Keith Allred, Founder and President
Keith taught and conducted research on leadership, particularly in the areas
of negotiation and conflict resolution, for seven years as a professor the Harvard
Kennedy School of Government where he was also a faculty member of the Program
on Negotiation at Harvard Law School. Before joining the faculty at Harvard,
he was a professor in social and organizational psychology at Columbia
University. A fifth-generation Idahoan who grew up in Twin Falls, Keith
and his family returned to his home state in 2003 to pursue his applied interests
in consulting and mediation. He is the principal at Allred
Solutions. Keith also continues to teach leadership topics in executive
programs at Harvard and Oxford.
Keith has significant experience in applying his scholarly knowledge to real
world challenges. As a professional mediator, he has helped manage and resolve
many public sector disputes, including public lands, hydroelectric dam, tribal,
and land use disputes. His experience in these pitched conflicts in which special
interests often exert a disproportionate influence, motivated him to find an
effective way for common citizens to be heard. As a consultant and trainer he
has worked for Fortune 500 companies, federal and state agencies, and local
governments.
Keith earned a B.A. from Stanford in American History and a Ph.D. in organizational
behavior and social psychology from UCLA. He loves skiing, backpacking, fly-fishing,
and snow machining. Having grown-up working summers on the family cattle ranch,
Keith has competed successfully on cutting horses, going to the national championships
twice. He is married to Christine Edwards Allred. They are the proud parents
of Anna (4) and Dan (3) and Cate (not yet 1 year old).
Laird Noh, Board Member, The Common Interest in Action, Inc.
In 2003, Laird Noh retired from the Idaho Senate after 24 years, 22 of those
years as chair of the Resources and Environment Committee. The Resources and
Environment Committee is responsible for oversight of Idaho's natural resources,
including water, fish and game, state lands, surface and ground water quality,
state parks and oversight of operations at the Idaho National Engineering and
Environmental Laboratory.
Laird and his wife, Kathleen, have also been active in the Republican Party.
Laird was Twin Falls County GOP Chairman before he was elected to the Senate.
Kathleen has been a Precinct Committee person for many years. She also chaired
of the Twin Falls County Republican Women's organization, was a delegate to
the GOP National Convention when Idaho US Senator Jim McClure was nominated
for Vice President, and chaired the visit of President Ronald Reagan when he
spoke in Twin Falls in behalf of Steve Symms' election to the US Senate. Laird
was faculty advisor for the Boise Junior College Young Republicans when he taught
economics there in 1964-65.
In 24 years and many election contests, Senator Noh accepted no campaign contributions
from political action committees, and accepted no contributions at all unless
he had a contested race. His financial support came from local businesses within
his district or from individuals.
For four generations, the Nohs have been active in sheep, and sometimes cattle,
ranching in Idaho. Prior to election to the Idaho Senate in 1980, Laird was
active in the leadership of the livestock industry at the local, state and national
level. Today he also serves as Chairman of the Board of the Rocky Mountain Sheep
Marketing Association and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Idaho
Nature Conservancy. He holds a bachelors degree in business and animal husbandry
from the University of Idaho and a Masters of Business Administration with emphasis
in finance from the University of Chicago.
Bruce Sweeney, Board Member, The Common Interest in Action, Inc.
Bruce Sweeney grew up in Lewiston where has been a businessman there ever since
returning home from flying jets as a captain in the Air Force. He graduated
from the University of Idaho with a B.S. in Business. Serving in the Idaho Legislature
for 20 years, Bruce earned an enviable reputation as a pragmatic problem solver.
As an Assistant Democratic Leader in the House, and then as Democratic Leader
in the Senate, he found ways to work across the aisle to advance the interests
of all Idahoans. Since retiring from the legislature in 1998, he has served
on the Idaho Transportation Board.
Bruce has been very active in community service, including serving in the Boy
Scouts and Little League Baseball and serving as President of the Trinity Lutheran
Church. He is a board member of the University of Idaho Foundation, the Idaho
Community Foundation, the Lutherhaven Church Camp, and the Youth Endowment for
Activities Foundation for Idaho high schools.
A stand out athlete in track and field, he held school records for the University
of Idaho in two events, had the best marks in the Air Force in 7 events, and
competed in the 1956 U.S. Olympic Team tryouts in the 400 meter hurdles. Bruce
is also a fine tenor who sings with a barbershop quartette and who served as
choir director for the Trinity Lutheran Church. Bruce married Marilyn Evans
in 1955. They are the proud parents of Mark, Emily, and Paul, and the proud
grandparents of Chivonne, Ian, Anthony, and Austin.