Events

Rotary Christmas Party at The Carr Gallery located at the Willard Arts Center

Mary-Ann Allison "Dignity and Freedom in Response to War and Destruction".

Mary Ann Allison is the founding principal of the Allison Group, a company that helps people and groups to navigate rapid social change in enriching and effective ways.

Mary Ann grew up in Idaho Falls, graduated from Idaho Falls High School, lived in New York City for most of her adult life, returned to Idaho Falls in 2016, and joined Rotary in early 2017.  Her background includes decades of corporate experience leading global emerging technology projects companies such as Citigroup, where she led the team that opened the first online bank account in the world, and as an entrepreneur providing leadership development.  Dr. Allison is an associate professor emerita in media studies and the coauthor of books on management, applied complexity science, and new media--as well as an historical murder mystery.  She was a New York City poet in residence for six years. 

Mary Ann serves on the board of the Idaho Humanities Council and is a member of the International Women's Forum-Idaho.  Like many of her friends at Rotary, she loves camping and playing outdoors.

Ben Davidson, a member of the Pocatello Rotary Club - "Rotary Shark Pond Service Projects".

Ben Davidson is a member of the Pocatello Rotary Club. He enjoys running Rotary Shark Pond service projects in which American Rotary Clubs provide micro-financial aid to entrepreneurs in impoverished nations. He is the founder of the non-profit, Entrepreneurs Against Poverty (EntrAPov.com). Ben lives in Idaho where he graduated with an MBA from Idaho State University in 2001. He enjoys the outdoors, art, and philanthropy. 

What changed his career from ice cream delivery to Judgeship?

Judge Ryan Nelson was born and raised in Idaho Falls, is the son of Doug and Billie Nelson, and graduated from Idaho Falls High School in 1991. Judge Nelson was confirmed to the Ninth Circuit in October 2018, as the youngest Circuit Judge to serve from Idaho and is the first federal judge to have his chambers in Idaho Falls. Prior to his confirmation, Judge Nelson served for nine years as General Counsel of Melaleuca, Inc. He previously worked in Washington, DC, where he served in all three branches of the federal government, including as Special Counsel for Supreme Court nominations to the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee; Deputy General Counsel to the White House Office of Management and Budget; Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the United States Department of Justice; and a law clerk to Judge Henderson of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He has argued in most of the federal courts of appeals and worked on dozens of Supreme Court briefs. He started in the Washington, DC office of Sidley Austin as an appellate lawyer, after clerking for Judges Mosk and Brower of the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal at The Hague, and for Tom Griffith, then-Senate Legal Counsel, during the impeachment trial of President Clinton. Judge Nelson earned his B.A. in English from Brigham Young University and his J.D., with honors, from BYU Law School.

Winner of the 2022 Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation figure skating 'Triple Axle Figure Skating Competition".

BYU-I Football Team Milk Bowl Rankings.

Alvin F. Meredith III became the 18th president of Brigham Young University-Idaho on August 1, 2023.  He was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 3, 2021, and continues to serve in that role today. Prior to his call as a General Authority, President Meredith served as president of the Utah Salt Lake City South Mission.  He also served as an Area Seventy in the North America Southeast and Asia Areas, and in a number of other Church callings including as a full-time missionary in the Utah Salt Lake City Mission.  In his professional career, President Meredith worked as a senior executive of Asurion in Tennnessee, Hong Kong, and Singapore.  He also worked for the Boston Consulting Group and GE Capital.  President Meredith earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Brigham Young University and a Master of Business Administration in finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.  President Meredith married his wife, Jennifer Edgin, in 1998.  Sister Meredith served a full-time mission in Argentina Salta Mission and earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Brigham Young University.  President and Sister Meredith are the parents of six children.

Lena Allen, Univerity of Idaho Extension Office - "Master Gardener Program"

Brenda Stegelmeier, Licensed Professional Councelor "How Conflict Can Affect Our Mental Health & Methods to Handle Conflict"

Judy Seydel, Advanced Master Gardener, "Japanese Friendship Garden"

Ian Turner is the Idaho Falls Regional Airport Director where he oversees operations, development, and community engagement efforts. His leadership ensures the airport remains a key driver of regional economic growth while maintaining the highest standards of safety, efficiency, and customer service.

Previously, Ian led La Crosse Regional Airport in Wisconsin and held other airport leadership roles in Colorado and California. While he believes his greatest professional achievements are still ahead, he was instrumental in bringing the first commercial jet service in more than 20 years to Pueblo, Colorado, and played a crucial role in the local launch of the air cargo service that later became Amazon Air in Stockton, California.

Ian holds a Master’s degree in Finance from the Colorado State University System and a Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management from Rocky Mountain College. A private pilot and active member of both the American Association of Airport Executives and the Idaho Airport Management Association, he brings strategic vision and financial expertise to his leadership.

Originally from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Ian loves the outdoors, spending his free time fishing and camping with family, as well as tackling home improvement projects. A devoted Seattle Mariners fan, he finds both joy and frustration in following the team. Most importantly, he is grateful for his incredible wife and their two amazing kids, who make every moment an adventure.

Kade Marquez has served as Transit Coordinator for the City of Idaho Falls and the Greater Idaho Falls Transit (GIFT) system since February 2022. He holds an educational background in Economics, having studied at Brigham Young University and Idaho State University.

Before joining GIFT, Marquez gained extensive experience in private-sector transportation, specializing in supply chain management as well as mergers and acquisitions. He is actively involved in industry leadership as a board member of the Community Transportation Association of Idaho and serves as a panelist for the National Academies' Transportation Research Board.

