Steering Committee Leaders

Amy McBride – Montrose Regional Library. RPD Co-Chair

Amy McBride has worked for nonprofits in western Colorado since 1991, including sixteen years as a community organizer and development director for Western Colorado Congress. Since 2006, she has been Development Officer for Montrose Regional Library District and is a member of the Montrose Rotary Club, President of Montrose Academic Booster Club, and board member for the Montrose Education Foundation. Amy appreciates the funder relationships that begin at Rural Philanthropy Days, but equally values the capacity building opportunities. 

Pam Montgomery – Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley. RPD Co-Chair

Pam Montgomery is Executive Director of the Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley, having chosen Gunnison as her home because of the valley’s diversity and the thrill of unexpected experiences, like getting caught in cattle drives on Highway 135. Pam is passionate about the role nonprofits play in the vitality and vibrancy of their communities and accepted her position on the 2009 WSRPD Steering Committee in hopes of continuing to foster the collaboration between nonprofits, funders, and elected officials to solve community issues.

Amy Shellenberger – Crested Butte Ski Club, Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley, Center for the Arts. Coordinator

After leaving a career in higher education in Boulder to pursue opportunities in outdoor recreation, Amy found herself in Crested Butte working for the Crested Butte Ski Club, a nonprofit dedicated to building opportunities for children in ski racing and in personal growth and development. Five years later, Amy has volunteered and worked for a number of local nonprofits devoted to advancing her various interests in education, athletics, environmental preservation, and the arts. When approached to serve as the coordinator of WSRPD, Amy happily accepted the opportunity to participate in an event that would foster greater understanding between grantseekers and grantmakers, increase awareness of issues critical to rural communities, and encourage the growth and education of nonprofit organizations. 

Steering Committee

Candy Beebe – Hinsdale County Public Health. Fundraising Committee.

Candy Beebe became interested in the nonprofit sector in 2000 when she served as Public Health Nurse with Hinsdale County Public Health and Community Services in Lake City. Hinsdale County has developed numerous health programs during Candy's tenure as Public Health Nurse and Director, including trailbreaking for the presence of dental services in Lake City. Candy is a member of the Public Health Nurses Association of Colorado and the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials, and she serves on the Board of Wee Care and other volunteer organizations in Lake City. For the past six months, she and her husband have provided leadership at a rural clinic in Honduras. Candy values Rural Philanthropy Days' commitment to greater regional collaboration among nonprofit organizations and the development of initiatives that benefit communities and regions and provide additional resources for improved community services.

Elizabeth Bond – Crested Butte Mountain Theatre. Hospitality Committee

A Crested Butte resident since 1998, Elizabeth Bond became Managing Director of the Crested Butte Mountain Theatre in early 2007. An international performer in the standard mezzo-soprano opera and concert repertoire, Elizabeth studied at the University of Minnesota, MacPhail College of Music, and the Royal College of Music in London and has produced and performed in the Dueling Divas since 1997. She anticipates the August 2009 performance of the Dueling Divas to be a united effort between four local nonprofits: a fundraiser for Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory and the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum supported by both the Crested Butte Mountain Theatre and the Center for the Arts. For Elizabeth, participating in the RPD planning process has opened a window to the numerous other nonprofit organizations in the Gunnison Valley and beyond, all of which work together to enhance lives, connect people to sources of assistance, and improve the quality of life.

Kristine Borchers – Lake City DIRT. Marketing Committee Co-Chair

Kristine Borchers is the Executive Director of Lake City DIRT, a Main Street program working to revitalize the economy of Lake City, Colorado. She participated in the 2008 Community Resource Center's Leaders program and has spent the past twelve years working with nonprofits, conservation education, and running a family-based small business. She lives with her husband Ryan, son Izaac, daughter Sophia, dog Sparky and cat Chitty Chat and is addicted to community service.

Elaine Brett – Western Colorado Food and Agriculture Council, Black Canyon Land Trust. Marketing Committee Co-Chair

Elaine Brett is President of the Black Canyon Land Trust and the Western Colorado Food & Agriculture Council. Living in Hotchkiss, Colorado, she has experienced first-hand the importance of nonprofit organizations in serving the rural communities on the Western Slope. She sees serving on the RPD Steering Committee as a way of connecting with the people and resources in the state and a means of providing educational opportunities for nonprofit boards and staff to help them grow and build capacity.

