Lifelong resident of Idaho and Bingham County; graduate of Blackfoot High School and ISU Vocational Technical Education; co-owner of Garth VanOrden Farms; former Idaho House of Representative member and former chairman of the Education committee; former commissioner on the Idaho Public Charter School Commission and the Idaho Potato Commission; spouse: Garth; four children, two daughters-in-law, three grandchildren: Kaylee, Hayden and Jaicee; and one great-grandchild: Luna.