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Mel (center, in purple) with Office of Communication staff at the 2013 awards luncheon.

Coulter celebrates his independence July 5

On the Fourth of July, the nation will celebrate its independence. By the time the sun sets the following day, Mel Coulter will follow suit, celebrating his own independence, as he retires after 15 years at ITD and nearly three decades of state service.

Coulter started as sports editor of a newspaper in Bend, Oregon in 1970 and served in a varitey of roles (reporter, photographer, editor and publisher) for the paper's parent company for more than a decade. He then headed to Lewiston and worked for Lewis-Clark State College as public relations director for 11 years. Mel also worked a few years for the University of Idaho before joining ITD in 2002. Pictured to right: Mel's modeling glamour shot at the beach in 2007.

Coulter plans to pursue several writing projects in retirement. This is no surprise — the writer in Mel was never far from the surface, even after leaving the ITD Communication office and a dozen years as editor of the Transporter in 2014 to take over the department’s Emergency Program.

“He was the real writer; I was just a hack,” former ITD public information specialist Steve Grant used to always say.

"I remember my second day on the job, Mel gave me a story assignment. After I worked it over and made sure I had everything in place, I gave it to Mel. I remember him saying 'well, this will work, but next time try not to start every sentence with "the" - Mel was all about the big picture, but could also see the small details.'

"I never forgot that lesson; he made me better," Grant said.

Grant and Coulter worked together on the Transporter often during eight years together in the same office.

Even after Coulter moved down the hall to assume his new job responsibilities, Grant used to join him for coffee each morning. Indeed, the day didn’t officially begin for Grant until he’d spent time having his daily Cup of Joe with Mel.

Steve would come in, drop off his stuff, head down the hall, and disappear for a half hour or so.

In the last week before he retired, the coffeepot that had been the backdrop to hundreds of those morning meetings, finally gave up the ghost. “It beat me out the door,” Mel quipped.

Mel served as the right-hand man for Communication Manager Jeff Stratten for more than a dozen years, and was particularly valuable in that role during Stratten’s year-long absence for health issues.

Stratten used to say Mel was the most talented writer to come through the office in his 35 years at the helm. "Not only was Mel the best writer and editor I worked with, but he is also one of the best men I have ever had the privilege of knowing. And I am sure if I would have shown him my thoughts, his edits would have made them read better."

"I think he subscribed to Ernest Hemingway's theory that the first draft of anything is garbage."

From 2002 to 2014, Coulter served as editor of the Transporter, writing most of the 5,000 articles published during that time, and overseeing the rest. Coulter received more than 30 awards for feature, news release and script writing by the Idaho Press Club, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' subcommittee on transportation communications, and others. These were just the awards we knew about from his ITD years; Mel was too humble to list any others.

He published a book in 2011 (pictured below) based on his daughter’s trip to Haiti to serve orphans and subsequent imprisonment. The book details how her entire group was imprisoned as the Haitian government reeled in the aftermath of a major earthquake that reduced the capital city to rubble.

Writing and publishing a 350-page book is no small accomplishment, and it only served to whet his appetite as a scribe.

“I want to focus some time and energy on personal writing projects,” Coulter said regarding his plans in retirement. “I have a number of books in various stages of the publication process that I would like to complete, and perhaps establish an interactive website as an outlet for some of those projects.”

“Family commitments probably will occupy a lot of time. My youngest daughter and I become seniors the same year -- she will be finishing her last year of high school and I will become a card-carrying member of senior citizens autonomous. I remain very close with my daughters, one of whom is married and lives near Nashville. Could I learn to like country music? That remains to be seen.”

The Haiti incident years ago also sparked something in Coulter — he hopes to fan that flickering flame into a full-scale fire soon.

“For some time, I've been drawn to serving on occasional mission trips abroad -- a pursuit that is rooted to some time spent in Haiti after my daughter was jailed there for about a month in 2010. She was on a mission trip to help children who were left homeless after the devastating earthquake. It helped me realize that those who have much should be willing to share much because it's all a gift anyway and there are no savings accounts in heaven. That applies as much to time and talent as it does to finances. I hope that also leads to some volunteer opportunities closer to home for organizations that serve our neighbors.

"Our lives are measured not in years but in relationships, so it has been full and rewarding. Retirement gives me a chance to continue building those relationships."

Here’s classic Coulter, as he addresses retirement:

“You put the boat in the water -- without oars -- and see where the current takes you. Of course, that kind of approach could leave you drifting if you don't have a good rudder. Know where I can find one?”