Benito Cardenas – One Telluride. Program Committee

Benito Cardenas is a native of south Texas and was raised in a Mexican American family, speaking only Spanish at home. He earned a B.S. in Family and Consumer Journalism at the University of Wisconsin, and, after working in advertising in Chicago, a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Illinois in 2003. In December of 2006, Benito began his current work as Director of One Telluride, an immigrant integration initiative in Telluride, Colorado.

Glo Cunningham – Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum. Hospitality Committee

Glo Cunningham came to Crested Butte over 30 years ago because of her love of skiing and has since become involved in some way with more than 30 different nonprofits. The first ever Business and Professional Women “Volunteer for the Year” from the North end of the county, Glo feels that nonprofits are the heart and soul of a community and is thrilled to be a part of the WSRPD Steering Committee, helping organizations near and dear to her heart have greater opportunity for financial success. She also hopes to help make this conference as enjoyable as possible for all who attend!

Paul Duba – Literacy Action Program. Marketing Committee

Paul Duba is program manager for Literacy Action, a program of the Gunnison public library offering English as a second language, adult literacy, and GED preparation classes for community members. He previously served on the Gunnison City Council, worked as Service Learning director at Western State College, and led teambuilding courses for Outward Bound. Paul sees RPD as a powerful way for nonprofits to network with each other while sharing the scope and depth of their work with potential funders.

Paul Edwards – Gunnison Arts Center. Program Committee Chair

A professor of Communication and Theatre at Western State College, Paul Edwards is also Executive Director of the Gunnison Arts Center and serves on other nonprofit boards. Paul’s interest in Rural Philanthropy Days began when he was commissioned to write and stage a public policy play for the 2005 Telluride RPD. He strongly believes the region’s nonprofits play a significant and positive role in the growth of the Western Slope.

Ella Fahrlander – Adaptive Sports Center. Fundraising Committee

Born and raised in Crested Butte, Ella Fahrlander was exposed at an early age to the passionate and wholesome nature of rural community living. After graduating from Colorado State University with a degree in Business Administration, Ella opened a door to the nonprofit sector with the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado, but when a Development position opened at the Adaptive Sports Center, she jumped at the chance to return to the Gunnison Valley. Ella became involved with Rural Philanthropy Days to help reveal the many realities made possible by nonprofit organizations and to cultivate those opportunities through relationship development and new funding possibilities.  

Sarah Fischler – Community Resource Center. Program Committee

Sarah Fischler is the Director of Consulting for the Community Resource Center, the statewide organization that helps convene two Rural Philanthropy Days each year in regions across Colorado.  Sarah’s primary interest in RPD centers on the program’s ability to bring essential resources that help level the playing field for rural nonprofit organizations to those communities. Sarah has worked in many capacities within the nonprofit sector – as fundraiser, board member, grantmaker, and consultant. Sarah is a Colorado native who enjoys both working and playing in rural Colorado.

Linda Gann – Montrose County School District. Program Committee

Linda Gann is the Communications and Special Project Coordinator for the public schools in Montrose and Olathe. She serves on the boards of the Montrose Education Foundation and the Montrose Community Foundation, is involved with the Montrose Arts Council, and is a past board member of the Black Canyon Boys and Girls Club. In 2007, as a result of the connections formed at a Rural Philanthropy Days event, the school district opened its first collaborative school-based child health center, providing mental, physical, and dental health care to un- or underinsured children. Linda’s enthusiasm for joining the RPD planning team centered on her desire to connect other regional nonprofits with private and public funders whose missions blend to improve the quality of life in rural Colorado.

Nancy Hoganson – Hospice & Palliative Care of WCO. Hospitality Committee

After years in education, Nancy Hoganson joined the ranks of fundraising in 2002 as the Foundation Director at Colorado Northwestern Community College. As a participant of Rural Philanthropy Days in Vail in 2003, Nancy was excited to meet foundation directors and gain a broader perspective of the important roles nonprofits play. Since moving to Montrose in 2005, Nancy has worked with Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado and is delighted to be involved in helping to make Rural Philanthropy Days profitable for area nonprofits. She expects that meeting new people and sharing ways to help each other will be a highlight of the conference.

Mary Hughes – Mesa Land Trust. Hospitality Committee

As a new resident of Western Colorado and a fundraiser, Mary Hughes is interested in becoming involved in local philanthropy and promoting the organizations that do so much for our communities. Having lived in rural Louisiana for 40 years, Mary understands the great need for funding programs that reach out to those in need in small communities; by working with the RPD steering committee, she is looking forward to being part of the process of bettering lives in Western Colorado.  

