for Excellence in the Study of Architecture from the Univ. of Idaho in 1998 and is a Registered Master Builder (RMB), one of less than 20 in the state.

Lisa Cooper, President

Lisa Cooper is founder and president of Boise-based Figure 8 Investment Strategies, which brings a multi-cultural perspective to providing financial advice and sustainable investment management for individual and institutional clients. With 20+ years of leadership in sustainable, responsible and impact investing, including key roles at Smith Barney Asset Management and Trillium Asset Management, Lisa is a deep believer in the power of business to influence social change. Lisa is also co-founder of Global Talent Idaho, a nonprofit program enabling skilled refugees and immigrants to reclaim professional careers in the US. Lisa is a Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Financial Planner® and holds an MBA from the Wharton School.

Lisa Steele, Manager, Homelessness Programs, IHFA

Lisa is currently the Manager of the Homelessness Programs Department at Idaho Housing and Finance Association. Previously, Lisa focused on the housing needs of vulnerable Idahoans through her work at Neighborhood Housing Services and the Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority, where she held leadership positions and was actively engaged in many housing initiatives throughout the state of Idaho. Lisa has also served the State of Idaho as the Deputy Director of the Public Employees Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI). Lisa has a Masters degree in Business Administration from Golden Gate University and a Bachelors degree in Business from the University of Idaho.

Mark Prince, Team Leader, TitleOne

Mark is currently the Ada County Sales Team Leader for TitleOne Corporation. He has 12 years’ experience in title & escrow and real estate marketing and over 26 years in the sales and marketing industry overall. Mark coaches agents and lenders in referral marketing, business planning and lead generation. He has a BA in Marketing and a Minor in Psychology from the University of Idaho.

Maureen Brewer

Maureen is the Continuum of Care Program Manager for the Boise City/Ada County CoC. Previously, she worked as a Research Associate & Project Manager at the Center for Health Policy at Boise State University and as a Principal Performance Evaluator for a non-partisan, independent arm of the Idaho Legislature. She is a Boise native and has a Master’s of Health Science and bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Spanish from Boise State.

Mayor Dave Bieter

David H. Bieter was elected the 54th mayor of Boise in 2003, fulfilling a dream he’s had since he was a boy growing up in the city’s North End.

Bieter is serving his fourth four-year term and is Boise’s longest serving mayor in the city’s 150-year history.

From his first day in office, Bieter’s vision has been to make Boise the most livable city in the country — a goal that continues to transform the city government’s culture, drive its strategic direction, and build Boise’s reputation as a welcoming city and a center for business, culture, education and outdoor recreation.

Bieter was born in Boise, attended Bishop Kelly High School, and received a degree in international studies from The College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. After earning his Juris Doctor, he gained experience in municipal government as civil counsel to Bonner County in North Idaho. He later served as a land-use specialist in the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office before opening a private practice in Boise.

Melinda Smyser, Director

Melinda is the Director of the Idaho Department of Labor. She leads an agency of 536 employees. Her background includes 13 years of serving on the Parma School District Board of Trustees. She is a former educator/counselor with 30 years of experience in education, including developing and implementing a model school counseling program. Melinda has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho and a Master’s degree in Education/Counseling from the College of Idaho.

Michael Lindsey, ICF Consulting

Mike Lindsay has more than 17 years of experience in the areas of housing and homelessness. He is currently ICF’s technical assistance lead and directs all of ICF’s homeless TA initiatives under Community Development Technical Assistance (CDTA) Cooperative Agreements with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD.) Under this agreement, Mike provides direct technical assistance, strategic planning, and training to CoCs on homeless system integration. Prior to coming to ICF in 2011, Mike had over 10 years of experience working directly in county government, administering both private and public grants, particularly with a HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) network of nonprofit homeless service provider agencies. Mike managed the HUD CoC network of local provider programs and oversaw all grant administration, totaling $14M annually. While at the Allegheny Department of Human Services, he also oversaw and administered the Homeless Information Management System.

