LOCAL
Page
LOCAL
2
Page
Denver Debutante 12-13
After her 15-year-old son survived the Columbine shootings in 1999, Carolyn Mears wanted to learn more to help others who have faced tragedy and trauma.
The Denver Debutante Ball was again held at the Brown Palace Hotel rotunda in a time-honored tradition to introduce young women to society.
Mom of Columbine survivor practices what she teaches
Arapahoe ‘murderer’ entered school through unlocked door
Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson revealed new information about the school shooting at a press conference this week.
Pages
FLEURISH
4
Volume 32 • Number 06 • January 2, 2014
www.villagerpublishing.com
Ball inducts 2013 debutantes
303-773-8313 • Published every Thursday
Index
Page 5..............................................Opinion Page 7.........................................Classifieds Pages 8-17......................................Fleurish Page 18....................South Metro Chamber Pages 19-21......................................Legals TheVillagerNewspaper
@VillagerDenver
2013 Man &Woman of theYear David & Bonnie Mandarich By Glory Weisberg David and Bonnie Mandarich are The Villager’s 2013 Man and Woman of the Year. The Cherry Hills Village couple is a staple of support for a wide range of nonprofits, sharing their time, talent and funds for the betterment of the community for years. They are members of the Charles C. Gates Society with the Children’s Hospital Foundation, supporting the University of Colorado Medical Center, National Jewish Health and Cancer League of Colorado, among other agencies. David is a Whittier College trustee and he sits on the National Advisory Board of the University of Colorado Real Estate Center. David is a native Coloradan and a decorated Vietnam veteran. He joined MDC Holdings more than 30 years ago. In 1999, he was elected the firm’s chief operating officer. That was a very good year for David, as that was when the MDC/Richmond American Homes Foundation was formed, of which he is president. With his guidance, the foundation is helping nonprofits far beyond Colorado. Bonnie was born in Wisconsin and came to Denver in 1979. When she and David married in 2001, she began to focus on the oil, gas and real estate industries. Her wide range of volunteer activities includes serving on the board of the Colorado Neurological Institute, the Volunteers of America, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Denver Hospice. She is an ambassador to the Beaux Arts Ball that supports the National Jewish Health Cancer Research effort. She is now co-chairing the March 7 Excelsior Youth Center benefit, Triumphant Faces Gala. The blended Mandarich family includes Christopher, Michael and John David Mandarich. The nomination of David and Bonnie as Villagers of the Year for 2013 came from several sources, including Edie Marks, a 1986 Villager Woman of the Year, who said, “We at Cancer League value their continuing commitment and their hearts.” Gary Reece gave what is the most remarkable endorsement ever received for Villager’s of the Year: “This is provided as an endorsement of Bonnie and David Mandarich as Woman and Man of the Year. “I have known David for more than 25 years, and I have known Bonnie for approximately 15 years. I worked directly for David as chief financial officer of M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. for 20 years, from 1988 until my retirement from the company in 2008. Since that time, David and I have continued to be good friends, and earlier this year, I began working with David again, this time on a different level, as an independent director on the Board of Directors for M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. “Throughout my 20 years working with David, I have known him to be extremely generous, personally providing financial support to numerous charitable organizations and educational institutions, including a particular emphasis on Children’s Hospital, as well as his Alma Mater, the University of Colorado. In addition, he has spent countless hours of his personal time counseling individuals, from young people to established professionals, on his knowledge and experience in business, as well as opportunities that might advance their own careers. Because David practically ‘knows everyone,’ he also has been generous in making introductions and sharing contact information with individuals who might benefit, educationally or in their careers, from the support of other influential persons in the community. “Since my retirement in 2008, my appreciation for the generosity of Bonnie and David Mandarich has grown, as I have seen them both give of their time, talents and financial resources on many occasions. Bonnie and David have jointly, and in some cases individually, chaired a number of charitable fundraising events, and they have continued to give generously to charitable organizations. I have experienced their generosity directly in recent years, as my wife Barbara and I are very involved in the leadership of two Colorado-based charities that have received some very large donations from the Mandarichs on a consistent basis each year. “In addition to their personal gifts, David also serves on the Board of the MDC/Richmond American Homes Foundation, an organization that supports countless charities in Colorado and throughout the United States. This is an organization that rarely, if ever, turns a deaf ear to a worthy cause, largely due to the generosity of its leadership, David Mandarich and Larry Mizel. “Based on my experience through my close, personal relationship with Bonnie and David Mandarich, I strongly endorse the two of them as Woman and Man of the Year.” Congratulations David and Bonnie! File photo by Glory Weisberg