In its inaugural year, the Spark Summit brought national-level insight and hands-on leadership training to Grand Junction without the travel or expense of a big-city business and leadership conference.
Rather than relying on theory, organizers Robert Beaver and Kristin Donahue designed the day as a “working summit,” where business owners, executives and aspiring leaders could get personal with the speakers and find immediate application for the information.
With nationally recognized business consultants, including keynote speakers Carl Lubbe, Susan Frew and Carolyn Strauss leading the way, and a schedule of breakout master classes, the event offered the kind of high-level professional advice and information typically reserved for larger markets.
Here are some of the highlights: A keynote on conflict and questions
The morning keynote came from Carl Lubbe, founder of Curiosity Coach, who illustrated his point about curiosity with a story from his own family.
He said he did not learn until his mid-twenties that his grandmother, as a child in London during World War II, had been evacuated to the countryside where she visited the home of A.A. Milne, the author of Winnie the Pooh.
See story Page 5
When the lights go out...
Local experts explain various ways to back up power in your home
Wquickly find themselves in the dark.
Redlands this August, which sparked local questions about how to keep homes powered, even among residents with solar panels that still depend on the grid to function.
Times spoke with Butch Kline, head of the electrical division at Independence Plumbing and Mechanical, and Matt Fowler, part owner and sales lead at Atlasta Solar Center, to explore the options.
generators to full solar arrays with battery storage, they outlined solutions ranging from basic backup for essentials to systems that could eventually allow a homeowner to live completely off grid.
Starting Small: Generators and Essential Circuits
depends on your budget and what you value when backing up your home. He said for many homeowners, the answer for short-term emergencies starts simple with portable or standby generators.
At the most basic level, he said, “A small gas generator or a solar camping generator with some extension cords can keep a refrigerator or a few lights running for several hours without any permits required.”
Kline added, “Obviously you would want to keep your gas generator running outside where it isn’t pumping exhaust into the house, and it is in a safe place.”
Kline said for anything that ties into a home’s main electrical panel, the law is clear. You have to get a permit, and you have to install an approved transfer switch.
“You have to isolate your house from the grid,” he said. That means installing a transfer switch or interlock that disconnects utility power before allowing a generator or other source to feed the home. Kline explained why it is required by code, saying, “Without it, a homeowner risks backfeeding electricity into Xcel or Grand Valley Power’s lines, which can endanger linemen and damage equipment.”
Transfer switches can be manual, which homeowners flip by hand, or automatic. Kline added that some newer gas generators and electric power stations are designed to start on their own as soon as the power goes out.
Kline also noted that homeowners could set up an auxiliary building such as a shed or garage with its own solar panels and a power bank that could be hooked up to the house during an emergency.He stressed it is best to work with an experienced licensed professional when setting up any permanent backup power. Planning and designing a system that meets a household’s needs, passes inspections and operates reliably can be complex and varies from home to home.
Kline said costs vary depending on the size of the generator or power station and whether the switch is manual or automatic. He said it is always wise to plan for more than you think.
“I always try to get the most I can get for the money that I have,” Kline said. “If I think I’m going to need three
Fowler explained why solar panels alone cannot power a home during an outage. He said that without batteries, grid-tied solar systems are designed to automatically shut down when the grid goes down. This is required for safety, so a home system does not send electricity back into utility lines while workers are
“When the grid goes down, the panels are disconnecting from the grid,” he said, and unless there is a battery providing storage and isolation, there is “nowhere for the
While generators cover short outages, solar paired with batteries can offer backup and long-term savings. Fowler said the Enphase batteries Atlasta works with are “smart” and also automatically supply power when the grid is down, with a major added benefit of switching during more expensive peak hours over to battery power if you get the right
He said even if the system isn’t a whole-home battery-backup system, a smaller system can be programmed to switch over during expensive time-of-use periods supplementally.
Power companies are increasingly relying on power load management, such as charging higher rates during peak hours. Grand Valley Power’s peak rates run from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily, while Xcel Energy is shifting its peak to 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, beginning Nov. 1. Batteries can be programmed to discharge during those hours and recharge when rates are low.
For Xcel, using energy during peak hours is roughly three times the cost. Customers can also opt out of Time of Use, but pay a flat rate 7 days a week that is 21 to 24 percent higher than the nonpeak hour rate.
“Most people imagine solar as a whole-home backup system, but there are smaller options,” Fowler said. “You can install a battery that just keeps the essentials running during an outage or one that supplies power during peak hours to save money. Those systems can be expanded later.”
See LIGHTS on Page 9
Lou Villaire, co-owner of Atlasta Solar Center, stands next to an Enphase battery backup system that can be wired to provide power during outages and help lower costs during peak hours at his Grand Junction home.
Photo by Brandon Leuallen.
So, you want to sell your business?
2025 Spark Summit provides answers
Brandon Leuallen
The Business Times
At the Sept. 24 Spark Summit Business and Leadership conference, a breakout session in Room 213 at the Colorado Mesa University Center walked owners through what to do before, during and after a sale of their businesses.
