On May 28, Chamber members and business leaders gathered at The Grove Hotel to celebrate the 2024-26 Leadership Boise (LB) Class Graduation and Community Leadership Awards. The event honored the 2024–2026 cohort for completing two years of intensive professional development, civic exploration, and collaborative leadership.

Participants in Leadership Boise engage in monthly, day-long sessions focused on regional issues, community systems, and leadership growth. Designed for mid-to-senior level professionals, the program builds lasting connections while equipping participants to better serve their organizations and the broader community. In their second year, class members work in teams to design, organize, and present two of the civic/leadership sessions for 60–120 attendees (Year One participants in the fall, and Leadership Boise Academy participants joining in the spring sessions).

The evening was emceed by Michael Ballantyne of TOK Commercial Real Estate, with TOK Commercial Real Estate serving as the event’s Co-Sponsor. The program also featured a keynote from Hart Gilchrist of Intermountain Gas, an LB alumnus and recipient of the Legacy of Leadership Award, who shared insights on service-driven leadership.

The event recognized key supporters of Leadership Boise, including presenting sponsors Doug Ward (First Interstate Bank) and Lee Scott (Unleashing Leaders). Additional acknowledgments included Alex Suffa (Idaho First Bank), outgoing LB Alumni Association President; Todd Cooper (Idaho First Bank), Alumni Program Sponsor; Mike Krause (Global Bound), 2025–2026 Program Sponsor; and Gabe Brenner (City of Boise), 2025–2026 LB President.

2026 Community Leadership Award winners:
► Nonprofit Excellence Award: Idaho Youth Ranch
► Social Responsibility Award: LeAnn Naillon, Telos Coaching & Consulting
► LB Entrepreneur of the Year: Steph Lokelani Cullen (OMG FF, IRL)
► Distinguished LB Alumnus: Phil McGrane (accepted by Chelsea Carattini)
► Legacy of Leadership Award: Dan Price

A full list of the graduates can be found in the LB Alum Class Roster Archives located at the bottom of the Leadership Boise Alumni page.

Boise's 2026 State of the City: Building a City for Everyone
On May 6, 2026, Mayor Lauren McLean delivered her seventh State of the City Address at the Boise Centre, hosted in partnership with the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce. The annual event brought together business leaders, elected officials, nonprofit organizations, and community members to reflect on the progress Boise has made and the work that lies ahead.

Mayor McLean framed her remarks around a single, recurring idea: Boise's future depends on continuing to invest in the people, neighborhoods, and shared spaces that create connection. Drawing on the city's long history of civic participation, she pointed to past generations who helped shape Boise through projects like the airport, foothills preservation, and neighborhood development, and called on today's residents, businesses, and community leaders to carry that tradition forward.

Housing and Affordability
A central focus of the address was housing affordability and ensuring Boise remains a place where people can continue to build their lives. McLean shared stories from residents concerned about whether younger generations will be able to stay in Boise long term. She reported that more than 10,000 new homes have been added over the past six years, alongside continued progress on deeply affordable housing and units for individuals exiting homelessness.

The mayor also highlighted the Supportive Housing Investment Fund, a partnership with the Idaho Community Foundation. The city's initial $7.5 million investment was matched through community support, reaching the program's funding goal to provide wraparound services for residents transitioning out of homelessness. Looking ahead, the city is exploring neighborhood planning opportunities near the airport and the Micron Technology campus, with an emphasis on well-planned communities connected to jobs, parks, services, and transportation.

Downtown Investment and Small Business Support
McLean pointed to employers like Equifax and Ericsson that are prioritizing in-person work and contributing to a more active downtown environment. She highlighted the role of events like Treefort Music Fest in energizing public spaces and supporting local businesses, alongside new neighborhood commercial developments bringing restaurants, retail, and gathering spaces closer to where people live.

To better support local businesses navigating city processes, Boise created a new Business Engagement Advisor position to help business owners connect with city resources and planning teams. The mayor also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Boise Airport, which recently recorded its highest passenger count ever, surpassing five million travelers in a single year. A new concourse is expected to break ground later this year.

Parks, Libraries, and Public Spaces
Throughout the address, McLean connected Boise's quality of life to continued investments in parks, pathways, libraries, and gathering spaces. Boise voters approved expanded investments in parks and open space in November, with 82 percent voting in favor of continued funding.

New and ongoing projects include a new pool near Whitney Elementary School, additional walking paths and amenities at neighborhood parks, a new pocket park near Flying Y and Cole Road, and future improvements at Molinar Park, Magnolia Park, and the Optimist Youth Sports Complex. The city also announced a $2 million seed investment to expand library access in West Boise. Currently, 75 percent of Boise residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park, with a goal of eventually reaching every Boisean.

Transportation and Public Safety
Transportation and public safety initiatives also featured prominently in McLean's remarks. She highlighted collaborative conversations taking place across the Treasure Valley, including the launch of Keep Idaho Moving, led in part by local business and development leaders. New efforts include increased traffic enforcement, slow zone pilot projects in neighborhoods, quick build traffic calming projects, and safety improvements along Fairview Avenue.

The Boise Police Department's behavioral health teams responded to nearly 2,000 calls over the past year, pairing officers with clinicians to better support individuals in crisis. Boise Fire Department is also using AI-supported wildfire prevention tools to better predict and respond to wildfire risks across the area.

A City Worth the Work
McLean closed her address by urging the community to continue investing in the kind of city that future generations will want to return to, reflecting on everything from volunteers who built the city's original airport runway a century ago to residents who preserved the foothills decades later.
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"Our story has never been about one person," McLean said. "It's been about our community, about what happens when people who love this place decide together, with deep resolve and a whole lot of joy, that it's worth the work."

Mayor Lauren McLean delivered these remarks at the Mayor's State of the City Address on May 6, 2026, at the Boise Centre. This blog post was prepared from a transcript using the help of AI.