Press release from the President of FOCPR

Candidate Profiles for the Conifer Parks and Recreation District Board of Directors

An election will be held on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at West Jefferson Elementary School, 26501 Barkley Road, Conifer, CO to form the Conifer Area Parks and Recreation District.

Candidates for 4-Year Director term (3 to be elected)

William Turner

Bill Turner has lived lived in Conifer for 16+ years, and he and his wife are raising three sons here. His family has a community business that has a long history of providing services and supporting Conifer families.  Bill is committed to helping shape Conifer's future with a parks and recreation district and has been an active board member and volunteer with Friends of Conifer Parks and Recreation since its inception nearly four years ago.

Bill has over two decades of business management and community master planning experience. A graduate of the University of Denver with a BA in Business Management and the University of Colorado, Denver, with a Master's of Architecture with honors, Bill has a strong foundation of education and experience that he will bring to the board of directors for the Conifer Parks and Recreation District.

Currently, Bill is a member of the American Institute of Architects National Board of Directors; this organization represents the architectural profession and its nearly 80,000 architect members.  He has also served on the local, state and regional board of directors.

Now is the time for a park and recreation district.  Conifer is missing out on public and private funding that is available to official recreation districts.  Forming a park and recreation district in Conifer opens up opportunities to bring funds back to our residents. With a park and recreation district, intergovernmental projects can be undertaken and community partnerships, such as trails and historic preservation efforts, can be developed.  Existing resources that are being underutilized can be enhanced by a park and recreation district. It's a great opportunity to provide our community with new funding and cooperative efforts that will benefit residents of all ages.

Conifer deserves a park and recreation district. Vote yes on May 3.

Kendra Hood

Kendra has been a Conifer resident for over 10 years and has served as a volunteer with the Friends of Conifer Parks and Recreation for 1 1/2 years as an active board member. She is running for a four-year term on the new board. Kendra believes in volunteering her time and giving back to the community where she lives. She will dedicate her time as a board member to invest available funds into existing programs and create new ones to benefit community members of all ages.

Kendra believes that the residents of Conifer can come together on common ground to accomplish great things. She also believes in taking care of one another. 

She received her master’s degree in Social Work from West Virginia University and has served as an AmeriCorps service worker for impoverished communities. She worked as a medical social worker for seven years at Denver Health Medical Center and served on their Board of Ethics.

Kendra also served the 285 corridor as a volunteer for the Meals-On-Wheels program. She is now a stay-at-home mother of a 4-year-old daughter and an 18-month- old son.

She knows that healthy individuals mean a healthier community. 

            “One of the greatest dignities of humankind is that each successive generation is invested in the welfare of each new generation.”  -Mr. Fred Rogers

Deb Maxwell West

Deb has lived in Colorado since 1993 and in Conifer since 1997.  Deb moved to Conifer to enjoy the quality of life and to raise her son in a small, quiet community.

Deb has been a volunteer for Friends of the Conifer Park and Recreation District since 2010 and has volunteered for Jefferson County Open Space since 2002.  She believes a park and recreation district in Conifer will increase the opportunity for educational afterschool and summer programs for local children as well as provide a place for adults of all ages to socialize and participate in healthy activities.

Deb has a degree in biology from the University of Kansas and enjoys teaching programs on nature and wildlife.  She currently is employed as a water treatment plant operator by Denver Water.  Deb was a realtor in Conifer and Evergreen from 2000 to 2004.  She has been active in the Conifer community for many years, serving as a Cubmaster for Pack 39, a judge at the Marshdale and West Jefferson Middle School science fairs, and a science mentor at Marshdale. 

Deb enjoys jogging, swimming, and hiking in her free time.

Candidates for 2-Year Director term (2 to be elected)

Alison Thayer

Alison Thayer is a Colorado native who grew up in Summit County near Silverthorne.  Alison and her family have lived in Conifer for four years, and moved here to enjoy the beauty and peace of mountain living. 

Alison became a volunteer for the Friends of Conifer Park and Recreation District last year.  She strongly believes in the importance of creating more recreational and educational opportunities in our community for residents of all ages.  A park and recreation district will strengthen ties among community members and will help to keep our spending on recreational activities in the community – a direct benefit to all who work, own businesses and live in the area.      

Alison went to law school at the University of Colorado, and she is a partner at Temkin Wielga & Hardt LLP, where she practices environmental and natural resources work. 

Alison has long been an active member of several nonprofit groups, including the Colorado Bar Association, Colorado Women’s Bar Association (CWBA) and the Colorado Lawyer’s Committee.   She recently served as president of the CWBA, a 600+ member organization.

Alison enjoys rafting, kayaking, fishing, and hiking in her free time.

Skip Shirlaw

Skip has been an active board member and volunteer, serving as president of the board, with the Friends of Conifer Park and Recreation District for 3 1/2 years.  Skip is running for a two-year term on the board of Conifer Parks and Recreation. 

A native of Colorado, Skip was raised in Lakewood.  He attended Colorado State University majoring in sociology and playing football.  Following graduation, Skip worked in Lakewood with developmentally disabled adults until becoming a state probation officer.  He has held this position for 17 years. 

Skip purchased a home in the Conifer area in 1996..   He enjoys coaching his daughter’s basketball and softball team. Skip volunteers his time with the local 4H group and as a firefighter with Inter-Canyon Fire/Rescue.  Skip and his family love camping, fishing and hiking in Colorado, and Skip has a love for all things outdoors.

He has a passion for the community and youth sports. He sees the benefit of children engaging in physical activity while learning teamwork and dedication. He hopes to instill fundamental skills in the kids and develop a love and passion for sports that they will pass on to their own kids. 

Skip sees Conifer as a diverse, strong community but does not want to see the large growth that has happened in other areas.  He has seen the community engage in wonderful activities and accomplish great things.  Skip is excited about the new possibilities a recreation district will bring to the Conifer community.

Robert Baxter

Thank you FOCPR for inviting me to post my profile.

My name is Robert Baxter.   I am running for a seat on the board. I am on the record as vehemently opposing the district and its taxes.  I am running for the board so I can be the voice against mill levies and bond elections while voting for transparency and keeping the district’s governmental powers in check.  If this district does pass, then it is my belief the district should serve the community and its citizens. I will be the voice advocating for the best interests of the community and its citizens over other special interests.

My wife Elizabeth and I have lived in Pine Junction for 30 years and raised a family here.  My professional background is Information Technology with a diverse array of technical, interpersonal, and problem solving skills backed up by years of experience with operating systems, networks, databases, and system support software. As a volunteer, I have successfully completed a term as the chief elected officer of a multi-state district in the world’s leading volunteer organization for communication and leadership skills development.  The district serves over 3000 members belonging to 166 chapters.  During my term, I motivated, coached and counseled 50+ volunteer officers, administered finances plus oversaw marketing and training programs.  I am proud to say my team exceeded all of our goals for member growth, chapter growth and member achievement.

Ron Lewis

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