Connie Stopher, 2019 Accomplished Under 40

Connie Stopher

34 • Executive director •

Southern Idaho Economic Development • Twin Falls

Connie Stopher’s career path has taken her to many interesting places, including West Yellowstone, Salt Lake City, the Oregon Coast, even New Zealand — and throughout all her travels, she hoped to find her way back to the place she calls home — the Magic Valley.

“The best part of my job is being in a place that I want to see be as vibrant and healthy as it can be,” she says. “To help this place attract quality jobs, and enrich the communities, that’s just an awesome feeling.”

Stopher grew up in the Midwest before attending Idaho State University for both her undergrad and master’s degree programs. She proceeded to serve on economic development boards for regions throughout the U.S. and abroad before being appointed to her current post as executive director of Southern Idaho Economic Development.

Upon taking over the job, she faced dual goals of attracting businesses and attracting employees to work in them.

“Connie had an ingenious idea and developed a veteran recruitment program to connect veterans in the region and throughout the Northwest with employers in the Magic Valley,” says Jeff Fox, board member of the SIED and president of College of Southern Idaho. “In a very short time from taking the job, she brought her excellent organizational and strategic skills to bear. It is safe to say that Connie has re-energized SIED with her dedication to the job.”

Recruiting veterans from military bases in places such as Mountain Home, Seattle and San Diego not only provided new opportunities to those individuals in the area, it has spurred commercial and industrial activity throughout the community. Chobani and Clif Bar are two of the most recognizable employers, but innovative companies such as New Cold, MV Electric and others have set up or reinvested in the Magic Valley in recent years.

“We’re more than just cows outside your car window,” she jokes. “There’s a lot of research and development activity going on, and we’re becoming an attractive region for science and technology.”

And while large business has its share of benefits, Stopher and her team of four remain committed to visiting local business on a regular basis, getting involved in Rotary clubs, knocking on doors, and making sure even the smallest hurdles are kept on her radar. She makes it part of her job to keep communities connected with each other and aware of the issues big and small throughout the region.

“It’s just another aspect that excites me about working here, how well our communities work together,” she says. While still young in her term as executive director, Connie’s past results profess optimism. As part of the South Coast Development Council in Oregon, she oversaw unemployment drop 5 percentage points. That same organization was on track to run out of money within months of her joining, and she was able to leave it with expanded staff, resources and healthy financial reserves.

“We performed an extensive search before the SIED Board of Directors found Connie,” Fox says. “We saw her as someone who could take the organization to a new lev- el. The economy in the Magic Valley has been booming for several years now, and we face new challenges, but she has captured the spirit of our organization and the future looks bright.”