Idaho Hall of Fame welcomes five new members

For their contributions to the lives of people in Idaho and beyond, five “outstanding” men and women were inducted into Idaho’s Hall of Fame Friday evening in Coeur d'Alene.

Three board members from Idaho’s Hall of Fame inducted the five nominees during the 19th annual Human Rights Banquet, hosted by the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations at the Best Western Plus Coeur d’Alene Inn.

"The goal of the Idaho Hall of Fame is to recognize those individuals, businesses, institutions and nonprofits throughout Idaho who have made a positive impact on their communities, the state of Idaho, and in many cases, worldwide," said Tony Stewart, secretary of KCTFHR.

The inductees included many local names: Sandi Bloem, Norman Gissel, Steve Meyer and Judy Meyer, as well as Marilyn Shuler of Boise.

Bloem, former Coeur d'Alene mayor, is also a former Coeur d’Alene teacher and lifelong Idaho resident. She has served on numerous city committees and commissions as well as non-government boards and foundations. Among her many accomplishments as mayor, Bloem worked to develop Cherry Hill Park, Riverstone and an education corridor at North Idaho College that will expand facilities and programs in the future. She also spearheaded the initiative for the successful $75 million grant from the Salvation Army to build the Kroc Center in Coeur d’Alene. She is the only woman ever elected as mayor of Coeur d’Alene and the only person elected for three terms.

Gissel is a local attorney who has received several awards for his work in fighting for racial justice and civil rights, such as the Carl Maxey Racial Justice Award and the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations Civil Rights Award. Gissel has served on multiple nonprofit boards, including the KCTFHR from 1984-2009. For more than 20 years he has held lectures across the country, addressing communities’ responses to racism and hate groups.

As an attorney, Gissel has been successful in combating hate crimes, such as when he and a client helped solve the bombings of The Spokesman-Review and Planned Parenthood buildings in 1996. He helped bankrupt the Aryan Nations with a $6.3 million lawsuit in 1998, turning its compound into a “peace park” after two of his clients were chased, shot at, and had their vehicle run off the road by Aryan Nations members.

Steve and Judy Meyer, owners of Parkwood Business Properties in Coeur d’Alene, received the honor of induction for their success in entrepreneurship and philanthropy efforts.

Steve currently serves on the Governor’s Economic Advisory Council and is president of the North Idaho College Foundation Board. In 2012, Steve was awarded the Charles Hummel Lifetime Achievement award by Idaho Smart Growth, and in 2014 was inducted into the Idaho Technology Council Hall of Fame.

Judy has served on several boards over the years for Blue Cross of Idaho, the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce, Idaho Public Television and the Idaho State Historical Society. She received the presidential medallion for her service in higher education through the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College, and in 2012 was inducted into the Idaho Smart Women, Smart Money Hall of Fame.

Together, Steve and Judy have contributed to “many good causes,” including a $1 million gift to the science department at North Idaho College.

Shuler, former chair of the Idaho Human Rights Commission, was inducted into Idaho’s Hall of Fame for several accomplishments that include being a “key player” in encouraging the Idaho Legislature to implement laws banning malicious harassment and paramilitary training in the 1980s and in 1990 helped create the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr./Idaho Human Rights holiday with former Idaho State Sen. Mary Lou Reed.

Among many more accomplishments, Shuler helped establish public kindergartens in Idaho, is co-founder of the five-state Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment and co-founded the group that built and directed the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial in Boise. In 2014, she received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Boise State University.

"The reason I've done so much is that I am really, really old," Shuler joked when Stewart brought her the microphone.

"And you have a lot more to do," Stewart said.