The panel featured high-level brokers and professionals that work with businesses throughout the selling process. The panel included Jeff Elias of SDR Ventures, Suzy Joeckel of EOS Worldwide, CPA Ken Palmer of PBG Advisors, and broker Katie Davis of Bray Commercial Properties, and Carolyn Strauss served as the moderator.
Before the Sale:
Build a company that can be sold
Elias opened the session with advice about thinking the sale all the way through, including what will fill the void when the sale is complete.
“Seventy percent of business owners regret selling in the first year,” he said, noting much of the regret comes from owners not realizing how interwoven the business is into their personal lives.
He urged the business owners to establish a team of experts that surrounds them and knows their goals and values, listing a CPA, wealth manager, estate or real estate attorney, mergers-and-acquisitions attorney, banker, investment bank or business broker, and even a life coach.
“That is what we call a family office,” Elias said. He stressed early preparation.
“Whether it is one, three, five or 10 years before you sell, you want to build a business that is sellable,” he said.
For firms valued below about $2 million, buyers often look like the current owner. He said businesses above that range attract strategic acquirers, like those that may be buying multiple companies in the same region, and private equity funds come in around $10 million and up. He said fast-growing family offices are common buyers at all levels, investing more in other businesses rather than the stock market.
“Marketing and creating the story around what you created is mission critical,” Elias said
EOS (Entreporeneurial Operating System) implementer Suzy Joeckel compared sale prep to listing a house, and she asked, “Would you put a house on the market without cleaning it and staging it?”
Owners who wait until they are exhausted to sell often lack processes and a developed leadership team. Her top tool is the EOS Accountability Chart, which defines roles, responsibilities and ownership of results. She pairs it with weekly Level 10 meetings and a scorecard.
“Buyers hate surprises,” she said.
Clean financials, documented processes followed by the whole company, and a leadership team running the day to day helped one client sell “in less than six months at a premium,” Joeckel said.
CPA Ken Palmer agreed it is essential to establish policies, processes and teams that can perform without the owner. He said often “too much knowledge lives only in the owner’s head.”
Palmer emphasized clean data. He also encouraged owners to use EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes and Amortization) to calculate Seller’s Discretionary Earnings correctly and understand tax basis.
He cautioned against write-offs that backfire when buyers are doing their due diligence. Examples included family members on payroll without real work, and
recreational assets on the books.
“Buyers need to feel very comfortable with the figures,” Palmer said.
Katie Davis, a former executive who now brokers deals, said the biggest mistake is simple: “They are not ready.”
She often starts two to three years before going to market. That prep includes separating inventory properly, reinvesting cash in the business rather than pulling it out to minimize taxes, shifting the brand from founder-centric to team-centric, and changing a personal name if the business uses it.
“Choose wisely” when hiring a broker, she added.
During the Sale: Run a tight and competitive process
Joeckel’s mantra for live deals is consistency. Weekly scorecards on sales, margins, cash and key operating metrics reduce uncertainty for buyers.
Elias helps companies build up to sell at a high price through competition. He described a typical cadence. About two months to craft marketing materials and build a data room. Then indications of interest, letters of intent, and two to three months of diligence to create the closing contest.
“A competitive auction creates a premium,” he said.
Elisas also noted many companies receive unsolicited offers when they aren’t planning to sell, but they can use them as a useful test to ask themselves if they have the company in good enough shape to sell if it came to it.
On finding buyers, Davis said “make sure the business is not on a path to obsolescence. If it is, fix it first or expect a steep discount.” She said some buyers will want to interview staff or bring their own teams, so confidentiality and timing matter.
Palmer urged owners to ask better questions and be willing to pay for good advice.
When to tell employees depends on the situation, as
Elias said some firms benefit from open discussion, while others require strict confidentiality until key steps are complete.
Palmer described the spectrum. If the owner is the business, early disclosure can be “catastrophic.” Rather, with strong systems and shared ownership of processes, the team can then help and be an asset in the sale and part of the future of the company moving forward.
After the Sale:
Prevent regret and prepare for the transition
Why do so many owners regret selling? Elias pointed to identity, routine and post-sale expectations.
Many buyers want the seller to stay on.
“Sometimes it is only three or six months, but private equity may want you to roll some proceeds into the new company and stick around for three to five years,” he said.
Owners should decide whether they can work for someone else, and they should make a real plan for life after closing.
Palmer addressed taxes, stressing the need to plan before the deal is signed.
“Allocation and structure matter. Stock versus assets versus personal goodwill can change outcomes and should be negotiated with professionals,” he said
Davis offered a caution on long transitions. If the seller is not aligned with the buyer’s goals, employees will seek the former owner to fix problems.
“Set a goal for what comes next, draw a line for when you are done, and stick to it,” she said.
Joeckel’s final advice was to start now.
“Clean up your financial’s, empower your leadership team, and write your processes,” she said, adding healthier companies sell better and operate better while you still own them.
Strauss closed with a book recommendation for owners considering succession: “Who Comes Next?” by Mary C. Kelly and Meridith Elliott Powell.
