Living the Dream - Western Colorado University Foundation 2021-2022 Annual Report of Appreciation

THE THE DREAM DREAM LIVING LIVING

FOUNDATION INSIGHTS

Foundation President

VALERIE HASTINGS

Dear Western Alumni and Friends,

When one asks a friend, “How are you doing?”, a common optimistic reply is, “Living the dream!” The fact is, regrettably, these words are more often quoted than they are realized. That is unless you are a member of the Western family. For us, “living the dream” is more than a reply, it’s a reality. Western has woven it into our DNA. “Living the dream” takes a different shape for each of us, as our lives and our dreams are beautifully unique, but the shared trajectory is unmistakable. For me, it started with my dream to become a CPA. I was eager and a bit apprehensive as I walked toward a towering Taylor Hall and climbed (breathlessly) up the stairs to the third floor (the former home of the business department), the place where my dream was shaped and strengthened. I was mentored by professors who were passionate about accounting, some strangely so, several with Big Eight (that will age me) experience, and all with an uncommon care for their students. More than information transfer, their classes and connection with me was a mix of teaching, coaching, challenging and counseling. They wanted me to understand my dreams as much as I understood the academic content that would make them possible. And to do that, my faculty needed to understand me.

That is the proven pathway to living the dream. And while its challenges and inefficiencies make it rare at many universities, it is as much a part of Western’s culture as deep friendship, outdoor adventure or freezing, oxygen-starved air. What I didn’t fully realize as an undergrad student, was that my dream would continue to grow, yet the education I received at Western was great enough to grow with my dreams. I not only became a CPA but own my own firm. In addition, I now own and run two manufacturing companies with federal contracts. And part of my dream was being a volunteer member of the Golden fire department from which I retired. Western helped me live every aspect of those dreams. The most meaningful way my dreams have grown is in the life of my son, and the dreams he carried onto Western’s campus this fall as a freshman. His dreams include studying computer science engineering in the Rady School, and conceiving, inventing, and fabricating things I can’t even imagine. And Western will equip him, as it did me to “live the dream.”

That’s why you and I give to Western, why I am so grateful for your generosity and proud of the work we do together. Educating our students in this way is effective and expensive. It requires scholarships, funding to attract and retain gifted faculty, and providing the settings and resources for the best relationship-based, experiential education. We who “live the dream” now have the fortunate privilege to make sure future lives and dreams are lived through Western. That’s what you do when you give to the Foundation — you change lives and empower dreams. Thank you.

Sincerely, Valerie J. Hastings President Western Colorado University Foundation

Foundation Executive Director

TOM BURGGRAF

Living the Dream

Dear Western Donor Friend,

Do you realize where you fit in this year’s theme, “Living the Dream”? Right in the center of it! When you give to the Western Foundation, you elevate the lives of our students as you inspire and empower their dreams.

To “live the dream,” one must first have a dream -- become a dreamer. In the pressure to navigate our challenging world as a young adult, that is easier said than done.

Western students are bursting with stunning potential, yet many of them have not felt permission to dream. Maybe they’re the first in their family to attend college, and are a bit intimidated. Some come from families that didn’t help them believe in themselves and their potential. Others know without a doubt that they will reach great heights of achievement, they simply don’t yet know what that looks like. And a dream without direction is hardly a destiny. That’s where your generosity begins to work its magic. You provide caring and committed faculty, staff and coaches with the resources to connect with our students to ignite and identify their dreams. And your generosity to our students, as someone who has gone successfully before them, assures them that you understand them, believe in them, and give them permission and inspiration to dream.

Having a dream is good. Living that dream is the goal. And your giving makes the living possible. You empower their dreams. Some of the most regrettable stories in our world are of young people who have a dream without the ability to pursue it. At Western, you’ve helped to write different and better stories for our students – stories of overcoming, beating the odds, transcending, achieving, serving, and rising higher than anyone ever thought possible.

You do that by removing obstacles of affordability and crushing student debt through scholarships; providing opportunity and resources; challenging them by setting expectations and encouragement ever higher.

At Western, our students not only day dream the lives they hope to live, but live their dreams, because you have made your dream to empower theirs. Because of you, Western is a generous and grateful community, making the world better one dream, one life, one student at a time. It is our honor to gratefully and joyfully serve you as you do so. Thank you!

Warmly,

Thomas F. Burggraf, Jr. Executive Director

Western Colorado University Foundation

University President

BRAD BACA

Dear Western Alumni, Donors and Friends, This time of year, as the leaves have fallen off of the trees and we begin to feel the cool exhilaration of winter setting in, I am moved with gratitude for the changing of the seasons. My gratitude stems in large part to the abundance of energy and ambition you have provided Western through your belief in our students, support of our programs, passion for our purpose, and excitement for our future.

By believing in Western, you have given our students the hope and confidence to pursue their dreams and make meaningful, positive impacts on their communities and the world.

By supporting the programs and faculty that are responsible for teaching and mentoring our students, you helped create a learning environment that is unique, innovative, and inclusive.

You have acted on your passion for Western and belief in our values. Courage to embrace change and better ourselves so that we might better serve others. Growth to nurture new ideas through intellectual curiosity. Inclusivity to build stronger and more resilient communities. Integrity to commit to higher ideals and act with accountability. And stewardship to ensure that the incomparable Western experience is accessible to future generations.

You are invested in Western’s goals and aspirations, and you are helping to write our next chapter of prosperity and success. Your generosity, mentorship, and engagement strengthen the heartbeat of Western and provides an inner warmth on these cold, crisp winter days and nights. Thank you for all that you are and all that you do to make Western the best it can be. We are so grateful.

All my best for a healthy, happy and hearty 2023,

Brad Baca President Western Colorado University

SourceOne CPA Group Lakewood, CO

I not only became a CPA but also own my own firm. What I didn’t fully realize as an undergrad student was that my dream would continue to grow, yet the education I received at Western was great enough to grow with my dreams. The most meaningful way my dreams have grown is in the life of my son, and the dreams he carried onto Western’s campus this fall as a freshman.

(’81)

Chairman of the Board of Directors San Juan Construction, Inc. Grand Junction, CO

Officers of the Board

Vice President NFP Retirement Arvada, CO

Then…. It allowed me to fulfill my dream of playing college sports at a place that cared about me not only on the court but in the classroom. I made lifelong friendships, learned life lessons, gained confidence that provided the foundation to success in the business world as well in my personal life. When I ask others about what Western provided them, the one word that comes to mind is …. Grit!

(’86)

Director, Mission Support Organization Bureau of Reclamation, Dept. of the Interior Littleton, CO

My WCU experience solidified my love of the outdoors, my family, and my commitment to health. I met my husband and life partner (Mark ’87) as a freshman at Western where we hiked, skied, ice skated, ran the PAR course, and celebrated the birth of our two children. The struggles and achievements at Western shaped and prepared us for our successful careers, growing family and our continued love of the outdoors and winter sports.

Ruth Welch | Secretary

Paula Hendrickson, Treasurer

Ron Leach, Vice President

Valerie Hastings | President

Front row Foundation Staff (left to right): Joy Kean, Mackenzie Bode, Pam Johnston, Tom Burggraf

Back row Board: Alan Bassett, Ruth Welch, Jeff Holway, Valerie Hastings, Ryan Liles, Dallas Everhart, Chip Creager

Olivia Reinhardt

“How

Foundation Board Members

Alan Bassett

Marketing & Sales for Rockit New Zealand Franktown, CO

Western provided me the foundation and framework to enable me to be the best I can be. To be a better father, husband, community

grow smaller schools

Chip Creager (’85)

Accounting Creager Mercantile Co. Denver, CO

I always wanted to own my own business. Western provided the tools necessary for long term success in business. It also began a lifetime love of the outdoors and the Gunnison country.

Ryan Liles

Retired, Controller & CFO Oil Field Service Companies

Buena Vista, CO

In the fall of 2021, we were looking for college football near our home. We found Western Colorado University and, in the process, we have met a whole new community of friends.

Carol Rieger

Program Hydrogeologist

Navarro R&E, Rocky Mountain Arsenal Aurora, CO

In 1983, Western State College offered me a haven away from the suburbs and allowed me to grow into the person I am today. It is a testament to the school and community that the special bonds I established with my Geology Department family and my friends from the dorms still exist to this day. Because of my Western experience, I enjoy a successful and happy career as a geologist and am blessed with a wonderful life as a wife and mother. Thank you, Western!

Olivia Reinhardt

Richard Bradsby (’90)

President

Liberty Midstream

Solutions

Denver, CO

WCU is foundational to both my wife Veronica and my own personal realization and continual pursuit of dreams. WCU was and is an idyllic institution to learn, grow and develop. When I first arrived as a student in 1986, I dreamed of a quality education balanced by quality skiing - check. I learned and valued the benefit of smaller class size and close relationships with faculty and administration. WCU provides inspiration and opportunity of learning and development unique from other small schools - when you look out the window, you’re not dreaming of being somewhere else.

Dallas Everhart (’79/’81)

Owner

Retired, President/Owner Chaput Mechanical Manhattan, KS

When I attended Western, the greatest thing that I learned was how to get along and communicate with all kinds of different people. It helped me in my future life immensely.

Jeff Holway (’75)

Chief Administrative Officer

3eLeadership Professional Development Windsor,

CO

Due to the size, location, and culture at Western, I learned interpersonal, communication, and teamwork skills that have helped me in my life and career. The unique balance of classes and the culture has given me an advantage throughout my career.

Kathy Lockhart

Chief Accounting Officer Noodles & Company Broomfield, CO

My phenomenal education, along with my basketball experience taught me to be resilient, to trust that I could accomplish anything I wanted to and even years later to love the places that shape you. Western was the place that I made lifelong friends and continue to connect with an amazing group of people.

Hank Windmoeller (’73)

Water Street Healthcare Partners Chicago, IL

Western gave me a sense of place and belonging.

Retired, President/Owner CRMCulture Louisville, CO

Western helped live my dream of being a National Champion. I was able to be the first women’s National Champion in any sport at Western when I won the 5K in 1987 at the Track & Field Championships in Russellville, Arkansas.

(’86) (’85)

Financial Advisor, Angel Investor Self-Employed Denver, CO

Coming from a very parochial environment and being the first in my family to attend college, Western afforded me a cornucopia of areas and things to explore, enjoy and pursue. The spirit of adventure has guided me in my career and life, providing opportunities one could never have imagined possible. It all started at that little college, in that little college town on the western slope.

*On leave of absence until July 2023

Joanie Todd

Retired, Physical Education Aurora Public Schools Centennial, CO

Lorie Moreno-Rich (’88)

$100 Million Received

Western Foundation Donors Reach $100 Million Milestone

Since the Western Foundation’s founding in 1975, you and other donors have given a stunning $100MM+ in gifts for the benefit of Western, its mission, students, faculty, coaches and programs. Congratulations and thank you for this amazing accomplishment of generosity!

To be clear, this is what you gave, not what we raised. That is not a word game. It is a reality. Thanks to the innate generosity of the Western family, gifts need not be coaxed, persuaded or pressured, they are given joyfully and stewarded gratefully. We have much for which to be grateful.

As you look at the chart below, those increasingly tall blue lines may, on the surface, represent dollars. But look closer. They are people. Each pixel in each blue line is a caring person, a generous philanthropist, someone who deeply believes in Western and its people, valuing them even more than their own finances, who believe, “I would rather go without so that the next generation of Western students may have what they need to thrive.” You are standing together, giving and sacrificing for our students in life-transforming ways.

And atop each of those blue lines standing on your shoulders are thousands upon thousands of grateful Western students, scholars and athletes, engineers and artists, entrepreneurs and educators – all elevated by you so that they may contribute to and serve our world in myriad, magnificent ways. And they will join in elevating those who come after them, just as you have done.

—Tom Burggraf

You have established more than 600 distinct funds at the Foundation (including 324 named scholarships) for every Western academic, athletic and activity program, and allow the Foundation to transfer more than $4 million annually to the University, including more than $1 million in scholarships.

This milestone of $100 million in gifts is not a finish line. It’s a base camp – from which together we will reach more students, give to inspire and elevate higher. You’ve given us more than 100 million reasons to do so. This is an opportunity for us to pause to express our heartfelt gratitude to you for all you’ve selflessly done. More than dollars, it’s about Western people elevating Western people. We are blessed to be a part of this wonderfully generous family. Thank you and congratulations!

Written by: Tom Burggraf

“Thanks to the innate generosity of the Western family, gifts need not be coaxed, persuaded or pressured, they are given joyfully and stewarded gratefully.”

Former Foundation Board Members

Olivia Reinhardt

DONOR HIGHLIGHTS

Celebration of Giving Banquet

Dave Geiman & the Geiman Fellows

On November 3rd, 2022, just short of two hundred of Western’s scholarship family gathered in the University Center ballroom for the annual Celebration of Giving Banquet. Scholarship donors and representatives traveled from near and far, Michigan, Indiana, Denver, Montrose, Pitkin and from down the street, to share a family style meal with the student recipients of their 2022/2023 scholarships.

There was a time that this annual tradition was a few round tables in the Aspinall-Wilson building and no more than twenty guests. Today, it is arguably the Foundation’s largest event of the year. “These dear friends helped give to the Foundation more than $4 million last year,” said Tom Burggraf, Executive Director of the Foundation, “much of it for scholarships!”

Each year, the Foundation invites donors and/or representatives of privately funded, named scholarships to come together with the Foundation staff and Board, University leadership, faculty, coaches, staff, and most importantly students, to be thanked and loved on for the support and investment they have made through scholarship. “When you receive a donorfunded scholarship, you receive much more than tuition assistance. You are the recipient of a legacy, of that donor’s aspirations for the future of the world, or you may be helping to keep alive the precious memory of a loved one for them.” Tom Burggraf told the students at the beginning of the evening.

One donor that has inspired and enabled many mountaineers and was chosen as the honoree for this year’s banquet, was Dave Geiman. Dave established the Geiman Fellows in 2016, in an effort for cultivating leadership in students so that they can excel in today’s marketplace. Applying through an application and interview process, students from all walks of campus are selected to be a part of a dynamic, diverse and dedicated group working together with the mentorship of Dave and other Western faculty. The Geiman Fellows program was designed to broaden perspectives of the changing global marketplace, provide students the chance to partake in enhanced opportunities that elevate their skillsets as leaders such as, analytical and decision-making competencies, emotional intelligence, humility, gratitude, problem solving, resilience and practice in various facets of professionalism.

Ultimately, the Geiman Fellows program hopes to create productive members of a dynamic, global society through opportunities in the classroom, a semester long service project, and a cultural trip funded by Dave. Dave shared in his speech at the Celebration of Giving, “The Fellows program was built on a combination of providing the things I had missed growing up such as travel and intellectual stimulation, with the positive things that I had experienced: the power of debate, the richness of discussion, the satisfaction of reading and the benefits of a service project.” The Fellows travel to conferences and events across the country and internationally to engage in thoughtful discourse about the ever-evolving world. Each year, the cohort takes on a service project, turning out over the years a feasibility study for a local nonprofit, a mentorship program for incoming freshmen at Western now known as the EPIC Mentors, and most recently, Dave Geiman’s next impressive endeavor, the Geiman Junior Fellows.

“The Junior Fellows Program is a mentorship and scholarship program that is now being implemented at Gunnison High School,” 2021 Geiman Fellow and Geiman Junior Fellow Director, Maria Alvarez Juarez shared. “Through this program, high school students are presented with the necessary tools to apply to a university and be successful once they’re there. If they decide to attend Western, they are given a full-ride scholarship, including tuition, room, board, and fees.” Dave has ignited the program, pledging to fund the initial cohort, 10 high school students participating in the Geiman Junior Fellows program, promising a full ride scholarship to Western, through the Gunnison Valley Promise.

Because of Western’s scholarship donor family, Western scholarships are giving young people in our community a pathway to potential. Mackenzie Bode, Annual Giving and Scholarship Officer at the Western Foundation is a ’19 alumni who recalls her scholarship experience as a student, “I remember attending the Celebration of Giving Banquet as an upper classman at Western, it really puts into perspective how many people out there stand behind you as a student.” Mackenzie didn’t know it at the time, but only a few years later she would become the Event Chair of the Celebration of Giving Banquet and the primary liaison between students, campus departments, financial aid and private scholarship donors. “This year was especially meaningful to me. In 2018/2019, I was

a Geiman Fellow and consider Dave to be one of my greatest mentors and friends, then and now. It’s incredible to get to continue working with him as he establishes the Geiman Junior Fellows program and to see, year after year, the Geiman Fellow cohorts that have come after me. To be able to honor him this year was a privilege and a proud mentee moment.” Thank you to all of the scholarship donors, you are the secret sauce to what makes Western so special. If you are a named scholarship donor and have not had the chance to attend a Celebration of Giving Banquet, the Foundation hopes you will allow us to host you and your scholarship recipient(s) next November. Questions regarding scholarships at Western? Please contact Mackenzie Bode mbode@western.edu or 970.943.2226.

Kate Wasson

Dave Geiman gives the keynote speech.

Geiman Fellows 2021 Geiman Fellows work with GHS for Jr. program.

Scholarship recipients and their donors.

Mackenzie Bode and Dave Geiman Scholarship recipients and their donors.

