Earl has been recognized by numerous technical societies and civic organizations for his energetic and dedicated leadership and service over the years. In fact, his achievements are considered so significant that his retirement in 1983 as Chairman of the Board of CH2M HILL was announced to the U.S. Congress in an address by Idaho Senator James McClure, who lauded Earl as “one of the state’s leading citizens,” whose efforts “in business, civic, and national affairs, as well as in engineering have profoundly affected many in Idaho and across the nation.”
An energetic, selfless community servant, Earl has served on numerous city and county boards. He served as Chairman of the Boise City Planning and Zoning Commission (1962-66); the Boise City Board of Adjustment (1970); and the Ada Council of Governments/Regional Planning Commission (1974-75). In 1982, he was named to the Boise mayor’s Select “Blue Ribbon” Committee on Downtown Development and later served on the Board of Directors of the Boise Redevelopment Agency (1984-88). In his leadership roles for the Boise Redevelopment Agency, Earl was instrumental in preparing an urban design plan to renovate Boise’s downtown. Through his efforts, the Boise Redevelopment Agency’s faltering development plan for the city’s core came into its own and made possible a delicate balance between progressing growth and retention of the city’s historic architectural record.
Earl has also served on the Boise State University School of Business Advisory Board, the University of Idaho Engineering Advisory Board, and the Board of Directors of Northwest Savings and Loan. From 1981 to 1989, he served on the Board of Directors of the St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise. Beginning in 1984, Earl is still a member of the Oregon State University Foundation Board of Trustees.
The numerous professional and civic honors Earl Reynolds has earned are testimony of the widespread recognition of this very respected and admired gentleman, who is held in the highest esteem by all who know him. Despite his record of achievements, he remains humble, gracious, modest, and unaffected by the many accolades bestowed upon him. He was named an Idaho Statesman Distinguished Citizen in 1967 and Capital Jaycees “Boss of the Year” in 1970; and received the Boise Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Community Service Award in November 1988. By mayoral proclamation, the Boise Redevelopment Agency and City of Boise named July 13, 1988, as “Earl Reynolds Appreciation Day.”
In retirement, Earl continues to reside in Boise where he and his wife Jodi are patrons of the arts, generously supporting such artistic and cultural organizations as the Boise Philharmonic, Boise Opera, and the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts. Earl and Jodi also have been active members and leaders in many capacities at All Saints Episcopal Church.
In late 2010, CH2M HILL’s Boise employees honored Earl by purchasing a park bench on the Boise River Greenbelt, the 23-mile paved pedestrian and bicycle path that meanders through the heart of Boise and serves as a model of greenbelt development throughout the country. Earl’s leadership in the Greenbelt’s development made the park bench a fitting tribute to his rich legacy in Boise and in Idaho.
Earl sent this note of appreciation to Boise employees:
“Thank you for honoring me with a very personal, priceless gift. At the dedication ceremony, I had the delightful experience of being among friends and associates representing the vast reaches and experiences of the Boise office. The bench is less than a mile from our long-time riverside office and within walking distance from my home. I will always cherish this bench. It represents a lifetime of knowing and working with outstanding employees of the Boise office who shared a goal to succeed in all endeavors through excellence, hard work, and dedication. The greenbelt has meant much to me through the years. It’s an Idaho treasure in an urban setting, where nature abounds, the human spirit soars, and there are no strangers. I invite each one of you to take a seat on my bench… I guarantee a rewarding and memorable experience! Thank you.”
Earl Reynolds’ ingenuity, his innovative and energetic leadership, his immensely effective managerial style, his striving for excellence, his generosity, and the fairness, respect, and consideration he displays in his interactions with others are all trademarks by which Earl is known throughout the country, not only in engineering circles, but in other areas of human endeavor as well.