Dr. Kelly Drummond is a seasoned expert in Human Resources, certified by both the HR Certification Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management. As the current Director of Human Resources with the City of Knoxville, Kelly administers the compensation and classification system, talent acquisition, pre-employment processes, employee training, employee relations, succession planning, Title VI compliance, and assist directors with discrimination investigations or employee discipline. In addition to her HR leadership role, Dr. Drummond is a dedicated educator. She teaches at the UT Center for Professional Education and facilitates SHRM Certification and HR Essentials courses at Roane State Community College. She holds a doctorate in Education with a focus on Human Resource Development from Lincoln Memorial University. Dr. Drummond is not just a leader but also a coach. She is certified in Public Sector HR Executive Leadership, career development coaching, change management, and emotional intelligence coaching. She is currently pursuing the prestigious BCC (National Board-Certified Coach) designation. Her passion project, My Soul In Bloom, is a Career, Professional & Personal Development Service designed to help individuals secure a seat at the table and ensure their voices are heard. Dr. Drummond offers personalized coaching, guidance, and mentorship to leaders and professionals seeking growth and career acceleration.

Mayor Lauren McLean is committed to creating a city for everyone and has worked tirelessly toward that goal, advocating for open space conservation, tackling housing and homelessness side by side with the community, and leading nationally acclaimed climate action efforts. Mayor McLean was sworn in on January 7, 2020. She is the 56th mayor of Boise and the first woman elected to that position in the city’s 150-year history. She is passionate about public service, leading boldly with the community at the forefront of every decision. McLean’s service to the people of Boise began as a volunteer in 2001. She led the historic Boise Foothills Open Space Levy campaign and, along with hundreds of other dedicated people, secured protection of thousands of acres in the foothills for future generations. Lauren served on Boise City Council from 2011-2019 and served as Council President from 2017-2019. During her time on City Council, she led the effort to pass Boise's 100% Clean Energy Plan. As Mayor, she leads the fight against climate change, setting ambitious goals to secure an environmentally and economically resilient future for Boise. Her vision is to create a city that is truly for everyone – one that offers equitable access to housing, living wage jobs, transportation, and a seat at the table for residents when decisions about the future of Boise are being made. Lauren currently serves on the Board of Governors at the Andrus Center at Boise State University. She has been recognized as one of the nation's most promising young political leaders by the Aspen Institute and New Deal Leaders. She was selected to participate in the 2020 Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative on Economic Recovery. Lauren earned a Master of Public Administration from Boise State University as the first Carl Burke Fellow. She was born in Massachusetts and later lived in Texas and upstate New York. Before becoming a Bronco, McLean graduated with honors from Notre Dame. Lauren moved to Boise shortly after graduating college and marrying her high school sweetheart, Scott. Lauren and Scott are parents to Madeleine and Aiden. She is an avid trail runner, outdoorswoman, and reader. She and her family love to explore Idaho's beautiful backcountry by foot or by ski.

From Utrecht, The Netherlands, Cecil Konijnendijk co-leads the Nature Based Solutions Institute, a think tank for the evidence-based greening of cities. He is also an honorary professor at the University of British Columbia. Cecil has 30 years of experience studying, teaching, and advising on aspects of urban forestry and nature-based solutions. He is widely considered as one of the world’s leading urban forestry experts. A Dutch national, he has lived and worked in Europe, Asia, and North America. Cecil helped found the leading academic journal Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, and edited seminal textbooks such as ‘Urban Forests and Trees’ and ‘The Routledge Handbook of Urban Forestry’. He is currently Editor-in-chief of the journal Arboriculture and Urban Forestry. He has advised international organisations such as the United Nations, as well as national and local governments in more than 30 countries. Cecil has held a range of leadership positions at universities and companies in multiple countries, and international organisations such as the International Society of Arboriculture, European Forest Institute, International Union of Forest Research Organisations, and World Urban Parks.

