New Day Products CEO "Bleeds Orange and Black"

One look at Terry Frederickson's office, and it isn't hard to see where his alliances lie.

The offices of New Day Products, where Frederickson is the executive director, look like a football tailgate party, with Bengal banners gracing nearly every wall, and orange and black as far as the eye can see. Several blocks away is the Orange and Black store, a local shop that sells merchandise for ISU and other local athletic teams. Frederickson and New Day Products opened the store soon after Frederickson took the reins.

"We truly bleed orange and black here," Frederickson said.

Frederickson's love of Idaho State University began by chance. He attended College of Southern Idaho for two years, and was planning to attend Boise State University on a debate scholarship, but a tour at ISU changed his mind.

"I fell in love the first time I stepped on campus," he said.

While at ISU, Frederickson was active with the debate team and student government. He earned the Sarah Partlow debate scholarship, and, in 2004-2005, served as student body president.

Frederickson earned a degree in political science, and planned a career in finance, but his life plans changed when his brother died of a heroin overdose soon after Frederickson graduated. He returned to ISU and earned a certificate in drug and alcohol counseling and went to work as a counselor at MK Place, a program for teens struggling with addiction. He became the director of New Day Products, a community therapy program that offers work experience and other services to people with disabilities.

Community is important to Frederickson, and he is proud to tell anyone he sees how ISU can help the community, and how the community can help ISU. He and his wife, Erika Frederickson, recently became the owners of the Gate City Grays, a semi-professional baseball team. When they recruit players, Frederickson says, they look for players that could benefit from playing in a community where they could attend college. Erika, CEO of the team, coordinates tours for players and uses ISU as a recruiting tool for her team.

"Erika looks for people who could come here and possibly go to Idaho State," he said.

Frederickson says he promotes ISU whenever possible, partly because of the wonderful experiences he has had both at the University and in Pocatello. He has advice for students and new alumni that he says has helped him along the way.

"The experiences you have at ISU can be tools in the community," he said. "What you have to give, people need to have. Go out and share it."