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Age: 52
Married: Patty, Director with DirecTV
3 children: Kristin Fisher, NRCS Soil Conservationist
John Hagedorn, recently returned from a 15 month assignment with the Army in Iraq, now a Freshman at BSU
Sonoma, our 14 year old Black Lab who thinks she's a child

Quick Bio:

• Grew up on a farm in N. Idaho, graduated from Potlatch Jr/Sr High School in 1974
• While going to school, worked at the Potlatch Forests Inc. lumber mill (now Potlatch Corp.) and then as an apprentice electrician
• Volunteered for the U.S. Navy in1973 during the Vietnam war --Spent 20 years in Naval Cryptology and Intelligence through the Gulf War
  --5 years of advanced electronics training, and some programming/electronics/general college courses to fill in Navy gaps
  --1 year of leadership and management training (32 years of experience)
  --Selected for a field commission while stationed in Washington D.C.
• Reputation of proven leadership, technical expertise, sound judgment, being a bridge builder and consensus maker
  --Was selected to start and lead a Special Operations team based in AK as my last tour of duty prior to retirement from active duty in 1994.
• Returned home to Idaho, worked for high tech company (Applied Materials) as an systems engineer supporting Micron's global manufacturing efforts
  --Lived in Meridian since Navy retirement in 1994
  --Performed engineering jobs ranging from R&D engineering to operations management
  --Credited with 3 US Patents in the generation of a special plasma used in semiconductor manufacturing
• Retired from Global Operations Management in 2005
  
• Started my own business in international trade of agricultural and construction equipment ~ 2000 and am now the full time CEO.
  --Provide services for clients all over N. America.
  --Maintain international relationships with vendors from various countries.
  
• Idaho State Representative, District 20B since Jan, 2006

Hobbies:

• Anything outdoors! Hiking, hunting/fishing, mountain climbing, camping, gardening, ATVs, off-road trail explorations in my Jeep.
  
• Computers and communications, Leadership and Management consulting
  
• Taught Adult Education classes at West Jr. High for 3 years

Affiliations:

• "Distinguished Life member" of the NRA
  
• Life member of Disabled American Veterans
• Naval Cryptologist Veterans Association
  
• Life member and Co-founder of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife - Idaho
  
• Life member and founding member of the North American Fishing Club
  
• Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) (Certified Diving Instructor since 1978)

Issues I'm currently concerned with:

• Tax relief
  --Must implement real tax relief without using "exemption band aids"
  --Reducing spending and the size of State Government where we can
  --Personal Property Tax is an outdated taxing system that needs to be eliminated
  --Continue to work on eliminating the grocery tax
  
  
• Roads and transportation
  --Public Mass Transit systems must be right sized to the population and must be effective
  --Must use federal Garvey dollars quickly and wisely where they are needed
  --Focus on where and how current transportation Dollars are spent, get more to the roads!
  
  
• State Spending
  --We must get a better understanding of state spending to ensure tax dollars are being spent and invested wisely
  --Strong supporter of Gov. Otter's Zero Based Budget initiative
  
  
• Prison system
  --We are moving into more of a system of "inconvenience" rather than a punishment/rehab system. We need to move back to making the system part of the deterrent of crime rather than a vacation from it.
  --We must make wise, measurable investments in drug rehab and prevention programs as well as preventive family support programs to break the cycle of returning inmates.