Meet Jan Tymesen and Teresa Irish, co-chairs of the North Idaho Women and Their Money Conference.

Tymesen, of the North Idaho Investment Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, leads a team that is passionate about helping people navigate the complexity of financial decisions to provide clarity. She has worked for Wells Fargo Bank for 34 years. Throughout her entire career she has been an active volunteer in the Coeur d'Alene community where she and her husband Troy have raised three children.

Tymesen spends her free time in the great outdoors, as well as enjoying her six grandchildren.

Irish is originally from Michigan and a graduate of Michigan State University. She began her career in university housing at Idaho State University before working in the staffing, home health care and hospice industries, later becoming an independent process consultant. Irish is the author of "A Thousand Letters Home," a book based on her father’s 1,000 handwritten letters from WWII. She had the honor of sharing this moving and inspirational story of war, love and life with audiences at over 300 venues.  

Irish is the founder and co-chair of the North Idaho Women and Their Money Conference, a member of the 2026 Women’s Gift Alliance Grant Committee and a volunteer for the Center for New Directions at North Idaho College. 

1) Why did you create the North Idaho Women and Their Money Conference?

Tymesen: We didn’t create the conference, merely accepted the invitation from Idaho State Treasurer Julie Ellsworth to bring a financial literacy conference to North Idaho, similar to one they have in Boise. This conference is a bit different in the sense of the focus being on education and partnering with North Idaho College. We want to provide the attendees a full day to get a real feel for what it is like to be on a college campus and learn.

Irish: To provide FREE tools, knowledge and expert guidance that help women build financial confidence and create more secure futures for themselves and their families — an opportunity unlike any other event in North Idaho. When women understand their money, they change their future. 

2) What is some of your background - good and bad - when it comes to the world of finances?

Tymesen: I have devoted my entire professional career in the world of finance as a certified financial planner, providing advice to families. There have been many examples in my career where women lost their spouse through illness, death or divorce and knew very little about all the different aspects of managing their financial lives.  

Irish: Let’s just say I’m a better conference organizer than I would be one of our breakout session “PRO"fessors. My career has focused on people, process and organizational effectiveness. Numbers and spreadsheets…not so much. 

3) Why is money so hard to make, keep and manage for some of us?

Irish: Day-to-day financial — and life — demands can make it feel like you need a lot of money to achieve financial independence and security. In reality, small steps and smart choices can make a big difference. The North Idaho Women and Their Money Conference provides actionable financial takeaways and helps women identify their practical next steps. 

Tymesen: The world is an expensive place to live, especially in highly desired communities such as North Idaho. Even those that work hard struggle to make it, let alone save for future goals. It is one of the reasons we are so grateful to our community sponsors who help us make this conference free to all attendees.

4) What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

Tymesen: After graduating with an economics degree, I decided to go into catering because I love to cook and serve others. It's something I've enjoyed my entire life and still do it, but now I also serve others with sound financial advice and giving back to my community. I've been blessed to be a blessing.

Irish: I became a first-time bride at 49 after meeting my husband, Col. Brad Foster (retired), on a Delta flight. I was on a business trip, and he was sitting across the aisle from me. Brad was headed back to the Middle East for the final three months of a three-year deployment in Kuwait and Qatar — yet amazingly, he lived just a mile from me in Northville, Mich. Stay alert — you never know! 

5) How does it benefit communities when women feel confident and self-sufficient regarding their finances?

Irish: Achieving financial confidence and independence enables women to make informed, thoughtful decisions, build greater stability for their families and contribute meaningfully to their communities and the local economy. 

Tymesen: Women are often the glue that holds families together. When we can help them feel more empowered and confident about their finances, we’re helping their entire family. Strong families build strong communities.

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Do you know someone in Kootenai County who makes our community awesome? Send Fast Five suggestions to Devin Weeks, [email protected], to highlight locals who contribute their time and talents to make North Idaho such a special place.

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    Irish