Howard seeks NIC trustee seat
COEUR d'ALENE - A fresh look at things, with a set of eyes trained to find answers to other peoples' problems.
That's what Coeur d'Alene trial attorney Ken Howard says he'll bring to the table if he wins a seat on the North Idaho College Board of Trustees in November.
Howard previously sat on the Idaho State Bar Association's Board of Governors and the boards of several other trial organizations.
"I think it's eye-opening to have somebody new come on, while everybody else is saying, 'Well, that's the way we've always done it,' and the new person is saying, 'Well, that's not a good enough answer. I want to know why,'" Howard said.
"I bring, I think, the willingness to continue to ask, 'Why?' and look for better solutions, for other solutions, and I like doing that."
Howard is seeking election to NIC's board Seat A now held by Rolly Williams, who is not seeking re-election. Howard's opponent is Post Falls businessman Ron Nilson.
The college trustee election, a nonpartisan race, will take place during Idaho's general election Nov. 2.
NIC is governed by a five-member board comprised of trustees from anywhere in Kootenai County. Trustees serve four-year terms, and receive no compensation for their services.
There are often overwhelming problems that require a lot of input from many different people, coming from many different perspectives, he said.
"So I bring that kind of a skill, a discipline, wanting as much information as possible from a broad range of people in order to come up with the most effective solution that's best accepted by a larger population," Howard said.
The 66-year-old is in the process of closing down the litigation side of his law practice.
"I have the time on my hands, to be able to devote the time that I think is necessary to pay the proper amount of attention to a job like this," Howard said.
Howard is supportive of the concept of developing an education corridor adjacent to the NIC campus.
"Based upon the information that I have accumulated up to this point in time, I like the idea of the education corridor," Howard said. "I'm in favor of that, and I'd like to see that developed, but I think that's still in the planning stages in many ways, so to have an opinion on that would be very difficult."
Before attending law school, Howard received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from General Motors Institute in Flint, Mich. (now Kettering University). He worked for GM, Ford and the Chrysler Corporation in various capacities, earning his law degree by attending school at night while at Chrysler.
Howard and his wife of 44 years, Barbara, moved to North Idaho from Michigan in 1977. They have four children and 11 grandchildren.
The family hosted exchange students while their own children were in school.
"Making sure that kids get exposure to things that will help them develop, skills that will help them through life has always been something my wife and I have been very interested in," Howard said.
In the past two decades, Howard said he has come to better understand the role a school like NIC plays in the community, that it offers a variety of opportunities to many types of students.
"I think that's why the mission of the community college is so important, that it stay broad-based and not narrowly focused on just prepping people for college or just workforce training," Howard said.
Howard made an unsuccessful run as a Democrat in 2008 for the District 4 State Senate seat now held by Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene.