Vanessa Crossgrove Fry, PhD

Originally from Ohio and now residing in Idaho, Vanessa’s love for the environment led her to non-profit leadership roles and educational pursuits all over the country. For the past decade, she’s chosen to promote positive change through advocacy, smart planning, economic development and teaching. Her passions have led her to work with Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology, research Lyme disease with the Institute of Ecosystem Studies, teach coral reef ecology in Key West, FL and lead wilderness therapy groups in Southern Utah. Since moving to Idaho she has utilized her skills in nonprofit management, government relations and stakeholder engagement as the development director for two nonprofits – the Snake River Alliance and the Environmental Resource Center, as the executive director for Citizens for Smart Growth and most recently as a mobility manager for the Community Transportation of Idaho (CTAI). At CTAI she helped launch the first statewide mobility management system in the country and worked to increase the connectivity between Idaho’s communities while enhancing the quality of life and economic growth.

Vanessa has served as the Executive Director for Citizens for Smart Growth in Blaine County, Idaho, empowering citizens to shape vibrant communities in balance with nature. During that time she was also the Co-Chair of Sustain Blaine, the region’s first public-private partnership of its kind focused on creating a regional economic development strategy for all of Blaine County (home to the Sun Valley ski resort).

Even though she’s kept her place of residence in Idaho, Vanessa still has a strong tie to Presidio, sharing her expertise and enthusiasm for market solutions for sustainability as adjunct faculty for the Capital Markets, Micro/Macro Economics and Macro/Ecological Economics courses. Vanessa currently assists in curriculum development at Presidio.

In August 2013 Vanessa joined the first cohort of Public Policy and Administration PhD students at Boise State University where she’s also accepted a position with the Public Policy and Research Center.

Vanessa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and Fine Art from Wittenberg University in Ohio and a Masters in Business Administration from Presidio Graduate School.

You can find her on Twitter @IdahoVanessa or LinkedIn.

Experiential education, transportation, mobility, smart growth, social justice, outdoor recreation, and the environment are the foundations of Vanessa’s interests. She is also an avid photographer and ceramicist. She gets her inspiration from her husband Jason, daughters Sylvia and Amelia and dog, The Doctor.

Education

PhD, Boise State University
MBA, Presidio Graduate School
BA, Wittenberg University

Courses

MSS6220 – Market Failures and the Regulatory Environment