Local ladies earn accolades from Idaho Business Review

Four North Idaho ladies have been named Women of the Year honorees by the Idaho Business Review: Julie Amador, Heather Keen, Johanna Brown and Sara Brady.

The local honorees all graduated from the Coeur d'Alene Regional Chamber's 2017 Leadership Coeur d’Alene class, during which they formed lasting friendships.

"We created a strong bond and we continue to be close friends," Keen said Wednesday. "Along with several other women from our leadership class, we meet regularly and I am so appreciative of the camaraderie, support, professional advice and friendship I receive from this group of strong women leaders."

They are among 50 honorees from around the state. The 2022 Women of the Year gala will be held Sept. 22 in Boise, where the Idaho Business Review will announce one top winner as the Woman of the Year.

The accolades celebrate women leaders who have made marks on their community and are paving the way for leaders of today and into the future.

“I feel honored,” said Amador, who is a Coeur d’Alene-based mathematics education professor with the University of Idaho College of Education, Health and Human Sciences.

“There are a lot of wonderful women worthy of such recognition in this state," she said. "I hope this honor helps to highlight my passion for Coeur d’Alene as a town where people have opportunities to thrive educationally and in families.”

Amador is leading a $2.7 million study on rural math coaching, funded by the National Science Foundation. In 2020-21, she earned the Mid-Career Award as part of the U of I’s Excellence Awards. She serves on the board of directors for Coeur d’Alene Rotary and the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber, as well as the advisory board for the Kroc Center.

Keen is the strategic development director at Marimn Health in Worley. She is responsible for managing and implementing special projects, developing community partnerships and managing all communications and public relations activities for the medical center and wellness center.

"Honestly, I am just honored to work for The Coeur d’Alene Tribe and for Marimn Health," Keen said. "I have an incredible team here that supports me, challenges me and trusts me with opportunities to work on projects that have the potential to make such a lasting positive impact on our community — like the new Coeur Center. I’m so grateful for that and for the folks around me who I get to work with every day."

Prior to joining the team at Marimn Health, Keen served as the public relations director for The Coeur d’Alene Tribe for six years, where she was the primary spokesperson and worked closely with reporters and editors at local, regional and national media outlets to generate positive press stories regarding the Tribe. Keen also managed the Tribe’s philanthropic giving and community partnerships, worked closely on legislative initiatives affecting the Tribe and facilitated collaborative relationships between the Tribe and local and regional organizations.

Brown works as the director of compliance for Kootenai Health. She is the president-elect of the United Way of North Idaho board and continues to be involved with the Coeur d'Alene Chamber's Leadership Coeur d'Alene program. She is a graduate of North Idaho College and Gonzaga University.

Brown said she was surprised when she learned she had been nominated for Women of the Year honors.

"I just was very grateful," she said. "If you do some of the research and look at what the award is, you know it's something to be very proud of to be in the midst of all those amazing women."

Brady works with biopharmaceutical company AbbVie in research and development for aesthetics and neuroscience clinical research studies. She works with doctors and leads development and training for large global teams, including developing efficient and effective processes for her department and others. She is a past Kootenai County Young Professionals Top 30 Under 40 award recipient. Brady is also the volunteer coordinator for the North American Enduro Cup mountain bike race held at Silver Mountain.

She said she was very excited to learn she made the Women of the Year list.

"I knew I had been considered,” she said. "But there are so many amazing women in Idaho and in Kootenai County alone. I was not really expecting to be selected. It was a huge surprise and honor."

Brady said it was even more exciting to learn her friends and leadership peers are among the honorees.

"We’ve got a really awesome group of ladies that are doing a lot in the community,” she said.