Friends of Idaho Public Television Board director Todd Christensen spoke with me about how IdahoPTV has impacted his life, his family and his community. Born and raised in the Gem State, one of his earliest memories involves watching a particular program on PBS.
“I’ve been a This Old House viewer since day one; and I remember watching it on replay on Sunday afternoons as a kid with my father.” He’s continuing the tradition with his children and grandchildren. “A couple of weeks ago, our grandson, who is almost two years old, was sitting on my lap and we were watching This Old House on my iPad,” he shares enthusiastically. In addition to Idaho-specific programs such as Outdoor Idaho, Idaho Experience and Idaho Reports, he enjoys national programming including NOVA, Nature and Finding Your Roots.
Todd grew up in Rupert, Idaho, graduated from Minico High School and attended Boise State University. He took time off from college to serve as an LDS missionary in Argentina. After graduating from Boise State, Todd left Idaho and the United States for a position in Australia. He worked for the Securities and Exchange Commission where he served on the executive leadership team of the recently federalized and centralized public registry.
“Australia was an amazing professional experience; however, our twin daughters were about two weeks old when we moved to Australia. We wanted to be closer to family,” he says. “We returned to the state in 1998 where I led the Mini-Cassia Economic Development Commission for three years.”
Todd and his family again moved from Idaho to Washington State for a job opportunity, but they always wanted to come back to the Gem State. He and his family spent nearly ten years in Washington where he led a regional chamber of commerce and served as the marketing executive for a community bank. After time in Washington, they returned to Idaho.
“We moved to Coeur d’Alene and I led the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureau for about three years,” he says. Getting closer to family and southern Idaho became important as his and his wife’s parents needed support. In late 2014 an opportunity with CapEd Credit Union opened and Todd pursued the opportunity—not only to return to the Treasure Valley but also to financial services. Since early 2015 he has served as CapEd’s chief marketing officer, a member of their executive leadership team, and oversees marketing, brand engagement, and Hispanic outreach. Christensen also serves on the Idaho CapEd Foundation’s board of directors. He also serves as a board member of the College of Western Idaho Foundation and Junior Achievement of Idaho/Utah.
Todd has lived across Idaho—south central, western and northern—but his favorite place is in the mountains. “Four years ago, we were fortunate to buy 10 acres in the Smith’s Ferry area. We’ve been working on the property for the last four years to improve access, install power, and clear a building site. And currently, as we speak, a water well is being put on the property. At some future date, I hope to follow in Bruce Reichert’s example and build my own private house.”
Todd’s hobby ties into that project, as he enjoys woodworking and spending time in his woodshop. He makes furniture, jewelry boxes, blanket hope chests, and tables and chairs. A big project he is working on is preparing to build his Smith’s Ferry house and hopes to use trees from his property for a traditional timber-frame home.
Todd’s grandkids enjoy watching PBS Kids, and he remembers that his kids watched as well. “Our grandsons like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. And our kids, when they were growing up, were huge fans of Arthur.”
He notes that PBS Kids is a great resource for Idaho families and educators. “There are amazing resources that Idaho Public Television prepares and develops, not only for families, but also Idaho’s education community, and the quality programming that is made available through the Idaho programs. I continue to encourage Idahoans to invest in their Idaho Public TV. We may not all agree with the content, or with the way the content is presented, but we need to remain civil in our conversations of what we choose to support, personally and professionally.”