The Heritage Society

There are a variety of ways to Western Up and show your support with a planned gift to Western. The Heritage Society formally recognizes those donors who have included Western in their wills, trusts or estate plans. We thank them for their kind and generous support. If you have made a planned gift to Western, but have yet to inform us, please let us know so we can show our apprecation.

Judith Lee Acre*

Joan Adair

Leona E. Antholz*

Mary Kay Arbuthnot*

Anne Ashe*

Robert Barr*

Roberta Barr*

James Bartlett, Jr.*

Jane Bartlett*

Robert L. Beitler

Avalon Benell

Robert Benell

Elsie A. Bennett*

Ruth Berg*

Rick Daniel Bettger*

Edmund L. Bevens*

Milton Binford

J. Howard Blackburn*

Robert Bonney

John Brach

Janie Braswell

Nancy Spann Braswell*

Barbara A. Breeding*

Jerry Bowen

Cherie Burggraf

Tom Burggraf

Glenn Calkins

Leila Calkins

Gerald Caplan

Martha A. Carr*

Lorena Casebier*

Hugh R. Christenson*

Janet S. Christenson

Ralph “Butch” Clark, III

Harold A. Conroe*

Charlotte Cotner

Douglas Cotner*

Gary R. Counterman

James H. Cox*

Margaret Darr Crager*

Karen Crens

Jeanette M. Dalton*

George Davidson*

Marguerite Davidson*

Peter Dea

Cathy Carpenter Dea

A. Joseph DeGrazio

Tony Delmas*

Donald S. Eastman*

Mary E. Erickson*

Jeane D. Fair*

Michalina Ferrell*

Robert D. Foster*

Agnes D. Giles*

Cecil Giles*

Paul Gillis

William H. Gould*

Mariah Green*

Skip Greene

Carol Greenlee

Jim Greenlee*

William Greer

August Grosland*

Loretto Grosland*

Robert C. Haas*

Delia Fay Haefeli

Evelyn Haley*

Mary Alice Hansen*

John Hasche

Larry Heesch

Constantina Herzberg

Peter Herzberg

Kevin Hettler

Kenneth E. Heuer

Ann Hunt Hieronymus*

Clarence T. Hurst*

Jean Race Johnson*

Henry “Hank” Kaufmann

May Dye Kearney*

Curtis Kennedy Linda Kennedy

John Kincaid* Bruce A. Kolisek Alice Downing Lain* Robert Little* Patti Burritt Locke

Robert W. Lowe, Jr. Jim Mahaffey

Dianne “Dee” Mahaffey Mary E. McDaniel Marquardt

Richard E. Marquardt

Robin Sue Martin*

Mitchell W. Mateik* John McCarthy David R. McEntire

Sarah McEntire

Nancy Menan* Keith Milheim* Wayne Milheim* Barbara J. Minard* Christopher M. Minard* Richard Montrose Cynthia Myers

Marvin Newby* Herbert Louis Niles* Larry Nisbet

Reva Sapp O’Connor*

Roy Payte*

Dennis Pearson Harry Peterson Sylvia Peterson

Debby Phelps

David Pierce Linda Pierce Maxine Pierce

Marjorie Porter*

Ralph E. Porter*

Fletcher Y. Rainer, III*

Sandy Read*

Edwyl Redding*

Lois T. Reed*

Fred A. Reichle* Olivia L. Reichle* Ethel M. Rice

Rachel W. Rice* James R. Richards* Freda T. Roof*

Joseph A. Ruggerio* Mary A. Scherer* Stephen T. Semegen Gerald Shear

Alma L. Sheff* George R. Sheff* Deborah Shoop Kirkton Shoop Anne Shrake

Tom Shrake Bill Smith Burton Smith* Elnora Smith* Janet Smith

Marion A. Stoerker* Mollie G. Stoerker* David Stremme

Jan Stremme

Dan Thornton*

Jesse Thornton*

John Thyfault

Joanie Todd

Richard Todd

Melanie Torpey

Eric Vanden Brink

Duane Vandenbusche

C. E. Veirs*

John P. Vloyantes* Malte vonMatthiessen

Pam vonMatthiessen

Sharon Williams

Wendall Williams

Elva Lea Wise* Hazel Wright* Mary F. Wright* Paul W. Wright* Mickey Zahradka* Nona Zahradka* George Zavislan* Selma Zavislan* Ann Zugelder*

Anonymous (7 individuals)

*Deceased

Mountaineer STEM Scholarship

Fritz and Elaine Culver

“We believe STEM students are uniquely positioned to make the world a better place,” said Fritz Culver, “We are grateful for the opportunity to support promising young people in their educational endeavors.”

1978 Western graduate, Fritz Culver and his wife Elaine, established the Mountaineer STEM Scholarship in 2021. A 4-year, full tuition and fees scholarship with an additional stipend for housing for up to four (4) years for Western students majoring in a STEM program.

Each year, a minimum of two deserving students are awarded the Mountaineer STEM and gain two very passionate, kind and encouraging supporters, Fritz and Elaine. “Overall I just wanted to thank you for helping me find my place here at Western” recipient Arissa Gaertner wrote to the Culvers, “I take a lot of pride in being a Mountaineer STEM scholar. Over the summer, I had some time to reflect on my academic journey here at Western and ultimately realized that while stress is relevant, resilience is key.”

“We believe STEM students are uniquely positioned to make the world a better place. We are grateful for the opportunity to support promising young people in their educational endeavors.”—Fritz Culver

Fritz reflected on a particular memory during his time as a Western student that involved an organic chemistry class, “I had botched a lab and was redoing it during finals week.” His professor, Dr. Laplante, came into the lab and asked why he was in the lab and not studying for finals. Fritz explained that he had to get a decent grade on the lab in order to get an A in the class. Hours later, Fritz took the results into Dr. Laplante’s office. “He glanced quickly at the results and responded with ‘Perfect’” Fritz recalled. “I have always suspected I botched the lab again but my compassionate professor was rewarding me for effort.” Alyssa hit the nail on the head, resilience is key at Western and it’s a characteristic that the Mountaineer STEM scholarship recognizes, rewards, and encourages as their students continue to pursue their education passions at Western.

Elaine’s undergraduate experience was at a large research-oriented university in California. Many classes were taught by teaching assistants and it was rare for an instructor to even know her name. She contrasts this with Fritz’s college experience and fully endorses the support they give Western through their remarkable scholarship.

“It is a great pleasure to reconnect with Western after more than four decades.” Fritz exclaimed. This scholarship is a monumental opportunity for STEM students at Western and is incredibly competitive as the engineering and computer science programs continue to grow, thanks to opportunities provided by passionate alumni and friends like Fritz and Elaine Culver.

Fritz Culver, Arissa Gaertner, Elaine Culver

Fritz Culver, Kai Vong, Elaine Culver

Miller and Adair Reunion A Reunion 60 Years in the Making

In the mid 1950’s, little Jeanie Miller purposefully missed the bus on the last day of school to have a few more minutes with her beloved teacher Ms. Joan Adair. Jeanie was an 11-year-old girl who lived on her family ranch in Gunnison, who didn’t want 5th grade to end. She had grown so close to her teacher that she couldn’t bear the thought of starting a summer without her. She decided to hide in the old schoolhouse, peeking around the corner until the school bus drove away without her. Then she ran up to Ms. Adair, chatting and waiting for hours until her parents could come to pick her up. Jeanie knew she would be in trouble, but she also knew then, as she will tell you today, that it was worth it to have Ms. Adair to herself one more time. Little did either one of them know that on a sunny May morning in 2022, they would both enjoy a reunion more than 60 years in the making that was more than a coincidence.

Joan Adair (’52 BA, ’53 MA), after earning her Master’s degree in Education from Western, would go on to teach elementary school in Gunnison for seven years, then went on to become the first female school psychologist in Colorado. In 1967, Joan purchased a red angus ranch outside of Cotopaxi, which she still runs to this day. She has always had a love for students and for Western.

Three years ago, Joan started The Adair Scholarship Fund to assist promising students who come from rural areas in Colorado. She visits her scholarship students and celebrates her birthday with her Western Foundation Family each May. This year there were 92 symbolic candles on her red angus-shaped birthday cake. But the greatest present was unexpected.

Jeanie Miller (’70) grew up in Gunnison, and followed in the footsteps of her favorite teacher, Ms. Adair, teaching physical education in schools throughout CO, and was named Colorado Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year in 1988 before retiring back to her family’s

ranch. Jeanie also shared Joan’s heart for students, and has generously endowed The Jeanie Miller Women’s Basketball Scholarship and created the Jeanie Miller Volleyball Scholarship at Western. She volunteers at the Pioneer Museum, just south, across Hwy. 50, from Western’s campus. Jeanie had mistakenly taken the keys to the Museum’s golf cart home with her on Wednesday night, and came back to the Museum on Thursday morning to return them on her day off. It was then that the Museum staff told her that there was another Western grad touring the Museum upstairs with Western Foundation staff members to celebrate her 92nd birthday. Jeanie went up to meet her.

When Jeanie Miller and Joan Adair saw each other, no introductions were necessary. They fell into each other’s arms, laughing and crying and sharing stories of that day many decades ago when Jeanie couldn’t bring herself to say goodbye. Joan was unaware that Jeanie purposely missed the bus that day and followed in her footsteps as a teacher. It was a sweet Western reunion after a lifetime apart.

Jeanie was able to join Joan’s birthday lunch celebration at the Foundation later that day. And Jeanie sat where she belonged, right next to Joan.

The bonds that Western people forge, of teacher to student, and friend to friend, though separated by miles and decades – endure. It was a touching reminder the what makes our lives rich and meaningful are the people who indelibly leave their loving mark on us. Western is a place where those bonds are made, sustained and revisited. Thank you, Joan and Jeanie, for being two remarkable women who are linked by timeless admiration, and the desire to bless the lives of future generations of Western students. Indeed, it’s all about relationships, and we are grateful to have you two as cherished members of the Western family.

The 2022 Adair Scholars: Conor Dawson, Sage Harrison, Joan Adair, Wyatt Buhr. (not pictured: Sidney Hague)

Joan Adair (left) Jeanie Miller (right)

Gift Elevates Students

O’Shaughnessy Foundation Scholarship

It was said of the late Ignatius Aloysius (I.A.) O’Shaughnessy, that he “loved surprising those in need with a sudden solution to their seemingly impossible problem.” And the I. A. O’Shaughnessy Foundation he established continues that beautiful legacy.

Daniel (Dan) J. O’Shaughnessy is I.A.’s grandson, and a 1978 Business graduate of Western. Dan has great affection for Western and has supported his alma mater throughout the years. When Dan and his wife, Jeanne, attended the Mountaineer Gala last year honoring fellow Mountaineer and friend, Peter Dea (’76 Geology), they saw and met several Western students, and they got a very generous idea.

They worked with the board of the I.A. O’Shaughnessy Foundation to establish the Elevate Scholarship with a grant of $100,000. The goal of the Scholarship is to help Western students:

• who are top tier students, self-motivators and high achievers

• who volunteer their time and work with charitable organizations

• who are the first in their family to go to college providing access to financial and career success

• who otherwise would not have the hope of pursuing a degree because of financial inability

• who are members of underrepresented groups such as racial minorities and/or students from rural areas

“Dan and Jeanne love surprising students in need with a sudden solution to their seemingly impossible problem as much as I.A. did. And that’s a great way to live and give.”

Kate Wasson

—Tom Burggraf

They wanted every dollar of their grant to go directly to student recipients to cover their unmet needs for tuition, fees, room, board and books. It was important to the Foundation that no portion of the grant be used for program operation or administrative costs (which is also in keeping with the policies of Western Foundation). That would ensure that the return-on-investment in the lives, educations and futures of these students would be as efficient, effective and transformational as possible.

Dan, Jeanne, and the I.A. O’Shaughnessy Foundation board felt that helping students who have experienced a lifetime of scarcity to a four-year education by only offering one-year of scholarship support would only partially fill the needs of the students. Their goal was to see the freshmen receiving their scholarships walk across the commencement stage four years later to accept their diploma. So, they committed to supporting their scholarship recipients throughout their time at Western through a cumulative “needs-throughgraduation” plan.

This fall, Western had the privilege of welcoming five O’Shaughnessy Foundation Elevate Scholars to campus. These students are supported and thriving in ways only possible with the compassionate generosity of the I.A. O’Shaughnessy Foundation. Dan and Jeanne recently joined four of their students at the Western Foundation’s annual Celebration of Giving Banquet.

“Dan, Jeanne, and the I. A. O’Shaughnessy Foundation are providing Western students a future defined by their dreams rather than debt or regret for opportunities lost or denied. Their scholarships change our students’ lives, and for that, we are so grateful.” Said Tom Burggraf, Executive Director. “Dan and Jeanne love rewarding students for their outstanding achievements with opportunities in higher education as much as I.A. did. And that’s a great way to live and give.”

Dan and Jeanne O’Shaughnessy at the 2022 Celebration of Giving Banquet sharing a meal with their 4 inaugural student recipients.

PLANNING & GIFTING

Where Will You be Remembered? Make Western

a part of your legacy

As one moves into the 4th quarter of life it’s natural to ask, “Beyond my family and friends, where will I be remembered? Where will my life and legacy be celebrated?” Ideally, it would be at a place that you treasure as much as it treasures you. Western Colorado University is just such a place. There are many alumni and friends who have remembered Western Colorado University Foundation in their wills, and have secured a legacy here in the form of a named scholarship, professorship, or an endowed chair. And through that, their story is gratefully told, shared and cherished year after year. Yours can be too. Why not secure your legacy at Western through your will? Your will is one of the most important documents you can own. It dictates how your assets and possessions will be divided after your lifetime. It ensures your loved ones are financially protected should something happen to you. It provides peace of mind for your family. A will also is the first step in creating your legacy.

Use Your Will to Give

In addition to caring for loved ones, you can also use your will to extend your support of the organizations like Western you care about most. This gift is simple to make—all it takes is one sentence.

You can also update your wishes as life changes to ensure your will meets your needs. Plus, a gift in your will doesn’t require you to part with assets today, but it allows you to make a big impact on Western’s mission.

To make this gift:

1. Contact us to request sample language to use to make your gift.

2. Make an appointment with your estate planning attorney to create your will. If you already have a will, your attorney can draft a codicil to add your gift to the existing document.

3. Notify us of your intention. It would be our honor to thank you and welcome you into our Heritage Society. Plus, your generosity may even inspire others to follow in your footsteps. (Wishes of anonymity will be honored, of course.)

Create Your Legacy

When you include Western in your will, you create a legacy of giving and ensure we can continue our work well into the future – it’s a wonderful way to be remembered.

Please contact Tom Burggraf, Executive Director, 970-641-2237, tburggraf@western.edu to get started.

Western Colorado University Foundation does not give legal or financial planning advice. Please consult your financial advisor or estate attorney.

Your Life: Your Story

Tell it through “The Story Behind the Scholarship”

The most cherished thing you leave behind won’t be a thing. It will be insight into who you truly are.

One way to document your life and your values is through a tradition that’s lasted 3,500 years: Writing a legacy letter. You do not need to be a strong writer to create something meaningful. Bullet points are just as effective as long-form writing. Jotted notes work well, too. Perfection is the enemy of this heartfelt project.

To ensure success:

• Set a deadline. This is an easy task to procrastinate.

• Find a quiet spot to write that is comfortable and memory-filled. Grab a treasured photo album to flip through for inspiration.

• Give yourself room to return and revise if you like. Documenting your values is unlikely to be an activity for a single sitting.

Questions to Ask:

In preparing your story, think about the experiences that shaped your values. The following questions can help you get started.

• What values are most important to you?

• What major events affected your view of life?

• Who has been your biggest influence?

• How have you influenced others during your lifetime?

• What are you most grateful for personally and professionally?

• What are the most important lessons you have learned from your loved ones, friends or colleagues?

• What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

• What advice do you want to leave your loved ones?

Once you’ve jotted down some initial thoughts, you can begin to weave those values and beliefs into your legacy letter. Remember to share your connection to Western in your letter and feel free to contact us at 970-641-2237 or mbode@ western.edu if you would like to include a gift to us as part of your legacy.

What is “The Story Behind the Scholarship” and what’s the connection to my legacy letter?

“The Story Behind the Scholarship” is a meaningful tradition we’ve established and carried on for decades at the Western Foundation. Each student who receives a donor-funded scholarship also receives a document written by their donor called “The Story Behind the Scholarship.” In essence, it’s your legacy letter. This allows your scholarship recipient(s) to know:

• They are receiving the belief and encouragement of a caring donor like you (far more than tuition assistance)

• They are learning from and carrying on the mantle of your legacy and wisdom

• They are challenged to follow in your footsteps

It is a powerful inspiration for our scholarship recipients. And if you’d like to establish a scholarship at Western and have your story inspire future generations of students, it will be meaningful to both you and them.

Contact Mackenzie Bode at 970-641-2237 or mbode@western.edu to chat about it.

Western Colorado University Foundation does not give legal or financial planning advice. Please consult your financial advisor or estate attorney.

KATY O. RADY FIELD

Mountaineer Bowl Events Complex

legendary O-Line nicknamed “The Big Red Wall.”