Nathan Murray, Economic Development Director

Nathan Murray is the Director of Economic Development for the City of Twin Falls as well as the Executive Director for the Twin Falls Urban Renewal Agency. Presently, he is overseeing four separate infrastructure improvement projects in Downtown Twin Falls, valued at $20M. He also oversees business recruitment and expansion efforts for the city which has received roughly $1.2B in capital improvements since 2012.

Prior to joining the Twin Falls team, and returning to his home State of Idaho, Nathan worked for 15 years in a neighboring state in City Planning and Economic Development. Early career accomplishments include the redevelopment of a 200 acre former U.S. Steel site into a productive Industrial Park for light manufacturing, recruitment of $50m in business investment around a municipal airport, and creation of the City’s first Economic Development Strategic Plan.

Patti Perkins

Patti Perkins is the proud owner of Calyx-Weaver & Associates, a workplace management company. She describes herself as a “recovering banker” having worked for about 25 years for banks in California and Idaho. Patti works with clients of various sizes and in many different industries on common and not-so-common workplace management issues and serves as a frequent commenter on people and management topics. She has been in the Boise area for over 24 years and currently lives in Eagle.

Penny Reed, Senior Vice President

Penny Reed is Senior Vice President – Strategic Engagement and Financial Reform at Wells Fargo Home Lending and a Certified Mortgage Banker. A 34-year veteran of the mortgage industry, Reed has been with Wells Fargo for 28 years in various positions including underwriting, credit risk management, capital markets, strategic partner management and agency relations. Her current role is focused on external outreach and the impacts of Financial Reform on industry partners. In addition to mortgage experience, Reed is a veteran of the US Army and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern New Hampshire with a degree in Computer Information Systems.

Rachel Denton, Partner

Rachel Denton is a partner in the metro Kansas City, Mo., office of the valuation, consulting, market research and government services division of Novogradac & Company LLP. Ms. Denton has extensive experience performing market feasibility studies, appraisals and consulting services for a broad cross-section of clients in the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) industry, including developers, lenders, syndicators and state agencies. She also specializes in conducting regional or marketwide housing studies for various municipalities and agencies. Additional areas of expertise include the valuation and analysis of USDA Rural Development properties and those applying for FHA financing through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) MAP program. Ms. Denton has spoken at Novogradac and other industry conferences nationwide, discussing various aspects of the affordable housing industry broadly, as well as HUD-specific valuation and market analysis issues, and also Year 15 valuation concerns related to LIHTC properties. Ms. Denton has completed extensive real estate appraisal coursework through the Appraisal Institute and received a bachelor’s degree in urban and regional studies from Cornell University. She served for several years on the board of directors for the Kansas City Commercial Real Estate Women organization. She is also a member of the National Council of Housing Market Analysts. Ms. Denton is a designated member of the Appraisal Institute and is licensed as a certified general real estate appraiser in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Missouri.

Randy Shroll

Responsibilities include Business Retention and Expansion and the Idaho Economic Development Rural Professionals Program (a program of state funding for 19 ED Professionals in rural communities statewide). He works with economic development professionals, city and county elected officials in carrying out their economic development plans for economic growth and vitality. He also manages the procedure for the state allocation of tax exempt bonds to finance qualified projects and programs as allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. Randy has been with Commerce 30 years and in 2016 received the Idaho Economic Development Association’s Bob Potter Award for Excellence in Economic Development. He is a graduate of The Economic Development Institute and a Certified Economic Developer (CED), certified by the International Economic Development Council. Prior to joining the state Randy was an Assistant Vice President, Southwest Division Marketing Manager with First Security Bank of Idaho (now Wells Fargo). He is a graduate of Boise State University and an Idaho native from Nampa.

