Advisory Board
Cherie Buckner-Webb
View ProfileJeff Cilek
View ProfileAndy Emerson
View ProfileWendy Horman
View ProfileBryant Kuechle
View ProfileAmy Lientz
View ProfileLuke Malek
View ProfileJeff Malmen
View ProfileKen McClure
View ProfileCaroline Nilsson Troy
View ProfileBrent Olmstead
View ProfileStephen Parrott
View ProfileJim Riley
View ProfileMarilyn Roach
View ProfileJames Ruchti
View ProfileLaurel Sayer
View ProfileJeff Siddoway
View ProfileJoe Stegner
View ProfilePatrick Sullivan
View ProfileJeff Tucker
View ProfileMike Kennedy
Chair

Mike Kennedy is president of Intermax Networks in Coeur d’Alene, a telecommunications company providing internet bandwidth, telephone, voice services and IT managed services to North ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, the Inland Northwest and beyond.
Mike is a small businessman, having entrepreneurial experience with several startups in his career. He also worked in politics and campaigns for former members of U.S. Congress Larry LaRocco and Walt Minnick, among others.
Mike’s public service includes two terms as an elected member of the Coeur d’Alene City Council, with the last two as president. He has served on the board of several community nonprofits over the years.
On a personal level, Mike was raised in New York, graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and moved to ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ in 1991. Mike and his wife Kathleen (an ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ native) have seven kids, who, between them, have attended most of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s public schools (K-12, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, Boise State University, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ State University, North ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ College, College of Western ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ).
Mike is proud to be on the advisory board of the James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research. He believes that in an era of polarized politics, it is critical to have fact-based, respected bipartisan voices in the public square. Mike considers himself a student of history and politics, and his respect for Senator McClure and the McClure family’s commitment to ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ civics transcends political parties and individual issues.
Emily McClure
Vice Chair

Emily is a fifth generation ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈan, an attorney and lobbyist and granddaughter of Jim and Louise McClure. In 2015, she founded McClure Policy LLC, with a focus on state-level natural resources, business, education and health care policy. Before that, Emily worked for five years as a lobbyist and attorney at Givens Pursley in Boise, clerked for Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Stephen Trott, and externed for federal district Judge Edward Lodge and at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague. Prior to law school, Emily served as a legislative assistant to Senator Mike Crapo in Washington, D.C.
Emily credits the lively discussions with her parents and grandparents around the family dining table with instilling a passion for public policy and teaching her that there's always more than one “right” side to every debate.
Emily and her husband, Trevor, have three young children who keep them laughing. In addition to serving on the advisory board for the James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research, Emily also sits on the boards of Education for All and Cathedral of the Rockies - Boise First United Methodist Church.
Cherie Buckner-Webb

Cherie Buckner-Webb, a fifth generation ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈan, chose to effect change in a new arena by running for public office in 2010. She was elected to the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ legislature and served for ten years until her retirement; two years in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ House of Representatives and eight years in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Senate. Cherie was the first African American to elected to serve in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ legislature. Her message in the Statehouse reflects the same collaborative and visionary goals she emphasizes in the entirety of her life and work.
Cherie is the founder and principal of Sojourner Coaching, a consultancy focused on organizational development and executive coaching. Her professional background includes positions in banking, business management, social work, timber and wood products operations, sales and marketing, human resources, diversity and inclusion, e-commerce, organizational and leadership development, human resources and operations. In addition, Cherie is a talented vocalist who shares the gift of song internationally, an author and frequent contributor to local publications.
Cherie’s credo, “leave a legacy,” underscores her work in every area of activity and to that end she donates countless hours to a variety of community organizations. Cherie is a founding member of the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Black History Museum, and she serves on the boards of the Andrus Center for Public Policy, Wassmuth Center, Women and Children’s Alliance, College of Western ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and Blue Cross of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Care Plus. Previously, Cherie served on the State of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Mental Health Advisory Council and the boards of Planned Parenthood, St. Paul Baptist Church, Girl Scouts of the Silver Sage, Junior League of Boise, St. Luke’s Hospital’s Woman’s Forum, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Commission on the Arts, Boise State Foundation and Northwest Area Foundation.
Her leadership has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Governor’s Award in the Arts, Zion’s Bank Civic Leadership Award, Gandi-King-Ikeda Award, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Historical Society Esto Perpetua Award, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Business Review ICON Award, College of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ President’s Medallion and Cherie Buckner-Webb Park in the City of Boise.
Cherie holds a B.S. in management and organizational leadership from George Fox University and a Master of Social Work in management/community planning/social work administration from Northwest Nazarene University.
Jeff Cilek

