{"id":96152,"date":"2019-01-18T15:44:53","date_gmt":"2019-01-18T22:44:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/chamber-of-commerce-honors-durangos-outstanding-people-businesses\/"},"modified":"2019-01-18T15:44:53","modified_gmt":"2019-01-18T22:44:53","slug":"chamber-of-commerce-honors-durangos-outstanding-people-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/chamber-of-commerce-honors-durangos-outstanding-people-businesses\/","title":{"rendered":"Chamber of Commerce honors Durango\u2019s outstanding people, businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Joanne
Joanne Spina, former La Plata County manager, gives a heartfelt thank you Thursday night after being named Citizen of the Year at Durango Rocks, the Durango Chamber of Commerce\u2019s annual award ceremony held at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Joanne Spina, who capped a 30-year career in public service by leading La Plata County as manager during a time of declining revenue, was named Citizen of the Year on Thursday night at the Durango Rocks awards event.<\/p>\n

Spina, at the Durango Chamber of Commerce\u2019s annual ceremony Thursday, said it was an honor to serve in a county made stronger by its community focus and the care residents show for one another.<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of the mission statement in La Plata County is to make this one of the best places to raise a family, and I truly believe it is,\u201d Spina, who retired Jan. 2, told a crowd of more than 200 at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College.<\/p>\n

La Plata County Commissioner Julie Westendorff said the county was fortunate to have someone with Spina\u2019s knowledge and experience to serve as county manager during the revenue crunch.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in a transition period, and to have someone with her confidence, experience and skill with her hand on the rudder was incredibly important,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Staff members know by heart many of Spina\u2019s principles in guiding them through tough issues, Westendorff said. \u201cYou want to walk around the compass,\u201d Westendorff said was frequent advice to ensure all perspectives were studied.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to take a deep dive into this,\u201d was Spina\u2019s take when further study was needed.<\/p>\n

J. Paul Brown, a Ignacio-area rancher who served as a county commissioner, said he remembers Spina\u2019s professionalism.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was always levelheaded and treated everyone with respect,\u201d he said. \u201cYou never knew her political opinions. She just tried to implement the commissioners\u2019 wishes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spina, 63, who has called La Plata County home since 1985 when she began working with the county in the court system, told the The Durango Herald<\/em> she has always been drawn to public service.<\/p>\n

Since she graduated college in 1975, she has spent all but five years in the public sector.<\/p>\n

Written on a whiteboard in her office was a quote: \u201cA public office is a public trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

She had planned to retire at the end of 2017, when she was serving as assistant county manager. But when County Manager Joe Kerby announced in June 2017 that he was leaving, Spina stepped up to help with the transition.<\/p>\n

It was a tough time to lead the county.<\/p>\n

A combination of reduced residential property taxes and an oil and gas bust has caused a host of problems for the operating budget. From 2016 to 2017, the county\u2019s budget decreased 26 percent, from $104.7 million to $77.5 million.<\/p>\n

The sharp drop led to tough decisions as the county looked to make do with declining tax revenues. Spina has said in her three-decade tenure with the county that the current situation poses the most significant financial challenges she has witnessed.<\/p>\n

The La Plata County Board of County Commissioners unanimously chose Spina, who previously had two stints as interim county manager, to take the helm. She is the first woman to serve as county manager.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all agreed that she is hands down the best person for the job with what the county is going through right now,\u201d La Plata County Commissioner Gwen Lachelt told the Herald<\/em> in July 2017. She added: \u201cEvery department is going through a pretty creative process to come up with ways to save the county money. She\u2019s extremely innovative.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spina was raised on a farm in Methuen, Massachusetts, a small town about 30 miles north of Boston. She lived in a traditional Italian family household, with her parents, two older sisters, grandparents and her father\u2019s sister all under the same roof.<\/p>\n

After graduating from college, she began work at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., in the International Finance Corporation, which helps grow the private sector in developing countries.<\/p>\n

Morley Ballantine Award<\/div>\n

Melissa Glick, CEO of Think Network Technologies, a Durango-based information technology company, won the 2019 Morley Ballantine Award, which honors women for their work in business and philanthropy.<\/p>\n

\"Melissa
Melissa Glick, CEO of Think Network Technologies, an information technology company, accepts the Morley Ballantine Award on Thursday night at Durango Rocks, the Durango Chamber of Commerce\u2019s annual award ceremony held at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. The award honors women for their work in business and philanthropy.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Beth Drum, who presented the award, noted Glick serves as a role model and inspiration for women looking to enter the executive suite and who desire careers in technology.<\/p>\n

In 2014, Glick co-founded the Professional Women\u2019s Network of Durango to connect women in the Four Corners by providing a community in which they could mentor, guide and support each other through professional development, social events and by volunteering.<\/p>\n

Glick said she strives to help women build their confidence, an area she said she struggles with.<\/p>\n

Business of the Year<\/div>\n

Durango Dermatology was named Business of the Year. It was founded in 1970 by Dr. Lawrence Gaughan, the father of Dr. Mark Gaughan, who currently heads the practice.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Mark Gaughan with Durango Dermatology accepts the Business of the Year Award on Thursday night at Durango Rocks, the Durango Chamber of Commerce\u2019s annual award ceremony held at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Mark Gaughan said his parents started the practice when 33 doctors were practicing in Durango compared with almost 250 today.<\/p>\n

The most important person in the office, Gaughan said, is the patient, and the second most important are the practice\u2019s employees.<\/p>\n

The staff of two doctors, two physician assistants and two nurses have a combined 160 years of medical experience in providing care. \u201cIn this day and age, with everyone switching jobs, that\u2019s pretty incredible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe try to give everyone the highest quality care possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

parmijo@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\n

2019 Durango Rocks winners<\/h4>\n

The Durango Chamber of Commerce honors businesses and individuals annually for philanthropy, community involvement and business development at its Durango Rocks event.
\n Citizen of the Year:<\/strong>
\n Joanne Spina
\n Barbara Conrad Award:<\/strong>
\n Molly Martin
\n Business of the Year:<\/strong>
\n Durango Dermatology
\n Bill Mashaw Volunteer of the Year:<\/strong>
\n Jeff Givens
\n Diplomat of the Year:<\/strong>
\n Matt Gomez
\n Entrepreneur of the Year:<\/strong>
\n Jessika Buell, Marketing Concepts Squared
\n Morley Ballantine Award:<\/strong>
\n Melissa Glick
\n Nonprofit of the Year:<\/strong>
\n Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado
\n Small Business of the Year:<\/strong>
\n Pet Haus
\n Spirit of Durango:<\/strong>
\n Star Liquor
\n Young Professional of the Year:<\/strong>
\n Taylor Criswell<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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