“This Bowl project is one that has been a long time coming for Western,” said Jackson. “And I am grateful to be able to help bring it to fruition. Michelle and I are pleased to make a gift of $300,000 and name the home game-day locker room for “The Big Red Wall.”

Don and Michelle structured their gift as a challenge/ match for Western alumni and friends to match 1:1 gifts to the Bowl Renovation up to $300,000. Quickly, Rob and Vicki (’86 Business, member of the Alumni Advisory Council) Wheeler and Tim Bergquist (’92 Business) generously answered the challenge with major gifts of their own, followed by many gifts from other alumni student-athletes, members of MFAA, and friends.

Michael O. Johnson (’77 Political Science) visited campus in May, 2022 to deliver a special MasterClass of “Rules of the Road” to a standing room only crowd in the Rady School’s largest lecture hall and gave the Commencement address in a capacity crowd at Mountaineer Bowl. “Just being there, looking at the stunning view of the mountains, from the tired and worn Bowl itself, it was clear that our stadium needed to match its setting, both in beauty and grandeur. It was then that I told my friend, interim president Nancy Chisholm, that I would be giving $450,000 to the project.”

The Holway, Jackson and Johnson gifts lit the fuse, another gift would redefine and elevate the project. When Paul Rady (’78 Geology) spoke with then interimpresident Nancy Chisholm (’90 Business) about the importance of the Mountaineer Bowl project to the University, he decided to match his tremendous investment in Western Academics (founding and funding the Rady School of Computer Science and Engineering, and the Katy O. Rady Soccer Field) with an additional transforming gift to Western Athletics. “Understanding the important role athletics plays on campus, Katy and I wanted to complement Western’s expanded academic programming with a well-deserved enhancement to the athletic core,” said Paul Rady.

Paul and Katy stepped up with a transformative multimillion-dollar commitment to expand the project to include:

New 10,000 square foot press box to include locker

and training rooms to accommodate women’s soccer and their opponents, scorekeeper box, coaches’ boxes, broadcast booths, hospitality suites, filming platform, restrooms and a concession area with concourse.

• 20,000 square foot gateway entrance to the Mountaineer Bowl Events Complex inclusive of a new ticket office, two locker and training room facilities for football game days and track meet usage, officials’ locker room, and restrooms.

• Addition of artificial turf playing surface and lighting to allow for expanded usage

• New video/scoreboard including a filming platform

• Resurfaced track to enhance our Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams

“The Mountaineer Bowl is a highly-visible pillar of our campus and, in its current condition, does not represent the level of excellence we aim to achieve. We hope to inspire our alumni, community, students and their families when they attend events at the complex. Now, with Paul and Katy’s generosity, together with the Holway, Jackson and Johnson major gifts, we will have a facility that matches the one-of-a-kind, majestic views from Mountaineer Bowl to help make that impact,” said past Interim President Nancy Chisholm. She continued,

“Our student-athletes excel academically, retain and graduate at very high levels and are leaders on this campus. A renovated complex helps us recognize the critical role they play at our institution.”

It is expected that the project will cost approximately $30 million, with $1.5 million remaining to be raised. Western will recognize major gifts to the Mountaineer Bowl Events Complex with naming opportunities within the gateway facility, field, track, and press box.

Athletic Director Miles Van Hee shared, “this has been a priority project for the university and athletic department for many years. Having Paul and Katy’s commitment, along with the support of other generous Mountaineers, will allow us to fulfill this long-awaited dream, and create a Mountaineer Bowl Events Complex that demonstrates our vision for championship-caliber excellence.”

Mesa Properties, who built the 75,000 square foot Gold LEED certified Rady Building, has begun construction this past summer with a goal of opening the new Mountaineer Bowl Events Complex by fall, 2023.

For more information on the Mountaineer Bowl Events Complex and opportunities to be a part of this monumental renovation, visit https://gomountaineers. com/facilities/mountaineer-bowl-events-complex/1.

Name a Row of Bleachers with Seat Back ($5,000/row)

Name a Soccer Locker in Press Box building ($1,000/locker)

Name a Football Locker in Paul Wright Gym ($1,000/locker)

Name a Tile on the Donor Wall of Mountaineer Bowl ($250/$500/$750 each, depending on size)

CAMPUS

Kate Wasson Western Marketing

Engineering Club Aims for Competition

New Society of Automotive Engineers club heads to Washington

In 2023, young engineers from across the country will gather in Washington to put their hand-built, off-road recreational vehicles to the test, pushing the single-seat machines through events that measure maneuverability, suspension and more. That’s where the Western Colorado University Baja SAE team hopes to compete next year for the first time. SAE, which stands for the Society of Automotive Engineers, has more than 100 collegiate chapters across the U.S. and internationally, creating a space for students and industry experts to overlap, learn and build.

A group of Western students first formed the club last year and are looking not only to enter the competition, but to inspire underclassmen to continually improve the design and expand the program’s reach to a new generation of engineers. For the multinational competition, engineering students are tasked with designing and building a prototype of a small, single-seat, all-terrain vehicle that is intended for sale. Students are given a basic chassis, or base frame, and one engine. The rest is crafted by hand.

“And what that does is make it a very large engineering problem,” said SAE club vice president Sean Quinn. “How do you design suspension? How do you design your gearing to be as efficient as possible to give any bit of competitive edge over all these other engineering schools?”

The competition boils down to not only how well teams can design, manufacture and drive their vehicle but also their ability to market the idea — justifying methodology and cost to the judges. While four out of five of the team’s members are mechanical engineering students, the club is led by president DJ Char, who is a business major. Together they plan to merge their skill sets to build a competition-worthy project.

The build also serves as a capstone project for the seniors. While other projects pick up in the middle or finish work other students have done, this is different, said team member Kaiya Firor. Instead she will get to see her own work from start to finish.

In order to compete, one of the team’s biggest tasks is fundraising. The group has raised $30,000 to purchase the materials necessary to design, fabricate and test the vehicle and ultimately be competitive in Washington. Time for the five teammates to build and test is limited — the competition they are aiming for is set for May 31-June 3, 2023.

“There is a chance that if we get all of our ducks in a row, and we just go, go, go, we can have a vehicle,” Quinn said. “Obviously, it’s not going to be perfect and not going to be nearly as complex as the other teams. But we’re looking at the other teams, and we say, we can do that.”

The excitement and push to compete has been backed largely by Chandra Proffitt, Western alum and co-owner of the local business Proffitt’s Resurrection Land Cruisers. Quinn and Char have worked for the company as interns. When Western-CU Boulder Partnership Program Director Jenifer Blacklock reached out this summer for help getting the SAE program off the ground, Proffitt was ready to help.

Inspired by Char and Quinn, and even more so the female students, Proffitt said she wants to see the team succeed and is honored to be in a position to give back.

“This is a hands-on project that turns theory into a tangible product,” she said. “That’s one of my favorite aspects of the automotive industry — after all the hard work and design, there is an awesome piece of machinery to behold, with all five senses.”

The team’s goal is to build the entire chassis before the end of first semester. When the students return from Christmas break, they will begin modifying the engine and look for ways they can create the most powerful vehicle while fulfilling the other competition requirements.

Written by: Bella Biondini

Western Music Family

New faces and programs build a growing music community

With a passion to teach and make music, hard work, and some Western grit, the future of Music at Western is bright. We couldn’t continue to develop the talents and potential of Western Music students without our loyal supporters, corporate concert sponsors and Western Music Partners members! The faculty, staff and student musicians are grateful for the encouragement and collaborative spirit of our alumni and friends. Together we form a community of people who believe in each other and in making music to impact the world around us.

Quigley Hall is bustling with excitement as the Western Colorado University Department of Music has experienced 300% growth and a 98% retention rate for the 2022 fall semester. The launch of the new Athletic Band Program, featuring the new and already popular Drum Line performing at football games and University events is just a shadow of what is in the future for the WCU Music Department.

We welcome new faculty members, Dr. Darkson Magrinelli, Director of Woodwinds and Professor Lillian Magrinelli, Director of Choirs and Voice. These internationally acclaimed performers enrich the Department of Music and Gunnison community. They are already inspiring our students and will be programming ambitious recitals this fall. Dr. Brett Keating joined our faculty as Director of Bands in 2021 and has already revamped the perennial All-Colorado Honor Band. He brings tremendous energy and experience including extensive work with championship-division Brass Bands across the country. He and veteran percussion instructor Dr. Ben Justis continue to be a dynamic duo who motivate students and bring a new level of artistry to our concerts. Completing our music department is Martha Watson Violett, Senior Emeritus Professor of Music; Alicia Belgiovane, Collaborative Pianist and Ken Todd, Chair of the Music Department and Director of Orchestral Activities. The Department continues to support student musicians through robust scholarships for majors, minors, and skilled non-major participants. Parents, friends and music fans can watch our concert live streams and follow us on social media through the tag @MusicAtWCU.

We are excited to elevate our Western Music family and hope you will be a part of the next chapter of the music program. If you’re interested in getting involved and giving back to the present and future musicians and music community please contact Perry Anderson at panderson@western.edu or 970-209-3104.

Written by: Perry Anderson

Kate Wasson

Wellness at Western

Q&A with Niccole Swaggerty

Q. Can you speak to the goals and efforts of universities across the nation addressing student wellness needs and concerns?

Nicole: I have connected with colleagues in our region and across the state, as well as in Wyoming and Montana, and can see similarities. Efforts include supporting mental health and well-being, providing access to preventative medical services, including annual exams and vaccinations, sharing information and practices that address contagious illnesses, and supporting access to food and nutrition. The biggest topics we have discussed have been around COVID-19, monkeypox (MPV), and mental health – now the conversation is around substance use and polysubstance use.

Q. How is Western prioritizing student wellness? What programs, education and resources do students have access to?

Nicole: To support students, Western has prioritized many support services across campus including the EPIC Mentors program, U-Turn to support students struggling academically, Campus Recreation programs to support the students physically, socially and recreationally, and a Food Hub on campus to increase access to food for students. As well, other mental health services include a 24/7 virtual platform to access health coaching, counseling, psychiatric services, and crisis response. We also are grateful to have a scholarship program called Western Rising that supports mental health counseling for students with providers in the Gunnison Valley. Our onsite Campus Center provides direct in-person therapy and counseling support for students, staff, and faculty.

Q. Who are the Peer Health Educators and what are their roles on campus?

Nicole: Western utilizes a best-practice peer educator model to create and implement campus health and wellness programs. Peer Health Educators (PHEs) are trained as a Certified Peer Educator to help their fellow Mountaineers non-judgmentally make safe, healthier decisions and access needed resources. They provide interactive and fun events and learning opportunities for students, campus groups, in classes, and in the community!

Q. Sometimes living your dreams isn’t easy, students struggle with a variety of challenges during college. How can alumni, parents, and friends of the university play a part in the wellness of current and future mountaineers?

Niccole: Promote mental, physical, emotional wellness in your families, friend groups and communities. Be an advocate, normalize the need and use of wellness services, and connect with Student Affairs to learn more about the many student services and programs offered and how you can support them, you can even get involved as a volunteer.

You can also make a gift to Western Rising Mental Health Scholarships by visiting www.westernup.org/and directing your gift to “Western Rising”. Each $100 gift is a mental health scholarship that gives a student a free counseling session.

Olivia Reinhardt

Kate Wasson

Kate Wasson Colorado State University

Olivia Reinhardt

Zach Walsh

Olivia Reinhardt

Western Colorado University

Western Colorado University

Olivia Reinhardt

Brandon Warr

Athletes soar in competition and classroom

11 All-American certificates in 2021-22 academic year

Western student-athletes earned 11 All-American certificates across the 2021-22 academic year, beginning with a quartet from cross country and one football player during the fall sports season. At the NCAA Division II cross country championship meets, Allison Beasley and Katie Doucette earned women’s All-American honors, and Cade Michael and Michael Grabowski did so in the men’s race. The other fall-sport athlete with national honors was defensive tackle Will Lydle in football. Winter sports added five more All-American honors by Mountaineer student-athletes. Cody Fatzinger and Hunter Mullin picked up theirs at D-II wrestling nationals, and Doucette – with two All-American results – and Malcom Wesley added to the haul at the D-II indoor track and field championship meet. The award season wasn’t yet over for Doucette, though, as she raced to her fourth All-American honor in 2021-22 at the outdoor track and field championship meet. Western Colorado was well represented at national championship competitions during the year:

• Football -- with its first share of the conference title since 1998 -- ear ned a spot in the postseason for the first time since 1997, and hosted an NCAA tournament game for the first time since 1991

• Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams participated in their respective NCAA D-II championship meets, with the men finishing seventh overall and the women placing ninth

• Wrestling used seventh- and eighth-place individual performances from Hunter Mullin and Cody Fatzinger, respectively, to finish in a tie for 30th place at the D-II championship

• Mountaineer Cheer represented WCU at the 2022 United Spirit Association Nationals, finishing in third place within the Small Co-Ed Show Cheer4-year College Division, trailing only a pair of Division I squads while finishing as the highest placing D-II squad, and ahead of the other two RMAC squads at the competition as well as in front of two other D-I teams

• Indoor track & field finished 20th in the women’s team standings and 44th in the men’s standings at the indoor national meet, behind Katie Doucette’s pair of All-American races (3,000m and 5,000m runs) and Malcom Wesley’s All-American leap in the long jump competition

• Outdoor track & field completed the championship year for Western, as Doucette earned another All-American honor with an eighth-place finish in the women’s 5,000m that placed the Mountaineers 57th in the women’s team standings

• Swimming and diving sent its first diver to the national event as Sarah Mortenson posted qualifying point totals on both the 1- and 3-meter boards while setting team records for both events.

Several Mountaineers earned personal accolades within the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference:

• Cade Michael was named men’s cross country Summit Award winner (top GPA)

• Will Lydle was tabbed football defensive player of the year

• Anthony Johnson was named football defensive freshman of the year

• Jas Bains was named football coach of the year

• Eireann Donohoe was voted women’s outdoor track & field freshman of the year Getting things done in the classroom as well as at their competition venues, Mountaineer student-athletes posted a 3.34 grade-point average across the 2021-22 academic year. Western placed 109 student-athletes on the Division 2 Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement list; 9 on first team RMAC All-Academic teams; and 165 on their respective RMAC All-Academic Honorable Mention lists.

Within team RMAC academic honors, women’s swimming and diving earned the league’s Brechler Award—presented to the teams that post the highest GPA in each of the conference’s 21 varsity sports—with a team GPA of 3.621. Near the start of the 2022-23 academic year, on Friday, September 23, the Class of 2022 was inducted into the Mountaineer Sports Hall of Fame. The Class was composed of Paul Fields ’78 (track & field), Eric Hannah ’98 (football), Lynn Levy ’54 (skiing and football), Craig Otto ’98 (wrestling), Kim (Pennapacker) Callis ’83 (women’s swimming), and posthumously, James “Skip” Pritchard ’77 (football, MFAA).

Also recognized at the ceremony were Citation of Achievement honorees: Eireann Donohoe ’25 (track & field), Anthony Johnston ’23 (football), Mackenzie Burt ’22 (track & field), Cade Michael ’22 (cross country, track & field), Will Lydle ’22 (football), women’s swimming and diving (RMAC Brechler Award), Jas Bains (head football coach), Joe Packard ’01 (cross country, track & field), Kirby Henderson ’96 (cross country, track & field), Kelly Christensen ’05 (cross country, track & field), Tate Lowe ’09 (wrestling).

Western athletics continues to contribute to the University enrollment numbers. Current figures show 419 NCAA varsity athletes from 13 sports. Including all varsity sports under the purview of athletics (cheer and Esports), there is a total of 500 student athletes.

Student Affairs Adopts a Curricular Approach to Student Learning

Adding additional value to the out-of-class experience

What if we change the way students experience college outside of the classroom? This question has been driving the redevelopment of how we think about the student experience at Western. Although Western has always been innovative when it comes to students, a new and exciting effort is under way this fall to add additional value to the out-of-class experience.

The Curricular Approach is a national best practice that offers a more cohesive means to efficiently use campus resources requiring staff to evaluate programming based on student learning and development. Shifting to this curricular approach provides intentionality, structure, and sequenced learning that is applied to college student experiences beyond the classroom (Kerr, 2017).

In 2020, the Division of Student Affairs (DSA) began working on our curricular approach in an effort to serve students more intentionally and improve collaboration and cohesion among departments. The entire DSA team met regularly in 2021 and 2022 to discuss the desired learning culture which centers around our five goals for student learning, explained below.

The goal of switching to a curricular approach is to increase student wellbeing and learning while enhancing the out-of-class experience for all Western students. Additionally, we hope to see increased student success and retention, decreased student conduct issues, increased professional staff engagement and job satisfaction, and a new culture of learning that puts the student at the center.

We know, it’s a large undertaking and the journey has only just begun. Below you will see the learning goals and objects that make up our current curricular approach. The goal is to provide opportunities for students to experience learning and development in each of the five areas during their time at Western. Success in this endeavor will be obvious when students graduate as well-rounded individuals ready to take on their next adventure.

Educational Priority

As a result of their experiences at Western Colorado University students will become curious lifelong learners who foster change in their communities.