Rick Ritter, Lab Director

Rick Ritter serves as the Lab Director for New Ventures Lab, Inc. New Ventures Lab is a hybrid co-working facility located in Meridian, ID that is focused on “Turning Ideas into Businesses”. Prior to founding New Ventures Lab Inc., Rick served as the CEO/President of Idaho TechConnect, Inc. for eight years, Director of Technology Outreach at Boise State’s Technology and Entrepreneurship Center (TECenter) on the BSU West campus for four years. Rick was named as a CEO of Influence in 2011 by the Idaho Business Review. He has worked extensively across the state with individuals and companies assisting them to discover the economic value of their ideas. Rick has more than more than 20 years of business incubation/assistance/commercialization experience. He has started and successfully operated five businesses (technology, construction, real estate development, consulting, non-profit). He has experience in federal and state government, university, non-profit and private sector arenas. Mr. Ritter holds an MPA degree from Boise State University and a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of Idaho. He resides in Meridian, Idaho with his wife, Terri. He has four grown children and twelve grandchildren.

Scott Flynn, CEO

Scott’s degree in Chemical Engineering combined with over 25 years of construction experience has given him a definite advantage in understanding how buildings interact with their occupants and surroundings. Scott is leading the way in proving to the Boise community, through modeling and performance-testing all his buildings, that energy efficient construction delivers healthier, more economical living and work environments. Scott believes that energy conscience buildings not only protect the health of their occupants, but also the health of the community and environments in which they operate. Therefore, Scott is a large advocate in educating both the public and private sectors on the tremendous value high-performance buildings bring to their community. Scott continues to push the boundaries of thinking different by innovating new construction and thought-processes with regards to energy conservation in high-performance structures.

Sheridan Hodson, Co-founder, Epic Realty

Sheridan Hodson is co-founder of Epic Realty. He is a Boise native that attended Borah High School and The College of Idaho. Upon graduating from C of I Summa Cum Laude in 2006 Sheridan moved to Pittsburgh, PA to attend The Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon. He graduated with high honors (top 5% of class) from Carnegie Mellon, and he spent the next seven years rising-up the ranks within the Finance organization at Exxon Mobil Corp. Sheridan then went back into corporate finance at Micron Technology where he worked directly with senior management that oversaw the development of Solid State Drive (SSD) technology. After reconnecting with his childhood friend Chad McCloud, Sheridan began working on the 3D and virtual reality technology platform, and data analytics processes, that would eventually become the basis for Epic Realty.

Stacie Altmann, Director

Stacie Altmann has over 20 years of investment banking and real estate finance experience, with a significant focus on the affordable housing industry. She joined RBC Capital Markets’ Tax Credit Equity Group in 2010 and serves as Director, West Region with a responsibility for originating, structuring and negotiating LIHTC investments in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Prior to joining RBC, Ms. Altmann served as a corporate officer and Director of Project Finance for USA Properties Fund, Inc. where she oversaw the affordable housing financing activities for the firm.

Ms. Altmann has experience structuring housing, historic and energy tax credit investments for affordable, mixed income and mixed use projects in both urban and rural markets. She has been involved in the financing of over 3,000 apartment homes totaling over $450MM in funding sources. She also actively works with state and local agencies as well as community affordable housing groups on policy and program issues.

Stacie graduated summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Finance.

Steve Cox, Branch Manager

Steve began his mortgage finance career in 2003 as a licensed loan originator. Since then he has been an owner of Park Place Mortgage, and co-owner of Stonebrook Mortgage. From 2009 to 2014 he was a Producing Branch Manager at Waterstone Mortgage Corporation, before assuming the same current role at Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation. Steve is very involved in his industry serving as: Past Chairperson, Boise Regional REALTORS® Political Affairs Committee; Boise Reginal Realtors 2016 Affiliate of the Year; Advisory Board Member, TitleOne Corporation; Past President, Idaho Association of Mortgage Professionals; Past Advisory Board Member, Idaho Department of Finance, Consumer Finance Division.

