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Peter Cressy
Peter Cressy, Ed.D., RADM (Ret.), has been the Director of Executive Leadership Programs at the Washington Leadership Institute for the past eight years. He served 28 years in the United States Navy in command and senior staff positions, followed by eight years in higher education as a college president and university chancellor, where he was also a tenured professor of management. He later served 16 years as the President and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council trade association. Dr. Cressy has taught graduate and undergraduate classes at several universities and colleges.
Jason Barnes
Business Attraction Specialist at Idaho Department of CommerceWith over nine years of experience in team leadership and more than four years of program development and event planning, I am proficient in motivating diverse teams to solve complex issues and achieve goals through creativity and collaboration.
Ginger Bidegaray
Executive Director of Idaho Manufactured Housing AssociationGinger Bidegaray is the Executive Director for the Idaho Manufactured Housing Association, a nonprofit organization representing multiple business segments in manufactured housing including, financing, manufacturing, transporters, communities and more. Ginger grew up in South Lake Tahoe and is familiar with housing shortage issues and the impact it can have on communities, especially lack of workforce housing. Ginger obtained her Bachelor’s degree from Washington State University and has an extensive background in leadership roles in the gaming and construction industries. She has worked with professionals and teams at a wide variety of organizations and has consulted with business owners, senior leadership teams and Boards of Directors. She has a deep appreciation for how non-profits seek to educate, engage, and improve the quality of life for both their members and communities.
Derek Blestrud
Sr. Atmospheric Scientist at Idaho PowerDerek Blestrud has been involved in weather modification since 2003 and is currently a Senior Atmospheric Scientist for the Idaho Power Company. His primary focus is on the research and operations of cloud seeding in southern Idaho. He was heavily involved in the success of the SNOWIE (Seeded and Natural Orographic Wintertime Clouds: the Idaho Experiment) research project. Derek has worked on cloud seeding projects in North Dakota, Wyoming, India, Alberta, and Idaho. He has served as President for the Weather Modification Association as well as the North American Weather Modification Council.
Chelsea Carattini
Communications Director of State of IdahoChelsea Carattini is the Communications Director for the Idaho Secretary of States Office. She has led management classes on receiving feedback and its role in building a thriving office culture since 2015.
Susie Davidson
Marketing Manager at Idaho Department of CommerceA lifelong Idaho resident, Susie was born and educated in Pocatello, Idaho. She graduated from Idaho State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration/Marketing major. Susie spent two years working at the Idaho State Journal before signing on with Mountain Bell in Boise, Idaho.
The next twenty-seven years were spent with Mountain Bell, aka U S WEST, aka Qwest in customer service and business-to-business sales positions. She retired from the company in 2004 as the Director of Large Business Sales for Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. Susie started with the Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor in October of 2005 as an Analyst in Community Development Block Grants moving to the Marketing Manager position in March of 2007.
Lindsay Dressler
Risk Manager at ICRMP- Best Practices in Internal Investigations [Room 110 A,B]
- Best Practices in Internal Investigations [Room 110 A,B]
Lindsay Dressler currently serves as a risk manager for ICRMP, specializing in legal compliance and employment practices liability risk mitigation. Prior to joining ICRMP, she worked for Ada County as an internal investigator, human resources manager, and risk manager. Lindsay has over twenty years of combined experience conducting and supervising investigations in various capacities.
Alison Espindola
Community Development Director of Idaho Commission on the ArtsIdaho Commission on the Arts Community Development Director, Alison Espindola has brought her passion for creating more sustainable, thriving, and vibrant local economies through supporting local arts and cultural businesses to Idaho. Alison serves as the project team manager for the creative district pilot project in Valley County. She is actively involved in state-wide and national efforts to ensure arts and cultural organizations can continue to operate and consciously grow in our rapidly changing places.
Before joining the Idaho Commission on the Arts, Alison worked at the Idaho State Historical Society. Ms. Espindola also was the Program Coordinator in Austin, Texas at a private arts college, where she was a primary driver for the development of Austin Community College’s Fashion Incubator, a place for students to develop job skills in a rapidly growing industry in the state.
Alison holds a Masters in Design and Media Management with an emphasis on live-work spaces for creatives from the Miami International University of Art and Design. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and a Bachelor of Science in Apparel Design and Technology from Florida State University.
Seth Grigg
Executive Director of Idaho Association of Counties- Get to Know IAC (1.0 Core COI Credit) [110 C,D]
- Get to Know IAC (1.0 COI Core Credit) [Room 110 C,D]
Seth Grigg is the Executive Director of the Idaho Association of Counties. Seth has over 14 years of experience in local government policy development and nonprofit administration. He has a BA in English and an MPA in State and Local Government Policy and Administration. Seth and his wife Daniela live in Boise with their two sons Jonah and Andy. In his spare time, Seth enjoys going to baseball games with his sons.
Jennifer Johnson
Medicare Insurance Broker at 90 Days to RetirementJennifer has 25+ years of experience in healthcare. Most of her career was as an RN in a hospital setting. She moved to a national insurance company educating & developing brokers as a Market Sales Manager for the state of Idaho. Her passion is supporting seniors with their Medicare decisions and helping them achieve their health goals.
