Patricia J. Kempthorne

Patricia J. Kempthorne is the founder and executive director of the Twiga Foundation, Inc. in Boise, Idaho. In addition to the involvement in Workplace Flexibility 2010 project, The Twiga Foundation is currently working in partnership with The Families and Work Institute of New York and the Institute for a Competitive Workforce, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to promote the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility in communities across the country. Twiga has also partnered with the Center for Aging and Work at Boston College in the States as Employers-of-Choice project that surveyed state agencies all over the country about workplace flexibility in the public sector.

In 1988, Kempthorne co-founded the Family & Workplace Consortium, beginning her career in the area of work-life. In 2000, she joined Business Psychology Associates, in Boise, as the director of Work-Life Initiatives. After partnering with her colleagues at BPA on work-life initiatives, Kempthorne founded the Twiga Foundation, Inc. In that role, she strives to promote a family consciousness in her community, work, and home by engaging others across the country in a dialogue centered on workplace effectiveness and flexibility. More information on the Twiga Foundation can be found at www.twigafoundation.org.

While serving as the first lady of Idaho from 1999 to 2006, Kempthorne volunteered her time as a leading advocate for family and children's issues. She continues to work with a number of programs with a special focus on the prevention of substance abuse in communities.

Kempthorne has a degree in business management from the University of Idaho.