A note from the editor

A lot of people are quoting the rock opera Tommy these days: “I’ve got the feeling ’21 is going to be a good year.”

(Don’t say, “It could hardly be worse.” It can always be worse, and I’ve learned not to challenge the universe.)

Like last week, when we took a look back at a number of industry sectors, this week’s issue looks forward at some of those same sectors, as well as some other ones. Our intrepid staff writer Catie Clark looks at construction, real estate, retail and health care, while I look at banking.

Of course, everything changed at the last minute on Sunday when President Donald Trump signed a new stimulus bill intended to help many of those same industrial sectors. All of the ramifications of the gigantic bill — both physically and financially — aren’t even clear yet, but hopefully it will help Idahoans and Idaho businesses survive until the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccination finally starts putting a damper on the pandemic and its associated economic disruption.

This week’s Focus section is on diversity and inclusion. With movements like #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, business is paying more interest and attention to these areas than ever before.

Yet, incidents like the desecration of the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial just last month show that Idaho, in particular, still has a long way to go. And if you don’t think that’s a business issue, think again. Some people who consider Idaho for employment still remember when the state hosted the Aryan Nations compound, and incidents like this don’t typically help the state’s reputation when it comes to attracting businesses and workers. We cover businesses’ reaction to the vandalism incident in this section, as well as efforts by our neighbor Utah to help reduce racism in that state, as well as a new nationwide program to help develop Native CPAs.

And frankly, if there’s businesses and workers who are attracted to Idaho by such incidents, we don’t want them anyway. Remember, Idaho’s Too Great for Hate.

We also have a Q&A this week with Clay Anderson and Chap Todd, of Colliers International Idaho’s Northwest Multifamily Team, on the outlook for multifamily housing in Idaho. Plus our trusty freelancer Alx Stevens is back with a piece on John Wagner, the new director of the Idaho National Laboratory, as well as a report on Boise State University’s growing cybersecurity program.

Happy New Year. Please?

Sharon Fisher is interim editor of the Idaho Business Review.