Member Corner: Jacquelyn Hanners, PacificSource Health Plans

6/14/2018

This month, we are thrilled to introduce Jacquelyn Hanners of PacificSource Health Plans as our Member Spotlight. We asked Jacquelyn a few questions about what makes working at PacificSource so special. Here's what she had to say:

What is your favorite film?
"Gone With the Wind." Scarlett is the perfect combination of grit and grace who fiercely protects her home and her family.

What is the best book you've read recently?
"Good Is the New Cool – Market Like You Give a Damn" by Afdhel Aziz and Bobby Jones. I bought this book the same day it was recommend to me and have been loving every single page. It’s all about finding ways to re-imagine how marketing and branding is done.

What sport do you enjoy watching most?
College football, of course. I don’t even think you can claim to be from Boise if you don’t like watching Saturday pigskin on the Blue in the fall.

Who is the most interesting historical figure?
Emily Post. It’s no coincidence that manners rhymes with Hanners. I believe that having good manners is more than using the correct fork with your meal, but is instead the cornerstone of making people feel valued and comfortable.

What is your favorite hobby or thing to do during the weekend?
Do I only get to pick one? I suppose I don’t have just one favorite hobby because there are always so many great things to do around Boise. Whether I’m out enjoying the foothills, a local festival, or a museum, it’s guaranteed that I’ll be smiling.

Favorite Idaho escape?
Stanley or anywhere around the Sawtooths. Growing up, summers were spent camping in the heart of Idaho, and it’s where I still go when I need to reset. The stresses of adult life leave me once I cross Galena Summit.

Favorite place in Boise to take a visitor?
There are so many great local hot spots in and around Boise that the options are endless. My favorite hidden gem is the Bethine Church River Trail along the Boise Greenbelt, followed by patio hopping at some of Boise’s finest eateries.

What is the most important trend in your business or industry?
Working to improve the entire health of the communities we serve and focusing on the resulting health outcomes has been an emerging trend. We call it “population health” in the industry.

What is the best advice you've received?
“All you need is five seconds of insane courage to do something amazing.” Advice given from my sister, Wendy Berkson.

Who is a local business or business person you admire?
Dave Self. When I started at PacificSource, he was the regional vice president. From day one, I could tell that Dave was vested in his employees, regardless of their position, and was there to help them grow and achieve as much as they were willing to.

What is the number one reason to do business with your company or organization?
The number one reason to do business with PacificSource is because we don’t just say we do the right thing, we are constantly proving that we will actually work hard to do the right thing.

What do you enjoy most about your company or organization?
Hands down it’s the culture and the people. We have phenomenal leadership that knows the best way to do business is by making PacificSource a company that you look forward to working for everyday.

Tell us about a current or upcoming project or company-wide intiative.

Every year, the employees from each PacificSource location are able to pick their Charity of Choice. This year employees at the Boise office selected Faces of Hope Victim Center as their local charity to support. As co-chair of Charity of Choice Committee we have focused on ways to spread awareness of Faces and the great work that they do in the community for victims of abuse and domestic violence. We have also been finding ways that we can give back through FUNdraising and volunteerism. If you would like to find out more about Faces of Hope Victim Center please visit them at www.facesofhopevictimcenter.org.

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Kustra's Last Stand — President Kustra on Higher Education

6/13/2018

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DR. BOB KUSTRA'S ADDRESS ON HIGHER EDUCATION

“Go back to your college experience,” President of Boise State University Bob Kustra addressed a filled Stueckle Sky Center audience on Monday, June 11. As Kustra set the stage for perhaps his final address to the Chamber, those in attendance paused for a moment and considered the president’s words, remembering fondly (or not so fondly) the “frayed notes” and rambling professors of their college days.

Higher education is an ever-evolving organism, just as its courses, faculty, and foundation continue to seek out new innovative means to tailor the collegiate experience. Office hours, before merely a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity during any given week, are now a key interactive advantage offered to students nearly around the clock. Digitized textbooks and online dashboards, a component of a growing hybrid educational campaign, are changing the ways students earn degrees at Boise State University. In fact, degrees themselves are not merely the sole definitive document they once were. Kustra argued that tailored degrees versus a “paste education” system are what’s carving out a student’s unique educational track. “Forget the major,” he asserted. Much of Boise State’s future is dedicated to this notion that a student’s educational understanding and eventual application in the workplace should not be defined by one all-encompassing phrase, such as “communications” or “applied science.” More and more students are wanting to showcase their unique interests, instead opting for various minors and certificates.

The Chamber and the community will miss Bob’s unique leadership. It is rare for a university president to aggressively move outside the academic walls to robustly engage with the community it serves. The Chamber is honored to have worked so closely with President Kustra on so many projects and achievements during his career. We wish him the best in all future endeavors — and, of course, who could blame him for choosing the greatest city in the country to ride off into the sunset.