Clark Kauffman
Chairman

Clark Kauffman has served on the council since January 2000. Clark served four years in the U.S. Air Force and is a Vietnam Veteran. Clark has farmed in the Filer area for 25 years. Clark was elected as Filer Highway District Commissioner in 1992, and is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Idaho Association of Highway Districts, Board member of the Filer Mutual Telephone Company, Board Member of the Idaho Hay Association, and Chairman of the Idaho Barley Commission.

J.R. Van Tassel
Vice-Chairman

J.R. Van Tassel has served on the council since July of 1997 and is Vice Chairman. J.R. joined the US Air Force in 1967, were he served for a 4 (four) year term. Upon return home he worked in the hospitality industry for 27 years while earning a bachelor's degree in history and social sciences from the Lewis-Clark State College. J.R. served on the Lewiston City Council from 1989 to 1996 when he was appointed to the Nez Perce County Board of Commissioners and elected in 1996 as County Commissioner. J.R. is currently the president of the Clearwater Economic Development Association Council, an Area Chamber member, and past president of the Idaho Restaurant Beverage Association.

Shawn Larsen
Secretary/Treasurer

Shawn Larsen was elected Mayor in November 2003.  His current term expires in January 2008.  Shawn, a 1985 graduate of Madison High School, attend Rick College and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Political Science.  He has taught courses in American Government at Utah Valley State College and Aiken Technical College in South Carolina.  In 1997, Shawn took a position with U.S., Senator Strom Thurmond's office in South Carolina.  He served as a constituent manager and legislative aide.

Thomas E. Limbaugh
Council Member

Thomas Limbaugh graduated from the University of Idaho in 1979.  He co-owned and managed a family farming operation consisting of fruit orchards, field crops and cattle for twenty years.  He served on the City of Fruitland Planning and Zoning Commission from 1982 to 1988, City Council from 1988 to 1993 and as Mayor from 1994 to present.  He is a member of the Third Judicial District Magistrate Commission.  He served in the Idaho House of Representatives in the 1st session of the 55th Legislature.    In 1999, Governor  Kempthorne appointed him to the Bureau of Occupational Licenses.  In July 2001, Governor  Kempthorne appointed him as a Commissioner of the Idaho Industrial Commission.

Vacant
Council Member

Dick Edinger
Council Member

Dick Edinger has served as a Commissioner for East Side Highway District since 1971.  In addition to Highway District Chairman, Dick also serves as a Board Member for LHTAC, Idaho Association of Highway Districts (IAHD), is a Representative of KMPO (Kootenai Metro Planning Organization, and KCATT (Kootenai County Area Transportation Team).  He was 1995 Commissioner of the Year by the IAHD, and has served two terms as the President of the Kootenai County Association of Highway Districts.  Dick has been a resident of Coeur d'Alene since 1955.

Ralph Gant
Council Member

Ralph Gant has served on the council since July 2001. Ralph graduated from the Melba High School in 1962. Ralph has lived in the Melba valley for 46 years and has farmed the area for 33 years. Ralph as been a Nampa Highway District Commissioner for three (3) terms and in October of this year will be serving his fourth (4) term. Ralph has served on the board for the Idaho Association of Highway Districts for 8 years with two (2) of those years as president.

Lan Smith
Council Member

Tad Hegsted
Council Member

Ken Harward
Executive Director, Association
of Idaho Cities

Ken has served on the council since June 1998.

Stuart Davis
Executive Director, Idaho Association of Highway Districts

Stuart has served on the council since April 1998.

Tony Poinelli
Deputy Director, Idaho Association of Counties
email:
tpoinelli@idcounties.org

Tony is the Idaho Association of Counties' (IAC) Legislative Coordinator.  All IAC Legislation is directed through the IAC Legislative Committee.  Tony receives direction from this committee and coordinates the IAC staff legislative team, which researches, writes and lobbies IAC legislation.  He is your resource for Health and Human Services, Intergovernmental Affairs, Taxation, Industrial Litigation, and Transportation Issues.  Tony will attend nearly all in-state IAC, Affiliate and District meetings.  He also is responsible for the day-to-day operations of IAC. 

Tony has served on the council since June 1994.

Lance grew up in Midvale Idaho, graduating from high school with a class of 19, Lance earned an undergraduate degree from BSU in Public Administration, and a Masters degree in Urban Planning from the University of Oregon. He has been a practicing planner for more than 20 years in Idaho, Oregon and Washington and has specialized in transportation planning for the last 15 years. Just prior to joining LHTAC in July 2005, as the Deputy Administrator, Lance spent nine years in District 6 as the senior transportation planner for the Idaho Transportation Department. He helped develop ITD’s corridor planning process and worked closely with local officials to solve transportation problems. Lance was named the Local Highway Administrator September 14, 2007.

Dan Shirilla
email: dshirilla@lhtac.org

Raised in the mid-west, Dan received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master of Accounting degree in 1992 from the University of Michigan. After moving to Idaho in the fall of 1993, Dan has served in several positions within the private and public sectors. His first position was as a Staff Accountant for Micron Technology, Inc. and in the spring of 1995, worked as a Financial Analyst for Hewlett-Packard, Inc. Dan began his public service with the State in 1999, working for the Idaho Transportation Department’s Highway Programming Section (now the Office of Transportation Investments). In 2001, Dan accepted a position at the State of Idaho Parks and Recreation Department and in 2005, Dan began working for the city of Garden City as Treasurer. Dan joined LHTAC with his wealth of experience in November, 2007. Completing the Boston Marathon in 1988, 1996, and 2000, Dan is an avid runner. He enjoys the mountains and the beauty the State has to offer and looks forward to traveling and visiting with the LHTAC members.

