FAST FIVE Kristi Rietze: Strengthening connections in North Idaho

Meet Kristi Jacobson Rietze, a fifth-generation Coeur d’Alene resident whose family roots stretch back to the 1890s. Kristi's great-great-grandfather, George Groves, known locally as the “Kid Engineer,” piloted steamboats across Lake Coeur d’Alene, helping connect a growing community by water long before highways encircled the shoreline. Today, Kristi carries forward that same steady spirit of service as director of community engagement for St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho, where she works to strengthen connections between neighbors, resources and opportunity.