Idaho Character Foundation marks 25 years and urges Kootenai County to continue 'character county' initiative

Dan Pinkerton, founder of the Idaho Character Foundation, told the Kootenai County Board of Commissioners on June 30 that the foundation is marking its 25th anniversary and encouraged the county to continue a local "character county" initiative begun in 2001. "We as the Idaho Character Foundation... my wife Katherine and I founded [it]," Pinkerton said, noting the group and partners distributed more than 10,000 booklets in the community a quarter century ago.

Pinkerton said commissioners and some city leaders attended the International Association of Character Cities and Counties conference in 2001 and returned recommending a county resolution. He read portions of the 2001 resolution — identified in meeting materials as Resolution 200125 — which calls for promoting qualities such as honesty, responsibility, compassion and loyalty, and for launching countywide efforts in schools, businesses, churches and local government.

The presentation emphasized the resolution’s downstream effects, including an employee recognition program that lists workplace qualities such as responsibility, promptness, integrity, creativity and responsiveness. Pinkerton also said the foundation has worked with the Coeur d'Alene School District and local events such as a spelling bee to promote character education.

Commissioners thanked Pinkerton and his family for the community work and accepted copies of the foundation’s pocket guides and booklets. Pinkerton offered to provide additional materials to the county for distribution.

The discussion was informational; no new county policy or formal vote was recorded. The presentation closed after brief questions from commissioners and Pinkerton’s agreement to leave printed materials for county staff and officials.