Steven J. Ramirez, CEO

Steven is a popular industry analyst, writer, and speaker in financial services, home lending, and fintech. His insights have appeared in American Banker, Mortgage Banking, Scotsman Guide, ABA Banking Journal, ABA Bank Marketing, Financial Brand, Bank Innovation, and other industry publications.
He is a popular speaker and has presented on social, mobile, fintech, and digital trends at BAI Retail Delivery, BAI Payments Connect, the Mortgage Technology Conference, American Banker’s Financial Services Marketing Forum, CRM Evolution, ABA Annual Convention, and other events.
As the CEO of customer experience agency Beyond the Arc, his clients include banks, lenders, fintech companies, and banking associations and include industry leaders like Wells Fargo, Cisco, and AT&T. Steven earned his BA and MBA from the University of California, Berkeley.

Terry Gentry, Executive Vice President

Terry Gentry, Executive Vice President of The Richman Group Affordable Housing Corporation is located in Richman’s Portland, Oregon office and is responsible for identifying transactions, underwriting, coordinating due diligence and closing the equity investments. Since joining The Richman Group in 1999, Mr. Gentry has placed over $1.6 billion in tax credit equity in over 250 projects in over $3 billion of assets; this includes 31 properties, representing over 1,200 units and $150 million of tax credit equity, in Idaho. Prior to his work at The Richman Group, Mr. Gentry was a commercial banker at US Bank servicing clients’ through-out the Western state. Mr. Gentry graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and a Master of Science Degree in Political Science with specialization in sustainable development. He is also a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.

Terry Heffner, Idaho District Manager

Terry Heffner is a native Idahoan. He has been in the real estate industry for nearly 3 decades. He attended Bishop Kelly High School and Boise State University. He received his BBA in Marketing at BSU where he was a four-year letterman as a wide receiver.Terry is the Idaho District Manager, Loan Officer, and Team Lead for the Heffner Group at Guild Mortgage. He is committed to his clients and their financial goals beyond the financing of their home. He works diligently to earn a high percentage of repeat client business.

Since the year 2000, his team has helped over 3,800 homeowners buy homes for over $670 million in closed loans. He is in the top 1% of Mortgage Loan Originators nationwide. He led his branch to win the Guild Mortgage Branch of the Year award, Idaho Business Review’s Best Mortgage Company award, and Guild’s Quality Award.He consistently achieves the highest recognition at Guild Mortgage for volume of loans closed- The Chairman’s Club. He has been involved with community and industry associations that include Bishop Kelly High Foundation Board, Building Contractors Association, Ada County Association of Realtors, Optimist Football, Little League Baseball, Idaho Potato Bowl, and BSU Varsity B Club.

Toby Miller, Technician Programs Manager

Toby has worked with Western States equipment Co, for 23 years in various rolls including service technician, technical trainer, shop manager, regional manager, and his current role as technician programs manager. Toby is responsible for overseeing Western States’ technical recruitment strategy and technician training programs. He also works with local technical high schools, colleges and organizations throughout our territory to promote the careers we offer at Western States.

Tom Mannschreck, Chief Financial Officer

Tom is responsible for overall corporate vision, strategy and guidance of operations of Thomas Development Co., a Boise, Idaho based real estate development company and Thomas Investments Limited Partnership, a family-held real estate investment entity. Synergistically interacting with a small but experienced development team, Tom is primarily responsible for setting policy at Thomas Development Co., making major investment and business strategy decisions and providing general oversight throughout the development process.

Prior to founding Thomas Development Co. in 1990, Tom was a partner, member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Business Practice Group of a large Boise, Idaho law firm. His practice focused on business transactions, financial institution representation and real estate transactions. Tom is a graduate of the University of Idaho summa cum laude in Business and Economics and the University of Santa Clara School of Law.

Vanessa Fry

Vanessa serves as the Assistant Director of the Idaho Policy Institute at Boise State University and Assistant Research Professor in the School of Public Service. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Presidio Graduate School. Before joining the Idaho Policy Institute Vanessa served as the Assistant Director for the Public Policy Research Center and Policy Innovation Fellow for the City of Boise where she conducted a feasibility assessment on using Pay for Success financing to address issues associated with chronic homelessness. Originally from Ohio, Vanessa’s passions for education and evidenced-based policy making led her to non-profit leadership roles and educational pursuits across the country. For the past fifteen years she has worked to balance economic vitality, environmental health and social equity through community engagement, smart planning, economic development and teaching.

