Leadership Team

The leadership team for Community Council of Idaho, Inc. is composed of the agency’s directors and executive management. Together, along with the CEO, they strive to continue to move the agency forward.

Ruben Lugo, Chief Operating Officer

Ruben Lugo is the Chief Operating Officer for the Community Council of Idaho. He holds an AAS and bachelor’s degree from Boise State University. He also has extensive training and certifications in social services, grants management, federal regulations, and clinic operations. He’s been working in human services space for almost 30 years. In those 30 years Ruben has held several positions. One that he especially remembers is being Teacher for preschool children. It helped him develop a strong foundation of building curiosity and excitement for learning that helps him in his leadership role. Ruben is not native to Idaho but has called it home for 24 years.

Elisha Suldan, Chief Financial Officer

Elisha has served as the director of finance/management of information systems for six years. Elisha attended Mt. Hood Community College, and Blue Mountain Community College where she graduated with her associate’s degree in accounting. In 2002, she graduated with her bachelor’s in accounting at Boise State University. Elisha began working at the Community Council of Idaho in 2002 as an accountant. She worked for six years in this position, was promoted to finance director in February 2008, and today serves as the CFO.

Autumn Blewett, Human Resource Director

Korene Gonzalez, Employment and Training Director

In addition to being the Director of Employment and Training, Korene is also the Program and Grant Administrator of the Department of Labor National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) at the Community Council of Idaho. She brings over 21 years of effective leadership, program design, resource development and coalition building in Twin Falls County experience. In 2018 she celebrated 30 years of dedicated service with CC Idaho. She is a member of the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP), the Idaho State Board of Education Taskforce on Hispanic Education, and the Midwest Association of Farmworker Organizations (MAFO).

Arnold Cantu, Clinic Administrator

Arnold Cantu has been working for the Community Council of Idaho for 5 years. He is now the Clinic Administrator, and prior to that he worked for the State of Idaho for 23 years as a counselor at the Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Arnold attended the University of Alabama for three years and completed his degree in Human Resources and Training Development at Idaho State University. He went on to complete his Masters in Counseling at Western Washington University. He recently completed the Executive Training program in Health Care Administration at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Little known fact: He collects antique sports books.

Merissa Douglas, Occupancy & Compliance Specialist

Merissa Douglas is an Occupancy and Compliance Specialist with over thirteen years of compliance experience while working in the tax and finance arena. She received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 2009. Merissa specializes in affordable housing and housing management with an emphasis in economic and community development and is working on her certifications in Rental Housing Development Finance and Housing Development Finance. Though born in Virginia, she considers herself an Idaho native as most of her childhood and adulthood has been spent in Idaho, particularly the Treasure Valley.

Merissa lives in rural Idaho where she raises chickens and rabbits. She also loves graphic and website design and giving back to her community. She’s always ready for a fundraiser.

Leadership Team

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