News release: Eiguren Fisher lobbyist coordinates visit of Basque official

Basque delegate in Boise to increase ties between home nation and Idaho
Ander Caballero, delegate to America and Canada, has been meeting with Idaho officials and will be available for interviews Thursday morning and evening

Contact: Gloria Totoricagüena, 891-9888

The official representative of the Basque government is in Boise through Friday morning, learning more about Idaho in an effort to strengthen trade and cultural ties.

Ander Caballero, the Basque government’s delegate to America and Canada, has been in Boise this week, meeting with Lt. Gov. Brad Little and other dignitaries.

“Idaho has long and historic ties with the Basque country and visits like this in the past have led to increased business and cultural initiatives,” said Dr. Gloria Totoricagüena. She is an international expert on Basque culture and a former director of the Center for Basque Studies at the University of Nevada who arranged and is conducting Caballero’s visit.

The Basque country, with a population of about 3 million, is a semi-autonomous region in Spain, bordering France. Basques have a long tradition in Idaho, having first come in the 1880s as shepherds. Now, Basque institutions in Idaho include the Basque Studies Program at Boise State University, the Cenarrusa Foundation for Basque Culture, the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, the Jaialdi Basque Festival and more.

Caballero’s meeting is a continuation of the Idaho-Euskadi Friendship Agreement, signed in the spring of 2012. Little named Totoricagüena to coordinate the advisory committee for the implementation of the agreement. This agreement promotes collaboration between Idaho and Basque country institutions promoting commerce, knowledge transfer, Basque Studies programs in Idaho universities and cultural exchanges. Caballero works at the Basque delegation office in New York. On Thursday, Caballero will be available for interviews in the morning and after 6 p.m.

Totoricagüena, who is former Visiting Professor of Basque Studies at Stanford University, is a lobbyist with Eiguren Fisher Public Policy (www.efpublicpolicy.com). She has arranged Caballero’s visit to include meetings with Lt. Gov. Little and the Idaho-Euskadi Agreement Advisory Committee (Secretary of State Ben Ysursa, Deputy Secretary of State Miren Artiach, Ed L. Miller, Damien Bard, David Aizpitarte, Jennifer O’Kief, Dr. James Toomey, Dr. Ron Bitner, Diana Echeverria, Rex Blackburn, Dr, Meredith Taylor-Black and Totoricaguena). He will also visit the BSU Albertson Library Special Collection area which includes the Pete T. Cenarrusa Collection and the Gloria Totoricagüena Basque Diaspora Collection.

Caballero has meetings with Dr. Meredith Taylor-Black, who is directing a special research project for a Basque representative living and researching Idaho economic opportunities in Boise during 2013 and 2014. He will also meet with BSU Basque Studies representatives Dr. John Ysursa, Dr. John Bieter, and Dr. David Lachiondo. Caballero will visit the Boise’ko Ikastola, the Basque language full immersion program for early learning where children between 3-7 years old are taught in the Basque language by teacher Irune Sanchez. Boise Mayor David Bieter met with Caballero Tuesday.

Caballero also met with the Board of Directors of the Basque Museum and Cultural Center and the president and elected board of Boise’s oldest and one of the largest Basque associations in all of the Americas, the Boise Euzkaldunak Incorporated, the Basque Center. Idaho’s favorite Basque politician, Pete T. Cenarrusa, 95, and the Cenarrusa Foundation for Basque Culture Board of Directors discussed ongoing and future projects promoting knowledge about the Basques. Totoricaguena also serves on Cenarrusa Foundation and its president is Roy Lewis Eiguren.

Idaho Community Foundation celebrates 25 years at luncheon

The Idaho Community Foundation plays an important role in Idaho’s quality of life. Roy Eiguren and Gloria Totoricagüena, partners at Eiguren Fisher Public Policy, were pleased to attend the ICF’s 25^th Anniversary Luncheon. Roy and Gloria both serve on the board of the Cenarrusa Foundation for Basque Culture.

Since 1988, the ICF has helped Idaho charitable nonprofits with grants, or connecting them to donors and partners who can help. The ICF provides a way for Idaho’s charitable individuals and families to support important causes. The luncheon showed the ICF’s ability to assist organizations, making on-the-spot grant presentations to the Boise Rescue Mission, the Boise Urban Garden School and the Idaho Youth Ranch.

We were also very pleased the ICF honored Pete and Freda Cenarrusa with a Friend of the Foundation Award. The ICF has worked with the Cenarrusa Foundation over the years to support projects exploring and sharing Basque culture, so the bonds between these organizations are strong. The luncheon was a great way to celebrate the ICF’s quarter-century of efforts to make Idaho a better place, and to honor the Cenarrusas for their fifty-plus years of service to Idaho.

The Cenarrusa Foundation for Basque Culture Board of Directors, which attended the Idaho Community Foundation Luncheon on May 14, 2013. From left to right: Miren Eiguren, Michael Cenarrusa, Miren Artiach, Patty Miller, Freda Cenarrusa, Pete Cenarrusa, Gloria Totoricagüena and Roy Eiguren.

