 BOISE, Idaho – Leadership Boise, a Boise Metro Chamber program sponsored by Global Bound, LLC, has announced the Leadership Boise (LB) class of 2025-2027. Established in 1975, LB has graduated over 2,200 Treasure Valley professionals, making it one of the largest and longest-running Chamber-sponsored leadership programs in the country.
Participants engage in monthly, daylong sessions to enhance their understanding of the community, its challenges, and opportunities. Monthly topics such as Healthcare and Innovation & Technology encourage fresh perspectives on leadership, innovation, collaboration, and empower participants with the tools to broaden their impact in leadership roles. Each year, Leadership Boise alumni interview numerous candidates from which a select group is chosen as the new class. “In the second year of the program, participants are divided into Planning Teams to plan and execute the sessions they attended in their first year of LB,” said Karyn Stuart, Chamber Director of Leadership Programs. “This past weekend, Opening Retreat was held at YMCA Camp in Horsethief Reservoir; the “Opening Retreat Planning Team” did a fantastic job of combining team-building exercises with leadership development content from passionate speakers such as David Duro, YMCA, and Mike Krause of Global Bound, LLC. Stuart added.” The 2025- 2026 LB leadership team includes: LB President, Gabe Brenner (City of Boise) LB VP, Wes Stanfill (Robertson’s LLC) and LB Academy VP, Erika Berryman (St. Luke’s). This team developed the overarching LB Theme for 2025-2026 (PERSONAL GROWTH TO COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP) which is woven into all civic/leadership sessions, and they work closely with Chamber Foundation Leadership staff to deliver a stellar program experience for all LB and LB Academy participants. Congratulations to the newest class of Leadership Boise participants and to the companies that support the Chamber and their employees’ growth! CLASS ROSTER Andrew Marini, Ada County Sheriff's Office Anushree Khandelwal, HP Inc. Becky Moose, K2 Construction, Inc. Ben Fulcher, Rallens Realty Consultants Ben Gibbons, Holland & Hart LLP Brent Arnold, Intermountain Gas Company Brett Gulash, Hillside Architecture Cameron Oliver, Trak Software Inc. Chelsea Carattini, Idaho Secretary of State's Office Cieara Davis, Association of Idaho Cities Colleen Shackelford, Center for Lifetime Health Cory Carone, Stoel Rives LLP Danielle Strollo, Givens Pursley LLP Gail Cole, Blue Cross of Idaho Heather Bowman, Idaho Housing and Finance Association Holten White, HDR Jeff Hunter, Horrocks Engineers Jeff Tonkin, HC Company, Inc. Jeremy Battershell, St. Luke's Health Plan Kami Kiser, HP Inc. Kekoa Nawahine, Ahlquist Kerryn Sarwansingh, Kiewit Corp. Kim Ross, Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Kyle Johnson, Zions Bank Landon Brown, Hawley Troxell Lindsay Woychick, Saint Alphonsus Health System Lindsey Quintana, Block 22 LLC / The Grove Hotel Lisa Arnold, TRICA Lucas Gebhart, Visit Boise Maegan Krahn, St. Luke's Health Foundation Matt Palm, Paylocity Matthew Havili, Hawley Troxell Meg McCarthy, Ada County Highway District Mike Taylor, Kount, an Equifax Company Morgan Harris, Boise State University Foundation Nick Tunison, RedBuilt, LLC Rachel Puljan, ICCU Rebecca Troescher, Boise Cascade Company Savannah Lewis, United Way of Treasure Valley Skylor Lenz, Boise State University Sophia Hartsock, Red Sky PR Tayler Marshall, Stinker Stores Taylor McDonald, First Interstate Bank Titan Walker, Western Heating & Air Truman Weston, Pinnacle Performance Tyler Anderson, Boise Cascade Tyler Lohman, Mountain West Bank Tyler Sisson, ESI Construction Wade Foster, Stoel Rives LLP Wendy Parkinson, Idaho First Bank Zach Cahill, Washington Trust Bank This year’s theme — “Innovation Through Collaboration BOISE, Idaho – The Boise Metro Chamber is proud to announce this year’s Annual Gala & Auction theme Innovation Through Collaboration, in partnership with Trailhead - the Boise nonprofit entrepreneurial support hub behind Boise Entrepreneur Week, Boise Pitch Night, Idaho Startup Lab, and more.