Danielle Fitzko is the Commissioner of the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) for the State of Vermont. She has worked for the Department for over 20 years, serving as Director of Forestry and manager of the state Urban and Community Forestry program. Danielle leads FPR’s 130 full-time employees across four divisions, and over 400 seasonal workers. The FPR team works to support the diverse offerings of the Vermont landscape: scenic vistas featuring mountains, lakes, and rivers; and a strong rural identity of working lands, outdoor lifestyle, and traditions. A licensed forester in Vermont, she previously served as an Extension Educator with the University of Maryland, and holds BS in Environmental Resource Management from Penn State University.  Danielle is a recent graduate of the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Leadership program at the Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Alexis Pickering was elected to the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) Commission in 2020 and elected by the 5-member commission as President for the past two years. Raised in Kooskia, ID, and living at times without running water or electricity, she is a proud Boise State University Alumni, having graduated with a Master’s Degree in Health Policy, and earned undergraduate degrees in English and Political Science. Prior to being elected, Alexis served on transportation committees and workgroups, including the COMPASS Active Transportation Workgroup, Rails and Trails Committee, and the ACHD Pedestrian Advisory Group serving as their Chair from 2017-2019. She was recognized as one of the Idaho Business Review’s Accomplished Under 40 (2020), Woman of the Year (2022), and COMPASS's Leadership by Example for an Elected Official (2023). Her background is rooted in finding solutions to complex challenges spanning across Idaho touching on public health, conservation, and land use/transportation issues. She is also the Executive Director of Conservation Voters for Idaho, a leading nonprofit that creates the political environment to protect the natural environment.  She lives in Boise with her husband and 2-year-old son.

Wayne is a 30-year veteran of the United States Air Force who has served in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. His last tour of duty in the Middle East afforded him the opportunity to serve in the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, which is the famed unit of the Tuskegee Airman. He is a graduate of University Tennessee Chattanooga and Andersonville Theological Seminary. Since retiring from active duty, he has worked with local and state organizations to improve education and increase quality of life for many residents in the Chattanooga area. He was appointed by the Tennessee Commissioner of Education to serve on the Partnership Advisory Board for improving education in several schools in Hamilton County.

Wayne loves to share his experiences through speaking and writing. He is the author of LISTEN, Wisdom and Wit for the Next Generation, and the co-author of 52 ½ Shades of Brown, the not-so-perfect tales of a picture-perfect marriage. He is married his best friend and writing coach, Laura R. Brown. They have three adult children and four grandchildren.

As the CEO of Valley Regional Transit (VRT), Elaine provides leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for the Treasure Valley’s regional public transportation authority. She works to ensure the directives of VRT’s Board of Directors – comprised of representatives from Ada and Canyon Counties, incorporated cities, highway districts, and more – are achieved.

Elaine has been working in the transportation world and as a public servant for more than 25 years, serving on the Boise City Council, the VRT Board and Executive Board, numerous advisory committees and councils, and as a program leader at Idaho Smart Growth. She has worked to advocate and plan for better transportation systems; designed improvements for biking, walking, and transit access; created transportation routing and wayfinding systems; conducted public outreach for various transportation initiatives; and more.

Born and raised in Idaho, Elaine lives in Boise’s North End with her husband, where she frequently walks, bikes, rides the bus, and – when she must – drives. She has five children and 14 grandchildren. She loves the Treasure Valley, and she’s excited about the opportunity to help create, connect, and move a vibrant, attractive region.

Dr. Vanessa Crossgrove Fry is Director at Idaho Policy Institute (IPI) where she leads students, staff, and faculty in providing innovative and independent research to help public, private, and nonprofit leaders overcome challenges and navigate change. She serves as Associate Research Professor in the School of Public Service where she co-teaches the Vertically Integrated Project Housing Opportunities for All. Dr. Fry has focused both her work and education on utilizing multi-sector, evidenced-based solutions to address persistent social, environmental, and economic issues and meet the current and critical needs in communities across Idaho and beyond.

Vanessa also holds a BA in Biology and Fine Art from Wittenberg University in Ohio where she was a first-generation college student and collegiate athlete, an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco where she is an Adjunct Faculty Member, and a PhD Public Policy and Administration from Boise State. In 2022 Vanessa participated in a Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange in Cape Town, South Africa. In addition, she serves on the boards of the American Red Cross of Idaho and East Oregon (where she is Chair), the Consortium of University Public Service Organizations (where she is President), City Club of Boise (where she is Vice President), and Association for University Business and Economics. In 2024 she was named a Rapid Education Prototyping (REP4) National Fellow and a National Association to End Homelessness, Homelessness Research Network Scholar.