Paul Cooperrider

Paul has been an ICL supporter since the 1980s, and the environment and recreation in the outdoors are integral to his life. He grew up in an industrial town near Chicago in the ’60s and early ’70s, where he witnessed terrible air and water pollution from local industries. He worked during college at Mt. Rainier National Park and was determined to live in the West, where he could find clear running rivers, brilliant skies and wild open spaces.

After obtaining degrees in Anthropology and Electrical Engineering (cum laude) from the University of Illinois, he joined HP in Boise in 1981. He worked in a range of engineering and management roles, then in an executive position at a solar lighting company, followed by a consulting role at the Small Business Development Center. His family enjoyed all Idaho has to offer during these years, including hiking, camping, backpacking, and white water rafting. 

Viewing climate change as the “greatest existential threat to the planet and the wild places we cherish in Idaho” when he retired in 2018, Paul engaged with organizations focused on combating climate change and protecting the environment. He is a founding member of the Idaho Chapter of the Clean Tech Alliance, whose mission is to drive growth of clean tech companies.

Paul brings deep experience in technology, innovation and critical systems thinking and is interested in utilizing this experience to strengthen bridges among the various stakeholders working in clean tech. He also brings perspective and an interest in ICL’s DEIJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice) work.