Linda Montgomery, 2019 Icon

Linda Montgomery

Linda Montgomery has made her mark as a multiskilled, empathetic and influential leader. Throughout the years, her many accomplishments have made a difference on a national and international level.

Montgomery was born and raised in Idaho. Her parents were volunteers and inspired her love for volunteerism and getting involved in the community. Starting at a young age, she spent nine years as a ski patroller, volunteered at the Red Cross for 13 years and participated in Girl Scouts science fairs each year.

She also served on the board of the Blue Angels air show in Idaho Falls, raising more than $100,000 for local charities. She now serves as the chairwoman of Museum of Idaho’s board of trustees and recently led the $5 million expansion, funded entirely by grants and contributions. This expansion will make Museum of Idaho the largest public museum in the state.

Montgomery’s first full-time job was as a phlebotomist. Eventually, she went on to obtain her law degree and became an outstanding attorney, receiving the title of general counsel very early in her career. While the start of her career in law was a pivotal time, she always put family first.

“For me, it was always family first. I’ve made several decisions in my life that were for the best of my family and I’ve never regretted them,” Montgomery says. “They turned out to be really great decisions, even though I didn’t know it at the time.”

In the late ‘90s, Montgomery moved to Colorado for the best interest of her family. There, she spent a year negotiating a new cleanup agreement and became general counsel. She made it possible to close Rocky Flats in seven years and save an estimated $30 billion by focusing costs on cleanup as opposed to bureaucracy and fighting among different agencies.

Following that, she provided legal support for $5 billion of government work during the war, helping Fluor Corporation restore electricity and water systems in Afghanistan and Iraq. Her outstanding leadership in this position earned her the “most ethical government contractor” ranking by Ethisphere Magazine.

Additionally, she was named Top 50 Trailblazer in National Law Journal and is one of only two in-house attorneys in energy and environmental law throughout the United States with that title.

The qualities that make Montgomery an outstanding attorney are the same qualities that make her an outstanding leader and mentor.

For the last three years, she has been the director for knowledge management in Idaho National Lab (INL). In this role, she has improved morale, empowered performance and implemented a robust professional development program.

“Linda is easily approachable, extremely knowledgeable in many areas,” says Jerry C. Gwinn, Director of Operations at INL. “She has a sound reasoning and wisdom that she will share easily with those she encounters.”

Her leadership and commitment to outreach at INL has led her to becoming the official liaison and loaned executive to the Eastern Idaho Community College.

In her life and work, Montgomery maintains the philosophy, “Never miss a chance to help; even small kindnesses are powerful.”

Career

Linda Montgomery has worked for 20 years as general counsel and senior corporate counsel in energy, construction, research and clean-up companies. She is a community-focused individual by nature and applies her significant skills to a variety of community efforts and projects as chairwoman for the Museum of Idaho’s board of Trustees and on the board of Idaho Falls Air Show, Inc. She currently works as director of Knowledge Management for Battelle Energy Alliance LLC, within the Idaho National Laboratory.

Accomplishments

Negotiated Rocky Flats Cleanup Agreement

Earned the “most ethical government contractor” ranking by Ethisphere Magazine

Named Top 50 Trailblazers in Energy and Environmental Law in the National Law Journal

Led the $5 million Museum of Idaho expansion project as the board of trustees chairwoman

Helped raise $100,000 for local charities on the Idaho Falls Air Show board

Won the Women in Law 2019 Award