Phil McGrane
Secretary of State at Idaho Secretary of State's OfficePhil McGrane is a 4th generation Idahoan who loves this great state. His happy, honest approach to public service earned him the opportunity to serve as Idaho’s 28th Secretary of State. His career began in Ada County as an Elections Specialist, where he trained poll workers and counted chads, when we still voted on punch cards. As chief deputy and Ada County Clerk, he enjoyed sharing elections insights and analytics aimed at making elections and government more accessible and transparent. Phil’s various efforts in public service have been recognized and celebrated by TIME, Best Places to Work in Idaho, Accomplished Under 40, TEDxBoise, Fast Company, and even Food & Wine magazine, which featured his “food truck” voting concept.
Michael McShane
Medicare Agent at 90 Days from RetirementMichael began his career as a cytologist diagnosing cancer. Over time, Michael moved to the business side of medicine where he managed several medical laboratories. Later, while serving as the Director of Sales for UHC, Michael saw the need for Medicare education. With this new insight, he accepted a position with 90 Days From Retirement on a quest to fundamentally change the way seniors access their Medicare benefits.
Tammy Middleton
HR Risk Manager at ICRMP- How to Create a Respectful Workplace Program [Room 110 A,B]
- How to Create A Respectful Workplace Program [110 A,B]
Tammy is an Idaho native, and a Boise State University graduate, with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She has over 20 years of experience in Human Resources with expertise in Employee Relations, ADA, FMLA, Worker’s Compensation, hiring and recruiting, performance management, effective discipline, and employment law compliance. She is passionate about promoting professional HR and workplace culture. As the HR Risk Manager at ICRMP, Tammy consults with members on employment matters and travels around Idaho providing leadership training to supervisors.
David Nichols
Owner at SisuDavid Nichols has worked for nearly 30 years in teaching, training, and human resources; focusing on leadership development, change management, communication skills, hiring and talent management, and culture change. He is passionate about helping teams work through conflict and become more productive through better communication and planning. He has worked for Fortune 500 companies, small business start-ups, not-for-profit education programs, and for state government. David has designed and delivered national training programs and is an adjunct faculty for Boise State University. He has a B.A. in Psychology from Rutgers University and a Master’s degree in Counseling from Idaho State University. David lives in Boise with his wife Ashley, his son Killian, his mother-in-law Debbie, and his dog, cat, and chickens.
Teri Ottens
Owner at Association Management SolutionsTeri has over 30 years of experience working for and with non-profit associations and local government agencies. This includes non-profit organizations, trade associations, public service associations, cities, counties, planning agencies, and economic development groups.
Teri was a member of the Association of Idaho Cities staff for five years prior to starting Association Management Solutions in January 1998. In her last year at AIC, she also served as Deputy Director, requiring extensive administrative skills in management, budgeting, task scheduling, legislative work, and more. Her previous experience includes seven years as the Assistant City Manager in Laramie, Wyoming, two years as the Downtown Redevelopment Director in Casper, Wyoming, and five years as the City Administrator of Caldwell, Idaho.
Bradley Rudley
Chief Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney at Latah CountyBrad Rudley is an avid Bronco fan living in Vandal country. An alumnus of both BSU and U of I, Brad was captivated by the beauty of the Palouse and is proud to call Moscow his home. As the Chief Civil Deputy for Latah County, Brad works to provide sound legal advice and representation to the elected officials and department heads of Latah County. While his years of service, and his beard, are not quite as long as his elected prosecutor’s, Brad has handled a myriad of cases over his previous eight years as a deputy prosecutor, including both civil and criminal matters.
Brad regularly presents for the American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section, and throughout the State of Idaho at trainings for IPAA, IAC, Idaho PRIMA, and ICRMP.
Deanna Watson
Executive Director of Boise City/Ada County Housing AuthoritiesDeanna is an Idaho native, born and raised in Kamiah, in the narrow part of the panhandle. She graduated from Boise State University with a degree in Political Science, where she also served as Student Body President in 1983 and 1984.
She has been the Executive Director of the Boise City Ada County Housing Authorities for 27 years, where she has tirelessly advocated for affordable housing solutions for local residents.
As a community volunteer, she has served on a number of boards, committees, and commissions.
In her spare time, you can find Deanna reading and writing in journals in her writing shed, staying involved with the lives of her three grown children, playing catch with Border Collies /Aussies, Finn and Duffy, doing historical research projects, cheering on her BSU Broncos, and serving as a guest worship leader for churches in the Regional Presbytery.
Stephanie Witt
Director of Training at Boise State University- Applied Ethics in the Workplace (1.0 COI Core Credit) [Room 130]
- Applied Ethics in the Workplace (1.0 COI Core Credit) [Room 130]
Dr. Stephanie Witt is Director of Training for the School of Public Service. She is also a Professor in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Political Science programs. Her research interests include intergovernmental relations and human resource management. She is the former Editor of the Social Science Journal, and has served as Department Chair, Associate Dean, and the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.