Idaho Smart Growth

Gary Allen, President,  is a land use and environmental attorney and partner at Givens Pursley.  Gary is a lead author of the Idaho Land Use Handbook, which is a land use reference book widely used around the state.  He currently serves on the steering committee of the Blueprint for Good Growth, Ada County’s first county-wide land use planning effort.  Gary is active in local and state-wide community affairs.  Among other things, he is the past chair of the board of the ANSER charter school and the co-founder and president of the South Boise Village neighborhood association.  Gary is the past chair of the Educational Affairs Committee of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, and served as the Chamber of Commerce's representative on the Boise School District's Technology Task Force.

Kate Eldridge, Vice-President, was born and raised in a small town in northern New York.  As a competitive cross country ski racer, she attended Middlebury College where she graduated with a degree in Economics and Russian.  After a couple years working for a non-profit organization that fostered economic development in Russia and the former Soviet Union, Kate moved west in search of new adventures.  She landed in Boulder, Colorado where she worked for a software developer and earned an MBA from the University of Colorado.  A career change led Kate to Boise in 2002.  She is now a Vice President and Marketing Manager for HDR Engineering, responsible for business development in Idaho.

Michelle Groenevelt, Secretary, is the Community Development Director at the City of McCall. She joined the City of McCall in 2005 as the City Planner/GIS and has worked to create a progressive planning environment and continues to strive for innovative planning solutions.  She has a BS in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech. When not in public or committee meetings, Michelle enjoys running, biking, swimming, skiing, and baking sweet treats.

Stacey Alexander, Treasurer, is an Assistant Vice President at Northwest Bank.  She grew up in Birmingham, AL and received her bachelor of arts in international political economy from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA.  After a short stint in the music business, Stacey moved to Aspen, CO where she began a career in commercial banking.  She and her husband recently relocated to Boise for its vibrant downtown, quality of life, and outdoor activities.  In her free time, Stacey enjoys hiking in the foothills with her husband and their dog, Ginger.

Rob Hopper, Past-President, is a member of the Caldwell City Council and the Chairman of the Valley Regional Transit Authority Board of Directors. Rob’s civic interests have included efforts to revitalize Caldwell ’s downtown core, improve pedestrian and bicycle transit in the community, and improve the service level Caldwell provides its citizens. As a community leader, Rob serves on many other boards and committees. Rob is employed as CIO of Canyon County, and previously was an Information Technology consultant at Hewlett-Packard. The Hopper family has a long history in Canyon County. Rob’s great-grandfather was an early mayor of Caldwell and his father served on the Caldwell City Council in the ‘70’s.

Laurie Barrera is a business woman who happens to love selling residential real estate and helping people discover the wonders of life in the Treasure Valley.  After 28 years in Southern California, Laurie's pursuit of new challenges brought her to the Sun Valley area for a few years and then to Boise in 1997. She was a 2005 Panelist for Key Bank’s Celebrating Women in Business, a Past Member of the Urban Land and Realtors Land Institutes, worked on the Resource Development Committee for Neighborhood Housing Services, former Chair for the Boise Take-A-Hike event for Expedition Inspiration and former Board Director for that organization. She is currently a State Director for the Idaho Association of Realtors, and was 2011 President of the Ada County Association of Realtors. Laurie received a TWIN award in 2012 from the Women’s & Children’s Alliance.

Bill Clark leads Clark Development, a Boise based real estate development firm.  He has more than 20 years experience in managing commercial, residential and mixed-use development projects around the Northwest.  His recent projects include the mixed use Veltex Building, and The Jefferson and Crescent Rim condominium projects in and near downtown Boise.  The primary focal points of his projects are infill and close in locations, quality design, and creation of environments people enjoy for living and working. In addition to Idaho Smart Growth, Bill is a member of the Urban Land Institute and is assisting the YMCA with a new project.

Doug Fowler  is the founder, President and CEO of Lenir Ltd., a company specializing in real estate development, project management, construction management, and project administration. Fowler has over 30+ years of real estate development, project management, and consulting for real estate related companies with an extensive background in developing new business partnerships, negotiating contracts, and managing business relationships. He has pursued a management career, building and leading business development initiatives and has international experience. Doug has most recently worked as project manager for the Harris Ranch development in east Boise. He is an Idaho native and graduate of Northwest Nazarene University.

Steve Lockwood was elected to the Sandpoint City Council in 2005 and served for three years. Steve Chaired Sandpoint's Downtown Revitalization (2001-2) and the City of Sandpoint Planning and Zoning Commission (2003-4). He also developed "Park Cottages," an award winning, infill housing project. Lockwood retired from Bell Telephone System as Operations Manager.

