COMMITTEE MEMBERS
CHAIR(S)
Chair/Executive Director
As a decorated Brigadier General (retired), Bill has nearly four decades of military experience, serving in many key positions to include the Director of the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security and the Commander of the Idaho Air National Guard. Most recently, Bill oversaw corporate communications and marketing for Idaho Power and is now an owner and principal at Atlas Strategic Communications. Bill received his education from the United States Air Force Air University and Boise State University.
Bill has served or serves in numerous volunteer positions, including the Idaho Military Advocacy Commission, the Idaho Homeland Security Advisory Council, the Red Cross of Greater Idaho, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Idaho, the Idaho Officers Association, and the Boise River Festival. He enjoys a good round of golf, whitewater rafting on Idaho’s rivers, and the Oregon Coast. |
Co-Chair/Executive Officer
Sean Warren has been working with the Veterans Day Parade Committee for the last 5 years. His current assignment is Co-Chairmen, having been the Operations Director for the previous three years. Sean is on an active duty military assignment, assigned to the Army National Guard Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia for the next few months. Although he is away from home and “out of town” he remains active with the parade operations and stays in touch with the team members. He belongs to the Idaho Army National Guard and has proudly been serving in the serving for over 27 years. He is married to Sonja Warren, the Volunteer Director and together they have 6 children, most of them living in the Treasure Valley.
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VICE-CHAIR(S)
Vice-Chair / Float Director
Lydia Baird is passionate about our community showing their gratitude for our veterans. Entering her 5th year on the committee, Lydia's vision is to invite local businesses that honor our veterans to participate in the parade through sponsorship and floats. She does this in honor of her father who served in the Navy, her mother-in-law who served in the Army, and her uncle who served in the Air Force. She and her husband, Marty, with their two boys moved to Boise 10 years ago...they couldn't imagine a better place to live and raise their family.
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Vice-Chair
Vicki Lindgren has a passion for her family, friends, community and our Men and Women in uniform, who give her the freedom to enjoy these passions. She is grateful and blessed to have the opportunity to be involved with organizations she holds near and dear to her heart, . Outside of the Boise Veterans Day Parade Committee, Vicki serves on the Board of Directors for the Eagle Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Meridian Chamber of Commerce, and the Daughters of the Nile. Vicki has been employed with Edward Jones for the past several years and plans to remain at this remarkable company until the day she retires. Beyond working and volunteering, Vicki enjoys cooking for her husband, long walks or biking on the greenbelt, music, the theater, and their two beautiful dachshunds, Ringo and Daisy. Vicki was raised in Idaho and has called Eagle her home since 2002, her forever home.
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ASSISTANT VICE-CHAIR(S)
Assistant Vice-Chair
Megan Kiska is a successful and determined leader with 10+ years in Operations, Military and Logistics management. After completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, Computer Science and Communications, she moved to Germany with the Air Force where she completed her Master's degree in International Relations. She was awarded a NATO Article 5 Medal, Joint Service Accommodation Medal, and a Kosovo Campaign Medal for superior excellence of managing multi-national logistics with national leaders to ensure exceptional operational and medical support was given for all North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces in Macedonia.
Megan not only keeps busy at work, but she spends her free time volunteering with a variety of organizations, including the Boise Veterans Day Parade, Denver Roller Dolls Derby, Denver Meals on Wheels, Arizona Active Adult Retirement Communities and the San Francisco AIDS Walk committee. Megan and her husband, Robin, love spending their nights and weekends working their one-acre plot in Boise, where they raise kids and chickens! The Kiska family loves traveling and going on weekend adventures exploring the world around them. |
Assistant Vice-Chair
Trish Trader immigrated to the U.S. with her family when she was 6. Trish served 5 years in the US Air Force before earning her Bachelor of Accountancy from George Washington University. Trish worked as a Financial/Budget Analyst before moving to Idaho in 2006. Her family includes several veterans, father (Army), brother (retired - Navy), husband (Air Force). Trish currently works as a Personal Banker at Washington Federal. When not volunteering with the Parade, Trish stays busy with the Edelweiss German Club and serves as an Ambassador with the Eagle Chamber of Commerce. In her non-existent spare time she enjoys traveling, gardening, sewing and decorating. Trish and her husband Ken love calling Eagle home. |
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Chief Financial Officer
Dan Loughrey is a retired Navy Chief Warrant Officer. He is a 7th Fleet sailor, serving in A-6 squadrons in the Pacific as a Maintenance Chief and Maintenance/Material Control Officer. He retired from the Navy in 1986 and graduated from Boise State University in 1990 with a degree in Business Administration. Dan established Boise Valley Business Services in 1995. Dan and his wife, Inge, reside in Boise with their two Great Danes.