Spark Summit organizer Kristin Donahue, standing, introduces the panel for the session titled “So, You Want to Sell Your Business?” The panelists, seated left to right, are: moderator Carolyn Strauss; Katie Davis of Bray Commercial Real Estate; Ken Palmer of PBG Advisors; Suzy Joeckel of EOS Worldwide; and Jeff Elias of SDR Ventures. Photo by Brandon Leuallen.
Spark Summit brings big-city experience to Grand Junction
Continued from Page 1
Over breakfast one morning with his mother and grandmother, she described seeing the house, the animals, and even the bedroom where Christopher Robin once lived.
Stunned, Lubbe asked why she had never told him before. Her answer was simple: “Because you never asked.”
Lubbe now advises and collaborates with companies like Lululemon and Chick-fil-A, and spoke to the crowd about how leaders need to rethink how they handle tension.
“Everything you want is on the other side of a better question,” he told the audience, highlighting how reframing questions can transform conflict into collaboration.
That lesson became central to his message.
“Average leaders settle for simple answers. Great leaders settle for better questions,” he said.
He urged attendees to see conflict as a process problem rather than a people problem, saying, “Process, not people, are the problem.”
He then offered a simple framework for hard conversations: Acknowledge difficulty, affirm effort, and ask what a win would look like.
Katie Davis were the first to settle in, and others followed as the program continued. Instead of lining up at a microphone to ask a quick question, participants had extended the discussions in person to build on ideas introduced from the stage before the next session.
During the breakout debrief, attendees shared practical takeaways with the rest of the audience that they planned to bring back to work.
One noted how accounting consultant Kelly Johnston’s talk on organizing accounting data and using it properly reminded her how valuable it is to have regular reports to be able to make quality financial decisions. During the session Johnston had given examples of how at times even large organizations fail to do this.
Another said Lubbe’s advice to end every meeting with the question, “Would you mind telling me what you think we just agreed to?” was a small but powerful tool to confirm alignment and prevent rework and potential future conflict.
AI keynote: From overwhelm to action
AI expert Susan Frew, who hosts the Compete on Awesome with AI podcast,
“It is neurologically impossible to be curious and angry at the same time,” he added, summing up his approach with the reminder to “feel twice, fix once.”
Personal discussions with speakers and shared audience application
Immediately after the keynote, event host Kristin Donahue directed attendees to the Playground, a roped-off lounge with couches reserved for casual conversations with speakers. Throughout the day, keynote presenters and session leaders rotated through the space, giving participants a chance to sit down with them one-on-one. Lubbe and local commercial broker
opened with a story about using AI to rightsize her company as she and her husband were getting their company ready to sell.
“We were able to save $170,000 in our operating budget on a $2 million company by using AI,” she said, pointing to tools that helped her automate onboarding and trim marketing and dispatch costs.
Her thesis was simple: Efficiency becomes a competitive weapon.
“If you start using AI and your competitor doesn’t,” she said, “your costs will drop while theirs stay high. You will be able to do more work with the same people.” See SUMMIT on Page 14
AI strategist Susan Frew delivers the lunchtime keynote at the inaugural Spark Summit in Grand Junction, sharing how she and her husband used AI to streamline her service company before selling it. Photo by Brandon Leuallen.
HDR opens office in Grand Junction, expands services
Tim Harty The Business Times
It took about five years to come to fruition, but HDR, a professional services firm in the architecture, engineering and construction industry, finally has an office in Grand Junction.
To help spread the word, HDR hosted an open house Sept. 4 to welcome local agencies and other members of the industry. In addition to showing off the new downtown office at 202 Main St., Suite 200, above Credit Union of Colorado, HDR shared it will be able to do more.
LEFT - HDR Senior Project Manager and Office Principal Mike Goolsby, left, and Elise Thatcher stand in the middle of HDR’s recently opened office that occupies the second floor at 202 Main St. in downtown
“HDR is expanding its services in western Colorado to meet the growing demand for infrastructure reflective of Western Slope’s overall growth,” said Mike Goolsby, HDR senior project manager and office principal. “We’re excited to provide a local office for team members to better serve our local clients and continue expanding our work not only in the Grand Junction area, but across the Western Slope.”
The office has nine employees at the moment and the ability to accommodate 15, according to HDR Senior Communication Strategist Elise Thatcher.
“Most of us were already working for HDR in Grand Junction,” she said, but they were working from home.
“It was really important to get them a place to land, instead of working out of their house,” Goolsby said. “That was a big thing for us, to be able to have a place.”
He added HDR likes to have that local presence, saying, “Even though we’re a fairly big engineering and architecture firm, our offices are small.”
Goolsby said the search for an office in Grand Junction “has kind of been in the works for about five years,” as HDR likes to be part of the community it works in.
The length of the process also reflected the desire to find the right spot, “a location that we were happy with, and being downtown was a big piece of that,” he said.
HDR is headquartered in Omaha, Neb., but it has nearly 750 employees across Colorado and offices in Denver, Colorado Springs and Durango. Its first office opened nearly 70 years ago in Colorado Springs.
The expansion of services comes with additional hires on the Western Slope focused on transportation, strategic communications, waste management, right-of-way acquisition, water and more.