In New York Vanessa worked with Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology and researched Lyme disease with the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Since moving to Idaho she has utilized her skills in nonprofit management, government relations and stakeholder engagement in a number of roles including as the development director for two nonprofits – the Snake River Alliance and the Environmental Resource Center (where she also served as an AmeriCorps member). As the executive director for Citizens for Smart Growth she pursued the use of a number of market-based mechanisms for conservation including a transfer of development rights program. She also worked to pass Idaho’s first county-wide open space initiative that raised over $3 million to protect land, water and wildlife in Blaine County, ID (home to the Sun Valley ski resort).

As a co-founder and chair of Sustain Blaine (now Sun Valley Economic Development), the region’s first public-private partnership of its kind, Vanessa focused on creating a regional economic development strategy for all of Blaine County. More recently, as a mobility manager for the Community Transportation of Idaho (CTAI), Vanessa helped launch the first statewide mobility management system in the country and worked to increase the connectivity between Idaho’s communities while enhancing quality of life and economic growth.

Wyatt Schroeder, Executive Director

Wyatt Schroeder serves as the Executive Director for CATCH, Inc. He is responsible for the strategic management, fund development, storytelling, and program success of the organization. A native of Pennsylvania, Wyatt holds an M.B.A. from Villanova University (Philadelphia, PA) and a B.A. from Allegheny College (Meadville, PA). While serving in AmeriCorps with Rebuilding Together, Wyatt found the passion of his life: ending homelessness. Since then he has worked with Doorways for Women and Families, a re-housing and domestic violence shelter organization in Arlington, VA and Project HOME, a housing and services agency in Philadelphia, PA. In 2012, he founded StoryBank Consulting to help social entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and collective impact initiatives design innovative strategies to meet their mission and tell their story. Through his consulting, he has aided organizations such as Pathways to Housing PA, Your Way Home Montgomery County, and CATCH, Inc, before coming on-board as its Executive Director. Wyatt is committed to building sustainable organizations around innovative housing models, such as Housing First, while never forgetting to share the powerful stories of those we are serving.

Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D.

Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. is a nationally-acclaimed economist and public speaker specializing in making economics fun, relevant, and educational. Eisenberg, formerly a senior economist with the National Association of Home Builder, is the creator of the multifamily stock index, serves on the Expert Advisory Board of Mortgage Market Guide, and is consultant to several large real estate associations and investment groups. He is the Chief Economist for GraphsandLaughs, LLC, an economic consulting firm that serves a variety of clients across the United States. He writes a syndicated column and authors a daily 70-word commentary on the economy. He earned a B.A. in economics with first class honors from McGill University in Montreal, as well as a Masters and Ph.D. in public administration from Syracuse University.

Richard Florida

Richard Florida is one of the world’s leading urbanists. He is a writer and journalist, having penned several global best sellers, including the award-winning The Rise of the Creative Class and his most recent book, The New Urban Crisis. He serves as senior editor for The Atlantic. Richard is a researcher and professor, serving as University Professor and Director of Cities at the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto, a Distinguished Fellow at New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate, and a Visiting Fellow at Florida International University. A 2013 MIT study named him the world’s most influential thought leader, and TIME recognized his Twitter feed as one of the 140 most influential in the world. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers College and his Ph.D. from Columbia University.

Jack Uldrich

Jack Uldrich is a renowned global futurist and the best-selling author of 11 books. His most recent book is Foresight 20/20: A Futurist Explores the Trends Transforming Tomorrow. He is a frequent guest on national media and regularly appears on the Science Channel, the Discovery Channel, CNN, CNBC and National Public Radio. Jack is also an ongoing contributor on emerging technologies and future trends for a number of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Wired Magazine, and BusinessWeek. He is a prolific speaker on technology, change management and leadership and has addressed Fortune 100 corporations, venture capital firms, associations, not-for-profit organizations and state and regional governments on five continents.