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OPERATIONS
Operations Director
Jay was issued to Col. and Mrs. John W. Romlein at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1952. In keeping with the family
tradition, he volunteered for service in the U.S. Army in 1973 and was stationed in Baumholder, West Germany and was assigned to the 3/16FA, 8ID USAEUR for the duration of his 3-year enlistment. Honorably discharged with the rank of E5, he began a career in telecommunications industry, working for telephone companies as a consulting outside plant engineer across the Midwestern states work for the Bell System, United Telephone and General Telephone Company. He married Judy K. Hawkins on September 29, 1979 and together they moved to Wisconsin, Florida, California, and back to Wisconsin before moving to Boise in 1996, by this time a family of five. Since then, the family base of operations has remained at the same address but their 3 children have graduated Boise State University and struck out to make their mark on the world. Jay is currently employed by CSHQA as a Sr. Engineering Designer and continues to serve our community by providing volunteers for local community programs through CSHQA’s Community Action Team and as a member of John Regan Post No. 2 of the American Legion. |
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Chris Wadsworth
Master Sergeant US Army Idaho Army National Guard asst.ops@boisevdp.org |
Operations Deputy Director
Chris has over 30 years in uniform. He is currently filling the role of Director of Military Operations. He was the deputy operations director for last year’s parade. He has extensive operations experience and a passion for facilitating success. He was born into a military family at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma and spent most of his early life in Georgia before joining the active Army and then the Idaho Army National Guard. He’s married to Kathleen and has three children and 5 grandchildren all here in the Treasure Valley. |
VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS
CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
Civic Groups Director
Patrick F. Coonrod attended and graduated from Moscow High School and the University of Idaho. Graduating in 1977, he was commissioned through the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. Serving on both active and reserve duty for an accumulative twenty years, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and retired in 2010. He is a proud member of the Marine Corps League, Treasure Valley Detachment; and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 63. Patrick additionally worked for the U S Postal Service in Boise for 17 years, retiring in 2015. He has lived in the Boise area for 27 years and lives with his wife, Kayleen, in Meridian.
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Civic Groups Co-Director
Doug Foote has an Associate Degree in Marketing and Sales from Midstate College of Commerce in Peoria, Illinois. He retired from the Idaho Air Guard in 1996 after 20 years of service. Doug is currently serving as Vice-Commander of the American Legion Eagle Post 127 and Vice President of the Ada County United Veterans Council. He and his family moved to Boise in 1980 from Peoria, Illinois. Doug and his wife, Janis, have owned a pet and livestock- sitting business (D & J Enterprises) in Eagle since 1992.
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SCHOOL AND YOUTH GROUPS
School & Youth Groups Director & Boy/Girl Scouts Liaison
Richard Ross coordinates all aspects that might impact the youth community, such as bands, civic and organizational youth groups, and the Girl and Boy Scouts. He is currently the Chairperson of the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council and leader of Girl Scouts of the USA (Junior Girl Scouts). His focus is on presenting to the girls a program of involvement in local community as well as a global perspective of caring and giving. Teaching those life skills and leadership responsibilities that every Girl Scout should understand to be successful in life. Richard is also currently the Director of AAFG LLC and All American Funding Group Inc. for Financial Services, Asset Management BG and MTN acquisition, which provides additional upper level financial tools for investments PPP. He served as First Sergeant in the US Army for over 25 years as a Parachute Rigger. His additional interests are to increase networking and awareness to the free-world marketing ideas worldwide (education being the foundation) through the promotion of quality human support sites, Financial Instrument investments, international business ethics and roles, networking.
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PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Public Affairs Officer
Colleen Schowalter has been volunteering with the Boise Veterans Day Parade for the last 3 years. She is grateful for the opportunity to honor those that have served our country. Outside of the Boise Veterans Day Parade, Colleen works at The Idaho Foodbank as the Volunteer Program Coordinator and serves as a Commissioner on the Idaho Governor's Commission on Volunteerism. Prior to her career change into Nonprofit Development, Colleen worked in biomedical research as a Biochemist at AVI Biopharma in Oregon and as part of an Institutional Review Board that oversaw medical research at St. Luke's in Boise. |
VOLUNTEERS
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Curtis Downervolunteers.director@boisevdp.org
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Volunteer Director
Curtis Downer was born and raised in the Boise area. He is currently serving as a member of the Idaho Air National Guard where he works alongside the recruiters and trains brand new recruits in order to acclimate them to the military lifestyle before they attend basic training and tech school. Curtis is passionate about helping the veteran community and does so in several volunteer capacities. Not only does he work with the Boise Veterans Parade, but he is also part of a Veteran Resource Group called Joining Forces for Treasure Valley Veteran's. This is Curtis's second year working with the Boise Veteran's Parade and was instrumental in coordinating over 100 volunteers for the 2017 parade. Curtis is married and has three children. He and his family enjoy outdoor activities and are always looking for opportunities to get out and live life.
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MILITARY UNITS
Position Vacant
SECRETARY
Position Vacant
Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning. -
Benjamin Franklin
