Colleen Asumendi Fillmore, state director, USDA Child Nutrition Programs in Boise

You might say Colleen Asumendi Fillmore is a living link: a link between the future and the past.

For her 9 to 5 job, Fillmore works as the state director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Child Nutrition Program, making sure Idaho’s kids are finding healthy options for school lunches. She is also the area chair of the natural science department for the University of Phoenix.

Her other passion, however, is celebrating and highlighting her heritage.

Fillmore, who was raised in Boise, grew up with an Irish mother and Basque father, and the Basque culture was central to the family’s life. Even her name suggests it: “Asumendi” is a Basque name. It was “just the environment (she) was in” — the family would often attend festivals, and Basque food was a staple. Fillmore says her favorite dish was tripe, which comes from the stomach walls of a cow. She and her sister participated in Basque dancing, though she admits they both giggled in the back row most of the time.

Today, Fillmore leads tours of the Basque Block in downtown Boise, and she helps with Jaialdi, a Basque festival that takes place every five years in Boise. She even authored a book about Basque dietary culture and tradition.

“The Basques are a positive, festive, proud people,” she says. “(I believe that) without a connection to something bigger than ourselves, we are nothing.”

On the business side, Fillmore’s responsibilities are mainly financial these days, but she loves contributing positively to the growth of Idaho’s future leaders.

“I truly believe it’s one of the best jobs you can have,” Fillmore says of being a dietitian. “Children bring such a spark to life … I am very fortunate to get to do that.”

As director of the program, Fillmore manages the $90 million budgeted for Idaho and makes sure the USDA’s requirements are followed. The guidelines often change, so she travels across the country to learn what’s new in the field. She also oversees wellness programs, garden grants and farm-to-school programs throughout the state.

At the University of Phoenix, Fillmore lends her expertise as the chair of the natural sciences department through teaching and being a liaison between the teachers and administration. Additionally, Fillmore volunteers her time with groups such as Nourishing Idaho’s Children, Feed the Gap, the National Farm-to-School Network and the Hunger Summit Coalition.

“I see myself more as a mentor to the under-privileged than anything else,” Fillmore says. “I love to take the energy of people around me and channel it to the next step for the combined development in our lives.”

Outside of work, family is paramount for Fillmore. She and her husband, Jeff, who were high school sweethearts, have been married for 37 years and have two sons, 35 and 33. They enjoy being outside together — “I would love to say I’m out in the garden as much as he is these days!” — and Fillmore tries to walk 12,000 steps every day. She also enjoys reading, particularly spiritual books and mysteries.

“I feel my personal philosophy is still being shaped on a daily basis,” Fillmore says. “I believe it is a person’s responsibility to learn from every experience and grow in a positive way.”