Thatcher said HDR brings deep local knowledge of the Western Slope to projects it does in this part of the state. Its recent work in the region includes:
• 32 1/2 Road and Clifton Corridor improvements in Mesa County.
• Interstate 70 Business Loop corridor improvements in Grand Junction for CDOT Region 3.
• Solid wastewater design services in Pitkin County.
• Construction services for CDOT Region 3 and local agency roadway projects in Eagle County.
HDR is also the on-call consultant for several counties across the Western Slope, including Mesa, Montrose, Pitkin, Gunnison and La Plata.
“This office establishes a home base for HDR on the Western Slope to facilitate not only expanding services, but also allowing the team to be even more responsive to customers’ needs,” Colorado Area Manager Brad Martin said. “HDR understands the needs and conditions can be very different for communities outside the Front Range and in western Colorado. It’s important to HDR that we provide a level of service that this new office will help facilitate.”
Lights
Continued from Page 2
Fowler said adding to an existing, smaller system later is easier and less expensive than the initial setup, because many times the owner wouldn’t have to go through the permitting process again.
The Business Times will dig deeper into energy efficiency and ways to cut energy costs in the coming weeks.
Fowler said the systems are all inclusive because many homeowners don’t want the inconvenience and risk of manual systems that only work when a homeowner is home, knowledgeable enough and physically able to switch them over by hand.
“It’s all automatic,” he said. “The homeowner doesn’t have to flip switches or manage the system. It just knows when to switch.”
Choosing the Right Technology
Fowler said Enphase batteries use multiple micro inverters instead of a single central inverter. That design avoids what he called a “single point of failure.”
“With other products, if that one inverter fails, you’ve got an expensive paperweight on the wall,” he said. “With micro inverters, you still have resiliency built in.”
Adding a basic battery setup to an existing solar system with Atlasta starts at about $6,000 and increases depending on the needs and wants of the homeowner. Full systems that can run an entire home for extended periods of time or even take the home completely off grid can climb much higher in price.
Colorado continues to offer a 10 percent state credit on battery equipment. Fowler said utilities may offer rebates as well, but those often allow the utility to draw on part of the homeowner’s stored power when needed, so homeowners need to be aware.
Fowler noted warranties are a key consideration for anyone investing in backup power. He explained that Enphase’s newest battery carries a 15-year warranty or 6,000 cycles, whichever comes first, and the company measures cycles based on actual use rather than rounding up partial discharges.
“That means if you only use 10 percent of the battery, it only counts as 10 percent
of a cycle,” he said.
Fowler added that even if a homeowner did cycle the battery fully once every day, the warranty would still last the full 15 years because 6,000 cycles equals more than 16 years of once-a-day full-cycle use.
He also pointed out that while product warranties cover the equipment itself, labor is usually extra. Atlasta’s status as a platinum Enphase installer allows the company to offer a two-year labor warranty on top of the manufacturer’s coverage.
Atlasta also helps customers connect with financing for smaller and larger systems, according to Fowler.
Weighing Costs and Needs
Both professionals talked about the importance of practicality. A whole-home generator or solar-plus-battery system may cost thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars, while a small auxiliary setup might be enough to protect food storage, heating systems or medical equipment for a short stint.
“It really depends on what is essential to you,” Kline said. “You might not need to dry clothes or run the oven during an outage, but you do want your furnace, fridge and freezer to keep going.”
Fowler confirmed the majority of existing solar customers in Mesa County do not yet have batteries, so they lose power like everyone else during an outage.
Fowler added technology is making storage more viable and financially possible, and more customers are adding storage than ever before.
“Where only one in five solar customers added batteries a couple of years ago, it is now closer to one in three,” he said.
Fowler said battery storage has improved dramatically in the past decade and continues to get better as technology advances. Homeowners today can buy twice the storage for the same price they would have paid 10 years ago.
“That does not mean systems are inexpensive,” he said, “but it does mean the cost per kilowatt-hour of storage is dropping.”
Fowler added, “It’s peace of mind. When the grid goes down, your home doesn’t have to.”
D51 Foundation awards professional learning grants
District 51 Foundation board members hold up the symbolic big check in the amount of $10,096.60, a donation from the foundation to Mesa County Valley School District 51 to fund professional learning grants. Photo courtesy of the District 51 Foundation.
The District 51 Foundation announced its 16th round of Professional Learning Grant award recipients, awarding $10,096.60 in grants to train 126 Mesa County Valley School District 51 staff members.
The foundation received grant requests totaling more than $43,000. Since 2018, the D51 Foundation has donated more than $170,000 to 590 District 51 staff members for professional learning.
According to Jade Decker, a teacher at Orchard Avenue Elementary School and past D51 Foundation grant recipient, “The value of Professional Learning Grants extends beyond just the learning and strategies that teachers gain. When we take part in high-quality professional learning around topics we are passionate about, our excitement and motivation are renewed, and we have the energy to keep showing up with our best for kids.”
