Board of Directors

Jim Martin

President

Jim is the Co-Founder of Priest River Community Foundation and a Graduate of Priest River Lamanna High School, Class of 1986. Jim went on the earn his master’s degree in Sociology. In addition to working full time in probation, Jim served on the Priest River City Council and as Mayor for 26 years. In 2014, Jim and Kerri opened a wine bar/tap
house – working it full time – until selling it to a local family in 2025 and semi-retiring. Jim has been committed to enriching the Priest River community since graduating college. Currently he is the project manager on a 47acre piece of property that was donated to the City when he
was mayor. It will one day be a beautiful park and space for the local community and visitors to enjoy. Jim and Kerri have been married for 29 years. They have three children and seven grandchildren. When not working on community projects Jim loves to Golf, enjoy the river he lives on and spend time with the kids and grandkids.

Kerri Martin

Treasurer

Kerri was born and raised in the Coeur d’ Alene area. She moved to Priest River in 1978. She worked in retail for 35 years before opening her own business. In 2014, Kerri and her husband Jim opened their second business, a wine bar and restaurant where people gathered and became involved in the community. Kerri joined the Chamber of Commerce in 2006 and has been actively involved since. In 2007, the Priest River Community Foundation was formed with Kerri, her husband Jim Martin, and another community member. It started with what was to be a small fundraiser for the community, but has grown to an annual event raising over a million dollars. The foundation currently has a legacy fund of over 285 thousand dollars.

Together Kerri and Jim have three children and seven grandchildren. They retired in 2025 to enjoy friends and family and continue working for the Priest River Community Foundation.

Jean Elsaesser

Director

Jean Elsaesser was born in Massachusetts and moved to Idaho in 1975 with her husband Ford while he went to University of Idaho Law School. She moved to Priest River in 1977 when Ford joined the firm Cooke and Lamanna. Jean taught seventh grade and coached at Idaho Hill from 1978-1981. She is married with three children and has a Master of Education and CPA license. In addition to her career, Jean has given back to the Priest River community in many ways including serving on the Idaho Community Foundation for three terms, volunteering as a Girl Scout and Cub Scout leader, serving as an election worker since 1982 and working with the West Bonner Library District since 1998 where she is currently a trustee.

Holly Janhsen

Director

Holly Janhsen is a Lifelong resident of Priest River, ID. She graduated from PRLHS in 1984 and decided she loved her community and wanted to stay. Her family owned and operated a sawmill in the area
for over 50 years, so her “career” during High School was cleaning lunchrooms, bathrooms, and stacking lumber. (They told her it would
“build character!”) After High School, she worked as a Bookkeeper for 25 plus years. During that time, she got married to her husband of
33 years, and together they have 4 (now adult) children and 4 Grandchildren.
Fast Forward a few years, and she now manages her family owned, Priest River Event Center.
She enjoys working with the community, her family, friends, traveling, decorating, reading and summer.

Susie Luckey

Director

Susie Luckey is a fourth-generation member of a family that came to Priest River from Italy in the late 1800s. She received her undergraduate and master’s degree in Education from the University of Idaho. Returning to her hometown, Susie served the local school district for 37 years as an educator. During her career she was awarded the 2018 Idaho National Distinguished Principal Award. Her passion for helping all children in our community become literate has supported the educational focus of the foundation. Susie is married to her husband, Mike (a Priest Lake native) and they have 4 children and 6 grandchildren.

Drew & Julianne McLain

Heidi Luckey

director

Heidi was born and raised in Priest River, Idaho, where she graduated from Priest River Lamanna High School. She then went on to attend college at the University of Idaho where she received her bachelors and masters degree in accounting. Following her education, Heidi pursued a career in corporate accounting, working as a senior accountant for Hecla Mining Company, before ultimately deciding to return to her home roots in Priest River and now works for Edwards Jones. Heidi married her high school sweetheart, Thomas, in July of 2022, and enjoys spending time with her family and friends and coaching volleyball.

Genevieve Clark

Director

Genevieve is a lifetime resident who graduated from Priest River Lamanna High in 2017. She
then continued her education at the University of Idaho where she received a Bachelors in
Human Resource Management and a Bachelors in Finance. Proceeding her education, she
worked in Human Resources for Mainstream Electric in Spokane Valley. In 2022, Genevieve
decided to join her family in the family business, Priest River Ace Hardware. She married her
high school sweetheart, Mason Clark, in 2023 and they just welcomed their first child in October 2025.