Goals and Objectives

Justice - Students will seek justice for themselves and others by

• Exhibiting an awareness of their personal identities

• Demonstrating skills to be an ally

• Exhibiting empathy for others

• Demonstrating moral courage

Well-Being - Students will manage factors that affect their well-being by

• Using available wellness resources

• Practicing self-awareness

• Demonstrating self-advocacy

• Demonstrating resilience

Life Skills - Students will approach life with ownership and integrity by

• Articulating their values

• Identifying the steps needed to achieve their goals

• Demonstrating skills needed to be successful in the workforce

• Making decisions based on how their choices affect themselves and others

Curiosity - Students will approach life with an open and curious mind by

• Asking questions to seek understanding

• Learning from their mistakes

• Intentionally seeking new experiences

• Critically evaluating information

Belonging - Students will foster belonging for self and others by

• Identifying their purpose for being at Western

• Engaging with on and off campus opportunities

• Articulating how understanding of self contributes to a sense of belonging

• Cultivating their communities

Written by: Paul Giberson

SCHOLARSHIP & MEMORIAL

Kate Wasson

Kate Wasson

Mason Schultz

F4D Studio

Scholarship & Memorial Funds

The following is a list of funds and scholarships, many of which have been established by family and friends of loved ones who have passed as a way to remember someone special. Memorial funds leave a legacy at Western Colorado University and can be directed towards scholarship, a campus department, or experiential learning.

Starting a fund is a rewarding way to pay tribute to a loved one or acknowledge the influence someone had in your life. Contact the Foundation if you would like to set up a memorial or legacy fund to pay tribute at 970-641-2237.

ALUMNI

Alumni Scholarship Fund

ART

Mary Alber Memorial Scholarship

Al Caniff Art Scholarship

Mabel deKoevend Art Scholarship

August J. Grosland Art/Alumni Scholarship

August and Loretto Grosland Masters in Gallery Management and Exhibits Specialization

James Irwin Memorial Scholarship

Brian Hirsh Award

Marsha T. and Pat T. Julio Memorial Art Scholarship

Chris and Barbara Minard Memorial Art Scholarship

John W. Peterson Memorial Scholarship

Ethel Rice Art Scholarship

Dr. Linda Schele Memorial Art Scholarship

Linda M. Sweitzer Memorial Art Scholarship

Gene Tobey Memorial Art Scholarship

ATHLETICS

Ashley Memorial Cheerleading Scholarship

Tracy Borah Memorial Wrestling Scholarship

Bus Riders Football Scholarship

J.W. and Joan Campbell Memorial Wrestling Scholarship

William Charlesworth Memorial Scholarship

Rise Cheerleading Scholarship

Nancy Chisholm Honors Athletes Scholarship

Bob Decker Basketball Scholarship

Lisa Thomas Duits Memorial Scholarship

Elevation Club

William Finholm Memorial Scholarship

Cecil Giles Football Scholarship

Carol Greenlee Athletic Scholarship

Hill Family Athletic Scholarship

Josh Hotchkiss Linebacker Scholarship

Coach Duke Iverson Memorial Scholarship

Herbert and Marie Kaczmarek Memorial Scholarship

Kappa Delta Mu Scholarship

Brian Kiefer Memorial Scholarship

Kelly B. Long Memorial Scholarship

MacAllister Presidential Student Athlete Scholarship

Ken MacLennan Scholarship

Leon “Okie” and Sandy Mark Football Scholarship

McCarthy/Torpey Men’s Basketball Scholarship

McCarthy/Torpey Women’s Basktetball Scholarship

Jeanie Miller Women’s Basketball Scholarship

Jeanie Miller Women’s Volleyball Scholarship

Luke Miller Memorial Cross Country Scholarship

Lowell “Bus” Myers Memorial Football Scholarship

Pederson/Wright/Borah Scholarship

Dan Pierce Memorial Wrestling Scholarship

Ralph Porter Athletic Scholarship

Edwin Randall Memorial Scholarship

Ethel Rice Athletic Scholarship

Jim Richards 1954 Football Scholarship

Samuel William Nathaniel Roch Memorial Scholarship Sievers Wrestling Scholarship

Joanie Mancini Todd Women’s Swimming and Diving Scholarship Track and Field Alumni Scholarship

Duane Vandenbusche Cross County Scholarship

George and Ruby Vandenbusche Memorial Cross Country Scholarship Women’s Basketball “Power in Numbers” Scholarship Women’s Swimming and Diving “Power in Numbers” Scholarship

Paul Wright Memorial Scholarship

John “Yank” Yankowich Memorial Football Scholarship

Frank Zanetell Memorial Football Scholarship

BEHAVORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES

D.H. and Mildred Cummins Scholarship

Charles H. Livermore Memorial Scholarship Paul A. Lowdenslager Memorial Lecture Series Scholarship Duane Vandenbusche History Scholarship Oliver & Caroline Whitehead Opportunity Fund Robert Glenn Wilson, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

COMMUNICATION, ARTS, LANGUAGE, LITERATURE

Jim Baril Memorial English Scholarship

Beta/Gern Communication and Theatre Scholarship Cope/Chevron Scholarship

George and Marguerite Davidson Language Scholarship Jeane D. Fair Scholarship

Charles Gerhardt Memorial Scholarship Glen W. Haley and Loies Borland English Memorial Scholarship R.I. Johnson Memorial Faculty Support Fund

Valerie Mitchell Memorial English Scholarship

EDUCATION

Barr Foundation Scholarship John and Rosalie Birkholz Scholarship Brennecke/Elkins Memorial Scholarship Casebier Education Scholarship

Delia Fay Haefeli Scholarship in K-12 Teacher Education

Greater Milwaukee Foundation - Donald Timm Memorial Scholarship

Kenneth H. and Mary Alice Hansen Memorial Scholarship

Jerrold Hanson Memorial Scholarship

Sophie Hamrick Knight Memorial Scholarship Owen Kuhn McWilliams Memorial Scholarship

Scholarship & Memorial Funds

Karen and Ryan Liles Rural Teaching Fellowship

Jennie and Fritz Nylund Memorial Scholarship

Paul and Dorothy Reid Scholarship

Roberta Rouse Scholarship

Dan Tredway Memorial Education Scholarship

Charles R. Tutor Education Scholarship

Ann Zugelder Scholarship

ENERGY MANAGEMENT

American Association of Petroleum Landmen Scholarship

Denver Association of Petroleum Landmen Scholarship

Energy Management World Energy Project

Fidelity Exploration and Production Scholarship

Gunnison Energy Corporation Scholarship

Gunnison Energy Management Scholarship for the Gunnison Valley

Houston Association of Petroluem Landmen Scholarship

Industry Partner Program Scholarship

T.H. McElvain Oil & Gas Scholarship

Ovintiv Oil and Gas Scholarship

PDC Energy Scholarship

Questar Exploration and Production Company Scholarship

SM Energy Company Energy Management Scholarship

George and Carol Solich Scholarship

Paul Urban “Legends of Industry” Scholarship

MATH, COMPUTER SCIENCE

Calkins/Barge Math Scholarship

William E. Dorgan Memorial Scholarship

Mathmatical Studies Scholarship

John C. Peterson Scholarship

John Thyfault Math & Computer Science Scholarship

Stephen Watson Memorial Scholarship

MOUNTAIN RESCUE

Yvonne Laudick Memorial Fund

Mike Sanders, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

MUSIC

Lisa Anne Memorial Scholarship

Leora Cooper Annin Memorial Scholarship

Rodney and Anne Ash String Award

Crested Butte Music Festival Scholarship

Scott Forrest Christie Memorial Music Scholarship

George F. Damson Scholarship

Mabel deKoevend Memorial Music Scholarship

Gunnison Volunteer Fire Department Scholarship

Harvey Harriman Memorial Fund

Lloyd and Dorothy Heiny Memorial Music Scholarship

David and Shirley Killian Music Scholarship

John and Georgie Kincaid Instrumental Music Scholarship

David and Steven MacAllister Fund

Wayne H. Milheim Music Scholarship

Music Alumni Scholarship

Marjorie Porter Memorial Scholarship

Jean Ranson Vocal Music Memorial Scholarship

Edwyl Redding Memorial Scholarship

Rachel Rice Music Fund

Marguerite Vouga Rule Scholarship

Margaret Stewart Vocal Music Fund

Les Turner Music Fund

Charles R. Walker, Jr. Memorial Music Scholarship

NATURAL & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

The Ralph “Tim” Allen and Anne Blackstock Allen Natural and Environmental Sciences Library Resource Endowment

Jacob Baker Memorial Geology Field Studies Fund

Bartelson/Prather Geology Scholarship

Elliot Brown MCAT Prep Scholarship

George and Marguerite Davidson Geology Scholarship

Hugo A. Ferchau Memorial Scholarship

A.W. Lawrence Memorial Scholarship

Mason and Betty Light Scholarship

Casey James McKenny Memorial Scholarship

Fred J. Menzer, Jr. Geology Memorial Scholarship

Valerie Mitchell Memorial Geology Scholarship Moncrief Scholarship in Petroleum Geology

Richard W. and Belva R. Moyle Geology Scholarship

Mycology Scholarship

James D. Nauman Scholarship

Pre-Health Scholarship

Stewart Family Scholarship

Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society Scholarship

Ted Violett Memorial Science Fund

Ralph and Florence Walker Memorial Scholarship Oliver & Caroline Whitehead Opportunity Fund

PAUL M. RADY SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

The Patty Dixon Foose Engineering Scholarship Mountaineer STEM Scholarship

RECREATION, EXERCISE & SPORT SCIENCE

Rick Bettger Athletic Training Scholarship

Lucy Causley Endowment

Ernest Degutis Scholarship

Donald S. Eastman Recreation Scholarship

Carl “Duke” Iverson Memorial Scholarship Praxl Scholarship

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Matthew J. Billmeyer Memorial Scholarship

Harold E. Binford Business Scholarship

Borick Business Scholar Days

Borick Business Scholarship

Business and Accounting Student Emergency Scholarship

Denver Cherry Memorial Accounting Scholarship

Corbett Family Opportunity Scholarship in Business James H. Cox Business Administration Scholarship

Delta Sigma Pi Alumni Scholarship

Stephen Paul Depp Memorial Scholarship

Donald S. Eastman Business Scholarship

Jim and Carol Greenlee Business Scholarship Gunnison Savings & Loan Scholarship

F.S. Haverly Academic Scholarship

Scholarship & Memorial Funds

William “Skip” Hunter Memorial Scholarship

Phil and JoAnn Klingsmith Economics Scholarship

Kathleen Kregel Scholarship

Robert and Gloria Little Business Scholarship

Patti Burritt Locke Accounting Scholarship

Mikesell Scholarship in Accounting

Mitchell Mateik Memorial Fund

Marshall Miller Business Scholarship Scott and Monica Newman Accounting Scholarship Monica Newman Fund

Outdoor Industry MBA Scholarship

Ralph Porter Business Administration Scholarship

Frank J. Pribyl Memorial Scholarship

J. Ralph Reed Business Scholarship

Dustin Roberts Scholarship

Bill and Bertha Mae Schindler Memorial Scholarship

School of Business International Scholarship

Alva Sloan Memorial Internship

Vern Whiting Business, Accounting and Economics Memorial Scholarship

Roger E. Wilson Memorial Scholarship

Windmoeller Family Foundation Scholarship

Elva Lea Wise Women’s Business Scholarship Wright Family - Athletes Mean Business Scholarship

SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

Clark Fellowships

Elizabeth Cobbins Environmental Justice Scholarship

Defenders of Wildlife Wolf Fellowship

Gupta Mountain Resilience Corps

High Country News Fellowship

Master’s in Environmental Management Haley Project Fund

Mahaffey Environmental Studies Scholarship MEM Buttermore Biosecurity Grant

Mike Martin Memorial Scholarship Montezuma Land Conservancy Multicultural Scholarship/Fellowship

James D. Nauman Envioronmental Studies Scholarship Powderhorn Water Fellowships

M. Agazio Ritzel Scholarship Telluride Institute

Think Radio Fellowship

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

Genre Fiction Scholarship Fund

Nature Writing Scholarship Fund

Poetry Concentration Scholarship Fund Publishing Scholarship Fund

Screenwriting Scholarship Fund

STUDENT AFFAIRS

Martha Carr Westerner’s in Transition Scholarship

Community Church Westerner’s in Transition Scholarship

Sam Degenhard Western Wings Scholarship

Don Goodman Memorial Scholarship

Thomas John Hensley Memorial Scholarship

Helen Hirst Westerner’s in Transition Scholarship

Greg Miodonski Memorial Fund

Rose Reitman Memorial Fund

Partners/Retention Scholarship

Roy Turner Student Fund John Winkelman Memorial Scholarship

WILDERNESS PURSUITS

Kent Jackson First Responders Memorial Fund

Peter Terbush Memorial Fnd Wilderness Based Orientation Scholarship

NON-DEPARTMENTAL FUNDS

AAUW Zelda Rouillard Memorial Scholarship Adair Scholarship

L.E. Antholz Scholarship

Mariah Besecker Green Memorial Scholarship Beware the Air Scholarship

Blees Family “Well-Rounded” Scholarship

Bob and Rita’s Dance Scholarship

Boettcher Opportunity Award Scholarship

Boundless Opportunity Scholarship

Lloyd Buswell Memorial Scholarship

Gerald Caplan WSU Scholarship

Nancy & Bill Cathey Scholarship

CHFA Building the Future Scholarship Douglas and Charlotte Cotner Scholarship Chavez Fund for Professional Development

Paul Colmen, Jr. and Mirta M. Coleman Memorial Scholarship

Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative

Margaret Darr Crager General Scholarship

James D. Crain and Pat Souder Crain Memorial Scholarship

Scott Crismon Memorial Scholarship

Culebra Range Community Coalition Environmental Scholarship Glen DeBroder Memorial Scholarship

Evan James Dirksen Memorial Scholarship

Gary Dolezal Memorial Scholarship

Herbert J. Dorricott Memorial Scholarship

Jared Escobar Memorial Fund

FirstBank Scholarship Foundation Helping Hands

Geiman Fellows

Geiman Junior Fellows

Ina Gerkey Memorial Fund

Whitney Chantal Glover Memorial Scholarship

Gunnison VFW Auxilliary #4267 Veterans Scholarship

Gunnison Promise Fund

Gunnison Watershed Scholarship

Holbrook Family Scholarship

Santiago Isola Memorial Scholarship

R.I. Johnson Memorial Faculty Support Fund

Joseph Kastellic Scholarship

May Dye and Gerald Kearney Scholarship

Brenda Gail Kenny Memorial Scholarship

Lt. General Glenn A. Kent Memorial Scholarship

Frances Hunter Presidential Scholarship

Victoria J. Kirtay Memorial Fund

Olaf Kjosness Memorial Scholarship

R & B Knigge Trail Running Scholarship

LeRoux Family Memorial Educational Trust Scholarship

Liaison Council Scholarship

Robert and Gloria Little “Make a Difference” Scholarship

Luftseben/TKD Scholarship

MacAllister Presidential Honors Scholarship

Nancy Menan Foundation Scholars

Mohab Scholarship

Steven L. Monfredo Memorial Scholarship

Frank Musgrave Memorial Scholarship

Margaret White O’Leary Scholarship

Orahood OJC/WSC Scholarship

I.A. O’Shaughnessy Foundation’s Elevate Scholarship

Roy Payte Scholarship

Pepsi Cola Academic Scholarship

Pepsi Cola Need-Based Scholarship

Harry and Sylvia Peterson Scholarship

Ethel Phelps Memorial Scholarship

Francis Phelps Scholarship

Charles and Lucile Piquette Memorial Scholarship

Ralph Porter Memorial Scholarship

President’s International Scholarship Program

Morgan L. Queal Memorial Scholarship

Olivia L. and Fred A. Reichle Memorial Scholarship

RE/MAX Community Brokers Scholarship

James R. Richards Scholarship

Freda T. Roof Memorial Scholarship

Saltzman Family Scholarship

San Juan Mining Scholarship

Dexter T. Sapp Memorial Scholarship

Mary A. Scherer Scholarship

Cynthia Smith-McHolland Memorial Scholarship

Sodexo Scholarship

Travis J. Speck Memorial Scholarship

Student First Scholarship

Thornton Assistance Scholarship

Dick Todd Memorial Arrupe Scholarship

Turning Point Scholarship

T.W.C Foundation Scholarship

Vandenbusche/Johnson Gunnison Scholarship

Veteran’s Scholarship

Morgan Didlake

James G. Oates

James “Jim” G. Oates served eight years on Western Colorado University’s Board of Trustees, dedicating his time, wealth and skills to Western. He was not from Gunnison and was not a Western Colorado University alumnus, but this Chicago business man was an active and impactful member of the Western family.

“You could always count on Jim to ask tough questions, but at the same time he would be an advocate and a voice for faculty and students,” said Nancy Chisholm, Western’s interim president. Chisholm served for six years with Oates on the board of trustees. Chisholm remembers the sense of humor and “sharp” business acumen that Oates brought to the board.

Trustee Rich Todd said he also admired the financial focus Oates brought to the trustees. “Jim was very sound from a fiscal perspective and he always had a firm grasp of the financials at Western,” said Todd, an alumnus who runs an investment consulting firm in Denver. “You have to run a university like a business. It’s highly competitive and we can’t take for granted how we create revenue and how we spend money.”

