BOISE, ID – The Boise Metro Chamber inducted Blue Cross of Idaho President and CEO Charlene Maher into its Hall of Fame during its annual Small Business of the Year and Chamber Excellence Awards May 10 at Boise Center East.

“Inducting a member of our community into the Chamber Hall of Fame is the highest honor we can bestow as an organization,” said Bill Connors, President and CEO of the Boise Metro Chamber. “We recognized our inaugural honoree back in 2013. This year, Charlene Maher will take her place on our Wall of Fame as the 10th recipient. I believe the entire Treasure Valley community will agree with me when I say that there is no one more deserving of this honor.”

Seven organizations and one other individual were recognized during the ceremony. The winners in each category received a trophy and special recognition.

“We’ve had so many great companies nominated for these awards,” said Connors. “It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to recognize ‘Boise’s Best’ from among our members, who all work so hard to make this community what it is – the best place in the country to live, work, and play.”

Selecting from the individual category nominees to choose just one Government Advocate of the Year and one Chamber Hall of Fame inductee is an especially daunting task that can take weeks of conversation and consideration among event judges, he said.

“There are so many people in this community who are going above and beyond to make this great city even better,” said Connors. “It can be very tough for our judging panels to choose just one to recognize in these categories.”

This year’s Government Advocate of the Year is former Idaho State Representative and current Association of Idaho Cities Executive Director Kelley Packer.
 
The 2022 business category winners are:
 

Small Business of the Year (fewer than 25 employees)
Paradigm of Idaho
 
Small Business of the Year (more than 25 employees)
Colliers
 
Healthcare Industry Excellence
Garden Plaza of Valley View
 
Financial Services Industry Excellence
United Heritage Insurance
 
Food & Agricultural Industry Excellence
Lamb Weston
 
Travel Industry Excellence
Boise Hawks
 
Nonprofit Industry Excellence
Wyakin Foundation

BOISE, ID – The Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce Dr. Bert Glandon, president of College of Western Idaho, will be the 2021 recipient of the Chamber’s Hall of Fame Award, and Former House Speaker Bruce Newcomb will be honored as Government Advocate of the Year. Glandon is the ninth recipient of this award, following Ray Stark in 2020, Candi Allphin in 2019, Dave Terrell in 2018, and Dr. Bob Kustra in 2017. 

​Glandon was selected for the award for his sustained, positive contributions to the betterment of the Chamber and support for its mission to advocate for a vibrant economy and outstanding quality of life. He will be honored at the 2021 Small Business of the Year & Chamber Excellence Awards luncheon on Wednesday, May 6 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Boise Centre.

The university president joined College of Western Idaho (CWI) in July of 2009 as a seasoned community college president. Prior to joining CWI, Glandon held president positions at Arapahoe Community College (2002-2009) and Treasure Valley Community College (1982-2002). He received his bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in communication from Western Washington University, and earned his Doctorate of Education Administration from Brigham Young University. 

As CWI’s president, Glandon steered Idaho’s newest community college through unprecedented growth. Under his leadership, the college focused on meeting the demand for affordable education and becoming an economic resource for the area’s business and industry. Glandon believes that community colleges play a critical role in partnering with local and regional businesses and industries to provide educational and training opportunities, assuring a strong economic engine for growth and development in the communities they serve. 

“President Glandon is a national icon in higher education, and College of Western Idaho became a national success story under Bert’s leadership. The Boise Metro Chamber was a vocal champion for the creation of CWI, and Bert and his team delivered for the entire valley with amazing results. His passion for student success, career and technical education, and his service to the valley’s growing business needs, certainly makes Dr. Glandon a worthy inductee to our hall of fame, our Chamber’s highest individual honor,” said Bill Connors, President and CEO of the Boise Metro Chamber.

“President Glandon’s vision, leadership, and unwavering commitment to advancing students has cultivated the incredible growth and success at CWI and influenced the entire education landscape across Idaho,” said Molly Lenty, Chair of Board of Trustees at CWI. 

Actively engaged in the community, Dr. Glandon has a position on a number of boards including Saint Alphonsus Health System, St. Luke’s Nampa community board, Boise Rotary, Idaho Technology Council, Boise Valley Economic Partnership, and by appointment of the governor, is a member of the Idaho Workforce Development Council and co-chair of the Educational Attainment Taskforce. Glandon is married to his wife, Jane, and has two sons, Dustin and Nick.

​In addition to honoring the CWI president, this year’s Small Business and Chamber Excellence Awards will also highlight Former House Speaker Bruce Newcomb as this year’s Government Advocate of the Year. Newcomb, a native Idahoan and rancher from Buhl, served 20 years in the Idaho legislature.

