Denae Warren has led Destination Caldwell for three and a half years, transforming the city’s reputation as a regional destination through strategic downtown activation and tourism programming. Her most significant recent accomplishment includes installing a large digital screen on the Indian Creek Plaza stage and expanding year-round events that have drawn tens of thousands of attendees.

“One of the biggest challenges has been helping a small but rapidly growing community like Caldwell understand and embrace the long-term value of placemaking and tourism,” Warren said. “It takes persistence to shift narratives from ‘event planning’ to sustainable economic development.”

A Northwest Nazarene University communication graduate, Warren brings experience from media, nonprofit leadership and public relations. She graduated from Hope House children’s home in the early 2000s and has deep family roots in Caldwell through her husband’s great uncle, who owned Warren Shoe Store downtown.

Her goals include updating the Downtown Caldwell Master Plan with destination development expert Roger Brooks to guide planning for more than 900 acres of future development, building on Caldwell’s agricultural heritage and wine country identity.

Kathy Pidgeon serves as general manager of The Riverside Hotel in Garden City, where she has worked for more than 30 years. A Boise State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in marketing earned in 1979, Pidgeon has held roles including director of sales at the hotel and previously worked with Westmont Hospitality Group.

In 2019, Pidgeon was appointed chair of the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, demonstrating her industry leadership. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led the hotel’s compassionate response by partnering with Interfaith Sanctuary to provide rooms for 30 vulnerable families in need of safe shelter.

Under her leadership, the 300-room Riverside Hotel has consistently provided exceptional guest service while navigating evolving market conditions. Pidgeon’s decades-long commitment to hospitality excellence and community service has made her a respected leader in Idaho’s tourism industry, advocating for Boise as a premier destination while maintaining the Riverside Hotel’s reputation for outstanding guest experiences.

Adam Altwies serves as general manager of Inn at 500 Capitol, a boutique hotel in downtown Boise, where he oversees daily operations and financial management. Prior to his current role, Altwies spent 14 years in Las Vegas managing poker rooms for a major luxury casino resort brand.

His career in the gaming industry rose from an on-call dealer at the Bellagio in 2002 to director of poker operations at Aria Resort and Casino over the course of a decade. At Aria, he successfully managed the prestigious Ivey Room, providing exceptional service and hospitality to high-stakes poker players.

Altwies served as board chair of Visit Boise (the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau) in 2023, having previously served as chair-elect in 2022. His hospitality experience and passion for creating memorable guest experiences have made him a valuable leader in Idaho’s tourism and hospitality industry, bringing world-class service standards from Las Vegas to Boise’s boutique hotel market.

Executive Chef Steven Topple is a United Kingdom native who has a passion for food and people. Recognizing the power that food has to bring people together, he has made it his life’s work to perfect his craft in the world of culinary arts.

He has experience working in many different top-notch resort kitchens around the world, including San Francisco, Vail, and in Georgia and New York. Internationally, he worked in Scotland and numerous other restaurants across London.

When Topple moved to Idaho, he served as the executive chef at Shore Lodge and then, he ventured out on his own to open his own restaurants.

Today, he operates Ragazza Di Bufalo (Donnelly), Casa Rossa Wine Bar and Tapas (Donnelly), and Bistro 45 (McCall), which is taking over the former 6 Three 4 space. Topple also recently served for a year as the executive chef at Tamarack Resort.

Bittercreek Alehouse, Diablo & Sons and Red Feather Lounge.

With a strict focus on serving Idahoans products from the local food system with a significant effort in promoting sustainability into his operations, Krick is also a craft beer enthusiast. To further expand his footprint in the hospitality and restaurant industry, he recently purchased Woodland Empire Ale Craft, with his wife as co-partner. The company specializes in a variety of canned IPAs, ales, stouts and others.

Before he got his start in the restaurant business, Krick worked in the corporate world in manufacturing management for Hewlett-Packard. Outside of the many restaurants he is involved with, Krick is active in a variety of local nonprofit organizations. He is the board president for City of Good and FARE Idaho, and engages regularly as a board member for the Boise Farmers Market.

Gene Peacock has directed Zoo Boise for seven and a half years, bringing 36 years of zoo and conservation experience to Julia Davis Park. Opening the new Virginia R. Bartack Red Panda Passage and gift shop in May 2025, continuing the zoo’s master plan upgrades completed in 2021, topped his recent accomplishments.

“I have an amazing staff but when the zoo closes the animals are still here and we have a presence on grounds 24-seven. So, it takes a lot of time and dedicated staff as it is a lifestyle,” Peacock said

He holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from University of North Carolina Greensboro, a master’s degree in history/museum studies from Oklahoma City University, and is all but dissertation on a Ph.D. in museum studies from University of East Anglia. Peacock began as a part-time zookeeper in college during the 1980s and worked his way up through curatorial levels.

His goals include opening a new education center with four conservation-centered classrooms and renovating the Small Animal Kingdom. Through Zoo Boise Conservation Fund, the facility supports conservation projects across six continents.

Bob Looper has led Brundage Mountain Resort for five years, overseeing the McCall-based ski operation’s transformation through a comprehensive 10-year improvement plan.

His most significant recent accomplishment was completing Phase 1 of the resort’s master plan, a $35 million initiative that included replacing the Centennial Triple Chair with a high-speed quad, developing the Northwoods residential project, and securing U.S. Forest Service approval for lift and terrain expansion.

“Like the sport of skiing itself, there’s not just one challenge but rather a series of challenges in this industry,” Looper said. “What we’re doing at Brundage is a lot like that. We are still climbing the mountain and overcoming obstacles both expected and unexpected ― but enjoying the challenge and respecting the impact of our vision to the larger community.”

A Colorado State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Looper views his role as more than a career. “I don’t view my work at Brundage as a career, but rather, as a calling,” he said.

His goals include planning new chairlifts, a day lodge and Phase 2 residential development.

Pam Eaton has led the Idaho Retailers Association since January 2001, also serving as president and CEO of the Idaho Lodging & Restaurant Association and Idaho State Pharmacy Association. She recently concluded successful legislative defense work, addressing health care reimbursement issues for pharmacies, and creating workforce development initiatives for retail and hospitality industries.

“In the political and association world, quite frankly, back when I started in the industry, it was being young and being a woman ― and then being a mom” that was her biggest challenge, Eaton said. “There weren’t a lot of young women in the field at the time, and there especially weren’t new moms continuing in the field right after starting a family.”

A Washington State University graduate with degrees in political science and business, Eaton represents industries comprising one quarter of Idaho’s workforce. She created Wander Idaho as the public-facing tourism arm to promote lesser-known Idaho destinations.

Her goals include highlighting retail and hospitality career opportunities, expanding educational partnerships, and increasing awareness of pharmacy reimbursement issues affecting Idaho’s health care system.

Eric Trapp serves as president of the Idaho Steelheads and general manager of Idaho Central Arena, leading downtown Boise’s premier sports and entertainment venue. With Diamond Sports Management since 1991, Trapp has held various positions in sales and marketing.

He was promoted to vice president in 1996 and oversaw operations of the Boise Hawks, Sioux City Explorers and El Paso Diablos baseball teams. He became general manager of the Idaho Steelheads in February 2005 before assuming his current presidential role in 2006.

Trapp was instrumental in negotiating the 2005 Qwest Arena naming rights agreement and bringing multiple partners to the building. Under his leadership, the arena partnership with Idaho Central Credit Union has brought significant facility upgrades and improvements.

Trapp emphasizes the organization’s commitment to being a first-class operation both on and off the ice while reflecting their dedication to Boise as their hometown, establishing the venue as a cornerstone of Treasure Valley entertainment.

Susan Saad has led community and customer relations at Bogus Basin for 11 years, overseeing the mountain recreation area located 16 miles above downtown Boise. She has expanded the organization’s community impact through growing outreach and environmental education programs while maintaining its nonprofit status.

“I’m proud that our team has expanded Bogus Basin’s community impact by growing our outreach and environmental education programs,” Saad said. “We’ve continued to strengthen our connection to the community and fulfill our mission to be accessible and affordable. I’m also proud that we’ve remained successful as one of the few nonprofits in the ski industry.”

A University of Washington graduate with a bachelor’s degree, Saad’s biggest challenge has been demonstrating that a nonprofit organization can be both mission-driven and financially successful. Her goals include successfully opening The Outpost at Pioneer, a new 250-seat venue for events and weddings.

“Our presence directly supports the quality of life that makes Idaho such a special place to live, by providing accessible, year-round outdoor opportunities just minutes from the Treasure Valley,” she said.

Jussi Santa has led Hotel Renegade for two years, overseeing the downtown Boise hotel’s opening in 2024. The launch welcomed over 26,000 guests in its first year while blending elevated service with Idaho’s genuine hospitality.

“Opening Hotel Renegade in 2024 has been the most significant milestone of my career ― one that brought me full circle, back home to Idaho,” Santa said. “This project was more than launching a new hotel; it was about shaping an experience Idaho residents have been longing for.”

He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with hospitality focus from Arizona State University. Santa’s hospitality career has spanned nearly 20 years across the United States, Bahamas and St. Kitts, beginning with a hotel management trainee program in Maui at age 22.

His biggest challenge was navigating the pandemic’s impact on the hospitality industry. Goals include developing team members into future hospitality leaders and expanding community partnerships. Through Geronimo Hospitality Group, he oversees meaningful employment for more than 200 individuals across multiple properties.

Dwayne Griffiths has spent eight years as executive chef at Boise Centre after building 45 years of hands-on experience in the banquets, catering and events industry. His culinary career began at age 15 washing dishes, evolving through determination and hard work into his current leadership role.

Griffiths focuses on building and maintaining what he calls a world-class team while managing the challenging and ever-changing work schedules that define the hospitality industry. His biggest professional accomplishment centers on team development rather than individual recognition.

“To WOW every guest that attends an event at Boise Centre,” Griffiths said, describing his primary goal.

His work contributes to Boise’s economic impact through the events and catering services provided at the convention center. The venue hosts numerous conferences, meetings and special events that bring visitors and revenue to the city.

Griffiths credits his long tenure in the industry to starting from the ground up and working his way through various kitchen positions. Outside his culinary career, he harbors interests in veterinary medicine and professional golf, though his passion clearly remains in creating memorable dining experiences for event attendees.