Jeff Cilek is senior vice president of external/governmental relations for St. Luke’s Health System. Before joining St. Luke’s, he was vice president of The Peregrine Fund, with responsibility for fundraising, media relations and government affairs.
After graduating from the University of Iowa in 1980, Senator James A. McClure hired Jeff to help in his mailroom. After spending a few months opening letters and running “siggy” machine, McClure provided Jeff the opportunity to do some legislative work. During his nine-year tenure with McClure, Jeff served as his legislative director and as staff director of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, a subcommittee chaired by McClure.
Jeff serves as chairman of the Public Employee Retirement System of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and is a member of the President’s Council for the Famous ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Potato Bowl, a member of the President’s Advisory Council for Bishop Kelly High School and a member of the board of advisors for the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce.
Jeff grew up in Twin Falls and majored in finance at the University of Iowa.
Andy Emerson

Andy Emerson is the president and owner of Material Handling Solutions, LLC, a company that designs and supplies bulk material handling equipment to global mining, cement and other industrial clients. Andy is a licensed Professional Engineer and holds a bachelor’s in civil engineering with a minor in Spanish from ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and a Master of Business Administration from Boise State University. He currently sits on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including St. Luke’s Health Foundation, Bishop Kelly High School Foundation and ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Foundation, where he recently finished his term as chair. He also serves on the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Broadband Advisory Board, which is responsible for creating and overseeing a statewide broadband plan to structure, prioritize and disperse grants to fund broadband projects in unserved and underserved areas of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ.
While running his own businesses and working for a large multinational corporation, Andy traveled extensively to many international destinations on several continents. He is a fluent Spanish speaker and enjoys learning about and experiencing different cultures.
Andy and his wife Daniella live in Boise and have two children. In his free time, Andy enjoys tennis, golf, fly fishing, skiing and travel.
Wendy Horman

Wendy Horman was elected to the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ House of Representatives in 2012. She represents District 32 in Bonneville County. She currently serves as co-chair of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee and is a member of the Commerce and Human Resources Committee; Energy, Environment and Technology Committee; and Federalism Committee. She is also a member of the Legislative Council.
Wendy serves on the Leadership in Nuclear Energy (LINE) Commission, is a former vice chair of and current steering committee member for Education Commission of the States and chairs the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ School Safety and Security Advisory Board. Wendy served as Council of State Governments (CSG)-West Education and Workforce Development chair and National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Education Committee chair. She was a member of the Bonneville School District Board of Trustees from 2002 to 2013, which included seven years as treasurer. She was president of the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ School Boards Association in 2007. In 2017, Wendy was named one of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Business Review’s Women of the Year.
Wendy has an Associate of Science (AS) from Dixie State College and a BA in political science from Brigham Young University-ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ. An avid supporter of the arts, Wendy has been a member the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Falls Symphony Advisory Board and is a member the American Guild of Organists Eastern ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Chapter. She also serves as a musician in her church and has worked as a program auditor for a charter school network, school board trainer and organ instructor. Wendy and her husband, Briggs, have been married 37 years and have five children and eight grandchildren. They own a small business in Ammon, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ.
Bryant Kuechle

Bryant Kuechle is the executive director of The Langdon Group, Inc. (TLG), a J-U-B ENGINEERS company. In this role, Bryant specializes in convening parties, often of differing perspectives and interests, to find common ground and reach consensus on complex and controversial issues. With TLG since 2005, Bryant has managed these collaborative processes throughout the country for federal, state and local government agencies.
In ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, Bryant includes state and regional offices of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy (ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ National Lab) and Forest Service; ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Department of Environmental Quality; ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Department of Health and Welfare; ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Transportation Department; ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Department of Fish and Game and countless local governments in his client list.
Bryant has called Moscow, Ketchum, Riggins, Lowman, Stanley and now Boise, with his wife and two children, home. In these travels recreationally, with TLG and previously with the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Transportation Department, Boise National Forest and the Lewiston Morning Tribune, Bryant has visited and explored every county, corner and crevice of the state. He understands the diversity that exists in its geography, people and politics and uses that experience and insight with the McClure Center in helping fulfill opportunities for the advancement of all ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈans.
Bryant earned his Bachelor of Science in journalism and mass communication from ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and his Master of Arts from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University.
Amy Lientz

