Council President Pro Tem Meredith Stead

Meredith Stead lived in a few different places before calling Boise home. She was born on the East Coast before her father’s job moved their family west, where they lived for most of her school years. After high school, Meredith moved to Boulder so she could attend the University of Colorado and, after graduating with a BA in Communication and English Literature, went on to live in Los Angeles where she worked as a director’s assistant on independent films. Her career then took her north to Lake Tahoe, where she successfully put on the first annual San Francisco Ski and Snowboard Festival, drawing over 20,000 attendees with the first weekend. Two years later, she expanded the festival to three cities and continued to run the company until moving to Boise.

Meredith’s brother, James, introduced her family to Idaho when his company relocated to the region. After spending four winters in Lake Tahoe, the last bringing 800 inches of snow, Meredith visited James and his family in the spring of 2011. It was Boise at its best -   perfect spring weather, farmers market bike rides, and a Shakespeare Festival performance. She and her husband, Tommy, immediately decided Boise was the place they wanted to call home.

Meredith and Tommy relocated to Boise in 2011, just a few months after that fateful visit. Along with their Old English Bulldog Lulu, some of their family’s favorite things to do in Boise include biking around the city, gardening in their yard, savoring the food and art scene of the city, and heading out of town for weekend day trips on classic Idaho adventures.

Meredith served 5 years as the Marketing Director for Ballet Idaho, working with a small team to expand audience reach and extend the dancer’s performance season. Her next professional endeavor took her to recruiting high wage jobs for the residents of the Treasure Valley through her role as marketing director of the Boise Valley Economic Partnership (BVEP). In her current "day job", she serves as a Creative Strategic Sourcing Manager for Block, helping to build economic empowerment for individuals and small business.

Meredith is actively involved in a variety of nonprofit organizations. She served for nearly six years as a volunteer on the City of Boise Planning and Zoning commissions, including as Chairperson for two terms. She served on the FUNDSY Board of Directors from 2018-2024, raising funds for the Downtown Boise Treasure Valley YMCA and The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey, and previously as the president of Boise Metro Chamber’s Leadership Boise, as a mentor for Conservation Voters of Idaho’s Public Boards and Commission Fellowship, and on the Boise State Public Radio Community Advisory Board. She has been recognized by the Idaho Business Review as a Woman of the Year nominee, Accomplished Under 40 and a Power 25 in her industry.

In the summer of 2023, Meredith was appointed by Mayor McLean to serve the City of Boise as Council Member for District 5. Later that year, she was elected to serve a four-year term in the same capacity and was selected by her peers to serve on the City Council Leadership team as the Council President Pro Tem. In her role, she also represents the City Council as a liaison to the Downtown Boise Association, as a commissioner on the Capitol City Development Corporation (CCDC), and as the Chairperson for the Harris Ranch CID Board. Her focuses include an affordable housing pipeline, updating our historic district surveys and design codes, and continuing our investment in public art, public spaces, and transportation solutions.

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