Lobbying in the off-season

Left to right: Amalgamated Sugar CEO Vic Jaro; Roy Eiguren; Idaho Trucking Association President Kathy Fowers; Idaho Transportation Department Board Member Jim Kempton.

Recently, Roy Eiguren went to Washington DC with other Idahoans to lobby for updating our laws about truck weights. Since 1991, Idaho has been limited to trucks with a total weight of 105,500 pounds on certain state highways. In an effort to modernize our laws, since 2004, Idaho has allowed trucks of up to 129,000 pounds, provided they are specially modified vehicles with seven axles (instead of the standard five) and improved brakes. Because the trucks have additional axles, they actually impose less wear and tear on roads than traditional semis. Four of them can haul the freight of five traditional trucks, improving safety and efficiency. The Idaho Transportation Department has studied the project and concluded these trucks bring no additional damage or risk.

We are now lobbying to allow these trucks on federal highways in Idaho, much as they are already allowed in other states, and visited the nation’s capitol to confer with Idaho’s congressional delegation. We believe they are open to updating our truck laws and we’re hopeful some change will happen soon. Major employers, such as US Ecology and Amalgamated Sugar, support updating our laws.

Idaho policy veterans come together to form new lobbying firm

Seasoned governmental policy veterans form new lobbying consultancy

Roy Eiguren, Nate Fisher and Gloria Totoricagüena have experience in natural resources, telecommunications, education, public-private partnerships, health care and other policy areas

May 14, 2013

Three of Idaho’s top policy experts and lobbyists are forming Eiguren Fisher Public Policy Firm.

The firm, consisting of Roy Eiguren, Nate Fisher and Gloria Totoricagüena, offers extensive experience in lobbying and public policy, in Idaho and internationally. The partners specialize in assisting clients with procurement, telecommunications, education, retail, health care, mining, appropriations, energy development, natural resources and environmental issues.

“Our partners have produced results and successful advocacy for a wide variety of clients and we have each cultivated areas of expertise over the decades,” Eiguren said. “As public policy advisors, Eiguren Fisher has the best combination of experience, knowledge and connectedness to assist practically any industry.”

Eiguren, who is also an attorney, is one of Idaho’s most prominent lobbyists, providing strategic counseling and advice to a wide variety of clients. He has over thirty years of experience in public policy development as well as regulatory management. Eiguren regularly represents clients as a lobbyist before departments and agencies of the state and federal governments. His experience includes successfully managing a wide range of complex issues in the energy, transportation, health care, education, energy development, telecommunications and other industries. Eiguren earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Idaho College of Law and is a graduate of the executive management program of the Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business.

Fisher is former Administrator for the Idaho Governor’s Office of Species Conservation and brings more than 25 years of experience in natural resources, renewable energy, conflict resolution, inter-agency collaboration, governmental affairs and wildlife issues. Fisher has helped design and advance Idaho’s natural resource policies, serving as official adviser to Idaho Govs. Philip E. Batt, James E. Risch and C.L. “Butch” Otter.  He also served as Regional Program Manager for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, coordinating water quality programs statewide. He is a graduate of the University of Idaho with a degree in English.

Totoricagüena has 20 years of experience in public policy in Idaho and internationally. Totoricagüena is also the Coordinator for the Idaho Council of the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region, a bi-national regional economic and political alliance including public and private sector leadership.  As a lobbyist, she represents clients with issues related to transportation, education, retail sales, recycling, international commerce, economic development, and local government regulation. Totoricagüena holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science, as well as other degrees. She serves on several advisory boards for foundations, research centers and universities.

Eiguren Fisher Public Policy has its offices in the Hoff Building in downtown Boise. For more information, visit www.efpublicpolicy.com.

 

 

 

Lobbyist to Speak on Liquor Privatization

One of our lobbyists, Gloria Totoricagüena, will speak at the City Club of Boise this Friday, Feb. 15, in support of liquor privatization. She’ll be presenting with Jeff Anderson, director of the Idaho State Liquor Division, who will talk about the advantages of state control.

According to the City Club, Totoricagüena and Anderson will reflect on the state of Washington’s experience of converting to private liquor sales in the last year. But both will also discuss a larger issue: What is the core role of government? Why should Idaho government be involved in selling alcohol? This will be an enlightening discussion, with questions from the audience.

For more news about lobbying in Idaho, visit the Eiguren news page.

Recognition from the Idaho Bail Coalition

Roy Eiguren, Gloria Totoricagüena and Katie Bandhauer were honored to have participated in the fall conference of the Idaho Bail Coalition – see the link for a nice photo gallery.

The IBC is a vital organization that promotes free enterprise, protects the interest and honor of the bail profession an promotes the bail bond profession.

Welcome Ann Romney!

Idaho attorney and lobbyist Roy Eiguren with future First Lady Ann Romney.

I was honored to serve as a co-host of the fundraiser that Ann Romney attended in Boise earlier this month, which raised $500,000 for the Romney campaign.  I’m a member of the Romney For President Idaho Campaign Finance Committee.