TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2024
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The F.E.W.
Fremont’s Exceptional Women
A Part of the FEW
Organization recognizes women during annual banquet By Olivia Johnson The Daily Record Communities rely on various organizations, business owners, and nonprofits to function and thrive. Since 2017, a special niche of luminaries has emerged and local leaders have come together to honor them, the great women, of Fremont County. On Friday, people from all walks of life converged to honor these women at the seventh annual Fremont’s Exceptional Women Banquet. “[These women] are bold. They have changed the world for themselves and for others. They have made a permanent mark on their families, their friends, and their community. They have changed the world for the better, right here in Fremont County,” said event emcee Debbie Bell. “They include wonderful wives, marvelous moms, superb sisters, delightful daughters, great givers, and virtuous volunteers.” Dozens of nominations streamed into the F.E.W. Board throughout the summer and, after painstaking review and discussion, 15 outstanding ladies were selected for final consideration in five categories -- each named affectionately after a Fremont County lady who left an indelible mark on her community -- by a panel of judges from the Mariposa Center for Safety in Pueblo. The five top honorees were Kassidee West, Janet Gunkel Rising Star Honoree; Nancy Jensen, Minnie Harding Overcoming Adversity Honoree; Delores Comstock, Ruth Carter Excellence in Character; Millie Wintz, Cara Fisher Community Service Honoree; and Tara Kane, Norma Hatfield Professional Achievement Honoree. West, a recent graduate from Florence High School, served in a myriad of roles while in high school. Honor roll student, top athlete, Head Girl, and Future Business Leaders of America participant were just some of the words to describe her high school career.
The 2024 F.E.W. honorees smile for a photo at the seventh annual banquet on Friday at Pathfinder Events Center. From left to right: Janet Gunkel Rising Star Honoree, Kassidee West; Minnie Harding Overcoming Adversity Honoree, Nancy Jensen; Ruth Carter Excellence in Character Honoree, Delores Comstock; Cara Fisher Community Service Honoree, Millie Wintz; and Christian Kane who stood in for his mother, Tara Kane, who was selected as the Norma Hatfield Professional Achievement Honoree. (Olivia Johnson/The Daily Record)
However, her heart truly belongs to the Future Farmers of America program. She served in many leadership roles during her six years of membership -- each of which showed a deep love of agricultural education.
direction that your mental illness wants you to go,” she said about her own journey. “You can have a life because you can control your life.”
In August, West was one of many FFA and 4H members who were slated to say goodbye to their beloved livestock and poultry during the 100th Fremont County Fair and Rodeo Livestock sale. Though many tears were shed that day as children waved goodbye to their beloved animals, West spent the day forging a unique bond with a local boy born with physical disabilities and one of the goats she had raised. “This particular goat was Kasidee’s favorite, and it was headed to the auction block ... But Kassidee decided on the spot - instead of selling her goat, she asked the boy’s family if she could give it to him to keep as a pet,” Bell said as she introduced West to the gathered crowd. Though she’s moving onto the next phase of her life, West has a special appreciation for those who propelled her to where she is today. “My parents have blessed me by making sure that I have every opportunity in life and allowing me to seek opportunity and try,” West said. The other top honorees in the Janet Gunkel Award for Rising Star were Maya Guzman-Narvaez, Savanna Lynch, and Jade Thompson. For Jensen, recovery is not just a word, but a way of life. “Recovery is gaining control over the direction that you want your life to go, not the
With a history of many different forms of abuse, Jensen ultimately found herself in residence at Kaufman House in Kansas, where illegal and heartbreaking abuses occurred for several decades. Jensen was the first to report the Kaufmans and their abuse of countless clients and, though it took years, ultimately attained justice when the center was shut down and the Kaufmans were incarcerated for the rest of their lives. Since 2005, she has served as the executive director of Caring Place, Inc., as a board member of the Kansas Consumer Advisory Council for Adult Mental Health, advocated for laws to prevent future abuse and neglect in future mental health scenarios, and has worked at the Self Help Network and Center for Community Support and Research at Wichita State University. She also served as a certified peer specialist and peer trainer from 2008-2013 and was awarded the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Voice Award in 2006 and the Training and Advisory Support Center’s Advocacy Award in 2014 for her incredible work in bettering the field of mental health. “This is such an honor coming from my hometown,” Jensen said. “I want to give a message to all of us to listen to those that come to you and say there’s something going on -- please check it out.” The other top honoree in the Minnie Harding Award for Overcoming Adversity was Olga Brown. At 81, Comstock is far from done making her mark in Fremont County. In addition to working as a Fremont County paraprofessional for nearly 30 years, tutoring at after-school clubs, and working in children’s ministries, Comstock has spent more than 60 years as a staple of local volunteerism. She has volunteered with 4-H, youth development programs, Fremont County Fair Board -- several of which she has served in leadership roles -and continues to defy the march of time.
