It’s tradition. Visit Estes Park always elects new officers during its first meeting of the year. That happened again this year when the board met on Thursday, but it was anything but traditional.  

The difference was that under the new organizational structure, only three of the five board members considered themselves eligible to serve as officers, and Sean Jurgens, who has been chair of the organization for two terms, could not be named to that position again this year, as he was term-limited under the bylaws.

Nothing was hotly contested. However, the decision was who would serve in each capacity.

Jody Shadduck-McNally, newly named to the board as a representative of Larimer County, was first to offer her services.

“I’d like to put my name in for Vice Chair, because I don’t know all the ropes,” Shadduck-McNally said. “I thought that might be a good place to have some sharing of leadership roles between the county and the town,” she explained. “And so I’d like to put my name in for Vice Chair,” Shadduck-McNally said, in getting the nominations going.

“I’d like to nominate Mr. (Nick) Smith for chair if he would be interested,” said current vice-chair Kirby Hazelton. “I think you would do a great job,” she said in encouraging Smith to accept the nomination.

“He has the history, has some tie-ins with some agencies like the arts district and Whimsidoodle and things like that. That will be, I think, a key component,” Hazelton said. “I’d love to nominate Nick. I think he’ll be a steady Eddie and great leader,” she said.

“If chosen, I will do my best to serve this board in our community,” Smith said.

Jurgens was named secretary-treasurer for 2026.

In the end, all three were elected to those positions: Smith will be chair, Shaddock-McNally will serve as vice-chair, and Jurgens will be secretary-treasurer.

Smith is co-owner of Lumpy Ridge Brewing Co. on S. St. Vrain Avenue and Lumpy Ridge Publick House on Cleave Street. Shadduck-McNally is a Larimer County Commissioner. Both serve on Visit Estes Park as County appointees.

Jurgens, an owner of the Estes Park Quality Inn, is an appointee from the Town of Estes Park and has served on Visit Estes Park for nearly a decade.