Newcomb attended Stanford University, Northwest Christian College, and graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Science. He was the Speaker of the Idaho State House of Representatives (1998-2006), Majority Leader (1992-1998), on the House Resource Committee (1989-1998), and caucus chairman (1989-1991). His eight years as speaker of the house make him the longest serving speaker in the history of Idaho and he has been inducted to the Idaho Hall of Fame. After his time in Legislature, Newcomb served as Director of Government Relations (2007-2016) and Special Advisor to the President (2016-2017) at Boise State University. Newcomb helped navigate Boise State’s substantial growth and expansion during his tenure.  

In 2017, Boise State University awarded Newcomb with the School of Public Service Commitment to Idaho Award. Two years later, Make-A-Wish Idaho named him Board Member of the Year. He currently has led the Boise Metro Chamber policy committee for the past several years. Newcomb is married to his wife Celia Gould, director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, and has five children. Together, they run a beef operation on their ranch and have been inducted into the Southern Idaho Livestock Hall of fame.

“It has been an honor to have Speaker Newcomb as chair of the Chamber’s policy committee for the past several years. His voice has always been one of reason, civility, and common sense. His leadership and experience have helped to make our Chamber into one of the most influential business organizations in Idaho. This year more than ever we have needed Speaker Newcomb’s cool head and intelligent statesmanship. Bruce is an example of what political leadership and advocacy ought to look like. He is an Idaho treasure,” said Bill Connors of the of the Boise Metro Chamber.

The 2021 Small Business of the Year & Chamber Excellence Awards luncheon will be held at the Boise Centre with limited attendance in accordance with CDH guidelines. The event will be streamed on the Chamber’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and website. 

BOISE, ID – The Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that Ray Stark, Senior Vice President of Government and Community Relations and Events of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce is the 2020 recipient of the Chamber’s Hall of Fame Award. Stark is the eighth recipient of this award, following Candi Allphin in 2019, Dave Terrell in 2018, Dr. Robert Kustra in 2017, and Dennis Johnson in 2016.

Stark was selected for the award for his everlasting contributions to the betterment of the Chamber and support for its mission to advocate for a vibrant economy and outstanding quality of life. Stark will be honored at the 2020 Small Business of the Year & Chamber Excellence Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, May 19 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Boise Centre.

Stark was hired at the Boise Metro Chamber in 1990 as the Government Affairs Manager and has spent the last 30 years in government advocacy for the Chamber. Stark will retire as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs in 2020.

Stark’s accomplishments over the years are extensive and notable. One of Stark’s most distinguished accomplishments was planning the Chamber’s Annual Leadership Conference that will celebrate 27 years this spring. The Leadership Conference focuses on bringing together businesses in the region along with elected officials to breakdown barriers between counties and cities and regional solutions for transportation, economic development, workforce and air quality.

The inaugural Mayor’s State of the City Address was also spearheaded by Stark with the first presentation by Mayor Dirk Kempthorne in 1990. The event has turned into a staple performance for the Chamber and city to highlight various initiatives and still continues today.

Stark has led a passionate career making Boise a great place to live and work. Stark’s public policy successes have included lowering the corporate income tax, widening I-84, the start up of College of Western Idaho, bonds for the Boise and West ADA school districts, classroom buildings for Boise State University, and funding for the Ada County Highway District.

“For thirty years Ray Stark has been the heart and soul of the Boise Metro Chamber,” said Bill Connors, President and CEO of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce. “His institutional knowledge of all things Idaho is unsurpassed in this state. I’m grateful to have had the honor of working alongside one of the most decent and beloved figures in Boise’s history. His tenure had made us all successful, and I hope the entire community can come show their appreciate to one of the most humble, yet successful ‘community advocates’ in the nation.”

Stark has always been an active member in the community serving on several boards and panels. Stark was past chairman of the Boise Philharmonic Association and serves on advisory boards for Boise State University, the University of Idaho and Bishop Kelly High School.  In 2007 the University of Idaho awarded Stark with the Silver and Gold Award – honoring his contributions to his career, community, and charity. In 2017 Governor Butch Otter appointed Ray to serve on the state’s Higher Education Task Force. A long-time sports fan, Stark also served as Boise State Football’s scoreboard operator for 41 years.

Before joining the Boise Metro Chamber, Stark served twelve years on staff at the Idaho State Legislature. His duties included financial analysis with an emphasis on higher education, health and welfare, prisons and the state’s building program. Stark graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Idaho with undergraduate degrees in Political Science and History and a master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA).