IBR announces its 2026 Women of the Year honorees

From banking institutions and wineries to nonprofits and places to indulge in sweet treats, Idaho Business Review‘s 2026 Women of the Year awards honorees have careers spanning industries as diverse as they are.

There were 124 entries from which judges based their scoring, looking at nominees’ professional accomplishments, leadership, community service efforts and mentorship. After tallying those scores, 50 winners topped the list to be chosen as Women of the Year.

After their nominations, women were asked to submit letters of recommendation, their resumes, phones and other documents that supported the reasons they believed they should be picked for the annual honors.

The letters of recommendation highlighted not only what makes each nominee impressive, but how they uplift others, especially women in business.

“Her commitment to elevating women-owned businesses in Idaho is especially meaningful,” one person wrote of a nominee. “[She] makes it a priority to connect women entrepreneurs with opportunities, visibility, resources and professional networks that help them thrive in competitive industries.”

Some nominees were lauded by others for their compassion and engagement in working together to make Idaho a better place.

“Her peers look to her as a beacon of collaborative leadership, as she frequently unites local businesses, government agencies and other nonprofits to maximize community impact,” another wrote of a peer.

The awards ceremony to celebrate this year’s Women of the Year and to announce the Woman of the Year is scheduled to be held on Sept. 10 from 5:30-9 p.m. at Boise Centre West. It will also highlight the Circle of Excellence honorees ― who have been past recipients more than once and up to three times of the Women of the Year award.

Last year’s Woman of the Year recipient was Stephanie Parker, founder and executive recruiter of TalentSpark. The Woman of the Year is chosen based on judges’ scores.

“It’s been 21 years since Women of the Year began. Though I’ve only been with Idaho Business Review a few years, I am increasingly impressed by the women whom we honor with this award,” said Marc Lutz, editor of IBR. “I’m given the pleasure of notifying each recipient that she is being honored. It never fails that I receive responses of gratitude, a humble spirit and elation. We look forward to bringing all the honorees together for a lively night of fun and celebration on Sept. 10.”

To learn more about the Women of the Year event, visit this page.

The 2026 Women of the Year honorees are:

Jessica Aguilar

Catherine Arik

Mary Barinaga

Amanda Bauer

Suzi Boyle

Autumn Braase

Tallie Colvin

Caitlin Copple

Malinda Crawford

Liana Duvall

Lauren Edson

Brandi Elumbaugh

Kristyn Escalante

Adrienne Esposito

Kara Finley

Melissa Frey

Jane Gordon

Jenni Gudapati

Jessica Hagan

Alexis Halikas

Amy Hardy

Dori Healey

Shawnda Huffman

Paula Kellerer

Nichol Lapierre

Leah Larson

Sondra Lavoie

Toasha Lierman

Shannon Madsen

Marsha Martin Wolfe

Jeanne McFall

Connie Miller

Caitlin Montoya

Stacey Moody

Alycia Moss

Anita Overall

Tiffany Paine

Megan Remaley

Terry Rowe

Sandra Young

Caroline Sullivan

Traci Sansinena

Melissa Schug

Shaunalee Shipman

Megan Simila

Sherri Smith

Jennifer Snow

Brandy Wilson

Launee Wolverton

Mandi Wright