Each year, the D51 Foundation uses proceeds from its White Iced Celebration and other fundraising efforts to fund specific needs in School District 51. This year, fundraising dollars will be used to invest in technology and innovation for students, provide professional learning for District 51 staff and support student and staff wellness.
This year’s 14th White Iced Celebration will take place Feb. 7, 2026, at the CMU Ballroom. Sponsorship opportunities can be found at www.d51foundation.org.
The Professional Learning Grant recipients in this round, their schools, the grant amounts and how the grants will be used are as follows:
• Rebecca Ely, Fruita Monument High School, West Middle School, Grand River Academy, Tope Elementary, $390, ACT for Adolescents.
• Sean Henry, Grand Junction High School, $315, Colorado Art Education Association.
• Shannon Carrol Orchard Mesa Middle School, $929, Learning by Doing PLC in Action. The grants are specifically for professional learning opportunities and support. For more information, visit www.d51foundation.org or call 970-254-5108 or 970-210-4120.
Continued from Page 5
Frew also highlighted how fast AI is changing.
“When I first started, there were about 7,000 AIs available. Now, there are over 30,000 different AIs and growing,” she said.
That pace, she argued, makes discernment critical.
But she warned that convenience can create risk, saying, “If you are using the free versions, you are agreeing to let these companies share your stuff and train on it. Pay the $20.”
She also cautioned about how to implement AI by pointing to the experience
LEFT - Attendees meet with keynote speaker Carl Lubbe, in blue, and commercial broker Katie Davis, in stripes, during the Spark Summit’s Playground sessions for direct conversations.
Photo by Brandon Leuallen.
of Klarna, the Swedish financial technology company that made headlines for laying off 700 employees after jumping into AI and went on to reverse the decision. Customers pushed back, she said, because people did not want to trust bots with sensitive financial issues.
“If you completely remove the human element, you risk losing your customers and your reputation,” she said.
The lesson was clear: Use AI to strengthen processes, not to replace the human connection that clients value.
Before adopting any tool, she told owners to go “old school before new school, map your processes, find the bottlenecks, then put AI where the problems are.”
She finished by touching on cultural difficulties in transitioning. Some teams, she said, have “digital denialists,” and others quietly resist training out of fear that AI will replace them.
She said clarity from the top is essential with a vision for where AI fits and a commitment to keep the team in the loop.
“You don’t have to automate everything. Start with the tasks that steal your time and energy, prove the value and build from there,” she said.
Other highlights
The master classes delivered a steady stream of high level practical takeaways, from Spencer Ingram of Energize Colorado urging participants to “think wrong” as a way to win more customers, to Kelly Johnston of JFS reframing finance as a navigation system for decision-making, and Kristin Donahue of EOS Worldwide showing how the Entrepreneurial Operating System can help leaders regain control and scale effectively.
At 11:30 a.m., Lubbe introduced his “Expectation Management Gameboard” for setting clear goals, while a panel moderated by Strauss guided owners through the challenges of selling a business, and Robert Bever of RLB Partners showed how customer experience can become a competitive advantage.
The afternoon closed with Jennifer Lewis of Outgrow on market expansion, Hilary Blair of Articulate: Real & Clear on executive presence, and David Reeves of Culture Index on aligning people with the right jobs.
Then, Strauss, who spent 18 years on camera with the Home Shopping Network, capped the day with a keynote on how leaders can make themselves and their businesses irresistible.
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More to the Story
Sometimes, for various reasons, The Business Times isn’t able to print everything it wanted to present in a story. When that happens and we feel the need to provide what the original story was missing, we’ll bring you “More to the Story.” In the Sept. 24-Oct. 1 edition’s story about the redesigned Mesa County Enterprise Zone map that goes into effect Jan. 1, we weren’t able to present details about the enterprise zone’s Contribution Project Program. So, here it is now:
Tax credits abound when donating to Contribution Projects
Mesa County currently has 23 nonprofit organizations (but it can also be a government entity) with enterprise zone contribution projects that businesses and individuals can donate money to, and 25 percent of the amount donated goes back to the donor in tax credits. Or if in-kind donations are made to the eligible projects, 12.5 percent comes back to the donor in tax credits. In either case, the tax credit can be deferred up to five years.
The reason these projects are tied to Colorado’s
Rau said the PrimeHealth+ Capital Campaign, its current active Contribution Project and the one that supported its new building, received 499 total Contribution Project donations, $377,000 cash and $394,000 in-kind.
PrimeHealth+ Chief Development Officer Kristy Schmidt said the tax credits are a good incentive, which they mention to potential donors.
2025 CONTRIBUTION PROJECT PROGRAM
For more information about the Mesa County Enterprise Zone and the Contribution Project Program, go online to: gjincubator.org/mesa-county-enterprise-zone. You also can call Mesa County Enterprise Zone Program Administrator Kristin Rau at 970-243-5242.
The Qualifying Projects
“We put that out there,” she said. “It’s on our website,
Schmidt added the hospital hears back from donors that it makes a difference. She added, “It’s good for us,
Rau said all Contribution Projects for Mesa County for the prior 10 years combined to receive 28,000 total
PrimeHealth+ greeted its first patient in its new building at 526 29 1/2 Road on Aug. 27 when Mesa County resident Suzye Vennell was welcomed to the new health center. PrimeHealth+ isn’t shy about using the Contribution Project Program as a tool to encourage donations to its capital campaign, which funded its new building. Photo courtesy of PrimeHealth+.
