Celebrating an original influencer: Thoreson named 2024 Woman of Impact
Kerri Thoreson, right, is surprised Wednesday during the Onward and Upward Women's Conference as Ms. Idaho 2024 Bretta Provost hands her the 2024 Woman of Impact award, which was announced by last year's winner Laura Penney, left.
DEVIN WEEKS/Press
Kerri Thoreson speaks to the crowd about her silver hair Wednesday as she is seated next to North Idaho Alliance founder and CEO Marilee Wallace at the Onward and Upward Women's Conference at the Best Western Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn. Thoreson was named the 2024 Woman of Impact at the event.
"You haven't lived until you've seen your face 8 feet tall," Kerri Thoreson said Wednesday, discussing her acting career as her fun-loving and carefree Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort character, Vera, and accompanying promo posters.
"We chose her because she is just a perfect representative for the Coeur d'Alene Casino and all that we have in regards to our amenities, and the fact that we're homespun, we're local, we're warm, we're friendly, we're fun," Coeur d'Alene Casino CEO Laura Penney said. "Kerri brought all of that to that campaign."
She said Thoreson has been a mentor and a dear friend, not only to the Coeur d'Alene Tribe and to the community, but also to her personally.
"I look up to you and I appreciate you, and I want to give you a special award," Penney said to Thoreson
As last year's recipient, Penney announced at the North Idaho Alliance's Onward and Upward Women's Conference that Thoreson is the 2024 Woman of Impact.
The Woman of Impact award criteria includes optimism, persistence, living with passion and purpose, having a strong sense of self and confidence, the ability to adapt and keep it real, the courage to seek and receive support and having a strong and powerful voice.
"The epitome of a woman's leadership is having a voice," North Idaho Alliance founder and CEO Marilee Wallace said. "I'm not talking of a loud voice, I'm talking about a wise voice."
Thoreson has been a writer and community speaker for four decades. She has been a newspaper editor, publisher, columnist, morning radio personality, commercial actor, public speaker and 'an OG influencer,'" Wallace said.
"Communication has been her key to success for leadership roles in local nonprofits and elected offices," Wallace said. "She's written over 1 million published words."
"Yay, Kerri!" Wallace said into the microphone.
"Oh, you got me," Thoreson responded. "You got me."
Kerri Thoreson speaks to the crowd about her silver hair Wednesday as she is seated next to North Idaho Alliance founder and CEO Marilee Wallace at the Onward and Upward Women's Conference at the Best Western Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn. Thoreson was named the 2024 Woman of Impact at the event.