Maureen Dolan handles marketing and communications for the North Idaho College Workforce Training Center, where she helps connect students, employers and community members with training opportunities that lead to meaningful careers. 

Before joining NIC, Maureen, who grew up in New Jersey, spent more than a decade with the Coeur d’Alene Press, telling the stories of North Idaho’s people, businesses, schools and communities. She was a reporter for six years, the city editor (assistant managing editor) for seven years, and the managing editor for two years.

She also owns a small business that allows her to do freelance writing when she’s not working at NIC. In that capacity, she works primarily as a contractor for Granier Marketing in Coeur d’Alene and has had the great pleasure of sharing stories about the wonderful people at Northwest Specialty Hospital and the important work they do in North Idaho.  

1) What drew you to North Idaho?

Love is what brought me here 20 years ago. I met my husband when we were both living in Florida. When we were ready to leave the Sunshine State, we moved to the Coeur d’Alene/Spokane region where his family lived. Being an East Coast gal, I had no idea what to expect, but I loved North Idaho for the same reasons most people do: the area’s spectacular beauty and the strength of the community. 

One of the first stories I wrote for the CDA Press after moving here was about an 86-year-old WWII veteran who lived in Newport and had gone shopping for a lawnmower in Coeur d’Alene. He brought an envelope with $1,200 in cash in it and lost it while at the old K-Mart or the Silver Lake Mall. We got a call from a woman who’d heard about this, and I wrote a story about his plight. I was stunned when the community came together for him. 

This kind of thing didn’t happen back East, not like that. People were sending hundreds of dollars to the newspaper to give him. He received about $2,300 in donations and when it was presented to him, the gentleman immediately said he would donate some of it to the children’s hospital in Spokane. 

That’s when I knew how truly special North Idaho is. 

2) What is the Workforce Training Center?

NIC Workforce Training is also special. I’m proud to work in a place where people can gain practical skills that lead directly to jobs, career advancement and new opportunities. We offer short-term training usually leading to a certificate or license in high-demand careers in healthcare, trades, CDL, emergency services, business, technology and customized training for employers. 

I think of workforce training as a bridge between where someone is now and where they want to go next. It helps learners gain skills, build confidence, earn credentials and move into careers that support families and strengthen our local economy. And - they can do it without a traditional college degree. 

3) What inspired you to get into communications/journalism?

I have always been drawn to people’s stories. I’m super curious. When I was a little kid, I occasionally drove my dear dad a little crazy with all my questions. Sometimes, he’d look at me and say, “Are you writing a book?” He had no idea what he was foreshadowing. 

Journalism gave me a way to ask questions, listen closely and help people understand what was happening in their community. I loved the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and share stories that informed, connected or sometimes inspired others. Communications is a natural extension of that work. Whether I am writing a news story, a press release, a feature, a social media post or a student success story, the heart of it is still the same: helping people connect with information that matters.

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

People might be surprised to know that after years of interviewing other people and telling their stories, I still find it a little uncomfortable to talk about myself. I have always been more comfortable asking the questions than answering them. But I do believe in the importance of sharing stories, especially when they help people feel more connected to their community. Also, I love cats and heavy metal. 

5) What have been some of the coolest/most exciting moments in your career?

Those were the times I was able to witness important community moments up close, dig into issues the community needed to know about, and help share those stories with others. There isn’t enough room here to tell you about all the cool/exciting moments I’ve had with the newspaper. 

Being able to break news was very exciting up until about 10 years ago, when social media and digital communication started making that nearly impossible. Today, if you know something, it’s guaranteed that other people already know about it. 

The most exciting news story I broke, along with former Press reporter Jeff Selle, was in 2015 when we published “Black Like Me?” about Rachel Dolezal. It was wild to watch that story go so incredibly viral and for Jeff and I to then become part of the story as the reporters who broke it. 

I was on CNN and BBC news (by phone), Jeff was on local TV a few times, and we were in many national publications. We won the Associated Press General News Writing Award that year. I’m still surprised to see it come up during an SNL sketch or talk show segment. 

When Westboro Baptist Church came to Coeur d’Alene to protest our high schools and NIC, I got to cover it and I witnessed people from all sides of the political equation here in Kootenai County come together to stand up to them. Westboro Baptist Church’s efforts to sow hate here backfired and actually united us. It was a beautiful thing to see.

I was grateful to be at the paper during the worst of “the troubles” at North Idaho College. It was so important to make sure the community knew what was happening there, and I’m proud of the work we did.    

Working at NIC Workforce Training, some of the most rewarding moments I’ve experienced are seeing students complete training and move into careers that can change their lives. It is especially meaningful to help tell the stories of people who are building better futures for themselves and their families through education and hard work.

    Maureen Dolan and husband, Andreas, during a Lake Cd'A dinner cruise.
  

    Maureen Dolan and Meadow as a kitten.
  

    Maureen Dolan and colleagues promote NIC at a CDA Chamber of Commerce Business Fair.
  

    Maureen Dolan is surprised by friend Fondra Magee who in the Coeur d'Alene Press newsroom on her birthday.
  

    Maureen Dolan and Devin Weeks share moment.