The following 23 nonprofit organizations are certified Mesa County Enterprise Zone Contribution Projects, as of September 2025:
• Avalon Theatre Foundation – Diann Admire Dressing Room Project
• Business Incubator Center
• Colorado Mesa University Theater Building
• Colorado Mesa University Medical Building
• Community Hospital Capital Campaign
• Counseling and Education Center
• Confluence Center of Colorado
• Eureka! Math & Science Center/Operations
• Friends of the Grand Junction Union Depot
• Grand Mesa Nordic Council
• Grand Junction Soccer Club/Operations Campaign
• Grand Junction Economic Partnership
• Grand Valley Creative Alliance – Capital Campaign
• Habitat for Humanity Build
• HopeWest Operations Campaign
• PrimeHealth+ Capital Campaign
• Foster Alumni Mentors – The Inspired Starfish
• Museum of Western Colorado
• RiversEdge West
• STRIVE/Operations
• St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation/Specific Programs
• Western Colorado Community Foundation/Capital
• Western Colorado Center for the Arts
Workforce flexibility, strong partnerships aid measles response
Mesa County Public Health has officially scaled back its measles response after 37 days of active operations, following the successful containment of seven confirmed cases in the community.
Sarah Gray
No new cases have been reported in recent weeks, and the risk to the public remains low. The agency’s approach offers a clear example of large-scale incident management, with lessons that extend beyond public health.
“Preparedness and public cooperation were both key in our team’s quick and effective response. Thankfully, we also have high vaccination coverage in our community, which also played a role in limiting measles transmission,” said Erin Minnerath, deputy director at Mesa County Public Health. “This is a clear example of how public health measures protect our community.”
The Emergency Operations Center was activated for more than five weeks, requiring more than 500 hours of command operations.
At the peak of the response, Mesa County Public Health fielded nearly 100 inquiries a day and dedicated 27 staff members to the effort. Many were cross-trained into new duties, reflecting a level of workforce flexibility that is increasingly relevant for businesses facing adversity.
Our response relied heavily on partnerships. Mesa County Public Health worked closely with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to add technical support during peak periods. We worked closely with local medical providers, offering
weekly briefings for situational awareness and testing guidance. We also supported large organizations such as School District 51 and Colorado Mesa University to help create accurate information for their students, staff and families.
Communication throughout the measles response was crucial, which included updates for the community and medical providers. Our team conducted contact tracing with more than 300 contacts who may have been exposed, and more than 50 contacts were actively monitored during this response.
Though the emergency phase is over, Mesa County Public Health will continue monitoring for new cases and stresses the importance of vaccination. Two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles infection. The MMR is available in our Public Health Clinic, primary care clinics and pharmacies.
“The work doesn’t stop here. Our team continues to monitor and respond to infectious disease in our community. The low risk to the public is a testament to the power of vaccines and the importance of public health systems working quickly to contain disease,” Minnerath said.
For Mesa County’s business community, the response illustrates the value of preparation, flexible staffing and strong partnerships, principles that apply to organizations navigating their own operational challenges.
F
Sarah Gray is the communication and marketing manager at Mesa County Public Health. For additional information call 970-248-6900 or visit mesacounty.us/health.
Let Charlie rest as he lived, in peace. He earned it.
I mean, we say it all the time when we hear of someone passing. Even more when someone dies at the hands of a violent event. And of course, in this case I’m talking about Charlie Kirk. I could also be talking about the young woman murdered on the train or the kids killed in the recent school shooting in Evergreen, Colorado, which were also horrific, violent events.
But in the latter two, for the most part, those victims were left to rest in peace. However difficult resting in peace may be for the victims given how they died.
Then again, there was no political advantage to be exploited. Not that our two big parties didn’t try. They did as they always do. After all, one party lives by the slogan: Never let a crisis go to waste. And the other party lives the same way; they just don’t have the slogan.
Frankly, I find the behavior revolting in both parties.
And yes, I find school shootings revolting. I find senseless (there is no sensible) murder on trains, or anywhere, revolting. I find all violence in all forms revolting. And when politicians can’t get in front of a microphone or camera fast enough to push a political agenda over the still warm bodies and families barely going from shock to grief, I can’t describe the righteous anger I feel. But welcome to politics in the 21st Century. Oh, how I wish it would go to its grave. And I don’t care how it rests. Just as long as it dies.
Knowing this, you might ask what makes the actions around Charlie’s murder more reprehensible. The answer is simple: The Republicans took political posturing to another level with Charlie. And the hypocrisy about Charlie’s memorial exponentially drove my reaction.
