// FAMILY
MEET THE
OSS FAMILY
Cutting down a Christmas tree
Tell us about your family. Marie Voss-Patterson, 40, principal at Park Ele-
What had you heard about Durango before you moved here? Since I grew up
mentary; Jeremy Voss, 42, principal at Escalante Middle School; Sofia Voss, 12,
in Durango, I was very familiar with the community. We wanted to raise our
student at Escalante; Caden Voss, 9, student at Park.
children in a community that had a college, river, and easy access to trails, as well as an educational system that was innovative. Durango met the criteria.
How long have you lived in Durango? I (Marie) grew up in Durango and moved
in 1997 to the Front Range. In 2002, Jeremy and I moved to Glenwood Springs in
Is there anything that surprised you or that was unexpected when you
the Roaring Fork Valley, and our family moved to Durango in 2015.
moved here? I left Durango in 1997 and when I returned I was floored by the growth. Skyridge, Three Springs, Home Depot, all that did not even exist in
What brought you here/why did you move here? We moved to Durango for
1997. I knew there were a lot of trails from when I visited, but to actually experi-
the community and the schools, as well as the outdoor activities that are so
ence them all was complete joy.
prevalent in the area. My husband and I are both principals in Durango 9R, Park Elementary and Escalante, and we were fortunate enough to find jobs that
What do you like to do as a family on the weekend? Our family loves to climb
centered around an EL Education approach, which is our passion.
mountains, mountain bike, run, and ski on the weekends.
58 ∙ DURANGO, 2020 ∙
EXPLORE LOCAL