Chris Blanchard

Bio submitted by candidate -

Professional:

Chris Blanchard has a history of performance in academe, business, and community service. In 2005, following the resignation of Boise Mayor Brent Coles, the Boise City Council appointed Blanchard as the City’s first staff assistant to the City Council. After creating the office of the City Council Blanchard spent ten years at Boise State University teaching in the graduate community and regional planning program for four years, serving for three years as the Deputy Director of the Environmental Finance Center, a university housed consulting arm of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 2014 he completed, Changing the Face of the Earth: Harry W. Morrison and the Building of the Twentieth Century, a history of the Morrison-Knudsen’s company involvement in the global construction industry. He also contributed a chapter to the 2015 book, Cities, Sagebrush, and Solitude: Urbanization and Cultural Conflict in the Great Basin, published by the University of Nevada Press. He has written widely on planning issues for publications such as Planning, the official publication of the American Planning Association, Urban Land, the official publication of the Urban Land Institute. In 2014 Blanchard co-founded Idaho’s first producer of hard cider, Longdrop Cider Company, and the family operated it as a multi-state regional producer until selling the company to the owners of a Washington State-based fruit processing company. Currently, Chris is the Principal Labor Market Analyst for the State of Idaho, overseeing a team of skilled data analysts.

Education:

Chris earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Science from the Boise State Honors College in 2005 and a Master of Arts in History at Boise State University in 2008. In 2014, he earned a Ph.D. in Urban Studies from Portland State University.

Community Service:

Blanchard has demonstrated a deep dedication to his community through active involvement in various organizations. As a board member of Epworth Chapel on the Green, he has contributed to the growth and well-being of the congregation. He has also served as a mentor in the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce B | Wise program, offering guidance and support to young professionals in the Boise area. For two years he served on the Ada County Parks and Waterways Commission, and for the last four years as a member of the Boise City Planning and Zoning Commission.

Family:

Chris has been happily married to Carol Crosswhite for 15 years. They are the proud parents of two children, Preston and Jessica. Tragically, Jessica passed away, leaving a void in their lives. Both Preston and Jessica graduated from Borah High School, and Preston’s children, Corbin, Jessica, and Elizabeth, currently attend Monroe Elementary School.

Residency in the City:

Chris has been a resident of the Boise Bench neighborhoods (Depot, then Central) for over two decades.

The City of Boise oversees only the Declaration of Candidacy, and provides historic documents as a courtesy. All other candidate documents are managed by Ada County Elections.