2018 Honoree Celebration Nominees

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This article contains information about each outstanding business and/or individual from our 2018 Honoree Celebration.

 

Youth of the Year Nominees

 

Alexa Brown

Alexa is determined to make others happy with a smile, a compliment, or through 'Moxie and Jr' - a website and social media movement she launched to combat negativity and bring positive, inspirational messages to her community and beyond. Alexa has been a member of the National Charity League for six years, volunteering with Seeds of Hope, Evergreen Players, Evergreen Downtown Business Association, EAPL, Drive Smart, and Mount Evans Hospice. She interned at the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce, coached the Pirates youth cross-country program for three years, was grade-level President of NCL for three years, and a member of the National Honor Society.

 

Tom Biasi

Tom has been class President for the past 3 years at Evergreen High School. He started a fundraiser called Wish Week to support the Make-A- Wish Foundation. In the first year he raised $11,000, and this year raised $15,000. Tom also founded a Science Olympiad club where 15 students on a team compete in 23 different science events ranging from ecology to thermodynamics. Tom has volunteered extensively for EPRD Special Needs and plays the piano at the Seniors' Resource Center. He plans to attend University and study computer science.

 

Nonprofit of the Year Nominees

 

Blue Spruce Kiwanis

Blue Spruce Kiwanis served over 12,000 children in 2017 and donated $33,492 back to the Evergreen community. BSK is a central place for people who want to understand what types of volunteer activities are available in the Evergreen Area. BSK also sponsors and oversees the activities of the EHS Key Club, where over 50 members participate in community service events. BSK's biggest event was the Annual Big Chili Cook-off, which benefits six local fire departments and raised over $40,000. Their partnership with the Evergreen Chamber helps build a community that supports local business where people can live and thrive.

 

Center For The Arts Evergreen

The center supports Evergreen and its surrounding communities in the visual and performing arts by bringing the arts and community together. CAE hosts classes, workshops, exhibitions and cultural events.

 

Drive Smart

Drive Smart served several thousand individuals in 2017. Their programs include Child Passenger Safety; Teen Motor Vehicle program; Experienced Driver program; and Motorcycle Safety program. Their Experienced Driver Coordinator was instrumental in obtaining a Proclamation noting Older Driver Safety Awareness Week from the Governor's Office. The Evergreen Chamber has provided many opportunities to network with others in the community.

 

Evergreen Animal Protective League

EAPL is an all volunteer organization. They have served over 3000 individuals through their call center; from lost and found pets to calls for adoption assistance or financial assistance. This year over 900 animals were rescued, providing loving companions for many families. EAPL also helps those faced with hardship by providing pet food and payment of veterinary bills so their pets can remain in their loving homes. EAPL hosts several community fundraising events in partnership with other local businesses and their membership with the Evergreen Chamber provides an outlet to promote the same.

 

Evergreen Elks Lodge

Congratulations Evergreen Elks Lodge on your 50th anniversary, coming up on April 1st! The Elks lodge serves thousands of individuals by donating to many nonprofit organizations within the community. They support many charitable events including Little Britches, Thanksgiving dinner, Bingo, Easter Egg Hunt, and the Free Breakfast grant. They also rent space in the lodge to raise money for donations. Their donations support women and children, those in need, and Veterans.

 

Evergreen Trout Unlimited

Evergreen Trout Unlimited serves over 300 members and approximately 1500 kids through its education and outreach activities. The purpose of ETU is to conserve, protect and restore cold-water fisheries and their watersheds. ETU has several ongoing programs. They have worked with the Outdoor Lab for over 40 years, Mount Evans Hospice Camp Comfort - helping kids learn to have fun fishing with others like themselves who have experienced a loss; Fish Camp and Outdoor Skills Day working with the Division of Parks and Wildlife and EPRD to enhance our youths outdoor experience.

 

Elk Run Assisted Living Community

Elk Run Assisted Living is part of Augustana Care and assisted over 800 individuals during 2017. Elk Run provides many activities for their residents focusing on social, emotional, mental and physical needs. Elk run also offers yoga, meditation, and exercise classes in which their residents increase strength, flexibility and endurance to help them stay as independent as possible. They had over 150 people from the Evergreen community attend a book signing event with historical authors. Elk Run has sponsored the Chamber Honoree Celebration and participates in many Chamber networking events and they are pet friendly!

 

Evergreen Christian Outreach

EChO served over 4,000 individuals in 2017 through their programs, including the Food Bank, Client Service Advocates, and the EChO Job Center, which offered classes in writing resumes and interview skills to 926 participants. EchO also provided financial assistance in the amount of $55,118 to 351 individuals and 175 mountain households including services to children, Veterans and Crime Victims. In 2017 EChO was one of six nonprofits in the State recognized as a "Nonprofit of Excellence" by the Governor.

