Distinguished Alumni Award
James Crawford
Retired Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Wilbur-Ellis Company
College of Business and Economics
Class of ’72
James Crawford, a Boise native, graduated from Boise State College in 1972 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. As a student, he was a charter member and officer of Alpha Kappa Psi professional business fraternity and was active in student leadership, serving as board chair of the newly formed College Union Board of Governors during his senior year. He was also recognized in “Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities,” an honor program recognizing outstanding juniors and seniors for academic achievement, leadership and community service.
Crawford began his accounting career with the J.R. Simplot Company in 1972 and became a licensed CPA in 1974. During his 29 years with the company, he held positions of increasing responsibility in Idaho and California before being named vice president and corporate controller. During this period, he also served on the Boise State Alumni Association’s Board of Directors and spent three years on the Micron Technology Board of Directors, including during the company’s initial public offering in 1984.
In 2000, Crawford joined Wilbur-Ellis in San Francisco as vice president and chief financial officer, overseeing finance, human resources, information systems and risk management. He played a key leadership role in implementing a global enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that transformed the company’s management information capabilities. He credits his wife, Diane, for her sacrifice in retiring from her long career in advertising and assuming responsibility for moving, buying a home and integrating them into life in the big city.
After retiring in 2010, Crawford returned to Boise in 2014 and continued his involvement with Boise State. He has served on the Boise State University Foundation’s Board of Directors, including its audit and investment committees, and is a member of the Chaffee Guild, Barnwell Society and Lyle Smith Society. In 2014, he was recognized as the College of Business and Economics’ Outstanding Alumni. He is also a Boise State Pavilion Lifetime Member, and his family has established endowed scholarships supporting students in accounting, marketing and nursing.