Jerry Flatz, P.E.
Federal Aid Manager
email: jflatz@lhtac.org

Jerry graduated from Oregon State University in 1977 with a degree in Elementary Education.  He taught school at Lincoln City and then also Kongiganak, Alaska.  After nine years of teaching, he decided to change careers and went back to Oregon State for a second opportunity.  In 1989, he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. After graduation he took a job with Benton County, Oregon, and was responsible for the traffic issues within the County.  In 1990 he came to Boise for a job as an Engineer-in-Training with JUB Engineers, Inc.  Jerry worked at JUB for 12 years before coming to LHTAC as the Federal Aid Manager in June 2001. His lovely wife, Lori, teaches third grade at Amity School.  His Daughter, Ramona, has graduated from the University of Idaho and manages a genetics laboratory at the University.  Hans, Jerry & Lori’s son, matriculates at Jamestown College in North Dakota.

Jerry manages federal-aid project in ITD's Districts 3 and 4.

Wayne Herbel, P.E.
Deputy Federal Aid Manager
Email: wherbel@lhtac.org

Raised on a small farm in Canyon County, Idaho, Wayne obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Walla Walla University in 1990 and began working for a Civil Engineering consulting firm in Pasco, Washington. In 1992 he returned to school at Washington State University to study Geotechnical Engineering. After graduating in 1994 with a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering, he returned to Idaho and began working for a Geotechnical Engineering consulting firm in Boise. In 1998 Wayne went to work for the Idaho Transportation Department and over the next 10 years he worked as Geometrics Engineer, Associate Construction Engineer, and the Roadway Design Area Engineer for Districts 4, 5, and 6. Wayne’s wife, Barbara, is a clinical Dietitian for St. Luke’s, Meridian. They enjoy camping, motorcycle riding, and geocaching with their two boys, Caleb and Reuben. Wayne began working at LHTAC in January of 2008.

Wayne manages federal-aid projects in ITD's Districts 5 and 6.

Michael Moffett
Assistant Federal Aid Manager
email: mmoffett@lhtac.org

Born in Indiana, Mike grew up fishing, hunting, and trapping in Alaska and the mountains of Idaho. After Mike served in the U.S. Army as a Cavalry Scout, he earned his Associate of Applied Science Degree in Drafting Technology from Manhattan Area Technical College. Prior to coming to LHTAC in April, 2006, Mike worked as a Civil Engineering Technician for the U.S. Forest Service, a Transportation Designer for the Idaho Transportation Department and for Holladay Engineering Company. Mike continued his education, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Project Management in 2006 and a Master of Arts Degreee in Organizational Leadership in 2008 from George Fox University. Mike enjoys camping, fishing, and reading.

Mike manages federal-aid projects in ITD's Districts 1 and 2.

Jim Zier
Asset Manager
email: jzier@lhtac.org

Born and raised in Walla Walla, Washington, Jim earned his Bachelor of Arts and Sciences Degree in Business Administration in 1970, with special emphasis in Data Processing, Economics, and Statistics from Central Washington State University. After graduation, Jim served six years in the Washington Army National Guard as a Fuel and Electrical System Repair Specialist. During the 12 years Jim worked for the Transit Authority in Walla Walla, Jim held various positions including Operations and Program Manager where he administered the remodel of the fueling and maintenance operations and administration facility from pre-conceptual design through construction. After working for the Transit Authority, Jim worked 11 years in safety, loss control, and underwriting for the Idaho Counties Risk Management Program (ICRMP) including developing, administrating, and troubleshooting underwriting software for over 80 agents throughout the State of Idaho. In addition to his experience at the Transit Authority and ICRMP, Jim has 32 hours of Real Property Appraisal training, Rainier National Bank Management Training, and is an experienced third party Commercial Drivers License Skills Tester and training consultant. Working for LHTAC since June 2005, when Jim is not busy serving the Local Highway Jurisdictions, he enjoys golfing, motorcycles, and target practice.

Cindy Stewart
Publications/Council Manager
email: cstewart@lhtac.org

Cindy was raised in Meridian, Idaho. After high school, she attended a Vocational Secretarial school in Glasgow, Montana. From there she moved to Coeur d' Alene and was employed by Clare-Pendar, Inc., as a Telex Operator. When company was sold to Texas Instruments in 1979, she moved with her family to Stanley, the Heart of Idaho, where she worked for the Stan Harrah Corporation for seven years. Afterwards, Cindy moved out of state to Indiana and Utah for several years. She returned to Idaho and has been with LHTAC since February, 1997.

Christine Tippin
Financial Officer
email: ctippin@lhtac.org

Chris accepted the position as our financial officer in August of 2006.  She comes to LHTAC after working as the office manager and controller of an Ontario law firm.  Prior to that, she worked as a financial Accountant for the Idaho Correctional Industries. In 1986, Chris earned a Bachelor's degree in Business & Accounting from the University of New Mexico.  Before moving to Idaho in 1998, she worked as a Tax Auditor for the New Mexico Department of Revenue.  While raising her family, Chris worked as a seasonal tax preparer and owned her own daycare business when her children were very young. Currently, Chris balances the responsibilities of LHTAC’s financial position, children in college and community involvement.  While this is sometimes difficult, the variety provides its own satisfaction and reward.  As a former military "brat", it pays to adapt to an ever changing environment and I believe that my new chapter here at the Local Highway Council will prove to be a very positive career change.

Vicki Courtois
Receptionist
email: vcourtois@lhtac.org