 

Leadership Evergreen

The projects Leadership Evergreen has launched and will complete this year will serve thousands in the community. LE has almost 300 alumnae to date, which develops leaders who have become active contributors to our community through participating on boards and volunteering with nonprofit organizations and growing businesses within the community. LE graduated the 12th class of 15 students this year and partners with the Evergreen Chamber at the Honoree Celebration every year to support our local business and promote events through attendance and/or volunteering.

 

Mountain Area Land Trust

Mountain Area Land Trust's mission is to save scenic vistas, natural areas, wildlife habitat, water resources, working ranches and historic lands for the benefit of the community and as a legacy for future generations. Over 20,000 acres are protected forever.

 

Mount Evans Home Health and Hospice

Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice provides compassionate and expert care to sick, injured, disabled and terminally ill individuals in their homes. They specialize in Home health, palliative, hospice & grief support.

 

Seniors' Resource Center

SRC is entering its 40th year and served over 1600 individuals in 2017.  SRC assists some of the most vulnerable members of the mountain community, including their family caregivers. In addition, SRC has expanded their foodbank and distributed over 38,000 pounds of food last year - not including their Meals on Wheels program and their Friday café, which serves free hot lunches to the local community.

Volunteer of the Year Nominees

 

Jim Sherwood

40 years ago, Jim came to visit the Choate Ranch on east Stagecoach where he said: "One day I will live in Evergreen". Since he's lived here, he has built several homes and has become extremely involved with the community. He volunteers for EDBA, ELID, CAE, Summerfest, Big Chili, MRC, ECHO, EPRD, Dam Ducky Derby and others. When he is asked to donate for auctions he always says "yes" and has been a strong supporter of the Evergreen Chamber for over 10 years.

 

Bill Graf

Besides carrying a heavy load as an attorney, Bill is part of countless other groups for churches and community that need assistance. He is a longtime member and current Co-Chair Missions team (outreach to help those in need) at the United Methodist Church of Evergreen. He chaperones at the Family Promise homeless shelter at Jefferson Avenue United Methodist Church in Wheat Ridge, and volunteers as a shuttle bus van driver for events by Blue Spruce Habitat and Mount Evans Hospice. Bill also has provided pro bono legal services in our mountain community over the years for places including Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity and for the international charity

The Center for Health and Hope, based in Centennial.

 

Valli Crockett

Valli is a broker and realtor at Bergen Peak Realty and a membership coordinator for the Chamber. She spends her volunteer time as the Evergreen Elks Lodge Esquire with numerous lodge activities. For the past two years, Valli was in charge of the Dictionary.org Project for the Lodge, which provided a new paperback dictionary to all of the mountain area third grade students. This year 528 students received books. In this day and age of tablets, devices and Google, it's important to ensure every child has access to knowledge from other sources.

 

Dave Montesi

Dave Montesi started at Evergreen Fire Rescue 20 years ago as a volunteer and quickly moved to a paid EMT on the ambulance, then attended paramedic school. For the past 16 years, his primary volunteer time is spent with Evergreen Public Access Defibrillation. His favorite and most successful project of 2017 was finishing the necessary requirements and completing the application process that allowed the Evergreen community to be awarded 5 Hearts from the National Heartsafe Foundation, giving Evergreen the highest ranking possible to be labeled a Heartsafe community. Evergreen now has 80 defibrillators!

 

Jean Wells

Jean Wells is a retired CPA who has been Treasurer for Evergreen Christian Outreach (EChO) for 8 out of the last 10 years. She is responsible for overseeing the $1,000,000 plus budget, presenting monthly financial information to the Board of Directors, overseeing the preparation of the tax return and chairing the finance committee. She also ran the vendors for the Alternative Gift Fair, helping raise over $100,000 for approximately 50 nonprofits.

 

Shirley Giovarelli

Shirley Gioverelli is a volunteer with Emergency Shelter Program and prepares meals every night the shelter is open for guests and volunteers who spend the night. She is a volunteer for Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity, collecting donations, organizing and serving the food for the Hard Hats & High Heels benefit. She has been involved with the Big Chili Cookoff with her award-winning chili, Bible School at Ascent Church and is a member of the 285 Angels. Her Paid job is head chef at Elk Run Assisted Living Community.

 

Brenda and Wayne St. John

Brenda and Wayne have volunteered countless hours of their time to the Evergreen Chamber over the last five years. Whether helping at Chamber Events or with tasks in the office, Brenda and Wayne's assistance and time given is greatly appreciated by all.