Fremont County Commissioner and F.E.W. board member, Debbie Bell, welcomes attendees to the seventh annual F.E.W. Banquet. (Olivia Johnson/The Daily Record)
Countless generations of Fremont County students, 4-Hers, and fair-goers have been impacted by Comstock’s selfless work -- something that comes from the bottom of her heart. “I would like to thank all of the people who have helped me along the way,”
Comstock said simply. The other honorees for the Ruth Carter Award in Excellence in Character were Kelly Cosper and Trudy Gagas. Another oldie but goodie, Wintz, is well into her 90s but continues to defy the adages of old age with her work in multiple preservation efforts in Fremont County. She belongs to nearly every preservation effort in Fremont County and relies dually on her background of ceiling-smashing in the architectural world and her love of historic buildings to remember Fremont County’s faded but invaluable past. Wintz was instrumental in opening the Florence Archives in 2012 and can be found volunteering at the Bell Tower and at the Pioneer Park Farmer’s Market in the summers. She has also won the prestigious Doc Little Memorial and Florence Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award. “This award is very backward,” Wintz said. “Because, if there was no community, there would be no community service. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.” The other top honorees for the Cara Fisher Award for Community Service were Mary Kay Evans and Susan Frushour. Kane rounded out the evening with her outstanding work as the executive director and Victim Advocate at Family Crisis Services where she works to empower survivors and transform her community. Since 2002, Kane has advocated for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Fremont County. One of her greatest impacts is the courtroom advocacy program, which fills courtrooms with supportive advocates, family members, and friends -- all to support the victim through the legal process. She also co-founded Kindred Kids Child Advocacy Center and has expanded Family Crisis Services to all in Fremont County. Kane was unable to attend but her award was accepted by her son, Christian Kane. The other honorees for the Norma Hatfield Award in Professional Achievement were Peggy Gair and Kathleen Kennedy. To learn more about the F.E.W. and how to nominate someone for the 2025 event, visit https://fremontsfew.com/.
Kane’s dedication continues to raise domestic violence awareness By Carie Canterbury The Daily Record When Tara Kane began her work in the domestic violence field, she had no idea it would take her on a nearly 30-year journey. For her, it’s not a job. It’s a passion. After graduating college where she double majored in psychology and sociology with an emphasis in criminology, Kane, 53, heard about a part-time position available at Tu Casa, Inc. in Alamosa. She quickly became the assistant director of the domestic violence/sexual assault crisis center that served six counties in the San Luis Valley. “It was there that so much of the foundation of my philosophy and dedication was laid,” she said. During her six years there, she helped establish the San Luis Valley Anti-Violence Coalition, a multidisciplinary team working together against domestic violence and sexual assault. “From this team, we established two law enforcement training teams, one for domestic violence investigations and one for sexual assault investigations,” she said. “I was part of the team training law enforcement on domestic violence.” The coalition was recognized by the Colorado Regional Community Policing Institute as a “Best Practices” collaboration for the State of Colorado. While at Tu Casa, Kane also helped develop a model prevention education program for youth. Additionally, before the Domestic Violence Offender Management Board was created, she was the Chair of the 12th Judicial District Domestic Violence Board. Their jobs were oversight and certification of perpetrator treatment providers in the 12th JD. When the legislature on these boards sunset, she was then part of the statewide collaborative group that developed the DVOMB.
area nonprofits and has been certified in Rio Grande, Alamosa, Costilla and Fremont counties as an expert witness for domestic violence trials. In 2002, after six years at the organization in Alamosa, Kane moved to Fremont County to be the Executive Director and Victim Advocate at Family Crisis Services, Inc. “I didn’t know anybody here, I had recently become a single mom, I had just gone through a divorce,” she said. “I moved here cold just because I couldn’t get this work out of my system.” During her interview, she immediately recognized the potential for FCSI. One year after she was hired, construction on the organization’s building was completed. It houses an emergency shelter, as well as offices for FCSI. Off and on through the years, Kane has offered a strong prevention education program in local schools. She works well with agencies, but her focus has always been on the individual who walks through the door. “These are the strongest people I’ve ever met,” she said. “They don’t know it, but I know that they’ve been through so much before they ever come through our doors. Before they have ever reached out for any help, they have already implemented survival strategies that they don’t even know are survival strategies.” Beginning in 2007, FCSI has hosted one of the state’s largest Take Back the Night marches and has implemented the Prison Rape Elimination Act program. An advocate is dedicated to correctional facilities and they have a new sexual response coordinator. “We have so much potential now because we have the most amazing staff right now,” Kane said. “We have an unstoppable team.” The most satisfying part of doing what she does is watching people have that “lightbulb moment.”
Kane also served on the board for what is now Violence Free Colorado, formerly known as the Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence, for four years.
“To watch them start to realize that they actually do have value and worth, and realize their opinion actually matters and they can make decisions, that is the most rewarding piece,” she said.
She has provided nonprofit board training for other
During the last 22 years, Kane attempted to retire a
couple of times, but this work is simply in her blood. She was only completely gone for two years. During her time away from FCSI from 2009 to 2011, Kane homeschooled two of her children. She and her husband have four grown children and two grandchildren. They also ended up being accidental foster parents a couple of times in the last 10 years. They are proud parents of two Bengal cats and an adorable two-year-old Parti Poodle who accompanies her to work, as she now works with a disability, multiple sclerosis. Being nominated for the FEW’s Professional Achievement category was humbling and surprising, she said. “I don’t like the spotlight; I’d rather highlight my staff and the amazing jobs that they are doing,” Kane said. “I can tell you what I enjoy about this work, I can tell you what I believe in wholeheartedly about this work, but I don’t like the spotlight.”