Amy Lientz is the associate vice president for alumni relations at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ. She is the lead for programs and engagement, reaching 115,000 alumni located across the globe. Amy oversees a team located in Moscow, Boise and Coeur d’ Alene. In addition, she is responsible for the Alumni Higher Education Advocacy Committee, National ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Alumni Association, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Retiree Association and alumni-business networks.
Previously, Amy was a member of the executive leadership team at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ National Laboratory (INL), responsible for supply chain strategy, technology deployment, university and industry partnerships, workforce and economic development, regional affairs, communications, governmental affairs and policy. She led teams in ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Falls, Washington D.C. and Boise. Amy helped lead INL’s transformation to a multipurpose laboratory, growing energy research and national security interests by providing leadership in public policy; promoting and building upon INL STEM interests; leading public affairs and emergency communications; assisting in lab strategy; hosting visitors around the globe; standing up a new event center; growing partnerships with industrial clients and securing and nurturing relations with elected officials.
Amy also held executive positions with large engineering firms, such as CH2MHill (now acquired by Jacobs Engineering), Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. Her focus was energy and industrial new project siting, with an extensive record of “never-been done-before projects.”
When her busy schedule allows, she enjoys guest lecturing on energy policy at universities and developing and delivering curriculum for courses in industrial engineering and sustainability. When not working, you can find Amy fly fishing, skiing, rafting, hiking and golfing.
She is currently on the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Public Television board and has held board positions with The City Club of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Falls, The Nature Conservancy of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Business in Education and ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Falls Arts Council.
Amy holds a Bachelor of Science in environmental science from Boise State University and a Master of Science in industrial engineering technology from the College of Engineering, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ.
Luke Malek

Luke Malek represented the Coeur d’Alene area in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Legislature from 2012 to 2018. He is partner in the law firm Smith + Malek.
Previously, Luke worked as director of legal affairs at Heritage Health, in the Office of the Governor as regional director in Northern ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ under former Governor Jim Risch, as executive director of the Post Falls Urban Renewal Agency and as deputy prosecutor for Kootenai County.
Luke earned his B.A. at the College of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ in Caldwell, holds a law degree from the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and is a member of the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Bar.
He has lived in ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ since he was nine years old and enjoys the adventure and beauty the state has to offer. He spends time fishing, hunting, skiing, hiking and mountain biking with his wife, family and friends.
Jeff Malmen

Jeff Malmen assumed the roles of senior vice president of public affairs for IDACORP and ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Power in April 2016 after serving as vice president of public affairs for IDACORP and ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Power since October 2008. He joined the company in December 2007 as senior manager of governmental affairs.
Before joining ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Power, Jeff enjoyed a 21-year career in state and federal politics, most recently as chief of staff for ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Governor C. L. “Butch” Otter. He held the same position for ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Governor Phil Batt and was administrator of the Division of Financial Management for ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Governor Dirk Kempthorne. Jeff also served as chief of staff and in other key leadership positions for a number of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ congressmen and senators, both in the state and in Washington, D.C.
Jeff is a member of the board of directors for the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Association of Commerce and Industry and the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Mining Association. He also is a member of the Center for Advanced Energy Studies Industry Advisory Board, Associated Oregon Industries and the St. Alphonsus Health System Community Leadership Council.
Jeff graduated from Boise State University and has completed graduate studies at Dartmouth College, the University of Virginia and Stanford University.
Ken McClure