Ann Johnston – Crested Butte Land Trust. Fundraising Committee

Ann Johnston, Executive Director of the Crested Butte Land Trust, has worked for the organization for three years. Growing up in Colorado fueled Ann’s affection for the pristine peaks of the Rocky Mountains, and she and her husband have volunteered for several nonprofits and community development projects.   Ann supports Philanthropy Days because she values the critical role nonprofits play in every community.

Brian Krill – Peak Education and Consulting. Hospitality Committee Chair

Brian Krill has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 15 years, primarily in private, athletic, and experiential education. He has played roles from teacher and coach to Director and Board Chair. In the process of earning a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management from Regis University, Brian is the owner and founder of Peak Education and Consulting LLC, a business committed to building capacity in students, educators, and nonprofit organizations. He is also committed to fostering the success of nonprofits and expects RPD to help him assess the needs of those of the Western Slope in particular.

Marilee Langfitt – Mesa Developmental Services. Marketing Committee

A fundraiser for 21 years and a participant in Rural Philanthropy Days since its inception, Marilee Langfitt has found the event to be a valuable opportunity for Western Slope nonprofits to learn, grow and network with funders and peers in the nonprofit arena. Knowing how much work goes into organizing the event, Marilee accepted the invitation to serve on the steering committee as one small way to pay back all she has gained from the event through the years.

Michelle Latimer – Black Canyon Boys and Girls Club. Marketing Committee

Michelle Latimer is the CPO/Executive Director of the Black Canyon Boys and Girls Club and previous Executive Director of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for the Seventh Judicial District. Michelle has a strong desire to improve lives and create opportunities for youth in local communities. Involved in nonprofit work for over 12 years, she hopes to utilize her skills and diverse professional background while sitting on the steering committee of RPD.

Mary Beth Luedtke – Western Colorado AIDS Project. Marketing Committee

Western Colorado AIDS Project (WestCAP) is the only AIDS Service Organization providing education, prevention, and case management services in 22 counties on the Western Slope. In 2005, WestCAP participated in the Western Slope Rural Philanthropy Days in Telluride, meeting new foundations, becoming a part of a more caring community, and improving its ability to support its mission. WestCAP is excited to participate in the 2009 WSRPD and to bring more partners together to make a lasting difference.

Paul Major – Telluride Foundation. Fundraising Committee

Paul Major's ski industry and nonprofit experience began in 1984 with the U.S. Ski Team in Park City, where he started as a Development Alpine Ski Coach, progressed to the Head Coach/Olympic Coach, and ended as Vice-President of Athletics. He has served as the President and CEO of the Telluride Foundation since its inception in December 2000, growing the community foundation serving the Telluride region with grantmaking, capacity building and initiatives in excess of $2 million annually. Prior to the Telluride Foundation, Major worked as the Director of Business Development for Booth Creek Ski Holdings.

Renee Marr – Telluride Council for Arts and Humanities. Marketing Committee

For more than two decades, Renee Marr has been involved in the philanthropic sector in areas including the arts, education, women's programs, and human services. A strong advocate of involved leadership, Renee is now the Executive Director of the Telluride Council for the Arts and Humanities and serves on numerous nonprofit boards and affinity groups in Telluride, San Francisco, and Chicago. Renee is happy to lend her professional expertise in the areas of nonprofit management, education, leadership development, organizational communications and strategic planning to the Steering Committee for WSRPD.

Jane Nash – Ridgway Ouray Community Council. Marketing Committee

Jane Nash has been an active member of the Ridgway Ouray Community Council since she retired from teaching in 2001. She has volunteered at local food pantries over the past several years, serving as co-chair of the 2008 Ridgway Cares holiday gift and food drive and a member of Women in Support of Education, the Ouray Historic Society, and the Ouray Performing Arts Guild. Jane values the opportunity to participate on the Rural Philanthropy Days Steering Committee as a way of helping enhance awareness of the challenges facing nonprofit organizations in small Colorado counties.