Oates died on Dec. 27, 2021 after a long period of illness. He was 78. The youngest of three sons born to the late Helen and Gordon Oates in Kenton, Ohio, on April 2, 1943. He graduated from The Ohio State University and received a Bachelor of Science degree and played football for Woody Hayes.

Upon graduation in 1966, Jim joined the Leo Burnett Advertising Agency in Chicago, Illinois. He began his career as a Media Assistant and quickly advanced within the company to become President of the Leo Group, which is the fourth largest advertising agency in the world, with offices in more than 85 countries. During his 35 years at Burnett, his leadership, vision, and belief that “you win with people”, helped fuel the company’s growth and success.

Jim was a member of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, where he also served as Chairman. He was a member of the Advisory Board for the Kellogg Graduate School of Management and the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.

Jim retired from Leo Burnett in 2001. He and his wife, Sue, moved to a ranch in Gunnison, Colorado. They enjoyed a life surrounded by mountains, rivers, horses, their beloved dogs, Lucy and Bubba, and wonderful friends. He was a board member of the Crested Butte Music Festival and the Colorado State University Extension Advisory Board in Gunnison County. He co-founded and was a manager of the Gunnison River Partnership, a venture capital resource for the greater Gunnison valley. He served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Western Colorado University for eight years, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass, Colorado. His advice and counsel were often sought by many, and it was freely given.

Jim passed away with his family by his side. He is survived by his wife, Sue Ann Minter Oates, his two sons, Christopher James “C.J.” (Heather Heiberger) Oates, their three daughters, Arison, Brenton, and Harlow, and Matthew (Carrie Baldwin) Oates, and their daughter Landry, his brother Larry (Michele) Oates, and sister-in-law Gloria Oates.

“Jim donated generously to Western,” said Tom Burggraf, Executive Director of the Western Foundation. Two of the gifts made by Oates and his wife Sue transformed the Borick Business Building. The first created the professional development center on the second floor, and another led to the commissioning of the bull and bear statue on the south patio.

When making the gift for the sculpture, Oates said, “Great buildings need great art.”

“He was always so supportive of the institution, always feeling like it hadn’t quite grown into the possibility that it has,” Mike LaPlante said. “He always had these grand visions and would do everything he could to help get us there as a trustee.”

Memoriam

William Alvin “Tex” Moncrief, Jr.

“Tex” Moncrief, Jr., passed away peacefully on Dec. 29, 2021, having lived a full and blessed 101 years. On his 101st birthday, Tex observed, “I guess you could say I have seen and done a whole lot of things in my lifetime.” A generous philanthropist and legendary oil man, Tex was most often described as a “wildcatter.”

“Through his gracious and generous gifts, Tex elevated Western and the lives of our students in astounding ways including founding the Moncrief Petroleum Geology Endowment, Moncrief Anthropology Chair, Moncrief Energy Management Chair and the Moncrief Petroleum Geology Chair for Excellence. We will always hold him in our hearts with great appreciation, admiration and affection,” said Tom Burggraf, Executive Director.

Born on the kitchen table in Hot Springs, Arkansas on March 27, 1920, Tex was the eldest of two sons of William Alvin “Monty” and Elizabeth Moncrief.

In 1931, at the age of 11, Tex watched his father bring in a massive oil well in Gregg County - vastly enlarging Dad Joiner’s East Texas field discovery many, many miles south. - “It was just the greatest thing I ever saw. People were jumping around and hollering and hugging each other just like they’d won a football game. I decided on the spot that I wanted to become an oilman.”

Tex graduated from Culver Military Academy in 1937 and earned a bachelor of science in petroleum engineering from the University of Texas in 1942. After working in consolidated’s Fort Worth plant flight testing bombers destined for the allies, he returned to the East Texas field working for Stanolind Oil. Tex then joined the United States Navy, serving in the pacific. Standing on the island of Saipan, Tex watched american b-29’s carrying the worlds first atomic bombs take off from Tinian Island for Japan, and unconditional surrender.

Retiring from the Navy, Tex joined his father Monty at Moncrief Oil. The close father-son relationship and the seemingly boundless opportunity at that time in the american oil industry proved immensely successful, with oil discoveries in East Texas, Louisiana, West Texas, New Mexico, Florida, and the Rockies. Throughout his career, Tex adhered to his father’s advice, “mind your own business and never go public.”

Tex served on the University of Texas board of regents, receiving the distinguished alumnus award. Tex was a lifelong supporter of the Longhorns. In Fort Worth, his vision inspired the merger of the Moncrief Radiation Center with UT Southwest, creating the Moncrief Cancer Center on Magnolia Avenue. The cancer center charter stipulates the center be dedicated solely to serving the people of Fort Worth.

Tex and his father Monty’s long support of the TCU Frogs and endowment of numerous buildings on the TCU campus is well known.

Tex was a close friend of Marvin Leonard and Ben Hogan and served as Ben’s executor. He was a founding member and long serving president of Shady Oaks Country Club. Tex enjoyed (and generally won) a good gin game.

He grew up fly fishing with his father and children at the family “river ranch” on the Gunnison river and golfing in Palm Springs. He astounded his grandchildren and great-grandchildren with his “magic tricks”. Never shy at the microphone, Tex delighted in breaking into a song to accompany his remarks.

Tex was a lifetime member and supporter of Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church as were his mother and father.

Preceded in death by his father and mother, brother Richard Barto, wife Deborah Beggs, and three children: daughter Monty Francine, sons John Herbert, Charles Beggs, and W.A. Moncrief III.

Tex is survived by his loving and much-loved wife Linda; sons, Richard Wesley Moncrief and Tom Oil Moncrief, step-children Debbie Johnson Ryan and Dr. Harold V. Johnson, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

James A. “Jim” Musgrave (’64)

James A. “Jim” Musgrave (’64 History) passed away in October of 2022. Jim was a generous and beloved friend to Western, and one of the founding members of the Luftseben alumni group. He served in the Special Ops in the South Pacific, and lived his last years in Scottsdale, AZ.

Jim served on the Western Foundation Board of Directors for six years in the early 2000’s and quietly and generously helped fund many important projects: The Frank A. Musgrave Memorial Scholarship, for his late brother; the Borick Business Building Faculty Annex; The University Center Pool Hall; the University’s Advancement and Marketing Campaign, among others, often choosing to give the credit to “The Luftseben” rather than himself.

Jim will always be fondly remembered for his warmth, kindness, humor and generosity. “There are few alumni who left such an indelible impression on Western’s campus and on our hearts as Jim. We will remember and miss him dearly and gratefully,” said Tom Burggraf, Executive Director.

Tomah Whitney

Roger Drake

In the first year of World War II, U.S. Navy Lt. Bill Drake was on convoy duty in the North Atlantic, shipping supplies and arms through enemy waters to our troops and allies in Iceland and England. His ship, the USS Pegasus, was damaged and towed to the Boston naval Shipyard for extensive repairs. He called his wife Quinica to bring their first son, David, on the 3,000-mile train ride from the West Coast to spend that shoretime together. Roger was born nine months later back at the Puget Sound Naval Hospital.

His family loved nature. Along with his younger sister, Nancy, the family of five often hiked, fished, camped and skied on Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, St. Helens (when it was taller, The Olympic and Cascade ranges and Pacific beaches. Over a period of ten years he was a cub scout, boy scout and explorer. These reinforced his lifelong values of being trustworthy, helpful,friendly, kind, cheerful and brave. These skills and interests partly determined his choice to live in Gunnison most of his life. He usually had a season pass at CBMR.

He began working at Western in 1969. After several years of teaching he took several annual leaves to finish his doctorate in scientific social psychology at the University of Tennessee. There he also met and married Loretta, a graduate student in another department, and brought her back to Gunnison. She was immediately accepted into his circle of friends and colleagues.

He enjoyed teaching. This involved extra work in the rigorous selection of textbooks that communicated well and were up-to-date with the science. He knew that learning through doing is more effective than mere reading and listening, so he spent much time and effort designing and grading student writing and speaking exercises. He told students that their increased attention and responsiveness in class would carry over positively into their professional and personal lives. Many times at Homecoming and elsewhere, former students told him that his humor in the classroom increased both attention and retention. He retired from Western in 2014.

Somewhat by chance, he supplemented his teaching with scientific research, involving Western students as voluntary research subjects and sometimes, co-authors. He published 30 articles in scientific journals, mostly on the neuroscience of beauty, personal optimism, risk and persuasion (brain behavior). These can be found and read under his name at scholar.google.com Over 600 other scientists had mostly replicated or extended and expanded his empirical and theoretical conclusions.

This scientific productivity led to four separate year-long visiting professorships at Sheffield Hallam University, England, CU Boulder, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. He received other grants in Minnesota, Texas, Rochester University and Freie Universitat in Berlin. Before his death, Roger said, “We’ve enjoyed living in these urban settings with world-class art and music, but have always been happy to return to our friends here, along with excellent quality and community in Gunnison arts and music.”

Tom Prather

Tom Prather, 85, a retired Western State College geology professor, died unexpectedly in a hiking accident on July 26 near Cottonwood Pass. Tom was born in 1936 and raised in Kearney, Nebraska.

He was a fine all-around athlete at Kearney High School, excelling in football, track and field and swimming. Tom graduated from Carleton College in Minnesota with a degree in geology and then received a master’s degree and PhD in geology from the University of Colorado. While working on his PhD, Tom did research and mapped in the Elk Mountains near Crested Butte.

In 1965 he was hired as a professor of geology at Western State College and taught there for 35 years.

While at Western, Tom wrote “Geology of the Gunnison Country,” the definitive book on the geology of this area. He married Elaine Owens in 1971. The couple adopted two children, Katy and Drew, both of whom live in Gunnison.

Tom was a man for all seasons — an outstanding skier, mountain biker, boater and runner. He skied all over Colorado, climbed 48 of the 14,000 foot peaks in the state, made over 100 river trips, including two through the Grand Canyon as well as boating through Glen Canyon before the dam was built. He also ran the Yampa, Delores and Green rivers.

One of his most exciting experiences was sailing across the Atlantic Ocean in his boat with a crew of three. As a runner, he competed in many marathons, including one in Rome, Italy. One of his most memorable hikes was from the West Maroon trailhead, over Hasley, Trail Rider and Buckskin passes and into Aspen — 22 miles in one day. Many of his hiking, boating and skiing expeditions were done with his great friends, Ed Larson, Bruce Bartleson and Duane Vandenbusche.

Tom married the love of his life, Shaunalee Petri in 2003, and the couple enjoyed 14 years of adventures around the world until her death in 2018. He is survived by daughter Katy; son Drew; granddaughter Akyla; Shaunalee’s two daughters, Allyson and Lyn; sister Janet Foote of Santa Rosa, California; brother Jim of Las Vegas, Nevada, along with numerous nieces, nephews and grandchildren.

Tom was one of the greatest persons anyone ever met. On a scale of one to 10, he truly was an 11. He will be missed dearly by all who knew him. Contributions in memory of Tom Prather should go to the Bartleson-Prather Fund in care of the Western Colorado University Foundation.

Jerry Dusa

Jerry Dusa, loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and son passed away on September 30, 2022 at the age of 74. Jerry was born November 7, 1947 in Alexandria, Minnesota to Martin and Vi Dusa. He was the second born son to the couple and was one of four children in the family.

Jerry attended Sacramento State College where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration which prepared him for his successful career as a strong and respected business leader. Jerry was known and admired throughout the business world for his work ethic and his personal integrity. Jerry served on the Western Colorado University Foundation Board and was an impactful member during his term.

On March 22, 1969 Jerry and Margret (Greta) Norbeck were married in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento. They raised two sons, Christopher and Matthew.

Jerry’s family was most precious to him as he would spend his time freely giving his advice, laughter and much love to his two grandsons, Ethan and Wyatt plus many nieces and nephews. He was known for his quick wit, thoughtful discussions, generosity, and his kind and compassionate spirit. Jerry will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Jerry had a passion for the water and was at his best when spending time on one of their many boats. The family enjoyed numerous boating adventures in the Virgin Islands, San Diego, the Puget Sound and the Sacramento Delta.

Jerry was preceded in death by his father, Martin, and mother, Vi. He is survived by his wife, Greta, their two sons, Chris and Matt, their wives, Jessica and Rasa, grandsons, Ethan and Wyatt, brothers, Lee and Jim, sister, Maryann, and many nieces and nephews.

Lionel “Bud” Smock

Bud passed away before the start of football season. He loved his sports!

His passion for sports had a rather unpromising beginning. As a bold and curious 2 year-old, he managed to climb up on a haystack and then fell off, breaking both of his knees. He and his mother were whisked onto the first train to Denver heading for Children’s Hospital. Bud spent 6 years there. His doctor put him in leg braces and told him he would never play sports.

That proclamation, however, didn’t stop Bud. He was able to become the All Conference Quarterback of the Delta Panthers Football team while promising his mom it was a “no contact” position.

Bud continued his education at Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado and received a B.A. and his Master’s Degree. It was there that he met and married Harriet Cleese. They have been married an amazing 68 years! Upon graduation, he was drafted into the Army serving in Germany with the U.S. Army 59th Field Artillery Battalion C Battery, Atomic Cannon Division. While stationed in Germany he was able to locate and visit his Norwegian relatives. He accepted a teaching contract in 1957 at Montezuma County High School in Cortez, CO, where he taught Biology and History and coached football and basketball. As head Basketball Coach his team won the League Championship in 1961, and in 1962 they won the first State Basketball Title in the school’s history. He was voted Coach of the Year.

In 1967 he moved to Grand Junction and accepted the position of Director of Financial Aid at Mesa Junior College (now Colorado Mesa University). He remained in that position until retirement in 1988.

While at Mesa State College he was President of the Colorado Association of Financial Aid Administrators in 19701971. He was elected to the Colorado Association of Financial Aid Administrators Hall of Fame in 1984.

He served on St. Matthew’s Episcopal Vestry Board, Hill Top Board, Western State College Alumni Board, and Western State College Foundation Board. He was President of the Grand Junction Sunrise Lions and President of the Sons of Norway.

Bud also enjoyed fishing, the mountains, watercolor painting, gardening, his dogs and of course his children and grandchildren. Bud was extremely kind, warm, awesome and wonderful, and had a great sense of humor. He loved his family very much. He is survived by his wife Harriet, daughter Roxanna, son Kris, and his grandchildren - Vanessa, Taylor and Sean. He will be in our hearts and missed every day.

Honor Roll of Donors

The following individuals, corporations, and foundations made gifts of $100 or greater in Fiscal Year 2022 (July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022). Every attempt was made to accurately cite each donor. Please notify the Foundation of any corrections.

The Benefactor’s Club ($100,000 to $999,999)

Joan Adair

Cotopaxi CO

Neil Buttermore

Newport Beach CA

William and Nancy Cathey Katy TX

Ladera Ranch CA Fritz and Elaine Culver Albuquerque NM

Tom and Carolyn Corbett

David and Jeanne Geiman

Kansas City MO

Gunnison/CB Tourism Association Gunnison CO Jeffrey and Karen Holway Lake Forest IL Daniel and Jeanne O’Shaughnessy Englewood CO I.A. O’Shaughnessy Family Foundation Bloomington MN

The Platinum Club ($50,000 to $99,999)

Consolidated Electrical Distributions, Inc. Irving TX Matt and Michelle Cusick Bayfield CO Scott and Holly Ehrlich Greeley CO Steve and Patty Foose Troup TX Grohne Family Chicago IL Jeffrey and Christine Grohne

Downers Grove IL Mervin and Barbara Guy Colorado Springs CO John and Margie Haley Dallas TX High Country Beverage

Johnstown CO Kenneth Hodgins

Doraville GA Greater Milwaukee Foundation Milwaukee WI J & W Catering Gunnison CO Richard and Tracy Johnson

Nancy Chisholm and Scott Clements

Lakewood CO Town of Crested Butte Crested Butte CO Frederick Davis, Jr. Longmont CO

Friends of the University Nicole Frazier Denver CO City of Gunnison Gunnison CO Martens Family Colorado Foundation Boulder CO PDC Energy Denver CO Maxine and David Pierce Farmington NM Steve Roch and Lorie Moreno-Roch Silverthorne CO Vail Summit Orthopaedics Grand Junction CO

The Summit Society - Gold ($25,000 to $49,999)

Anonymous (2)

Crested Butte CO Drs. Angela Kalisiak and Marty Smilkstein

Timothy and Judy Bergquist

Arvada CO Steven Borick Houston TX

The Louis L. Borick Foundation Houston TX State of Colorado Denver CO GCEA Gunnison CO

Carol Greenlee Gunnison CO David Hilgenfeld Montrose CO Landman Scholarship Trust Fort Worth TX

Kenneth and Jeanne Levy-Church New York NY Town of Mt Crested Butte Mt Crested Butte CO Bryan Tutor and Paula Mann Gunnison CO

The Summit Society - Silver ($10,000 to $24,999)

Anonymous (1)