GIFT is Idaho's first door-to-door public micro-transit system, recognized for its innovative service model. The system has earned prestigious accolades, including the Idaho Transportation Department’s 2024 Hall of Fame Award for Innovation and the Association of Idaho Cities’ Garret Nancolas City Achievement Award. With over 15,000 satisfied users and more than a quarter-million rides completed, GIFT has become a preferred transit option in Idaho Falls.

Marquez oversees all facets of GIFT's operations, including system design, community outreach, and financial strategy, ensuring its continued success and growth.

Chief Campus Administrator for Eastern and Southern Idaho, Jeremy Green - "ISU's Work in the Idaho Falls Area - Community Engagement".

I am born and raised in Idaho Falls, Idaho. I started working for Bonneville County at the age of 20 after returning from a mission for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints of which I served the people of Sierra Leone, Africa and San Fernando, California. I started as a mapping intern for the county and then worked in various roles in the Planning and Zoning Department before becoming the director in March of 2022. I have been married to Laura Black the love of my life for 5 years and we have one daughter with one more on the way coming in March. Family is everything to me and we love spending time together in the outdoors. We love camping, boating, hunting, and fishing and of course the occasional cruise or trip to Disneyland. It is my hope that while serving the community as the Planning and Zoning Administrator I can make Bonneville County a better place for all.

"President Barber will provide an update on Future Tech, CEI’s first new building since 2007. This state-of-the-art facility will complement CEI’s growing trades programs—such as welding, electrical, and diesel—by expanding into high-tech fields. While these traditional trades build Idaho’s physical infrastructure, Future Tech will develop its technological backbone, creating a seamless talent pipeline that fuels economic growth and innovation across the region."

Dr. Lori Barber began her tenure as President at College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) on August 1, 2024. She held several administrative roles at CEI prior to the role of President. She started at CEI as Director of General Education and then became the inaugural Dean of General Education in 2018. Barber became Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs in June of 2019.

Her innovative strategies have been instrumental in steering the direction of institutional growth and building the framework on which CEI’s current academic and student affairs structure has been built. Under Dr. Barber’s leadership, CEI has experienced an unprecedented 244% growth in credit enrollments since 2017. As Vice President, she led her team to the successful establishment of CEI's first two Bachelors of Applied Science degrees, the only community college in Idaho to have two baccalaureate degrees.

Dr. Barber holds a Doctorate of Educational Leadership and Innovation from Arizona State University. Her Master’s Degree is in Interdisciplinary Studies in History and Anthropology from Idaho State University where she researched the history and anthropology of food. She has been involved in education at the K-12 and post-secondary realms for over twenty-five years.

Dr. Barber profoundly believes in the community college mission and recognizes the power of education to create hope and transform lives. She has been married for 36 years and has two grown sons. In her spare time, she teaches yoga, hikes in the Idaho wilderness, writes, and walks many miles with her two sweet dogs.

Join Josh Johnson, ICL’s Central Idaho Director, for a timely discussion of the renewed and emerging threats to Idaho’s public lands in this political moment. Josh will summarize the current status of public lands takeover efforts in the West, dive into the massive impact of recent staffing cuts to our federal land management agencies, and discuss the Trump administration’s efforts to gut key environmental regulations. We will also provide some tangible ways to get involved and make your voice heard.

josh lives in the mountains of Idaho for many of the reasons you love this place – clean air, clean water and beautiful public lands to enjoy. Josh uses his technical background in geology, experience in environmental education, and love for the outdoors to protect those very things that make Idaho a special place to live. His work portfolio includes public lands, mining, air and water quality, and efforts to clean up agricultural pollution in the Snake River. Josh earned a B.A. in geology at Middlebury College and a M.S. in geology at the University of Colorado. He also worked as an interpretive park ranger in the Tetons and a mentor naturalist at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies prior to joining ICL’s Ketchum office staff in 2017. Josh now runs the Ketchum field office and manages its activities.

Josh will give Rotarians an update on the 2025 Idaho Legislature’s activities and what may be in store for the future.

Josh Wheeler Bio: President of Wheeler Electric, Inc., the largest electrical contractor in Eastern Idaho. A lifelong Idaho Falls resident, Josh holds an MBA from Idaho State University and has a deep passion for leadership, business, and community service. He has served on the Ammon City Council and is currently in his second term in the Idaho House of Representatives, where he sits on the Health & Welfare, Business, and Local Government committees. Beyond his professional and political work, Josh is a dedicated husband and father, an avid board game enthusiast and store owner, a reader, and a published author. He brings a broad perspective to everything he does.

Shante Sanchez has always had a passion for the complexities of forensics, mental health and death investigation. Having moved to Idaho when she was in high school, Shante has been an active and devoted member in the community for over a decade and hopes to serve with compassion, empathy and understanding of the impact of Idaho’s unique qualities.

After graduating at Idaho State University with her Bachelor of Science in Psychology, she embarked on a journey to achieve the upmost level of understanding of the abnormal mind and criminological experiences. She received her Masters of Science in Forensic Psychology from Arizona State University in 2020 with an Emphasis in Investigative Criminology and a Specialization in Severe Mental Illness and Violent Crime.

In addition to her entrepreneurial and academic achievements, she spent multiple years in mental health intervention as a case manager, skills training coordinator, behavioral interventionist for juveniles and administrator for various mental health agencies. After developing a deeper understanding of the impact of mental illness, she realized the importance of mental health services, victimology services and continued crisis intervention in the community.

Shante received her Medicolegal Death Investigation certification through the University of North Dakota. She also is actively working towards her American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigator (ABMDI), a nationally recognized achievement. Shante is a devoted mother of two rambunctious boys, professional business owner and dedicated community member. She is proud to serve the residents of Bonneville County and bring peace, closure and dignity to those that have passed.