Let’s begin with the obvious. Anyone remember Paul Wellstone? I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t. He was a milquetoast, U.S. senator from Minnesota who wasn’t murdered, he just died in a plane crash. But that was enough for the democrats to create the Wellstone memorial service which had all the agenda-driven emotional diatribes of the party’s annual trek to Ebenezer Baptist Church. At least at the Atlanta Church there’s a real (if not ironic) reason to go, to speak out against democrat policies of slavery, Jim Crow and segregation. I’ve yet found a reason for Wellstone’s “martyrdom.” Except political expediency. Which brings us back to Charlie and President Trump’s almost entire cabinet delivering eulogies at Kirk’s memorial. With apologies to some Republican readers who indeed look at life and live their lives as Charlie did, your favorite party did the same darned things the democrats did with Wellstone. And
they did it to co-opt his mission and for votes. Which makes it even worse.
See, democrats always preach to the choir at church or memorials. Let’s face it, democrats rarely are heard by anyone other than like thinkers every time they bloviate. Sure, Republicans might listen in, if only to know what craziness the party and its candidates have to address when the progressive press grills them the next day.
This time, however, Republicans were literally preaching to a choir. A choir of millions who were endeared to and loved Charlie and how he carried out his message. His mission, which is the better word to describe it.
But Charlie’s message wasn’t the Republican agenda, no matter how much it may have matched parts of it and certainly not for how much the Republicans are now trying to make it their own. How do I know these two things don’t mesh? One message, Charlie’s, was offered in love, sympathy and conversation, and the other, the Republican’s, is delivered by force no matter how loving, sympathetic and conversational the party tries to make it. It’s the only way government can deliver anything.
Seeing the millions of followers Charlie had, the Republican party did the only thing it could do, take over the “memorial” and make it a campaign rally. Now you may say the speeches weren’t overly political. Which means they were political, just with a softer delivery. Political entities don’t know many tricks, and the ones they do know, they do religiously. And the Republicans should have passed on this one.
There was a reason Charlie was so popular, and it wasn’t because he (probably) voted Republican. He spoke truth. More important, he communicated in the Truth. The words and teachings of Jesus Christ. Now, I know democrats and progressives will take their snippets and talking points to exploit things out of context when it comes to Charlie. Honestly, that doesn’t bother me. After all, the progressives of Jesus’ day did the same thing. I find that interesting.
Go ahead. Listen to one of Charlie’s campus events or an interview from start to finish. Then tell me who he sounds more like. Jesus or your favorite Republican. And yes, I know comparisons to Christ aren’t fair and can lead down a dangerous path. But as a follower of The Way myself, I’m commanded to be more like Jesus every day. You know by who? That’s right, Jesus himself. If you didn’t see that in Charlie, I can’t help you.
I didn’t worship the man, however. But I sure loved, admired and adored him.
No wonder the Republicans wanted to co-opt his mission.
In Truth and freedom.
Craig Hall is owner and publisher of The Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com
Letter to the Editor
Time for transparency: What does MVEA stand for?
Dear Editor,
In the last two months, the National Education Association (NEA) released its 2025 Handbook, the document that sets the goals and priorities for the nation’s largest teachers’ union for the coming year. And then, just as quickly, it was gone. Within 24 hours, the handbook was quietly removed from its website.
Why? What was so controversial that it had to be scrubbed from public view? Fortunately, a copy was preserved before it disappeared, and what it contains should give every educator, parent and taxpayer pause.
What the NEA Is Promoting
The handbook calls for “racial quotas over merit” – a direct rejection of merit-based advancement – and instructs that “all educators must acknowledge the existence of white supremacy culture as a primary root cause of institutional racism, structural racism and white privilege.”
Most troubling, it revises the way Holocaust education is framed, removing explicit reference to Jewish people as the primary target of Nazi genocide and instead lumping all victims together under generic categories of “faiths, ethnicities, races and genders.” For many, this was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back — and possibly the reason the NEA pulled the handbook offline. If so, perhaps it was due to the overwhelming pushback from members, Jewish leaders, and concerned citizens.
A Union That Rejected “Student Learning”
This isn’t the first time NEA’s priorities have raised eyebrows. Back in 2019, a business item was introduced that would have made student learning the priority of the association, asking every proposed action to be measured by the question: “How does this promote the development of students as lifelong reflective learners?”
Shockingly, the NEA’s own delegates voted that proposal down. Since then, what have they elevated instead? New Business Items and resolutions advancing gender-affirming care, radical Social-Emotional Learning frameworks, anticapitalist rhetoric, “Defund the Police,” “Stand with Palestine,” and even resolutions calling President Trump a “fascist” (spelled incorrectly, no less).
What About Local Teachers?
Here in Mesa County, many of our teachers are members of the Mesa Valley Education Association (MVEA), which is affiliated with the NEA. Do these teachers — and the community that supports them — know what they are funding with their membership dues?
We are told time and again that teachers are underpaid and undersupported. Yet thousands of dollars in dues are sent upstream every year to a national organization advancing policies that have little to do with reading, writing and arithmetic — and much to do with politics and ideology.
The Questions We Must Ask
It is time for some straight answers:
• Do MVEA leaders agree with these national NEA stances?
• Did local delegates vote for these resolutions?
• Do they denounce or distance themselves from them?
