Summit Presentation Slides

The summit presentations are available below:

Sovereignty in Action: Planning for Sustainability & Resilience

Planning for Sustainability

The Long Game: Disaster Recovery with a Community Focus

Blaine County + Ketchum: Climate Action Planning + Comprehensive Planning

2025 Legislative Update

Karla Ebenbach

APA Sustainability Division 

Ms. Ebenbach specializes in climate change response and urban policy, serving public and private sector clients through a consultancy based in Southeast Florida.  She began her career in municipal consulting, gained further experience through inter-governmental Everglades restoration planning, and contributed to the development of a national non-profit smart growth network.  Having come full circle to consulting in the present day, she also serves as the elected Chair of the APA Sustainable Communities Division and has led extensive policy and educational programming on behalf of APA National. Karla holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Andrew Mentzler

Blaine County Sustainability Manager  

Andrew Mentzer is the Sustainability Manager for Blaine County, Idaho—running programming across four focus areas: Land Use & Transportation; Land, Water & Wildlife Conservation; Clean Energy & Green Building; and Solid Waste & the Circular Economy. Along with over 100 community members, Andrew assembled the county’s first Climate Action Plan and assisted the cities of Ketchum and Hailey with their recent comp plan updates. He holds a Master of Public Administration degree and is a doctoral student in the School of Public Service at Boise State University. Andrew has over 20 years of state and local public policy experience, with a specific focus on agenda setting, program design, and public finance in the sustainability, energy, and economic development realms. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys mountain biking and river rafting with his wife, Genny, and dog, Sam.

Paige Nied

Ketchum City Representative

Paige Nied is an Associate Planner for the City of Ketchum’s Planning and Building Department. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she was inspired by her hometown’s transformation from a gritty industrial powerhouse to a national leader in sustainability. This passion led her to pursue a Master of International Development with a focus on Energy and Environment from the University of Pittsburgh. As a city planner, she supports Ketchum’s long-range planning initiatives, reviews development proposals, and integrates sustainability principles into local land use policy. Paige is particularly interested in the ways that local governments can act as catalysts for broader climate action and resiliency, and she works closely with community members, regional stakeholders, and cross-sector partners to create a more livable and sustainable future for the Wood River Valley.

Elva "Cookie" Allan

CDA Tribe

Elva "Cookie" Allan has extensive experience across various areas, including education, community improvement, comprehensive and strategic planning, and social justice and equity issues, spanning federal, state, and local levels. For the past two decades, her work has primarily focused on the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, where she has held diverse roles including Strategic Initiatives & Development Director, Legislative Director, Community Development Planner, and Policy Analyst. She is currently working on completing a PhD in Education at the University of Idaho and is a consultant developing the Coeur d’Alene Tribe's Comprehensive Plan. Ms. Allan received a Bachelor of Arts in Government and a dual Master’s in Public Administration and Urban and Regional Planning from Eastern Washington University. She lives in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and has two children, Sophia and Chief Natatqn.

Kate L.K. Blyston

Maui County 

Kate Blystone is the Maui County planning director. Appointed to the position after the August 8, 2023 fires that destroyed Lahaina Town, she co-led development of the Lahaina Long-Term Recovery Plan which will guide the rebuild process. In her nearly 25-year career as a planner in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Northwest, she has focused primarily on housing policy, small-town and long-range planning, and community engagement within the public, private and nonprofit sectors of the profession. She has a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from Eastern Washington University and was born and raised in the Palouse Hills south of Spokane, WA.

Jonathan Spendlove

Legislative Co-Chair 

Jonathan graduated from the University of Utah in 2010 with a Degree in Urban Planning. He worked a short while as a consultant focusing on General Plans and code revisions for rural towns in Northern Utah. He relocated to Twin Falls in 2012, to begin work as a Staff Planner, worked towards promotion to Senior Planner in 2016. Since 2018 he has been the Planning and Zoning Director. As the Idaho APA Legislative Co-Chair for the last 2 years, he has had a steep learning curve to become effective at helping shape state laws for a better future.

Preston B. Rutter

City Attorney-Director of Legal Office of the Mayor- Nampa, Idaho

  Preston Rutter is the City Attorney and Director of Legal for the City of Nampa, Idaho, where he leads the municipal legal department and provides counsel on all city affairs. He previously practiced law at the Boise firm Clark Wardle LLP and held legal positions in both private practice and local government across Idaho, gaining broad experience in municipal law. Rutter is a graduate of Brigham Young University and holds both a Juris Doctor and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Kansas. His background demonstrates a commitment to public service and strong leadership in municipal legal affairs.