Sherry McKibben is a University of Idaho Associate Professor of Architecture and Director of the University's Urban Research and Design Center (IURDC) in Boise.  When not teaching smart growth principals, Sherry is implementing them as a principal architect and urban designer with McKibben+Cooper Architects. The firm's work includes the1700 acre mixed use Harris Ranch master plan; Downtown Caldwell's Revitalization Strategy Plan including "day-lighting" Indian Creek; and Ada County's Parks Administration Building, a LEED certified green building with the first modern 'green roof' in Idaho.

A graduate of the University of Oregon, Sherry has a Masters degree from Yale University and is LEED accredited. She volunteers her professional expertise in many ways as an active member of Urban Land Institute Idaho, the American Institute of Architects and US Green Building Council of Idaho. She founded the U of I Integrated Design Lab to educate building professionals and promote energy efficiency and is a devoted public speaker. She and her husband live and work in a historic home in downtown Boise and walk/bike whenever possible

Sharon Patterson Grant, LEED AP BD+C and Homes, has been providing green building consulting and education since 2006.  As a Certified Sustainable Building Advisor (CSBA) and Healthy Homes Specialist (HHS), Sharon focuses on creating healthy indoor environments alongside reducing utility costs and using resources more wisely.  As a managing member of Eco Edge GreenSteps, she has worked with the largest property managers in Idaho to reduce energy usage through strategic energy management.  As a managing member of Eco Edge, Sharon has consulted on over 50 LEED projects across Idaho, and has developed and taught multiple LEED workshops.  She also provides training on energy codes and is a Provider and Instructor with the Idaho and Wyoming Real Estate Commissions.   She launched the Sustainable Building Advisor Program in Idaho, and has presented at dozens of events including the Region 10 EPA Conference, Yellowstone Business Conference and the Idaho Energy and Green Building Conference.  Her education includes Bachelor s Degrees in Ecological Design and Business Administration.  Her work has received Grow Smart Awards and a Better Bricks Award.  She is a published author on green building topics and hosted “Building a Greener Idaho,” a weekly radio show on Radio Boise.  Her leadership positions have included USGBC Idaho Chapter Board Chair, GreenWorks Idaho Board Member and Northwest Integrity Housing Board Member.

Hethe Clark is a land use and real estate attorney and partner at Spink Butler, LLP.  His practice focuses on real estate transactions and guiding development clients through the local-government entitlement process.  Hethe is an active member of the Idaho State Bar, serving as an at-large council member of the Idaho State Bar Real Property Section and an Editorial Advisory Board member for The Advocate.  Hethe is a member of the Urban Land Institute and is a 2012-2014 selection for the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce Leadership Boise Program.  An Idaho native, Hethe is a graduate of Duke University and received his law degree from Washington University School of Law.

Matt Blandford was born and raised in the City of Nome, a small coastal community in Western Alaska. He moved to Boise after earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Idaho and a Master’s of Science in Structural Engineering from West Virginia University. Matt currently works for Elite Edge Engineers as a LEED Accredited Structural Engineer. His work experience includes both structural design and construction management of a variety of different projects in the State of Idaho, most recently the Chobani Yogurt Factory in Twin Falls and Kleiner Memorial Park in Meridian. In addition, Matt has worked on infrastructure projects including in-service bridge rehabilitation and wind farm construction aimed at providing sustainable energy alternatives to rural Alaskan Communities. Matt is member of the United States Green Building Council and American Society of Civil Engineers. He believes Boise has a rather exclusive opportunity to be a driving force for sustainable development and design of large metropolitan areas.

Wyatt Johnson is an experienced civil trial lawyer and engages in a transactional practice involving real estate and related business ventures. Wyatt’s law firm, Angstman Johnson, is well established in Idaho as a firm emphasizing real property, land development, construction, contract and related matters.    He  regularly practices before city and county planning and zoning authorities as well as various State administrative agencies.

Wyatt lectures frequently and has published articles about litigation and real estate related issues.  He also stays active with local professional organizations. He has served as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Litigation Section of the Idaho State Bar; is a current member of the Supreme Court's Advisory Committee on the Idaho Rules of Evidence; is a Member of the Board of Directors for the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association; and is a member of the Real Property Section of the Idaho State Bar.

Charles Hummel, Board Member Emeritus, was born and raised in Boise. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Architecture, he became the senior principal of Hummel Architects. His professional and personal involvement in civic issues was recognized when his peers elected him to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. He has served on both the Ada County and Boise City Planning and Zoning commissions. Charles is a founding member of the Idaho Conservation League, which was instrumental in the passage of the state’s Local Land Use Planning Act in 1972.