Crested Butte CO Danny and Kerry Lefebvre Gunnison CO Ryan and Karen Liles Houston TX Jim and Kathy MacAllister Gunnison CO Jeanie Miller Gunnison CO Mountain Mesa Sports, Inc. Grand Junction CO Herbert Niles Cherokee OK Brendan Pardue Canon City CO Hugh Pitcher and Linda Lebsack Denver CO Clare Pitcher Gunnison CO Jim and Patty Pribyl Louisville CO Stan Pursley Lakewood CO Ethel Rice Gunnison CO Donnie Smolen Tulsa OK Robert Stapleton Grayson GA Telluride Institute - Watershed Education Program Telluride CO John Thyfault Dolores CO Donald Timm Estate Chicago IL Rich and Joanie Todd Centennial CO The VF Foundation Wilmington DE Martha Violett Gunnison CO Dan Warner Centennial CO Waterline Technologies, Inc. Santa Ana CA Oliver and Caroline Whitehead

Edmonds WA Wendall and Sharon Williams

Lakewood CO Diane Woolery Lakewood CA Hal Yale Gunnison CO

Anonymous (2)

Gunnison CO Big Red Construction Inc. Kingman AZ Mary T. & Jack E. Blake, Jr. Midland TX Wayne and Judy Brown Gunnison CO Buell Foundation Denver CO

Dr. Gloria Beim

Brad and Julie Baca

Gunnison CO Wesley and Suzanne Baker

Valparaiso IN Ben Bangs and Moira Fossum

Tulsa OK Travis and Stephanie Berry Denver CO Dick and Donna Bratton Gunnison CO

Justin Burch

Gunnison CO

Tom and Cherie Burggraf

Gunnison CO

Carol Buswell Cashmere WA

Chevron Houston TX

Andrew Chisholm Lakewood CO

Comfort Inn Gunnison CO

Creager Mercantile Denver CO

Fred Davis Longmont CO

Peter Dea and Cathy Carpenter Dea Crested Butte CO

Steve and Lea Ann Devlin Fort Collins CO

Kirsten Dickey Gunnison CO

Jeane D. Fair Charitable Trust Grand Junction CO

Flood and Peterson Greeley CO

Maria Gianaras Carbondale CO

David and Margaret Grohne Sarasota FL

Gunnison Valley Health Foundation Gunnison CO

Jay and Karen Hill Gunnison CO

Holiday Inn Express Gunnison Gunnison CO

Robert E. Jones Ellensburg WA

Kathy Kregel and James Smith Fort Collins CO

Lynn Krekeler Castle Rock CO

Tom Ladd Ashburn VA

Ron and Karen Leach Grand Junction CO

Patti Burritt Locke Englewood CO

Chris Mikesell Foundation Clearwater KS

Terry Morrow Gunnison CO

Belva Moyle Ogden UT

Bud and Karen Najvar Houston TX

Bruce Otten Parker CO

Ovintiv Cares Foundation Denver CO

Jerry Piquette Gunnison CO

Tim Rady Denver CO

Harv and Linda Rees Gunnison CO

Greg and Marian Salsbury Frisco CO

Mark and Mary Jo Schumacher Almont CO

Larry Scott Florham Park NJ

Jyl Voss Lone Tree CO

Jim Wallace La Junta CO

Daniel and Cheryl Wenzinger Grand Junction CO

Western Dining Services by Sodexo Gunnison CO

Nell Whiting Gunnison CO

Bryan Wickenhauser Gunnison CO Windmoeller Family Foundation Denver CO

The Worsham Family Charitable Fund Chris and Liz Wright Cherry Hills CO

The “W” Mountain Club ($2,500 to $4,999)

Adidias

Gary and Dora Alstatt

Grand Junction CO

Todger Anderson and Shannon Armstrong-Anderson Vail CO Bank of the West Gunnison CO

Sue Bartsch Gunnison CO

Reid and Susan Bicknell Broomfield CO

Elliot Brown Consulting LLC Parsippany NJ

Robert and Carol Coon El Cerrito CA Brian and Lauren Cooper Gunnison CO

Denver Association of Professional Landmen Denver CO Denver Foundation Denver CO

Rick and Eileen Desch Centennial CO Diamond Blue Pool and Spa Crested Butte CO

Steve Elliott Longmont CO

Randy L. Ewing Quitman LA

Paul Franco and Sharon Butts Colorado Springs CO Enfield Engine Company Inc. Gunnison CO

Gene Taylors Sporting Goods Gunnison CO Gunnison County Colorado Gunnison CO Gunnison Real Estate & Rentals, LLC Gunnison CO Gentry Hansen Benbrook TX

Virginia Harris Gunnison CO Jay and Dawn Helman Colorado Springs CO Joe and Paula Hendrickson Arvada CO Ron and Jean Hinn Houston TX

Fred Holbrook Crested Butte CO Galen and Nancy Houston Gunnison CO

Russell Hubbard Rancho Santa Fe CA Don and Michelle Jackson Houston TX Steve and Cindy Jenkins Gunnison CO Ryan and Vicki Johnson Gunnison CO Kathleen Kinkema Gunnison CO

Lacy Construction Company, LTD Crested Butte CO Lathrop GPM LLP Kansas City MO

Mike and Korin LaPlante Fort Collins CO Catherine Lauterbach Fort Worth TX Christina Lempesis Parsippany NJ

Michael and Kathleen Lutito Morrison CO AJ Mani Gunnison CO

John McCarthy and Melanie Torpey Gunnison CO Mesa Properties Englewood CO Dale Myers Livermore CA

Oldcastle SW Group, Inc. Ogden UT Walt and Theresa Oleski Steamboat Springs CO David and Jennifer Paddock Boulder CO Greg Parish Montrose CO James and Teresa Peay Denver CO

Linda Pierce Gunnison CO Donald and Donna Prosser Denver CO Lois Reed (Estate) Missoula MT Steve Reynolds Denver CO

Carol Rieger Aurora CO

Dick and Dawn Smith Cypress TX AAPL Fort Worth TX

Virgil and Helen Stan Tucson AZ Neil and Janice Stenbuck Boulder CO

Cabin Creek Construction, LLC Gunnison CO

Leslie Taylor Fort Collins CO

Robert Todd Dickinson ND

Topper Foundation Farmington NM Miles and Tonya Van Hee Gunnison CO

Barbara Wheeler Grand Junction CO Rob and Vicki Wheeler Colorado Springs CO Todd and Laura Wheeler Castle Rock CO Wise Mechanical, Inc. Gunnison CO

Wolcott Family Foundation Paonia CO Patrick and Louise Woodward Overland Park KS WordFire Press LLC Monument CO

The President’s Club ($1,000 to $2,499)

Anonymous (3) Teresa Anderson Gunnison CO

Scott Anderson Gunnison CO

Apple Matching Gift Program Princeton NJ

Meagher Energy Advisors Greenwood Village CO

Geoff Auslen Atascadero CA

Back Country Cafe Gunnison CO

Benjamin and Corinne Bangs Tulsa OK

Douglas Barton Omaha NE

Dan Beck Boynton Beach FL

Craig Beebe Gunnison CO

Robert and Susan Beeken Fruita CO

Sanders and Linda Benkwith Montgomery AL

Thomas and Carla Bennett Gunnison CO

Matt and Katie Benoit Gunnison CO

Benson Sotheby’s Realty

Crested Butte CO

Michael and Ingrid Borah Casper WY Candi Borah Gunnison CO

Walter Borneman Estes Park CO

Randy and Linda Boston Gunnison CO

Richard and Veronica Bradsby Denver CO

David and Patty Branch El Paso TX

Clarie Broschinsky Gunnison CO

Craig Bryant Gunnison CO

BTA Oil Producers Lakewood CO

Susan Burianek Kirkland WA

Mr. and Mrs. Burianek Kirkland WA

Gunnison Bank and Trust Company Gunnison CO

Daniel and Carla Carlson San Antonio TX

Joe and Penny Carrithers Gunnison CO

Art and Beth Chaput Manhattan KS

Abel and Naomi Chavez Gunnison CO

Don and Gina Coleman and Christopher Coleman Gunnison CO

Brian and Patty Coppess Gunnison CO

Brian Cribari Centennial CO

Kristine Curtis Burke VA

Custom Deck Solutions LLC Colorado Springs CO

Tyler Daniels Thornton CO

Mike and Lisa Dawson Gunnison CO

Peter and Susan Dunda Almont CO

Connie Elliott Trafalgar IN

Stanley Elmaleh Boca Raton FL

Pete and Shari Estep Austin TX

Ethos LLC Colorado Springs CO Dallas and Jane Everhart Windsor CO

Family Blend LLC Greeley CO

Lori Feig-Sandoval Fort Collings CO

Nolan Ferguson Castle Rock CO

Peggy Foster and Heidi Daughan Foster Wichita KS

John Franzman Centennial CO

John Franzman and Skip Hohnhorst Lakewood CO

Jami and Stacy Fuller Gunnison CO

Dale Garrett Gunnison CO

Jim Gelwicks Gunnison CO

Donald and Janet Gerardi Midlothian VA

Janet Gerardi Midlothian VA

Maria Gianaras and Timothy Donovan Carbondale CO

Glenmoor Country Club Cherry Hills Village CO

Kenneth and Rebecca Glover Gunnison CO

Teow Lim Goh Lakewood CO

Troy Golle Gunnison CO

Ronald and Lynette Goodrich Pueblo CO GreatLand Log Homes Montrose CO

Beverly Griffith

Austin TX

Gil Guethlein Denver CO

Gunnison Country Times Gunnison CO

Gunnison County Abstract Company Gunnison CO

Gunnison Elks Lodge 1623 Gunnison CO

Gunnison Volunteer Fire Department Gunnison CO GV HEAT Gunnison CO

H&H Transport Delta CO

Delia Fay Haefeli Greeley CO

Richard and Noelle Hagan Fort Collins CO

Jay Hall Scottsdale AZ

Ky Hamilton Gunnison CO John and Judy Hansen Alexandria VA Harco Scottsdale AZ

Joshua Hartner Gunnison CO

John and Kitty Hasche Denver CO

Teri Haus Gunnison CO

Denise Hawk Gunnison CO

Richard Hayes Englewood CO

Daniel and Gina Heepke Fort Morgan CO

Inez Herrera Alamosa CO

Ken and Karen Heuer Westminster CO

Lee and Val Hitchcock Mesa AZ

Faye Honda Aiea HI

Glenn Honda Honolulu HI

Roy and Doris Hood Seabrook TX

Matthew Hossner Denver CO

Galen and Nancy Houston Gunnison CO

Jacob Howes Denver CO

Michael and Debbie Hubbell Des Moines IA

Wayne Hugins Surprise AZ

Kay Hunsaker Canon City CO

Ingersoll-Rand Charitable Foundation Davidson NC

Rita Iverson Monmouth OR Wesley Jack Norman OK Tyron James Aurora CO Glen and Lynne Jammaron Glenwood Springs CO

Gary and Carolyn Jerman Westminster CO

Axel and Trish Jessen Saratoga CA JK Group Inc

Brian Johnson Centennial CO

Robert and June Just Englewood CO Hank Kaufmann Kamuela HI

Gina Keenan-Heepke

Fort Morgan CO

Peter Kelly Fort Collins CO

Ali Kirtay San Diego CA

Dave and Brigette Kirvin Las Vegas NV

Pete Klingsmith State Farm Gunnison CO

Martin and Darby Klinowski Gunnison CO Knowles Land Company LLC Grand Junction CO

Kooler Painting and Doors Gunnison CO

The Kroger Company Foundation Cincinnati OH

Joseph Krutulis

Coeur D’Alene ID

Robert Larkin Gunnison CO

Bill and Brooke Leer Greenwood Village CO

Jordan L’Heureux Gunnison CO

Hal and Ann Logan Denver CO

Finn Lowell Castle Rock CO

Tyler Lucas Crested Butte CO

Alexander and Susan MacCormick Locust Valley NY Kevin MacLennan Erie CO

Sierra Malcolm Centennial CO

Glenn and Debra Mallory

Grand Junction CO

Stacey Mark Highlands Ranch CO

Joe Marshall Parker CO

Margaret Ward-Masias

Dennis and Linda McCurry

Eric McGlone

Pueblo CO

Louisville TN

Littleton CO

John McGovern Denver CO

Dan McKenna Gunnison CO

Bill and Monica McKenny Marquette MI

Donovan and Emily McMahill Gunnison CO

Emily McMahill Gunnison CO

Donnie and Karen Michael Fredricksburg TX

James and Laura Millensifer Oakley KS

Marshall and Lyria Miller

Bremerton WA

Robert Mitton Ridgway CO

Cher Mitton Grand Junction CO

Moen Inc.

North Olmsted OH

Ken Moffitt Scottsdale AZ

Monarch Realty, Inc.

Dick and Karen Morgan

Gunnison CO

Fort Collins CO

Ralph and Dee Nance Arvada CO

Bob O’Hayre Gunnison CO

Robert Osborne Wichita Falls TX

Pacific Life Foundation Newport Beach CA

Pahgre’s Italian Restaruant LLC Montrose CO

Palisades Restaurant & Saloon Gunnison CO

Madison Patton Woodland Park CO

Mark Pearson Denver CO

Bradford Pech Denver CO

Boyd and Sharalee Pederson

Gunnison CO

Louise Pentland Frisco TX

Joan Perkins Gunnison CO

Tom and Linda Perry Trinidad CO

John and Colette Perusek Gunnison CO

Harry and Sylvia Peterson Middleton WI

Terry Peterson Gunnison CO

Judith Phelps Littleton CO

Joni Pike-Shank Aurora CO

Charles and Ashleigh Pipher Gunnison CO

Powerstop Gunnison CO

James Price Evergreen CO

John and Leslie Randall Cripple Creek CO

RCS Farms LLC LaSalle CO

Bill Riffle and Ruann Ernst Scottsdale AZ

Thomas Riser Gunnison CO

Rocky Mountain Frames & Trophies Inc. Gunnison CO

Roto-Rooter Plumbing Tulsa OK

Trent Sanderson

TJ Sardy

Crested Butte CO

Anchorage AK

Jody Sawdo Gunnison CO

Joanne Schilling Birchwood WI

Sharon Schlegel

Cody Schmeling

Cory Schmeling

Signature Properties

Gunnison CO

Gunnison CO

Longmont CO

Brighton CO

Grace Scott Golden CO

Denise Sessions

Santa Fe NM

James Shaffer and Marilyn King Aurora CO

Bob Shank and Joni Pike Aurora CO

Shell Matching Gifts Princeton NJ

Pete and Kim Sherman

Crested Butte CO

Slottsdal, LLC

Gunnison CO

Castle Valley UT Melanie Smith and Amy Zook Aurora CO Florian Smoczynski Madison WI Spallone Construction

William Spicer

Gunnison CO Mac and Kimberly Starnes Westminster CO Mark and Latricia Stewart Parker CO George and Ann Stowell

Gunnison CO Lane Stuht Windsor CO

Kaylee Summers

Gunnison CO Rodney Tabberer

Lone Tree CO Matthew Tamanaha Gunnison CO Charles Thompson

Longmont CO John and Julie Tobin

Highlands Ranch CO Ernest and Judy Trujillo

Hutchinson KS James Tully Littleton CO John and Terry Vader

Gunnison CO Stephanie Vance Washington DC

Robert Varga Denver CO Michael Wade Fish Haven ID Christopher Walsh Castle Pines CO Gregory Warneke Denver CO Sandi Weber Parachute CO Mark and Ruth Welch Littleton CO

Western Colorado University - Education Department Gunnison CO Jeff Wiepking Englewood CO Donn and Heather Williamson Loveland CO Nicolle Witt Centennial CO Andrew and Elise Wood Denver CO David and Katherine Wright

Double Oak TX Joe Wuebben Fort Mill SC David Yost Pasadena CA Karl Zachar and Kara Zachar-Buckley

Crested Butte CO Marlene Zanetell Gunnison CO

The Partners’ Club ($750 to $999)

Anonymous (1)

Loren Ahonen and Lindsay Grasmick

Gunnison CO Todd and Kim Auer Gunnison CO Guy and Connie Barr Carlisle PA Shannon Bounds Littleton CO Dan Buffington Gunnison CO Bruce and Patricia Byrd Fraser CO Glenn and Leila Calkins Gunnison CO Al Caniff and Denise Mayfield Gunnison CO Canyon Creek Investments Co. Gunnison CO

Chevron Humankind Matching Gift Program

Princeton NJ

Rick Corman Katy TX Phil Cortese Denver CO Cliff and Keita Davis Paonia CO

Ron Earl Almont CO

Eddie Evans Gunnison CO Kathleen Fogo Gunnison CO Dee Franklin The Woodlands TX Fullmer’s Ace Hardware Co., Inc. Gunnison CO De Ann Hanson Montrose CO Dr. Jim and Betty Harriss Gunnison CO

High Mountain Drifters Guide Service Gunnison CO

Keith Kirscher and Pamela Miller

Christopher Klein Construction, Inc.

