Gov. Little Announces Appointments to Idaho Park and Recreation Board

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little announced today his appointment of Charles “Chuck” Roady, Hugh Cooke, and Amy Manning to the Idaho Park and Recreation Board.

The board is comprised of six gubernatorially appointed members tasked with providing citizen oversight of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR). Each of the members represent one of Idaho’s six IDPR districts. The board also appoints and supervises the IDPR director.

Roady replaces Doug Eastwood, who has represented District 1 since 2017. Roady recently retired from the timber industry after more than 45 years of managing the forest product business F. H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Company. Roady spent the last 18 years as the Vice President, General Manager, and Board Member of Stolze. While serving in these roles, Roady worked on many natural resource management, land, and wildlife conservation projects. Before serving at Stolze, Roady owned and operated a resource management consulting company that facilitated multi-party conservation and resource management projects for clients, including the Cities of Boise and Bonners Ferry, The Nature Conservancy, Forest Capital Partners, and other forest landowners. Roady operates several tree farms with his family near their home in Boundary County. Roady graduated with his bachelor’s in Resource Management from the University of Idaho.

Cooke will fill the vacant District 2 seat. He has extensive experience in outdoor recreation and recreation management, including his longtime position as a licensed whitewater rafting guide. Cooke previously worked in national operations with the U.S. Ski Team Association as an event and race manager and was on the NBC Sports staff during three Olympic Winter Games in the ski racing broadcast booth. Cooke is the former recreation director for the City of McCall and director of alumni relations for the University of Idaho. He is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Idaho, where he has taught graduate-level courses in recreation and leisure studies for eight years. Cooke graduated with his bachelor’s in Business Administration - Parks and Recreation Management and his master’s in Recreation Administration from the University of Idaho.

Manning replaces Pete J. Black, who has represented District 5 since 2015. She is a fifth-generation Idahoan who served as mayor of the City of American Falls for seven years after serving on the city council for a decade. She is a member of the Idaho Personnel Commission. Manning is the executive director of III-A, a trust that manages the health benefits for 95 public agencies in Idaho. Manning studied Public Relations and Advertising at Idaho State University and Utah State University in Logan.

“Idaho’s abundant outdoor opportunities are part of the reason we love living here – and a significant driver of our economy,” Governor Little said. “As our parks system continues to see record visitation, the expertise of these new board members will ensure we will meet the growing demand and properly manage our natural resources for future generations.”

Idaho’s 30 state parks averaged 7.4 million visitors in 2020, 2021, and 2022, representing a 27-percent increase over the visitation from the prior five years. For more information about the Idaho Park and Recreation Board and IDPR, visit www.parksandrecreation.idaho.gov.