Celebrating an original influencer: Thoreson named 2024 Woman of Impact
DEVIN WEEKS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 6 months AGO
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.
Devin Weeks is a third-generation North Idaho resident. She holds an associate degree in journalism from North Idaho College and a bachelor's in communication arts from Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene. Devin embarked on her journalism career at the Coeur d'Alene Press in 2013. She worked weekends for several years, covering a wide variety of events and issues throughout Kootenai County. Devin now mainly covers K-12 education and the city of Post Falls. She enjoys delivering daily chuckles through the Ghastly Groaner and loves highlighting local people in the Fast Five segment that runs in CoeurVoice. Devin lives in Post Falls with her husband and their three eccentric and very needy cats. | May 23, 2024 1:00 AM
"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.ARTICLES BY DEVIN WEEKS
Steve Casey left his mark as dedicated educator, friend, family man
Steve Casey left his mark as dedicated educator, friend, family man
Solid leadership. A dedicated educator. A friend to everyone. Steve Casey lived a big, beautiful life and embraced every single person who came across his path. "Children, men, women, students, it didn't matter their walk of life," Casey's daughter, Tara Nelson, said Friday. "His arms were wide open and his heart was open to everyone."
Controversial AI exhibit at Art Spirit Gallery runs through Dec. 24, community event Saturday
Controversial AI exhibit at Art Spirit Gallery runs through Dec. 24, community event Saturday
Mike Baker installed his exhibit at the Art Spirit Gallery hoping it would generate conversations in the community. And wow, did it ever. "No Permission Needed," featuring pieces created using artificial intelligence, debuted Nov. 14 at the downtown gallery. It quickly became a subject of social media discussion and scrutiny in the arts community and the community at large for the use of AI and female experiences being brought into focus by a male, with some accusing Baker of misogyny, art theft or posing as an artist while others defended the intention behind the project and the exploration of a new technology-based medium. "At the end of the day it’s focused on women’s health, all rooted in the work we’ve done around endometriosis and tied to the experiences people have shared with me and that I’ve seen walking through the health care system,” Baker said Thursday. “I was just trying to capture all of that within it."
FAST FIVE Barbara Williams: Coordinating Wreaths Across America with honor
Meet Barbara Williams, who has lived in North Idaho with her husband Pete for 34 years and supports veteran events in the Rathdrum area.