Timothy and Sherry Klodnick

Sandpoint ID

Gunnison CO

Broadview Hts. OH

Mark and Sheila Lake Parker CO

Jake Laramie

Jerrie Lodato

Crested Butte CO

Gunnison CO

Brenda Lott Thornton CO

Jason Lucas Wheeling WV

Kathleen MacCarthy Gunnison CO

Jordan Mattson Denver CO

Kristie Medina Gunnison CO

Mountaineer Field House Gunnison CO

Jennifer Lanier Mullins Aurora CO

Steve Patrick Gunnison CO

Phillip and Joan Perkins Gunnison CO

Pipher Enterprises Gunnison CO

Richard and Mary Schafer

La Salle CO

Gary and Karen Shondeck Gunnison CO

Trenton and Christina Staley Castle Rock CO

Taylor Summers Gunnison CO

David and Melinda Tredway Palisade CO

David Tredway Woodworking, Co. Palisade CO

Peter Tyler Rock Springs WY

Ricky Webber Centennial CO

Stanley and Pamela Whitaker Englewood CO

The Collegian’s Club ($500 to $749)

Anonymous (1)

Kevin Alexander Gunnison CO

Charlie and Gabriela Alexander Columbia MO

Benjamin Allen Lone Tree CO

Albert Alt Gunnison CO

Ken Anderson Westminster CO

James Anderson Gunnison CO

Arc Thrift Stores Lakewood CO

Jaskaran and Sukhi Bains Gunnison CO

William A. Barlocker Foundation Mesa AZ

Bruce Bartleson & Deirdre Fotescu Gunnison CO

Julie Becker-Cordova

Littleton CO

Jack Bergey Vail CO

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Gunnison CO

Frances Besse Gunnison CO

George and Joy Besse Gunnison CO

Eric Blanke Parker CO

Allen and Lois Borkowski

Sioux City IA

Gene and Terri Bower Tucson AZ

Terry and Mary Brace

Town of Breckenridge

Colorado Springs CO

Breckenridge CO

James Browder Gunnison CO

Kelly Brown Pasadena MD

Michael and Amy Browne Wheatridge CO

Derren and Diane Bryan

William and Claudia Campbell

Bowling Green FL

Littleton CO

Clay Campbell Denver CO

Jane Carlson

The Center for the Arts

New Braunfels TX

Crested Butte CO

Sharon Clark-Wilson Littleton CO

Blake Clifton

Crested Butte CO

Kenneth and Rebekah Conkright Thornton CO

Ed and Theresa Cosden

NewCanaan CT Michael and Kerri Coulter

Arvada CO Donald Covey Peoria AZ Chip and Robin Creager Denver CO Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum

Crested Butte CO CS Irwin, LLC Jacksonville FL Brian Cummings Colorado Springs CO Steven Daub, C.A.S.A.C.

Clayton NY Jerome and Donna Dayton

Carbondale CO James and Amy Degenhard Severna Park MD Morgan Didlake

Ponca City OK Alan and Lynn Dotter

Kerrville TX David Durham

Basehor KS Julie Rebecca Engle San Diego CA Four Corners Association of Professional Landmen

Farmington NM

Gunnison CO Bill and Linda Ginsberg

Jeff and Laurie Garren

Parker CO Go Big Blue LLC Craig CO Paula Gorman

Reston VA Steven and Penny Grasmick

Fowler CO Gunnison Materials LLC

Montrose CO Kevin and Jackie Haas Foster City CA Mr. Harold J. Hall Englewood CO Pat Harbour Centennial CO Stanley Harbour Centennial CO Amy Harmon Flagstaff AZ Darci Haueisen Crawford CO Cherrie Haugh Gunnison CO Anne Hausler

Gunnison CO

Grand Junction CO Lawrence Hill Medical Lake WA HH Huff Inc. Delta CO Irwin Backcountry Guides LLC

Joseph Higgins

Crested Butte CO Casey and Debi Ives Denver CO Walter and Julia Jackson Durango CO Jennifer Johnson Denver CO Mike and Amy Jones Golden CO Ronnie and Karen Kibler

Gunnison CO Luke and Fawn Klepper

Littleton CO Connie and Roger Knight Golden CO Darrel and Susan Lamb

Littleton CO Wayne and Mary Laslie Albuquerque NM Michael Legg Montrose CO Carlos and Tina Leyba Rifle CO Mary Lutito-Geist

Arvada CO Jim and Dee Mahaffey

Anchorage AK Dick and Jo Anne Malmgren Boulder CO Paul and Sharel Martin

Tomah WI Mark and Shari Martinez

Champaign IL David McKenney

Houston TX

Gunnison CO Matt and Katie McLeod

Joe McLain

E Jordan MI Donavan and Emily McMahill

Gunnison CO Michael and Mary McVay

Hobbs NM Bennett Meyer

Bob and Connie Murdock

Castle Rock CO Neil Newcomb

Woodbridge VA John and Mikel Obourn Edwards CO Craig and Margaret Peterson

Bloomington IL Gary and Shelly Pierson

Gunnison CO

John and Amy Pilger

Green Valley AZ

Laura Pritchett Bellvue CO

Curtis and Sanja Prock Oconomowoc WI Qualcomm Incorporated Princeton NJ

Galen Reed Parker CO

Rich and Jody Reeser Gunnison CO

Bill Rex Golden CO

Blair and Kristin Richardson Denver CO Mr. & Mrs. Riston

Robus Development, LLC Santa Fe NM

ROMP Skis Crested Butte CO

Albert and Angela Roper Gunnison CO Howard and Rozanne Rubin Houston TX Andrew Salim

Michael Sanders Dallas TX

Warren and Jill Schimpff Jeffersonville IN Rick and Jyll Scott Castle Rock CO

Todd Seymour Arvada CO

SGA at Western Colorado University Gunnison CO

Gunnison River Guides Gunnison CO

Valerie Sheeley Denver CO

Larry Sims Boise ID

Sasha Sittner Gunnison CO

Martin Smilkstein

Lee and Rebecca Smith Ormond Beach FL

Roger and Anne Smith Lakewood CO

John Solanik Gunnison CO

Joshua Springer Monks Corner SC

Gary Scott Steffens Houston TX

Paul Jr. and Diana Still Johnstown CO

Kathe Sublet Magnolia TX

Chris Sutter Henderson NV

John Svoboda Craig CO

Ed Telgenhoff Denver CO Ten Eighty Media Carrollton TX

Tom and Polly Thompson Bend OR Ron and Kathleen Thomte Golden CO Tredway Development LLC Gunnison CO

Charles Tutor Gunnison CO

Michael Vieregge Gunnison CO

Tommy Ruben Villanueva Sports & Recreation Fund

Crested Butte CO

Jan Visintainer Reston VA

Garth and Sharon Wagstaff Evanston WY

Douglas Warshel Littleton CO

Linda Wartes Gunnison CO

Marc Watkins Grand Rapids MI

Jeff and Kelly Weak Gunnison CO

Jack and Mary Weir Centennial CO

Michael and Lindsay West New Castle CO

Lora Westling Gunnison CO

Kent Wilken Newport Beach CA

Joe and Sheila Winegardner Gunnison CO

Henry Wollum and Donna Erk Montrose CO Jason Yang Bend OR

The Crimson & Slate Club ($250 to $499)

Anonymous (1)

Accufacts Research Corp. Tumwater WA

Maria Agazio

Commerce City CO

Jon Ake Lakewood CO

Anita Alexander Bryant AZ

Jeri Jo Alexander Montgomery AL

Ryan and Amanda Allen Gunnison CO

Alpine Acupuncture LTD Gunnison CO

Hillary Andrelchik

APO AE NY

Michelle Anguiano Santa Ana CA

John Anselmo Highlands Ranch CO Michiko Arai Gunnison CO

Nick and Monica Armbrust Littleton CO

Tony Armenta Santa Ynez CA

Michael Arterburn

Engelwood CO

Stacy Auer Scottsdale AZ

Gregory Auer and Megan Guerrant Chicago IL

Raymond Baiocco-Band Littleton CO

Amber Basford Highlands Ranch CO

Kathleen Bauman Evergreen CO John and Patricia Bicknell Longmont CO Gary Bills Sioux Falls SD

Robert and Rose Blaylock Green Valley AZ Blue Mesa Music Store, Inc. Gunnison CO Frank and Carolyn Bonadies Wayne NJ Lorenzo Bonvicini Denver CO

Tiffany Borden Salem OR John Borden Salem OR Margaret Bradley Vero Beach FL Kenn Briggs Colorado Springs CO George Brill Aurora IL William Brinckerhoff Littleton CO Elliot Brown Parsippany NJ Scott Brown Snowmass Village CO Jerome and Jessica Brug Ault CO

Kristina Brumfield

Las Vagas NV Gerald Brusewitz Stillwater OK

Mindy Byron Ward Cove AK

Quincy Campbell Grand Junction CO Patti Card-Van Beek Fort Collins CO

Houston Carr Las Vegas NV CBA Mechanical LLC Littleton CO Hap and Narcissa Channell Gunnison CO Judy Chivers Albequerque NM Kanwal Choudhary Greenville SC Eileen Church Bennett CO The Clarke Agency Inc. Gunnison CO Jud and Betty Clifton Sandy OR

The Club at Crested Butte

Crested Butte CO Craig and Julie Colangelo Monument CO Randall Cole Evergreen CO Rob Coleman Cheyenne WY

Colorado Gives Daniel and Jennifer Cook Centennial CO Casey, Sarah and RC Coons Arvada CO

Deborah Coonts

Crested Butte CO Edward and Stephanie Corridori Littleton CO William Corrington Missouri City TX Mindy Costanzo Gunnison CO Chris Crater Albuquerque NM John and Tammie Craven Denver CO Crested Butte Old Town Inn, LLC Crested Butte CO Justin Cross Sunapee NH

Michael Crouch Denver CO

Bruce and Sharon Custer Hoisington KS

Dave Dalleck Idaho Falls ID

Laura Dalton Cary IL

Thomas and Carol Darcy Surprise AZ

David Davenport Denver CO

Bob David Missouri City TX

Brian and Janice DeMoss Highland Beach FL

Paul Depp Broomfield CO

Christopher and Kira Detert Colorado Springs CO

Brian and Krista Dieke Broomfield CO

James and Mary Dieke Erie CO

Scott Dill and Tami Livermon-Dill Casa Grande AZ

Jordan and Kelsi Dobrovolny Pueblo CO

Anthony DoMoe Verdi NV

Dos Rios Golf Club Gunnison CO

Marc and Karin Doucette Golden CO

Ronald Downs Canon City CO

Mark and Neyla Driscoll Fort Collins CO

Larissa Dubose

Dale and Jill Dunbar Meeker CO

John and Barbara Dunlea Alta UT

Chris Dunn Blue Jay CA

Darcy Dutton Centennial Circle CO

Mark and Lisa Ellis Centennial CO

Simon Engelbert Littleton CO

Tyrel Entz and Sarah Cook Pueblo CO

Environmental Landworks Company, Inc. Golden CO

Donna Erickson Colorado Springs CO

Jim and Sharon Erwin Gunnison CO

Jenny Evans Baggs WY

Corey Ewing and Heidi Cogburn-Ewing Greeley CO

Grant Fergeson Crested Butte CO

Boe and Brenda Freeburn Gunnison CO

Richard and Jabet Freymond Hacienda Heights CA

Kevin and Jonna Freymond Chino CA

Cindy Fuhrman McCall ID

Liz Fuller Gunnison CO

Thomas Gardner Crowley TX

John and Bridgette Gaster Colorado Springs CO

Des Gibson Almont CO

Mike Giesen Littleton CO

Randy Girtin Denver CO

Mary-Lynn Goberis Frisco CO Golden Plains Motel, LLC Holyoke CO

Philip Grabowski Tucson AZ

Christian Grabowski Brooklyn NY

Stephen and Beatrice Gregg Southlake TX

Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce Gunnison CO

Steven and Katherine Haase Gunnison CO

Sherri Hamby Pottsboro TX

Wendell and Pat Hamilton Broken Arrow OK

Jack Hanson Gunnison CO

Bree Hare Gunnison CO

Roberta Harper Gunnison CO

Tony Harrison La Porte CO

Glena Haskin Center CO

Axel and Kristine Hasto Montrose CO

Mike and Jan Hausman Colorado Springs CO Kyle and Dianne Heaton Centennial CO Donald Hlava Gordon NE

Dale and Deanna Hockett

Pagosa Springs CO

Todd Holzwarth Winter Park CO

Kevin Homer Rock Springs WY

Ralph Houdeshell and David Houdeshell Wellington CO Craig Howard and Catherine Easter Anchorage AK

J&S Auto Service Paint & Body Repair

Frisco TX

Mike Jackson Paonia CO

Lora Jaquette Mesa AZ

James Jirele Monument CO Eric and Elisabeth Johnson

Valparaiso IN Larry and Nancy Johnson Westminster CO Edward Howard and Pam Johnston Gunnison CO Jacqueline S. Jones Living Trust Newbury Park CA Richard and Diane Jones Tumwater WA Richard Jones and Ellen Williamson-Jones Tumwater WA Philip Kalin Denver CO

Piilani Kapu-Welch Oceanside CA Jon and Anita Keenan Paonia CO Douglas and Donna Kelley Colorado Springs CO

Richard Kessel Universal City TX Richard and Linda Kieffer Littleton CO Ashley King-Grambley Ridgway CO Jennifer Kjellsen Golden CO Donald and Sally Knight Wichita KS James Kuhns Louisville KY Terri Kunz Granite City IL Tom and Carol Larson Olmitz KS Tina Laymon San Springs OK David and Elizabeth Leach Parker CO Edwin Lehrburger Denver CO Jean Lensch Eagle Creek OR John and Janis Lichterman Memphis TN David and Michelle Lieck Fitchburg WI Tami Livermon-Dill Casa Grande AZ Kathryn Lockhart Arvada CO Lodge Casino-Black Hawk Black Hawk CO Harold and Catherine Lopez Aurora CO Angelo and Lynette Loria Avon CO Brent and Julie Maher Colorado Springs CO Brian Majcen and Emily Killingsworth Littleton CO Jeffrey Mandrell and Denise McMahen Centennial CO Douglas and Jeanette Mann Dahlonega GA Jim Markley Coeur d Alene ID Scott and Zoe Mayer Bozeman MT Tom McCarley Green Mountain Falls CO

Geoffrey McDougal Dr. Jerry and Tina McLain

Chadron NE Kevin and Linda McNeill Ridgeway CO John and Linda Measner Milliken CO Devon and Kristi Measner Milliken CO James and Sharon Mendonca Gunnison CO Deacon Frank and Claudette Mercardante Temecula CA James Milani Thornton CO

Ralph Miller Montrose CO Clayton and Darrah Miller Gunnison CO Chastity Miller Gunnison CO Marvin and Patricia Miller Coeur D Alene ID Ronnie Monroe Sheridan MT Bradley and Veronica Moore San Antonio TX Sandy Morgan Lacey WA Terrence Morgan Edmond OK

Stephen and Muriel Morley

Grand Junction CO

Don Mort Ouray CO

Jeff Moxham

Brookfield CT

Maria Moyer Loveland CO

Gilbert and Mary Munoz

Elizabeth Murray

Colorado Springs CO

Lynnwood WA

Salar Nabavian Denver CO

Frank and June Nails

Las Vegas NV

Maria Namba Venice CA

Dean Namba Seattle WA

Jim Nelson

Hubert and Elaine Nethercot

Colorado Springs CO

Canon City CO

Mark and Michelle Nethercot Canon City CO

Bill and Stephanie Niemi

Nathan and Kristin Olson

Crested Butte CO

Woodland Park CO

John and Mary Osterhaus Medina WA

William and Denise Pacioni

Andrew Palmer

Rochester Hills MI

Colorado Springs CO

William and Gail Palmer Rangely CO

Kurt Panter

Rodney and Linnea Paris

Bowling Green OH

Logan NM

Katie Parker Calhan CO

Linda Paulaitis Monkton MD

Stephan Perkins Cedaredge CO

John and Summer Pieper Midland TX

William and Norene Piquette

La Junta CO

Janine Pleau Gunnison CO

Steven Powers Portland OR

Chandra and Jeremiah Proffitt Gunnison CO

PS Consulting Gunnison CO

Roger Raquenio Reedley CA

Curtis Rau Greeley CO

John and Donna Rau

Las Vegas NV

Erika Redfern Lone Tree CO

Revive Physical Therapy Gunnison CO

Luis Rios Cerritos CA

Mark and Tanya Riters

Longmont CO

Bret Roberts Westminster CO

Jermaine Rodney Gunnison CO

Nancy Ruehle Gunnison CO

George Santelli

Crested Butte CO

S.A.W. Contracting, LLC Gunnison CO

Kevin and Barbara Sawyer Cupertino CA

Bradd and Jada Schafer Gunnison CO

William and Kaysie Schmidt

La Junta CO

Laura Schmidt Austin TX

Brandon and Brittany Schoborg

Robert Schultz

Lance and Nadine Scranton

E. Michael Senter

Laura Servatius

Littleton CO

Crested Butte CO

Craig CO

Buena Vista CO

Colorado Springs CO

James and Pamela Shaddock Greeley CO

The Shanor Group LLC Denver CO

Todd and Carrie Shaw Gunnison CO

Bret and Holly Shaw Greeley CO

Taylor Shelafo

Sharrie Sheridan

John and Roxanne Shouse

Michael and Christine Smith

Dawn Smith

Anchorage AK

Colorado Springs CO

Tom and Anne Shrake Reno NV

Mary Simon

Grand Junction CO

Jeffrey Smith Bethesda MD

Loveland CO

Broomfield CO

Jim Stanley Gunnison CO

Tom and Tina Starman

Cristina Stevens

Wesley and Georgette Strain

Substratum Excavation LLC

Pontiac MI

Byers CO Kimberly Starnes

Colorado Springs CO

Las Cruces NM

Gunnison CO

Troy Sweet Grand Junction CO Jeff Taets Grand Junction CO

Ty and Jennifer Tatham Mead CO T-Bill Stock Company

Gunnison CO Gil Thibedore and Renata Bluhm

Timothy Tracy

Franklin TN

Albuquerque NM

Barbara Trepanier Denver CO

Triple Crown Casinos

Cripple Creek CO Scott Tucker and Elizabeth Miller-Tucker Marietta GA

Bradley Tutor Gunnison CO United Wholesale Mortgage

Utilligent

Los Angeles CA

Edward and Rosalie Valencia Solvang CA Dawn and Pamela Valencia

Santa Ynez CA Lisa Valencia

Santa Ynez CA Erica Vernon

Crested Butte CO Phillip and Carolyn Virden Lake City CO Edward and Michelle Walton