Lauren Price – Community Resource Center. Marketing Committee

Lauren Price works with the Community Resource Center, consulting with clients across the state in strategic planning, board governance, major donor development, 501(c)(3) development, and fund planning. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Lauren has served as the campaign manager for the $19 million comprehensive campaign at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, grantwriter and fundraising consultant for arts organizations serving the physically disabled, and as interim campaign director for Aspen Education Foundation’s $28 million campaign feasibility study. She is passionate about the transformative power of Colorado’s nonprofits and dedicated to the continuous improvement of the sector. One of her favorite and most fulfilling professional opportunities is working with RPD Steering Committees across the state. 

Jeff Pryor – Anschutz Family Foundation. Advisor

Executive Director of the Anschutz Family Foundation and adjunct faculty member in Regis University's Masters of Nonprofit Management, Jeff Pryor has had the opportunity to participate in the planning of each of the biannual Rural Philanthropy Days. He feels that all Coloradoans hold a stake in the health and vibrancy of rural Colorado, regardless of where they live, and that RPD represents an amazing opportunity for nonprofit organizations, local governments, businesses, elected officials, and grantmakers to develop a common understanding about important issues. Himself the recipient of many awards of excellence in philanthropy, teaching, and volunteering, Jeff is enthralled and impressed with the dedication of people willing to give their time to build opportunities for regional collaboration, strengthening nonprofits, and building relationships between grantmakers and grantseekers. 

Pattie Snidow – USDA Rural Development. Marketing Committee

Pattie Snidow spent 25 years raising her two daughters in Craig, Colorado, where she acquired a deep appreciation for the diligent work of nonprofits to support families building lives and communities in rural America. Her involvement with Philanthropy Days began over ten years ago as a nonprofit grantseeker and continued as her professional career advanced from administrator of an area community college, to the Senior Business Development Representative for Western Colorado for the Governors' Office of Economic Development, to the Northwest Area Director for USDA Rural Development. She believes that vitality grows in communities with healthy nonprofit and volunteer cultures, and that the small, vibrant organizations present at RPD make up the critical infrastructure that supports our families and our workforce in isolated areas.

Jodeen Stephenson – Creamery Arts Council. Marketing Committee

Coming from a varied background in public education in rural schools, Jodeen Stephenson has recently joined the nonprofit sector at the Creamery Arts Center in Hotchkiss, Colorado. Jodeen looks forward to the valuable networking and contacts that can be developed through the work of the RPD Steering committee and through participation in the conference. She expects that supporting RPD through marketing efforts will help to connect the valuable event with the needs of rural communities.

Mary Stigall – Hinsdale County. Program Committee

Mary is the founder of the Southwest Colorado Community Theatre Festival and the Lake City Arts Council, a community theatre group in Lake City. Having served on the Steering Committee for Western Slope Rural Philanthropy Days in Telluride, Mary had never considered serving again until she attended a meeting in May 2008 and was met with many fond memories of the 2005 event. Mary reconsidered and decided to help with a good cause, where funders and nonprofits meet in an attempt to solve the problems of the region, or at the very least to make things a little better!

Bob Tesch – Wells Fargo. Fundraising Committee

Bob Tesch has been involved with Western Colorado Philanthropy Days for over 10 years as an attendee, speaker, and eventually co-chair of the 2001 event in Montrose. An advisor with the Wells Fargo Private Bank and a Board member of numerous nonprofits, Bob sees the event as a great opportunity to spread the word about the power of the nonprofit sector and as a venue for growth, networking, and the spirit of philanthropy to create tremendous energy for western Colorado.

Liz Vehlow – Crested Butte Land Trust. Hospitality Committee

Liz Vehlow is the Event Coordinator at the Crested Butte Land Trust. A long-time volunteer and nonprofit employee – primarily in fundraising and event planning – Liz became involved with Rural Philanthropy Days to continue her commitment to service in the community and to promote the benefits and advantages RPD can offer area nonprofit organizations. She supports the goals of RPD and is pleased to be a part of such a valuable event. 

Don Wills – Gunnison Area Restorative Practices. Program Committee

Don Wills is the Executive Director of Gunnison Area Restorative Practices, a Colorado nonprofit whose mission is to conduct and promote practices that repair harm, restore relationships and build community. Don became interested in Rural Philanthropy Days in 2004 when he was the minister at Gunnison Congregational Church and was invited to participate on the steering committee for the 2005 Telluride RPD. He looks forward to presenting the Western Slope as the unique place it is and conveying to funders the complexities and economic realities of modern rural Colorado communities. Don hopes the 2009 Western Slope RPD will shed much-needed light on the needs of rural communities on the Western Slope and better present those needs to funders.