Ken McClure is an attorney and partner with Givens Pursley LLP in Boise. For the past 40 years, his practice has focused on ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ government affairs. He represents businesses and professional associations as a counselor and lobbyist and has extensive experience with a variety of complicated public policy topics, including public utility laws, healthcare, agriculture, environmental regulatory matters, municipal policy and tax issues. Ken has taught graduate courses on lobbying and the legislative process and frequently lectures on the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Legislature and the political landscape in ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ.
Before entering private practice, Ken was an ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ deputy attorney general, who represented the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Legislature and state elected officials.
He is a 1980 graduate of the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ College of Law and serves not only on the McClure Center advisory board, but also on the College of Law Advisory Council.
Ken was raised in politics and spent his earliest years campaigning and observing the work of elected officials from a unique perspective, as a son of Jim and Louise McClure. He grew up with one foot as a child in Payette, one on the farm in Nezperce and one in Washington, D.C. (He has a unique physiology.)
He graduated with high honors in government from the College of William and Mary. This experience firmly implanted in him a belief in the value of evidence-based substantive governance and informs his views on the role of science, fact and logic in addressing political issues.
Ken was a founder and past board member of the City Club of Boise, an organization devoted to encouraging political dialogue and respect for divergent views. He is a Republican, but not a terribly good partisan.
Caroline Nilsson Troy

Caroline Nilsson Troy joined the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ team in 2022 as special assistant to the president for government relations. Prior to this, she served in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ House of Representatives for Latah and Benewah counties from 2014 to 2022. Over the course of her service, committee assignments included the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee, Revenue and Taxation, Health and Welfare, Agricultural Affairs and Judiciary and Rules. She also served on the Millennium Fund and Joint Legislative Oversight committees. She developed the “Distance Testimony Project” to allow ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈans living over 100 miles from Boise to testify during House Committee hearings and co-chaired the “Respectful Workplace Taskforce,” developing policies for the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Legislature.
While working at the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ in development (1995-2007), Caroline worked with the Senator and Mrs. McClure on a number of fundraising initiatives. Their commitment to serving ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈans with courage, compassion, curiosity and integrity remains an inspiration to her own work. She has faithfully kept a photo of Senator McClure on her desk since 1997, as a reminder of the standards to which all ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈans should adhere. The work of the McClure Center to further the McClure’s uniquely collaborative, thoughtful and creative approach to sound public policy will help change the landscape of politics in ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and beyond for the better.
Brent Olmstead

J. Brent Olmstead is a fourth generation ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈan raised on a cattle ranch south of Twin Falls, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ. He is retired following a 35-year career involved in public policy as a lobbyist, finishing as the assistant dean for external and government relations at the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Brent served as the vice president of the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Association of Commerce and Industry for eight years before forming his own public policy consulting firm, MPºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ LLC. MPºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ specialized in agricultural, natural resource, environmental and immigration policy at the state, regional and federal levels.
Brent and his late wife, Jane Wittmeyer, have five children that all reside in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to serving on the advisory board for the James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research, Brent has also served on the boards of the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Hispanic Foundation, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Small Business Advisory Council, Children’s Discovery Center of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Red Cross.
Stephen Parrott

Stephen Parrott is a 2012 graduate of the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ with a degree in agribusiness. He serves as the chief financial officer at Fort Boise Produce.
From a young age, Stephen has been active in ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ politics and public policy. Originally from Buhl, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, Stephen was involved with local politics as a child, which taught him the importance of an active and engaged electorate.
While serving as the 2010-11 student body president for the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, Stephen was part of in education policy discussions with the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Legislature, state agencies and ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ State Board of Education. Throughout Stephen’s year of service, he learned how important it is to have a collaborative process using bipartisan, evidence-based research to make policy decisions that can enhance the areas where we raise our families and grow our businesses. Stephen later went on to spend a summer working for U.S. Senator Jim Risch in the Washington, D.C. office.
As an alumnus, Stephen has stayed actively involved in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ by serving on the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Libraries advisory board and the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Boise advisers. Stephen is also involved in ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ agriculture policy as a former member of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Food Producers and member of the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ FFA Foundation Board.
Stephen had the unique opportunity to be a student at the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ while the James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research was being created. It was transformative to see the McClure family and ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s land-grant university launch a center to provide cutting-edge public policy research to enhance public dialogue and policy in honor of Senator James A. and Louise McClure.
Stephen and his wife Samantha reside in Nampa, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ. They have three children.
Jim Riley

