Over the past six months we hope you have enjoyed hearing from friends of the M43LF program and their different approaches to leadership. In this final session we will be joined by Paralypic gold medalist and state representative from the Wood River Valley, Muffy Davis. She brings insight into topics including accessibility and life as a paraplegic, running for office and Idaho politics, and the vision for where our state is heading.

Check out some these links to learn more about Muffy Davis:

• Muffy Davis’ website: https://www.muffydavis.com

• CAF Athlete Profile: https://www.challengedathletes.org/athletes/muffy-davis/

• TEDx Bloomington Different Does Not Mean Less

In this session, we are going to have an interactive afternoon with Roger Quarles, the Executive Director of the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation. You never know where your professional career will take you, and Roger is no exception to the rule. After graduating Chico State he opened his first of many pizza restaurants and became a successful entrepreneur. He then moved to Hailey, Idaho and opened another pizza restaurant in the local area. At the same time, he began volunteer coaching high school basketball which ultimately led to him becoming the Caldwell School District Superintendent. Now, in what could be considered his third career, Roger has overseen almost $250,000,000 in philanthropic giving over seven years as the Executive Director of JKAF.

It’s rare to find a CEO who started their career and rose through the ranks in the same company they now lead. Lisa Grow is one of those leaders. She joined Idaho Power as their first female engineer in 1987 after graduating from the University of Idaho and held numerous engineering and management roles until her selection as President and CEO of IDACORP INC and Idaho Power in 2020. 

Lisa is a leader in the energy industry and is currently serving, or previously served, on various committees and boards associated with the utilities, electricity, and hydropower. She also serves on St. Luke’s Health System Board of Directors and was appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Salt Lake City Branch Board of Directors in 2021. 

In this session we are going to meet Bill Whitacre, the former CEO of the J.R. Simplot Company, one of the world’s largest food and agricultural businesses. We hope to discover the similarities and differences between Todd’s and Bill’s approach to leadership, their experiences, and reflections on successful careers. For one, Bill was responsible for over 13,000 employees, had offices in 60 countries, and reported directly to a family owned and privately held company board of directors. One very interesting similarity is that both Bill and Todd never completed college, something popular culture often portrays as a requirement to be successful. In either case, we are fortunate to have Bill in our community, and we hope you enjoy this opportunity to spend the afternoon with him. 

The first session is focused on entrepreneurship and business leadership with Mr. Todd Lindsey. Over the last 30 years, Mr. Lindsey has been a pioneer in the structured finance industry, founding and operating companies with his partners in multiple asset classes. These companies have targeted commercial and residential real estate, aircraft, franchise and small business lending sectors. In addition to finance companies, Mr. Lindsey currently owns and manages companies in the education, manufacturing, agriculture, energy, food service, fitness and real estate sectors.

From 2008 to 2010 Mr. Lindsey consulted with multiple government agencies to first identify the role securitization played in the financial crisis and subsequently to evaluate potential solutions to the instability of the credit and lending markets. Mr. Lindsey testified before congress on this subject in 2010.

In addition to his business activities, Todd currently serves or has served on the Board of Directors for the following: A10 Capital, Cold Chain, G2 Energy, Agri Beef, Aviation Finance Group, Commercial Lending Corp., Gogo Labs, Parrilla Grill, 13th Street Pub & Grill, Boise YMCA, Make-a-Wish Foundation, St. Joseph’s School Board, Stock Farm Club Board, and the Warhawk Air Museum.

Todd has been married to Cassy for 32 years. They have four children: Belle (22), Reed (21), Brand (18) and Kate (14).