More than 100 people braved snow-covered roads Wednesday morning to attend the Estes Chamber’s State of Estes 2025 in Assembly Hall at the YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center. Those who attended were treated to a breakfast buffet spread with shrimp, smoked and poached salmon, waffles, bacon, sausage, fruits, breakfast breads, and baked Alaska.
The inaugural gathering included a recognition by Colleen DePasquale, president of the Estes Chamber of Commerce, the Estes Chamber Foundation, and the Economic Development and Workforce Council, of event sponsors Platte River Power Authority, Visit Estes Park, the Bank of Estes Park, and North Peak Media.
Before speaking about the work of PRPA to bring power to the Estes Valley, Jason Frisbie, the general manager and CEO, joked about how some people were surprised that he had come to Estes from Fort Collins through a snowstorm, “Are you kidding, we’re a utility company. This is what we do.”
Frisbie said that the purpose of PRPA is to “deliver safe, reliable and affordable energy while preparing for the future,” and added that “reliable power is the backbone to economic vitality and business prosperity.”
The morning program recognized outgoing Board Chair Keith Pearson, who had been a founding member of the newly formed Estes Chamber, which was established in 2020 but had begun with discussions and early groundwork two years prior.
“I want to reflect back to 2018. Estes Park had been without a Chamber of Commerce for more than a decade. But the needs of our community and its businesses continued to get more complex. In the absence of a chamber, an alphabet soup of organizations filled the void. EVPC, EALA, EVCA, EDC, VEP, Wedding Alliance, and more,” said Pearson.
Recognizing the need for a unified organization, Pearson explained how a task force was formed to consider the value proposition of a new Chamber of Commerce specifically designed to meet the needs of all businesses of Estes Park.
As Pearson steps away from serving as the organization’s current chair, he welcomed relator and business owner Breeyan Edwards to the role.
Christina Kraft, the market president for the Bank of Colorado Estes Park spoke about the work of the Economic Development and Workforce Council. Kraft, who serves as the chair of that initiative, began her remarks by saying, “This morning is a celebration of everything that makes our community strong—our people, our businesses, and our shared vision for the future.”
Kraft then spoke about the 2025 accomplishments of the EDWC, a public-private partnership, including delivering more than 30 educational programs, reaching 223 participants, and creating an estimated $600,000 in educational value for our community.
“That’s not just a number—it represents real people gaining new skills, businesses finding new opportunities, and a stronger foundation for our local economy,” said Kraft, who then presented Diane Muno and Ingrid Bush with awards for their work with the EDWC.
Harriette Woodard, the board chair of the Chamber’s Foundation, spoke about the philanthropic arm of the Chamber, “Our mission is simple and strong: funding education, supporting business relief, and opening doors through scholarships.”
The Foundation’s first scholarship, which will be awarded annually to a graduating high school senior, is in memory of Kent Smith, who died in May. Smith, who ran Smith’s Sign Studio, was a founding member of the Chamber’s board.
“Every dollar we steward, every program we support, is designed to keep our business community vibrant, resilient, and full of possibility,” said Woodard.
Estes Park Mayor Gary Hall, who said he strives to keep his remarks to 90 seconds or less, discussed many of the Town’s initiatives, including the ongoing rewrite of the Development Code and the community engagement events surrounding that process, as well as the need for a new twenty-first-century police department.
Hall also spoke about the Town’s need for new water purification facilities to replace the two aging plants, and he praised the Town’s environmental and sustainability efforts, and trail buildouts. He reminded the audience that a municipal election would be held in April, with three Trustee positions open, and spoke about the engagement opportunities for citizens to interact with their elected officials at informal coffees.
He also acknowledged that the Fire District is on a path to stability with Warren Jones in the helm as the new interim fire chief and he acknowledged that the local school system under the leadership of Ruby Bode is healthy despite declining enrollment.
Speaking as both a cheerleader for the community and a steward, Hall cited the acquisition of Estes Park Health by UCHealth as a positive development and expressed hope that the Upper Thompson Sanitation District would soon be able to replace its 50-year-old facility.
He praised the community for leaning in to support neighbors during the federal government shutdown, which directly affected Rocky Mountain National Park, and spoke about the important local work of nonprofit organizations, including Estes Valley Investment in Childhood Services, The Bridge of Estes, Crisis Advocates, and Crossroads.
Although he went over his self-imposed 90-second limit, he stayed within the five to seven minutes each speaker was asked to observe.
Rebecca Gelsinger, operations director of Visit Estes Park, introduced Sarah Leonard, the new CEO, who had only been on the job for three days. Leonard presented a slide deck highlighting Visit Estes Park’s work as the community’s marketing district.
The presentation concluded with remarks by Larimer County Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally, who highlighted important initiatives of the County, including the Behavioral Health Services at the Longview Campus, a state-of-the-art crisis, mental health, and substance-use service center that is a public-private partnership between Larimer County and SummitStone Health Partners.
DePasquale concluded the event by thanking the Chamber staff and the staff of the YMCA for the food and hospitality, “including dessert for breakfast.” She also invited everyone to attend the Chamber’s Sip and Shop event on Friday evening, Dec. 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Barrell.