Community Over Coffee: Highlights from Local Leaders
Our most recent Community Over Coffee event brought together leaders from across the Grand Valley for a morning of meaningful conversation and collaboration. The event was designed to foster stronger connections between local businesses, schools, municipalities, and organizations, and it offered valuable insight into the exciting work happening throughout our region.
Here are some of the key takeaways from our speakers.
Partnering with Schools to Build Career Pathways
Crystal Green from Palisade High School and Kathaleen Recker from Fruita Monument High School introduced Career Links, a new platform being used at schools to connect students with businesses. This initiative helps students gain hands-on experience through internships and apprenticeships with local businesses. It is a great opportunity for businesses to connect with future talent while supporting student growth.
You can click here to learn more and create an account
Updates from Town and City Officials
Devan Aziz from the Town of Palisade and Henry Hemphill from the City of Fruita shared current updates from their respective municipalities. Palisade is preparing for road construction projects, as well as making some changes with their vacation rentals policy. Fruita is focused on continued community development, addressing key issues through thoughtful planning and investment.
Tourism Strategies for the Off-Season
JuliAnn Adams from the Palisade Tourism Advisory Board and Johanna van Waveren from the Fruita Tourism Advisory Council discussed how each community is working to attract visitors during slower travel seasons.
JuliAnn highlighted a recent campaign tied to A Girl & A Gun, a competitive shooting event at CAMEO that brings more than 750 women to the area. Johanna shared Fruita’s creative marketing efforts, including a new partnership with a marketing agency and a fresh focus on the town’s unique and playful history.
Growth at the CAMEO Complex
Kathleen Fischer and Walt Proulx gave an inside look at the CAMEO Shooting and Education Complex, which hosts hundreds of events each year. Despite a small staff of only four, they are able to operate at a large scale thanks to support from dedicated volunteers. They also shared their vision for expanding the facility to include more educational programming. That project is currently on hold as they await funding.
Stewardship and Safety in Our State Parks
Pete Firmin, manager of James M. Robb State Park, discussed how his team works to maintain the parks and improve visitor experience. A recent survey revealed that safety is a top priority for park users. He also addressed the ongoing threat of zebra mussels in Colorado’s lakes and rivers, and how education plays a key role in prevention. One of the most effective ways to combat the issue is by encouraging the community to clean and dry boats and other watercraft after each use.