Thornton CO Michael and Erin Ward Elizabeth CO Sherran L. Webster Arvada CO Lee Wegner & Jackie Gabriel Gunnison CO Western Engineering Consultants Inc., LLC

Brush CO

Canon City CO Randall Wheat Denver CO Jack and Pam White Farmington UT Scott and Karen White Centennial CO

Edgeworth Westwater

Wildwood Casino

Cripple Creek CO Catherine R. Wilkens Gunnison CO Donald and Suzanne Wilkinson

Colorado Springs CO Dustin Williams Liberty MO Gregory and Alice Williams

Harvard MA James and Lauren Willis Denver CO Dana Wilson

Asherton TX Michelle Wood

Castle Rock CO Richard and Melissa Wood Monument CO David and Anna Woodruff Tulsa OK Bill and Susan Woodward

Kingman KS A. Dennis Zehnle

Centennial CO Jack and Diane Zelinger

Sun Lakes AZ Sherwood Zimmerman and Nancy Olson Tucson AZ

AAMCO Transmissions

Fort Collins CO

Juan Abeyta Montrose CO

Patrick Adams and Sarah Lucio-Adams

Loveland CO Rowdy and Deborah Adams

Leesburg VA Michael and Blair Aimone

Green River WY Charles Alexander Montrose CO

Bernhard and Brynn Ambauen

Sandpoint ID Amicas Pizza Salida CO Stacey Anderson Albuquerque NM

Donald and Mary Eggebrecht

Eric and Melody Eichner

George Eidinger

St. Joseph MO

Ward Cove AK

Las Animas CO

Mark and Aurora Eike Craig CO

Justin and Sandra Eldridge Broomfield CO

Darcie Ell Loveland CO

Richard and Patricia Ellis Lander WY

Steven and Bridget Englebretson Raleigh NC James and Teneille Eschenbrenner Meridian ID EUREKA! McConnell Science

John Eyman Long Beach CA

Dave Fagan Morrison CO

Falcon Surveying, Inc. Lakewood CO

Nancy Fallis Grand Junction CO

Lee and Kassi Fanyo Lakewood CO

Joe and Donna Farner Kingman AZ

Eric and Jennifer Farrenkopf Tulare CA

Nick and Gwen Fears Hamilton OH

Vickie Fellows Gunnison CO

Roger Ferris Olympia WA

Eric Fike Tucson AZ

Jeff Fisher Vermillion SD

Larry and Linda Fitzsimons Morrison CO

Robert and Karen Fletcher Raleigh NC

Richard Fogel

Timothy Foley Bennington VT

Theresa Frank Fort Collins CO

Carolyn Franke Roggen CO

Katherine Frazier Boulder CO

Taren Frazier Gunnison CO

Town of Frisco

William Fritzler Sterling CO

Lee Frost

Robert Frungillo

Fundamental Beginnings Daycare Center LLC Houston TX

Matthew and Denise Furubotten Cedaredge CO

Michael and Patricia Gabriel Arvada CO

Amy Galey Gunnison CO

Rene Hays Aurora CO

Gerald and Lisa Gamez Cedar Park TX

Robert Ganch and John Chodacki Berkeley CA

Brandon and Pamela Garcia Colorado Springs CO

Stephanie M. Garcia Denver CO

Tiffany Gardner Salem OR

Elvia Garmon Inglewood CA

Dennis and Marlene Gaster Rye CO

H&R Block Chadron Chadron NE

Peter and Nancy Gauss Gunnison CO

Tanner Geiger Grand Junction CO

Ann Giberson Tucson AZ

Gary and Ann Giberson Tucson AZ

Kerri Gilday Croton on Hudson NY

D.K. Gilder and K.C. McDermott Prescott AZ

Paul Gillis BeijingChina

Karlie Ginther Pueblo CO

Diane Glenn Lakewood CO

Howard Goldschmidt

Verlie Gonzales Trinidad CO

Robert Gonzalez El Paso TX

Zane and Maria Gordon Golden CO Susan Gore Gunnison CO

Dean Grable Eaton CO

Chris and Kathleen Grable Eaton CO Mary Grady Chicago IL Zeta Graham Gunnison CO Abigail Grant Herculaneum MO Juan Grau

K.G. Graulus

Fort Morgan CO Quintan and Lori Gray Florissant CO Bill and Melynie Greaser Amarillo TX Chris Green Gunnison CO

Levi Greenly Houston TX

Andrew Gresh Durango CO Kenneth Griesel and Donna Nicholas-Griesel Coaldale CO Grady and Lynda Grissom Fowler CO Gerardo Guerrero Alameda CA Gunnison Golf Club, Inc. Gunnison CO Gunsmoke Travel Plaza Buena Vista CO Peter and Michelle Gutierrez Clovis CA Lucile Hadley Cortez CO

Jacqueline Haines-Bobbitt Colorado Springs CO Linda Hammons

Dan Hanich Buena Park CA Eric Hannah East Lansing MI Chris and Jamia Hansen-Murray Seattle WA Ellen Harriman Gunnison CO James and Theresa Hart Grapevine TX

Terry Hartnett Sun City AZ Justin Hastings Crested Butte CO Dudley Land Company Denver CO

John Hay Conifer CO Robert and Mary Heath Carmine TX Lorry Heenan Raymore MT JoLynn Heil Dillon CO Michael Heiner Bellvue CO Gary Helberg Yukon OK Don Hickman Merrifield MN Gavin and Nichole Higashi Brighton CO Steve and Diane Hill Ridgway CO

Bryan Hilton Center Valley PA Matthew and Victoria Hodson Sand Springs OK Anthony Hoehler Littleton CO David Hofer Belgrade MT Carol Hogsett Santa Fe NM

John Hollett Seattle WA

Thomas Holtgrave Granite City IL

Andrea Hornett Exton PA Travis and Samantha Hovel Highlands Ranch CO Maresa Hubbard Aurora CO John and Heather Hull Pueblo CO Bill and Margo Humenczuk

Overland Park KS Roger and Bobbi Hutchison Delta CO Tom and Maribeth Hutchison Pueblo CO Amy Huyink Aurora CO

Jacqueline Imle Kenai AK

Victor Indiek Corona Del Mar CA Glenn and Donna Isaacson Broomfield CO John Jackson High Island TX Janis Jacobs Creede CO Janice Jacobs Mission Viejo CA Holly Jacobs Pueblo CO Melissa James Harker Heights TX

Harold and Priscilla Janks

Mountainville NY

Thomas Jeffrey Richmond VA

Julie Jenkins Aurora CO

Laurie Jensch Orlando FL

John and Laurie Jensch Orlando FL

Ben and Roseann Johnson Delta CO

Royce Johnson Sahuarita AZ

Lee and Carolyn Johnson Delta CO

Jimmie Johnson Real Estate LLC Clinton OK

Bea and Marvin Jones Pueblo CO

Douglas and Cynthia Jones Olympia WA

John Jordan Arvada CO

Josephs’ Hardware & Home Center Fort Collins CO

George Juelfs Bridgeport NE

Doug Juelfs Fort Collins CO

Richard Juelfs Dalton NE

Nicholas Karahalios Falmouth ME

Julia Karcher

V. Karlin and Gunta Riters

Fort Collins CO

John and Lucy Kasozi Aurora CO

Barbara Kastellic Montrose CO

Gary and Janette Kell Broomfield CO

James and Niomi Keller Elgin ND

Christy Kelln Mesa AZ

Donald and Susan Kennedy Denver CO

John Kennison Los Alamos NM

Sally Kibbe San Antonio TX

John Kiesel Arvada CO

David and Margaret Killoy Colorado Springs CO

Kimmeridge Energy Denver CO

Charles King Round Rock TX

Shawn Kingery Bailey CO

Robert and Shannon Kirby Pacific Grove CA

Leo and Judy Klinker Montrose CO

Joe and Jamie Knez Hayden CO

Rebecca Kopka Saint Paul MN

Adolph and Phyllis Koroshetz Canon City CO Blake Krenke Denver CO

Krew Cuts Lawn and Landscape Greeley CO

Joan Kritzberg San Bernardino CA

Steve and Connie Kruck Norwalk IA Lisa Kruczynski Longmont CO Matt Lackey

Reino and Arlene Lake Iron Mountain MI

Jonathan Laramie Larkspur International Co

Dani Leach Gunnison CO

James Lebherz San Antonio TX

Beverly Lebherz San Antonio TX

Vasiliki Lempesis

Richard Lent Manchester NH

Thomas Leonard Glenview IL

Leone Ready Mix, LLC Trinidad CO

Robert Leonhardt Pine Bush NY

Candie Leuthauser Wiggins CO

Gregory Lieck Oregon WI

Michael and Mary Lieck Mazomaine WI

David and Elise Lind Grand Junction CO

Les and Sharie Lisowski Gunnison CO

T.L. Livermore Gunnison CO

William Livingood Lakewood CO

Ken and Angela Lombardi

Arvada CO

Kent and Pamela Long Aurora CO Roger and Pat Long Parker CO Gary and Suzanne Love Grain Vly MO Jacob Lucero Santa Fe NM

Lucy Lucio Loveland CO LW Enterprises, LLC Johnstown CO Michael and Christine Lydle Littleton CO Kevin Lynch Westminster CO Jose Macias and Veronica Plascencia Santa Ana CA Luis Macias and Veronica Plascencia Santa Ana CA

Joe Maciaszek Monroe LA

Ronald and Barbara Mack Grand Junction CO Victoria MacKay Aurora CO Fernando and Rayna Maldonado Queen Creek AZ Nipher Malika Aurora CO

Richard and Linda Malonson Littleton CO Dante Markley Cedaredge CO Diane Marshall Colorado Springs CO

Robert Martin Bell Gardens CA

Ralph Martinez Torrance CA Mark and Shari Martinez Champaign IL Quentin and Jeanne Mason Colorado Springs CO Robert and Trudy Matarese Vail CO Kenneth Matzick and Amy Barry-Matzick Arvada CO John Maurer Fruita CO

Christopher and Melissa Maxwell Peralta NM Warren May Morgan Hill CA Craig McBreen Broomfield CO

Jerry and Peggy McCauley Loveland CO Carrie McCulloch Montrose CO

Robert McCulloch Montrose CO Fred McKee Cedaredge CO Jerry and Tina McLain Chadron NE Kimberly Measner Greely CO Melanzana

Cynthia Mendez Aurora CO Jeremias and Shannon Mendonca Durham NC Sharon Mendonca Gunnison CO Tim and Brende Merritt Cheyenne WY Ferd Meyer Parachute CO Jason Miao San Fransisco CA Rebecca Mickey Mark and Tracy Miesch Magnolia TX Dale and Shelley Miller Colorado Springs CO

Joseph Miller and Karlee Olsen Anchorage AK James and Mary Miller Rye CO John and Jolene Miller Tooele UT James and Kathryn Mills Gunnison CO Don and Barbara Mitchell Albuquerque NM Nicholas Monck Gunnison CO Gabriel Montoya Thornton CO James and Deborah Moore Gunnison CO Jerry and Linda Moore Telluride CO Roger B. Moore San Antonio TX Michael Mootz Edwards CO Michael and Karlie Morley La Junta CO Daniel and Kathy Morris Carol Stream IL Mr. Shawn Morrison Denver CO James Morton Littleton CO David and Ingrid Moxham Golden CO

Robbin Stapleton

Granby CO

Brent Starkey Golden CO

Tom Starman

Kari Stauffer

Byers CO

Fort Collins CO

Donald Steerman Meeker CO

James Steerman Colorado Springs CO

Jeanenne Stepleton

Molly Stevens

Englewood CO

Green Mountain Falls CO

Michael and Andrea Stevens Littleton CO

Frank Stewart Denver CO

Stice & Company LLC Gunnison CO

Ruth Stimack and Beth Gaffney

Canon City CO

Terri Stinson Gunnison CO

Ryan Stitt Salinas CA

John and Tina Stowell

Manchester NH

Luke Suchecki Houston TX

Derich and Kelly Suckow

Costa Mesa CA

D. Sullivan Littleton CO

Mark Sullivan and Diana Gonzales Springer NM

Gregory and Kathleen Svoboda

Peoria IL

Swaim Associates Tucson AZ

Gary and Muriel Swallow Rifle CO

William and Mary Swann Littleton CO

Lisa Swarts Gunnison CO

David Swerdfeger Phoenix AZ

Jennifer Swift Gunnison CO

David Switz Livermore CA

Theresa Szczurek and Richard Davis Boulder CO

David Tafoya Montrose CO

Dan and Vishia Talbot Winter Haven FL

DeLeigh Talbott Bloomington IN

F. Doug Taylor Boise ID

Yale and Mary Taylor Conroe TX

Jubal Terry Lakewood CO

James and Sonya Thieme Colorado Springs CO

Sonya Thieme Colorado Springs CO

Ryan Thomas Fort Collins CO

Bryan and Erin Thompson Denver CO

Heidi Thompson Littleton CO

David Thorpe

Patricia Tisdall

Bruno and Annette Tomaino

Selby SD

Pompton Plains NJ

Carol Tomlinson Newport Beach CA

Leighton Tomlinson La Mirada CA

Scott and Rene Tomlinson Corona Del Mar CA

Marvin Toreson

Triscent

Lake Havasu City AZ

Double Oak TX

Rodney Troester Erie PA

William and Mary Tuleja

Kevin and Stacy Unger

John Vaglienti

Bolingbrook IL

Fort Collins CO

Englewood CO

Pat Vaillancourt Parker CO

Glenn Vallejo Denver CO

Luke and Jesse Vandenburg

Wendy Verdun

Francis Visconti Jr.

Anjali Voria

Denver CO

Severance CO

Lakewood CO

North Glenn CO

Steven Voet and Margaret Alcock Gunnison CO

Margaret Voet Gunnison CO

David Vondy Greeley CO

Vic and Kim Vondy Greeley CO

VOORMI Pagosa Springs CO

Milt and Celia Voss

Gunnison CO Nathan and Rebecca Wallace San Jon NM Rochelle Wallace Aurora CO

Zachary Walsh

Gunnison CO

Severance CO Wareham Construction & Concrete Montrose CO Peter Watson La Mesa CA

Ryan Walstrom

Tom and Vickie Wattier Gunnison CO WCU Swim & Dive Team

Gunnison CO

Carol Weaver Chula Vista CA James and Carol Weaver Chula Vista CA David and Alicia Webster

Longmont CO Wade and Jennifer Webster Westminster CO

Robin Weidemueller

Almont CO Duane Weisshaar Sioux Falls SD Brett and Pam Welker Centennial CO

Cindy Wells

Daniel Wentzel

Gunnison CO

Gunnison CO

Carrie Westling Cheyenne WY Wilders Organic Market

Gunnison CO

Kenneth Wiley Arvada CO

Juanita Williams

Goliad TX

Brandon Wilson Littleton CO Mike and Barbara Winant Golden CO Robert Witt Grand Junction CO

Richard Wood Aurora CO

Thomas Woolley Houston TX

Ted Worth Erie CO Kelly Yazzie

Longmont CO Mondell Yeaman and Sandra Nash

Torrance CA Kevin and Kathi Yuran Denver CO Michelle Zanga Keene NH

Tom Burggraf

Joy Kean

Pam Johnston

Mackenzie Bode

P. O. Box 1264

Gunnison, CO 81231 970.943.2237 westernup.org

Save the Dates

The WCU Foundation invites you to attend the:

3rd Annual Mountaineer Gala Saturday, May 20, 2023

Dinner, Program and Presentation of the Mountaineer Award of Excellence. Honoring Nancy Chisholm Cherry Hills Country Club Cherry Hills Village, Colorado

More details to follow in the new year. For sponsorship information, please contact Joy Kean at jkean@western.edu (970) 943-2220.

Western Ski Weekend

February 10-12, 2023

It’s time to hit the slopes, Mountaineer Nation. Discounts on lodging, lift tickets and rentals will be available.

Crested Butte Mountain Resort Crested Butte, Colorado

Please, visit www.western.edu/alumni/westernski-weekend for more information.

Western Colorado University Foundation

P.O. Box 1264 | Gunnison, CO 81230 | (970) 943 - 2237 | foundation@western.edu

Give Today: westernup.org | Like Us: facebook.com/WesternColoradoFoundation LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/western-foundation