Board of Directors and Public Meeting Info

Grady Burnett – Chair – City of Sun Valley

Tom Blanchard – Vice-chair – City of Bellevue

Tom and his wife, Florence, and two daughters moved to the valley about 40 years ago and have not found any alternative to the quality of life offered here. Their two daughters graduated from WR High. Tom is retired now and is focused on being outdoors as much as possible, hiking, skiing, gardening. Prior to that Tom worked in construction, served as County Commissioner for three terms and City Administrator for Bellevue for five years and has been an active local historian specializing in mining history.  Tom participated in the evolution of Mt Rides, serving on the board from 2007- to 2011, and returning to represent Bellevue again in 2016. He is a strong advocate for walkable communities, parks and trails.  In the long run people are not the problem, vehicles are.

Kristin Derrig – Secretary – City of Ketchum

Kristin grew up in Bellevue, WA. and graduated from the University of Washington. Kristin moved to Sun Valley after college to teach skiing for one winter and has been here for 20 years. Her passion for skiing brought her here and her love of this little town kept her here. She loves many outdoor activities besides skiing, including fishing, golf, hiking and softball.
Kristin started working at Whiskey Jacques in 1995 where she tended bar for 16 years and managed it for 12 years. She used that experience to buy The Cellar Pub in 2008. Working in the service industry has allowed her to do all the things she loves to do and have free time to travel and experience other resorts. She is excited to be a part of the Mountain Rides Board and will use all these experiences to improve services for tourists and locals.

Melody Mattson – At Large Member

Melody Mattson came to the Wood River Valley in 1996 for a job in escrow for a local title company. Prior to that she was a journeyman nuclear welder at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. In 2017 she began working for The Advocates Attic Thrift, a local non-profit, and also became a devout Mountain Rides passenger. She was happy to have been chosen to serve on the board of directors in October 2019. Melody is proud to be part of their commitment to the expansion and improvement of services to the community as a board member.

Neil Bradshaw – City of Ketchum

Neil Bradshaw was elected as Mayor of Ketchum in 2017. He earned a Masters in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacture and Management from the University of Birmingham, UK and an MBA while on scholarship to the University of Kansas.  Neil first came to Ketchum in 1998 and moved here permanently in 2005. Neil is a Business Advisor and Principal for Murphy Business and Financial of Southern Idaho. Prior to moving to Ketchum, Neil worked in project finance, investment banking and equity research. In these roles he lived in San Francisco, New York, Kuala Lumpur, Johannesburg and London. Neil was born in Zimbabwe and grew up there until moving to the UK for high school and further education. Neil joined the Mountain Rides board in 2021.

Peter Hendricks – City of Sun Valley

Mayor Peter Hendricks, born in New York City, graduated from the University of Notre Dame, served in the US Air Force from 1965 to 1969, and was discharged with the rank of Captain. Peter’s professional career was in the institutional investment business in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Portland. Moving to Sun Valley in 2008, he became involved in city government on his retirement in 2013, was elected to the Sun Valley City Council in 2014 and elected Mayor of Sun Valley in 2016. He was re-elected in 2020 and 2024. Peter, his wife, Lisa-Marie Allen, an Olympic figure skater, and their two golden retrievers live in Elkhorn.

Martha Burke – City of Hailey

Mayor Martha Burke has been serving our community for decades in many different ways.  First as a school teacher then as a Planning and Zoning Commission member and now as Hailey’s Mayor.

Martha moved to the valley with her husband in 1971 where she raised her daughters. When she retired from teaching, Martha then worked for The Advocates.  Her involvement with City of Hailey has been through many boards and commissions, including P&Z, City Council Seat #1 held since 1993, and currently is on the FMAA board as well as Mountain Rides board. As mayor and a member of the Hailey Urban Renewal Agency (HURA), Burke strives for better sidewalks, bike paths, and trees along the streets. She supports making Hailey pedestrian and bike-friendly; including the completion of River Street with pathways and walkways, making it a truly lovely place to work and live.

Muffy Davis – Blaine County