President's Medallion

Clifford A. Brady, Jr., Businessman and Advocate for Education

After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Mr. Brady began his business career with Beneficial Finance Company. He later started his own business, Brady’s Super Home Store in Jerome, and moved the business to Idaho Falls in 1965. The store became part of eastern Idaho’s culture, and a second store was opened in Pocatello. In 2001, Mr. Brady retired and two of his sons, Steve and Brad Brady now lead the business. In 2005, his sons opened a third store in Twin Falls.

Mr. Brady has been a tireless supporter of the regional business community. He served as president of the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce and was twice selected as the chamber’s Ambassador of the Year. He is a four-time recipient of the Wayne Hammond Award for service to the chamber.

Mr. Brady assisted in the creation of the Better Business Bureau in eastern Idaho. He served on the bureau’s board of directors for eight years and in 2005, he received the organization’s Founder Award. Mr. Brady has been honored by the United Way, served as president of the Idaho Falls Symphony, was on the Board of the Idaho Falls Opera Theater, and is a past member of the YMCA board of directors. He is a charter member of Coalition Twenty-One, Partnership for Science and Technology, and the City Club. He is a strong supporter of the Museum of Idaho and the local area art programs such as the Colonial Theatre.

In 2006, Mr. Brady was inducted into the Vacuum Industry Hall of Fame, by the Vacuum Dealers Trade Association. There he joins Boss Hoover, James Kirby, Elias Howe, Isaac Singer, Don Aslett, David Oreck, and many others.

As a member of the Chamber of Commerce Education and Legislative committees, he has been an advocate for education and has lobbied for strong funding for education. Mr. Brady is a member of the Eastern Idaho Technical College Foundation Board and also serves on the college’s Business Advisory Board and Technical Advisory Board. In honor of his grandson, Mr. Brady and his family have established the Brady Family Joshua D. Clifford Memorial Scholarship for students attending EITC. Mr. Brady is currently also a member of the University Place Education Advisor Council. His work on behalf of education in the Idaho Falls area has been recognized with the Idaho Falls Friend of Education Award.

Mr. Brady has found one activity that blends his interests in business and education, and puts him in the role of teacher and mentor. He is a member of SCORE, an organization that advises young men and women in the community on how to establish a business, and teaches them the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.