 

Young Professional of the Year Nominees

Caitlyn Dunbar

Edward Jones Financial

Caitlyn is a financial advisor with Edward Jones. Her business has grown over the past 3 years through face-to-face meetings with business owners, chamber networking events, and referrals. She has been awarded by Edward Jones the coveted Zeke McIntyre Pioneer Award, which recognizes financial advisors who achieve high levels of success early in their careers. She was one of only 266 of the firm's more than 12,000 brokers to receive the award. She believes that her Chamber membership and volunteer involvement help build credibility as a long-term partner in the Evergreen Community. She serves on the Chamber Board and is Co-chair to the Chamber Ambassador Team.

 

Peyton Thomas

Sound Mountain Entertainment

Throughout 2017 Peyton Thomas (co-owner of Sound Mountain Entertainment with Gary Bird) has donated his time and equipment for a variety of Evergreen's events. Peyton has recently expanded his services to marketing, and is assisting other local businesses as they grow.

 

Tim Anderson

Roofing Outfitters

Tim Andersen is a hardworking, customer service- driven second-generation roofing contractor who lives and works in Evergreen. His strong roots in the industry and service in the United States Marine Corps shaped his approach to business today. He recently restored the iconic Evergreen A-Frame off of Evergreen Parkway. Originally planning to lease the upstairs to others, his business has grown to the point where he needs all of the space. He spends his free time traveling with his wife, snowboarding, and mountain biking.

 

Leader of the Year Nominees

 

Eric Gill

Eric Gill, owner of Bear Paw Rentals, has volunteered with many organizations over the last 20 years. He is a founding Board member of DEED, ELF, LID. Eric has been an EDBA (Evergreen Downtown Business Association) since it started 12 years ago. He has been involved organizing the Main Street cleanup day for 6 years.  He has been a Chamber member for 21 years and on the board for 3 years.  Eric has been involved in the Rotary Club of Evergreen since 1998 and has been on several committees. Eric is also involved in an Alzheimer's organization in which his company, Bear Paw, participated in their 1st Alzheimer's walk and raised $4600 last year. He is a graduate of Leadership Evergreen class of 1999 and on the board 2000-2003 and then again 2010-2016, in addition he leads a module for incoming classes every year.

 

Mike Weege

Mike Weege, Evergreen's Fire Chief, is nominated because he has demonstrated creative and innovative solutions to problems in our community in 2017. Mike was instrumental in getting the 2017 Leadership Evergreen class to rally around the wildfire project by helping all class members understand the great need for signs. His willingness and ability to explain details in a way that makes sense to others outside of his field of expertise makes him a natural leader. Mike has shown that he is interested in getting things done instead of talking about getting things done.

 

Warren Rose

Warren has a unique personality that brings people together.  His creative thinking and innovative solutions to issues have helped many nonprofits along with the community as well. Warren has worked tirelessly on a multitude of issues that many would shy away from. From being co-chair of the Capital Campaign for Center for the Arts, helping raise funds for the new building, to sitting on a transportation advisory board giving the Evergreen area a voice and preventing RTD from cancelling the green buses that many seniors and students rely on. He also put Evergreen on the map by breaking the Guinness Book of World Records with the world's longest picnic table and helped ELID raise awareness for their efforts. Warren helps a countless number of nonprofits in hopes of making our community bigger and better.

 

Ambassador of the Year Nominees

 

Penny Randell

Penny is first to offer her help with any and every event that the Evergreen Chamber puts on. She can always be relied on to help Chamber staff and new members with anything and everything. She's also a great mentor in the Chamber's ambassador program. She loves the Evergreen community!

 

Harry and Shirley Foster

Harry and Shirley work together to mentor new members to the Chamber, get them involved and attend events so they can meet others. They help others connect and grow their business.

 

Caitlyn Dunbar

Caitlyn Dunbar is a wonderful example of professionalism and selfless volunteering as she gives so much of her time to the Evergreen Chamber.  She's always taking on new mentees and never says no when asked to lend a hand at a Chamber event. The ambassador team is so very lucky to have Caitlyn's youth, energy and spirit on their team.

 

Sheree Teller-Hedin

Sheree has a ton of energy that she uses to help Chamber members new and old connect whether it be at a mixer, ribbon cutting or at the Lunch Bunch Leads Group. She has volunteered for many of our committees and loves to lend a hand.

 

Susanne Robert

Susanne is constantly stepping up to mentor new members, She helps them get them acclimated to the Chamber, get connected and grow their businesses. She comes to so many ribbon cuttings we have lost count!

John Ellis
*Lifetime Ambassador Award*

John is a constant joy and fantastic face for the Evergreen community! He faithfully dedicates his time and energy as an Ambassador to build relationships in the community. He seems to be everywhere, sits on multiple boards and attends just about every event the Evergreen Chamber sponsors. He's great at bringing people together. He has been nominated for Ambassador of the Year every year for over 10 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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