This year's theme, Innovation Through Collaboration, was inspired by the influential professionals and decision makers that share a strong interest in working together to shape the success of our region’s economy and business landscape. The program will spotlight previous pitch winners and Trailhead alumni, giving some of Boise’s most promising startups a unique opportunity to engage directly with business leaders, investors, and policymakers. “At the heart of what we do is support business—and what better way to do that than elevating some of Idaho’s newer startups,” said Bobbi-Jo Meuleman, President and CEO of the Boise Metro Chamber. “This year’s Gala will focus on the community, spotlighting innovations and entrepreneurs and the importance of fostering connections.” The Boise Metro Chamber’s Annual Gala & Auction has become one of the Treasure Valley’s most anticipated annual events and serves as the Chamber’s most important fundraiser of the year. Donations for live and silent auction items are now being accepted through September 5, with proceeds going to support the businesses featured at this year’s Gala and Auction. Tickets to this event are available on the Boise Metro Chamber’s website at boisechamber.org. This event is presented by diamond sponsor: Blue Cross of Idaho, platinum sponsor: Alaska Airlines, gold sponsors: Albertsons, ICCU, Southwest Airlines, silver sponsors: Allied Business Solutions, Boise Centre, Colliers, Hawley Troxell, Intermountain Gas Company, J.R. Simplot Company, and Micron. Media: Members of the media are invited to attend this event. RSVP by email or phone to the Media Contact listed at the top of this release. ### About the Boise Metro Chamber: Established in 1883, the Boise Metro Chamber is the only five-star accredited Chamber of Commerce in Idaho and strives to be the leading business advocacy organization in the Boise Valley. The Boise Metro Chamber is a private, nonprofit, membership-driven organization comprised of approximately 2,000 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions, and individuals. Its mission is to provide leadership that will help create regional economic prosperity and success for its members. For more information about the Boise Metro Chamber visit: boisechamber.org Editorial: Idaho’s Public Lands—Still Not for Sale (A statement from the Idaho Chamber Alliance)6/27/2025
By Sean Evans, President/CEO, Meridian Chamber of Commerce Past Chair, Idaho Chamber Alliance Idaho’s economic health and exceptional quality of life are deeply rooted in our access to public lands. For decades, these lands have supported local businesses, sustained thriving outdoor recreation, and helped define the identity of communities across our state. As President and CEO of the Meridian Chamber of Commerce—and as Past Chair of the Idaho Chamber Alliance—I feel compelled to speak on behalf of the business community in strong opposition to the Senate’s proposed resolution that would mandate the sale of hundreds of thousands of acres of federally managed public land.
While the original version of the proposal called for the sale of up to 3.3 million acres across the West—including both Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service lands—recent updates have scaled it back. The amended bill now limits the sale to between 612,500 and 1.2 million acres of BLM-administered land near urban areas and excludes Forest Service parcels altogether. But let’s be clear: the risks to Idaho remain very real. Even with a narrower scope, this proposal threatens BLM lands that are integral to our local economies, workforce strategies, and regional identity. Many of these “urban adjacent” lands are heavily used by residents and visitors for hiking, hunting, camping, and fishing. They play a vital role in wildfire prevention and ecosystem health. More importantly, they enhance the quality of life that helps Idaho attract and retain talent—a key competitive advantage for businesses of all sizes. Outdoor recreation alone contributes more than $3.4 billion annually to Idaho’s economy and supports over 35,000 jobs. These lands support entire sectors—tourism, hospitality, outfitting, and retail—that our local and regional chambers work to sustain every day. Selling them off would not only reduce public access but could permanently undermine the natural infrastructure that helps Idaho communities thrive. As a Past Chair of the Idaho Chamber Alliance, I also want to emphasize the broader voice behind this message. The Idaho Chamber Alliance (ICA) is a statewide coalition representing more than 20 local chambers of commerce—urban, suburban, and rural—working together to advocate for business-friendly policies that support growth, infrastructure, workforce development, and community resilience. ICA represents thousands of businesses across the state. Together, we advocate for policies that strengthen our economy, grow our workforce, and preserve the assets that make Idaho a great place to live, work, and do business. We recognize and respect the urgent need to address housing affordability and availability. Like many business leaders across the state, I see firsthand how housing challenges impact recruitment and retention. But selling off public lands with minimal oversight and limited public input is not the right answer. It places a long-term economic and environmental burden on Idaho for the sake of short-term headlines. We are grateful for the leadership of Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, and Representative Mike Simpson, who have voiced opposition to this flawed proposal. However, as of now, Representative Russ Fulcher has yet to take a public position. I urge him—and all members of our delegation—to stand firmly against any effort that undermines Idaho’s public land heritage. To my fellow business and community leaders across Idaho: your voice matters. Now is the time to speak out. Contact your Senators and Representatives. Let them know that Idaho’s public lands are not surplus—they are strategic assets that drive economic success, community health, and workforce opportunity. Tell them we can support housing development without sacrificing the lands that support our way of life. Let’s not allow a misguided policy to erode what generations of Idahoans have protected and benefited from. Let’s protect our economy, our identity, and our future. Let’s keep Idaho’s public lands public—because once they’re gone, they don’t come back. |
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