Mr. Riley is the senior partner of Riley Stegner and Associates, LLC, a consulting firm providing business, government relations and public relations expertise for private and public entities primarily in the forestry and natural resources sector. Mr. Riley founded the firm in 2003.
Riley Stegner and Associates is known for developing and advancing innovative solutions to business challenges and environmental issues associated with public and private interests. Riley Stegner has undertaken policy initiatives in ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, Oregon, Washington and Arizona, as well as Washington, D.C. Strategic partnerships supported by excellent communications, both internal and external, are the core elements of Riley Stegner’s business approach. The firm has successfully advanced new legislation and policy at both the state and national levels to regulate national resource businesses.
Prior to founding Riley Stegner, Mr. Riley served as the president and chief executive officer of the Intermountain Forest Association (IFA), headquartered in Coeur d’Alene, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ. The IFA represented western forest products business in local, state and national professional and policy forums.
Mr. Riley currently serves on the board of directors of Mountain West Bank, a leading regional bank, headquartered in ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ. Mr. Riley has also served on governing boards of numerous professional organizations, including founding member and trustee, Forest Industry Labor Management Committee; member, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Forest Products Commission; member, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Policy Analysis Group; executive committee, U.S. Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports; founding board member, American Forest Resources Alliance; board of directors and executive committee, American Forest Resource Council; member, Collaborative Conservation advisory board, Alliance for the West; board of directors, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Association of Commerce and Industry; North ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ advisory board, The Nature Conservancy; member, Society of American Foresters; member, National Roadless Area Conservation Advisory Committee, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; board president, Children’s Village Foundation and director, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Transportation Coalition.
Prior to starting the IFA, Mr. Riley served as the chief executive of the Intermountain Forestry Services in Ogden, Utah and a senior program manager for the National Forest Products Association in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Riley completed his graduate and undergraduate studies in forest management and economics at Utah State University. Mr. Riley currently resides in Coeur d’Alene, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, where he is active in community and family activities.
Marilyn Roach

Marilyn Roach has worked in communications, from television reporting to politics to marketing, and is now retired. Her volunteer efforts are centered on education.
Marilyn’s interest in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ came from her family, including her parents, Jim and Louise McClure. She believes in public policy developing pragmatically based on factual evidence, created by people who hold a variety of views, as public policy decisions affect us all. She also believes that the McClure Center should be a resource for factual evidence for students, the public and policy makers and a catalyst for discussions statewide and beyond.
She has a B.A. in government from the College of William and Mary.
James Ruchti

James Ruchti was born and raised in Pocatello and is a West Point graduate. He served as a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army from 1993 to 1998. His military service took him to Germany, Jordan, Kuwait and throughout the United States. James graduated from the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ College of Law in 2001. He worked as a law clerk for federal district court Judge B. Lynn Winmill prior to entering private practice. He and his law partner, Joel Beck, own a thriving plaintiffs’ practice in Pocatello, serving clients throughout southeast and east ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ in personal injury, wrongful death, workers’ compensation and insurance claims.
James served in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ House of Representatives from 2006 to 2010, including a term as the Assistant Minority Leader. He was elected to the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ House of Representatives again in 2020 and served on the Agriculture Committee, Judicial and Rules Committee and Revenue and Taxation Committee. James was elected to the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Senate in 2022, is presently the Assistant Minority Leader and serves on the Judicial and Rules Committee, Commerce Committee and State Affairs Committee.
James is a past president of the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Trial Lawyers Association. His wife, Wendy, has a Ph.D. in education and is a professor at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ State University. They have been married since 1993 and are the proud parents of two adult children, Spencer and Drew.
Laurel Sayer

