Mayor Lauren McLean
I know what a challenging time this has been for everyone personally, but also for small and large businesses. We all recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on our community and our economy. And it’s urgent that we find some solutions together, not only in the short term, but for a robust, long-term, recovery.
Our shared economic recovery has never been more important and requires a strategic, community-based effort to create an actionable recovery plan. This week, we created an Economic Recovery Task Force for the City of Boise that will, with community partners, directly address the urgent steps we need to take for our recovery and map out steps toward resilience.
The Task Force members, assisted by professionals at the Brookings Institute, are a respected and well-connected group of leaders of our diverse economic community. Broadly representing diverse disciplines, the team is comprised of representatives from local organizations and institutions, business leaders from Idaho companies and policy experts at the regional and national level.
The team that’s ready to work for Boise is:
- Lisa Grow, President - Idaho Power
- Andy Scoggin, CEO, Scoggin Capital Investment
- Board Member - Idaho State Board of Education
- Dr. Marlene Tromp, President - Boise State University
- Daniel Malarkey, Senior Fellow - Sightline Institute
- Skip Oppenheimer, CEO - Oppenheimer Companies
- Michael Satz, Associate Professor of Law - University of Idaho
- Marcela Escobari, Senior Fellow, Global Economy & Development - Brookings Institute
- Alexander Toeldte, Board Member - Idaho Shakespeare Festival
- Bill Avey, Vice President – HP, Inc.
- Melanie Rubocki, Partner – Perkins Coie
- Karen Bilowith, CEO - Idaho Community Foundation
- John Colgrove, President, Intermountain Division – Albertsons Companies
They will identify areas of strategic focus, priority projects, investments, funding sources, and partners. The task force will place a strong emphasis on top economic recovery priorities such as education and workforce development, and strengthened relationships between the city, the community, and our partners. As we search for answers to this crisis, they will create a strong plan and foundation for Boise’s long-term economic development success.
"I am pleased to be part of the City of Boise's Economic Recovery Task Force,” said Dr. Marlene Tromp, President, Boise State University. “Boise State plays an integral role in the state and city's economy, and I look forward to partnering with fellow task force members to develop a long-term, strategic plan to ensure that the city, the university, the business community, and the public emerge from the pandemic with the resilience for which Boise and Boise State are known.”
“Our Albertsons store teams have been on the front lines with our neighbors throughout this pandemic,” said John Colgrove, President of the Intermountain Division of Albertsons Companies. “We look forward to sharing the lessons we’ve learned with the task force and working together to make Boise more vibrant than ever.”
The team plans to take a purposeful look at economic opportunities and deep vulnerabilities that COVID-19 has exposed in terms of our city and region’s overall economic health. While jointly defining what economic recovery means in the immediate future and long term, they’ll create a clear course of action. With a goal of enhancing economic resilience and agility, together we will build systems with a look toward the future, leveraging our entrepreneurial community and existing employment base to create a diversified, creative economy.
We know we will pull through this together to become a stronger and more vibrant community. I am profoundly appreciative of our community business leaders for joining this team as we seek innovative, creative solutions, with - and for - the entire community, toward recovery as we create a 21st century Boise for everyone.