• Are these ideological priorities being taught — explicitly or implicitly — in our classrooms?
Parents, teachers and taxpayers deserve clarity. If the NEA can quietly remove its handbook from public view, then local unions should be willing to state where they stand publicly.
Our students’ education should never be used as a political experiment. Mesa County deserves a teachers’ association that prioritizes learning — not national agendas that divide communities and distract from the fundamental mission of education.
Austin DeWitt, Grand Junction
Craig Hall
n GJ Kiwanis
Stephanie Garcia-Hagen
name new officers, board members
Kiwanis Club of Grand Junction announced its new officers for the 2026 fiscal year. The incoming president is Stephanie GarciaHagen, and Audrey Kiser is the president-elect, while Tim Haggerty is past-president.
Returning officers are Treasurer Alan Watkins, Assistant Treasurer Chris Thompson and Secretary Russ Adsit.
Trish Hausenbauer will be a new board member. Returning board members are Zach Reams, Scott Hayduk, Mark Ryan, Gordon Harbert, Marsha Harbert and Paula Mattas.
Diane West is the most recent new member, and the GJ Kiwanis Club is seeking new members to join the worldwide organization of volunteers that serves young children. The club meets Thursdays at noon at The Warehouse 25/Sixty Five in Grand Junction. For more information, visit Kiwanis-gj.org.
n Confluence Center celebrates opening with Nov. 5 event
The Confluence Center of Colorado, 2600 Dos Rios Drive, will host its grand opening Nov. 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The six nonprofit organizations that are occupying the building are: RiversEdge West; EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum; One Riverfront; Colorado National Monument Association; Colorado West Land Trust; and Colorado Canyons Association.
The grand opening will feature:
• Paper Chain Cutting – STREAM Preschool students from EUREKA! will lead a “ribbon cutting” by cutting a paper chain created by kids.
• A Confluence of Thoughts – Add your reflections to the community “guest book” and display board.
• River Time Capsule – Contribute a river-related item, such as a river photo or a note about today’s river, to be memorialized for the future.
• Partner Activities – Each nonprofit will host an activity outside its office. For example, RiversEdge West will offer seedball making.
• Building Tours – See inside the Confluence Center and learn how this space will serve the community for decades to come.
Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.
Share your news!
Has your business recently hired, moved or made changes? The Business Times welcomes submissions for free publication in Business Briefs. Email stories and photos to stories@thebusinesstimes.com or submit a news release online at www.thebusinesstimes.com. (970) 424-5133 www.thebusinesstimes.com
n Fruita Chamber submits four nominees for board
The Fruita Area Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to its members Sept. 19 to notify them about its nominations for the four open seats on the board of directors.
The chamber’s nominating committee, in accordance with its bylaws, met Sept. 12 and submitted the following nominees for three-year terms: Kristin Lee, Vectra Bank; Mai Oachs, Monument Vista Place; Sam Bussard, Family Health West; and Natalee Torres, Republic Services.
Per the chamber’s bylaws, additional candidates for the board of directors may be nominated by petition. The petition must bear the signatures of at least 5 percent of members (21 signatures) and be filed with the nominating committee by submitting it to the chamber president/CEO within 10 days of the notice it gave Sept. 19.
If no additional candidates are nominated by petition, the slate of nominees listed above will be presented during the Oct. 15 board meeting, where a final vote will be made.
n BLM Colorado rescinds public-land closure in Mesa County
On Sept. 25, the Bureau of Land Management reopened public lands in Mesa County that the bureau had closed because of the Turner Gulch and Wright Draw Fires.
The BLM announced an emergency closure July 15 to ensure public and firefighter safety during fire-suppression efforts. The bureau issued the rescission, because agency officials determined the area is safe and fire clean-up activities are complete.
The Mesa County Road and Bridge Department will keep Niche Road closed until further notice.
n Survey to identify business impacts from wildfire
Mesa County and the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management are inviting local non-agricultural producers and supplier businesses that were impacted by the Turner Gulch Fire to complete a Business Impact Survey to help local, tribal and state authorities better understand the fire’s economic and physical effects on the business community.
The survey gathers information on economic stressors and physical damages businesses may be facing, including:
• Business impacts: disruptions to operations; staffing shortages; lost revenue; inventory loss; increased operating costs; and delayed operations.
• Physical damages: fire; ash; smoke; fumes; or post-fire flooding that has damaged any business-related property.
“The survey seeks to capture the full scope of the Turner Gulch Fire and is an important tool for assessing the needs of our business community,” Mesa County Emergency Services Director Andy Martsolf said. “By sharing this information, businesses help us identify the scope of impacts and advocate for the resources needed to support recovery.”
This survey is not an application for financial assistance, nor does it guarantee the availability of disaster aid. Instead, the data collected will help authorities determine the overall impact of disasters and inform recovery planning.
Businesses impacted by the Turner Gulch Fire are encouraged to complete the survey by Oct. 14.
Find the survey at survey123.arcgis.com/share/c12e85c2dbef4ce79d90fa03faf20e41
For questions or technical assistance, contact cdps_dhsem_srtf@state.co.us.