A lifelong advocate for conservation, Laurel brings to her role as president and CEO of Perpetua Resources her passion and skill of bringing people together to find solutions that work for the environment and business. This dedication and her background in federal and natural resource policy guides her leadership of the Stibnite Gold Project as it moves through the regulatory process. Before her current role as CEO, Laurel served as a director on the company’s corporate board for two years.
Laurel’s expertise in federal policy comes from over two decades of working on national resource issues with Congressman Mike Simpson and Senator Mike Crapo. Through this time, she gained a sterling reputation for creating meaningful relationships and delivering results for all stakeholders, including local, state and federal agencies.
Senator McClure’s decades of leadership for ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ in the U.S. House and Senate helped shape Laurel’s strong belief that industry and the environment can and must work together to find solutions for ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s outdoors, its strong economy and its rural and urban communities. Being able to help advance Senator McClure’s work through the McClure Center is an honor for Laurel.
Along with her passion for the outdoors and natural resource policy, Laurel has spent years volunteering in the arts to provide access to the arts for everyone. For over twelve years, Laurel served as a commissioner on the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Commission on the Arts while also serving on the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Falls Arts Council. A highlight in Laurel’s volunteer work in the arts was the opportunity to learn and work alongside Louise McClure as she advised the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Commission on the Arts. Laurel also serves on the board of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Business for the Outdoors and the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Shakespeare Festival.
Laurel earned an Associate in business from LDS Business College.
Laurel knows some of the best trails in the Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness and loves spending time in ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s beautiful outdoors, making memories with her family.
Jeff Siddoway

Jeff Siddoway is a fourth generation ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ rancher from eastern ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ. Jeff has been active in production agriculture his entire life and has managed to serve the state of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ in many capacities. Jeff is a proud Vandal, having attended the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, majoring in animal science, as well as social functions in the Beta House.
Jeff served in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Senate for twelve years and currently serves as Legislative District 31 chair. He was a commissioner for the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Department of Fish and Game and has served on many other state and national boards.
Jeff is married to Cindy Siddoway and they have three children and four grandchildren. In additional to the family sheep ranch, they also own Juniper Mountain Elk Ranch. The Siddoway family’s sheep business is now in its sixth generation. Cindy and Jeff are extremely proud of their rich heritage. They are pleased to see their grandchildren experience the opportunities and lessons of working in this beautiful landscape of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ.
Joe Stegner

Patrick Sullivan

Patrick (Pat) Sullivan is a native of Weiser, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ. He graduated from Ontario High School in Ontario, Oregon and is a 1979 graduate of Boise State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration.
Active in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and Washington, D.C. legislative arena for over 30 years, Patrick began his 12-year career with U.S. Senator James A. McClure in 1980, serving as a professional staff member on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and as a key advisor on legislative and political strategies for Senator McClure as his state director. Early in his career, Patrick served as an intern on the House Interior and Insular Affairs committee in Washington, D.C. and on the staff of Congressman Tom Hagedorn (Minnesota). He began his legislative career in 1977 as the student lobbyist for Boise State University and the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Students Association.
Patrick’s experience has been utilized by a number of successful political campaigns in ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and other western states. He has counseled the campaigns of Senator Larry Craig, Senator Mike Crapo, Congressman Butch Otter, Congressman Mike Simpson, Governor Dirk Kempthorne, Congressman Helen Chenoweth, Governor Phil Batt, Senator Steve Symms and Senator Jim McClure. Patrick founded one of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ's leading governmental affairs firms, Sullivan & Associates, in November 1991, which became Sullivan & Reberger, following the addition of Phil Reberger in 2003.
Patrick is a board member of the Governor's Cup Scholarship Fund; past president of the Boise State University Alumni board of directors; a former board director of the Boise State University Foundation; a former board director of the West Boise YMCA; a former board director of the Salvation Army and a former board member of the National Kidney Foundation in Washington, D.C.
Jeff Tucker

Jeff Tucker was named general manager of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Public Television (ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈPTV) in August 2021. Previous to that, he served as ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈPTV’s director of content, overseeing programming, education services, digital media and strategy for local productions. As the head of content, he also managed independent and contract work for ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈPTV, as well as content initiatives and other production relationships with state and private entities.
Jeff began volunteering with ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈPTV while in high school. He continued working part-time while studying for a broadcasting communications major and business management minor at the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ. He has held positions as director/videographer, producer/director and production manager at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈPTV and overseen the communications and membership departments.
Since 2001, Jeff has helped form strong relationships with state agencies and other private and public organizations. ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ in Session grew from streamed coverage via a single webcam to fiber-connected multi-camera coverage from the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ House, Senate and committee rooms, as well as the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Supreme Court. He also oversaw the planning, strategy and initial production for ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈPTV’s newest long-form history documentary series, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Experience.
Jeff has been active in the public media world and served in leadership of several committees through the National Telecommunications Association. He is a graduate of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s Certified Public Manager nationally accredited 22-month program that strengthens leadership skills, deepens understanding of management and improves the quality of public service.