IDAHO NEVER WAS BIG ENOUGH TO CONTAIN JACK LEMLEY’S DRIVE TO ACHIEVE

Whether it was growing up in Coeur d’Alene or advancing his education in architecture at the University of Idaho or becoming a shining example of Fortune 500 Morrison Knudsen Corporation’s worldwide reputation for developing exceptional project managers, Idaho never really was big enough to contain Jack Lemley’s drive to achieve.

It was that single-minded drive that enabled Lemley to manage tens of thousands of technical professionals in the engineering and construction of some of most impressive man-made developments in history.  It is also the trait that has resulted in the mega-project boss’ 2011 induction into the Idaho Technology Council Hall of Fame.

The 2011 Idaho Technology Council Hall of Fame Celebration Featuring the Idaho Innovation Awards Presented by Stoel Rives + Kickstand on Oct. 26 will mark Lemley’s induction alongside serial entrepreneur Steve Hodges as members of the ITC Hall of Fame.  The event will be held at the Boise Centre.  Please make plans to join us at the ITC Hall of Fame Celebration Oct. 26 by purchasing tickets at www.idahotechcouncil.org.

"Exceptional innovation distinguishes the career work of Steve Hodges and Jack Lemley," said Rich Raimondi, chairman of the Idaho Technology Council.  "They respectively built technology companies here in Idaho and the world's largest construction projects around the world.  We are privileged to elevate these two leading Idahoans to the Idaho Technology Council Hall of Fame based on the merits of their many accomplishments." 

As someone who worked with Jack Lemley at Morrison Knudsen and for some years after that, I can confirm that he stands out among the giants.  The engineering and construction industry’s most important publication – ENR – pictured Lemley in a photo collage right next to Harry Morrison of MK and the joint venture partners who developed the iconic Hoover Dam in the 1930s on the magazine’s 125^th anniversary cover.  He was that important in our industry.

He cemented his global reputation in the early 1990s as chief executive officer of the English Channel Tunnel project -- the Chunnel -- which created a high-speed rail link between London and Paris including a tunnel under the English Channel.  It was the largest privately-funded construction project in history.  Lemley was awarded the Order of Merit and named a Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth of England for his work on the Chunnel.

Lemley had more to do in England, too.  The history-making global power selected Lemley as the chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, responsible for facilities preparation for the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London.

Earlier, Lemley managed some of the world's most complex engineering and construction challenges in some of the most challenging logistical locations:

• Century Freeway in Los Angeles and other major freeway developments across California, as well as the interchange of I-90 and I-5 in downtown Seattle;
• OK Tedi Gold and Copper Mine Development in Papua, New Guinea;
• The $300-million Trans-Panama Pipeline;
• Colombia’s $1.9-billion Cerrejon coal mine, railroad and Caribbean Sea port facility;
• The $1.3-billion King Khalid Military City project to build from scratch a city for 70,000 people in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the country's rulers.

"Since the queen of the British Empire formally recognized Jack Lemley's exceptional ability, we thought it would be appropriate for the innovators in Jack's home state of Idaho to make him a part of our most distinguished class of leaders -- as a member of the Idaho Technology Council Hall of Fame," said Jay Larsen, founder and president of the Idaho Technology Council.

Lemley and Hodges join a distinguished ITC Hall of Fame in its second year.  They stand alongside Hewlett-Packard icons Dick Hackborn and Ray Smelek.

My fellow members of the Idaho Technology Council and I have our work cut out for us to meet the Hackborn-Smelek Rule to identify the truly inspiring figures in Idaho innovation and share their career life stories with the community they’ve done so much to strengthen.  Jack Lemley and Steve Hodges certainly meet that rigorous test.