A festive evening was held on Friday, Feb. 7, where residents and businesses of Pagosa Springs were honored at the annual Chamber Gala and Community Awards celebration.
For the past month, nominations were submitted in each of the categories of Non-Profit, Small Business, Volunteer and Citizen of the Year. The winners were honored on Friday evening.
There were many qualified candidates in each of the categories, as there are every year. We appreciate the nominations that people took the time to submit and the time the selection committee took to make the hard decision of just one winner.
We expect to see some of the nominees return to the pool of candidates next year. Congratulations to all nominees and winners for the 2024 Community Awards.
Non-Profit of the Year
In the nonprofit category, the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs was honored with 44 years of service to the community.
Included in its services are the youth scholarships, where it has awarded more than $564,000 since 1982. It also offers teacher mini-grants, a backpack program, 2 miles of highway cleanup, a youth exchange program, its members build houses with Habitat for Humanity, and the group financially support a three-year giving campaign for three transformative community projects: the library expansion project, Aspen House and Wings Early Childhood Center. Its members participate in many other community programs and, just in its fiscal years 2023-2024, contributed more than 7,500 hours of service.
Small Business of the Year
In the small business category, nine-year business Echo IT Consulting was the winner.
Starting with just one person, this business now employs six full-time and three part-time people.
Specializing in IT technology, Echo IT has been instrumental in moving the broadband capacity in Pagosa Springs forward and working with other entities to provide regional broadband coverage. Its giveback to the community includes an assortment of engagements, including the Wolf Creek Ski Team, 4-H, Archuleta County Fair and the Livestock Committee, the Chamber of Commerce, Rise Above Violence and more.
Named after the owner, Eric Christian Hittle, Echo IT has become known as the “go-to” business for premium IT service in Pagosa Springs.
Volunteers of the Year
The Volunteers of the Year for 2024 were Bill and Nancy Crouse.
Quiet, unassuming and humble, yet determined and engaged, this dynamic duo over the years has created projects and served the community tirelessly.
Nancy Crouse was one of a handful of women who started the weekly Loaves and Fishes program more than 20 years ago that was so needed in our community and functioned until COVID hit and then the sale of the Parish Hall downtown rendered the location to be no longer available. She also started the annual Thanksgiving and Christmas community meals at Loaves and Fishes. Prior to mammography services in Pagosa Springs, she created the infamous “Boob Bus,” where ladies would travel to Santa Fe to take over an X-ray center for breast mammography exams. For more than 20 years, this trip was a social and physical respite for many women.
Bill Crouse has been an active volunteer for more than 20 years for the Pagosa Fire Protection District, often being the one behind the wheel at most of Pagosa’s events and rallying at many emergencies.
Both Bill and Nancy Crouse work with STEM students and mentor those needing extra help in subjects such as math. Their other volunteer activities include working with organizations such as Special Olympics, LASSO, the Humane Society, Aspen House, No Limits Ranch and more.
Citizen of the Year
The Citizen of the Year award went to Larry Ash, a resident of more than 47 years, premier builder and co-founder of the Build Pagosa organization.
Having graduated from Pagosa Springs High School and leaving the community, he returned to Pagosa to work and raise his family. Coaching sports, mentoring and serving on numerous community boards, Ash has helped guide new rules and regulations improving the safety and growth of Pagosa Springs in an array of areas including fire, water and building protection.
He is most recently known for his work as co-founder of the Build Pagosa nonprofit organization working to improve career and technical education studies, especially in the building trades, for our youth. Starting out with only 36 students, the class now serves more than 150 students. The organization is intent on completing a multimillion-dollar capital campaign to build a regional workforce center for not only youth, but also adults.
