Gaige Sippy, who has served as director of the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic for the last 16 years and helped the annual ride through the COVID-19 pandemic, was named 2022 Citizen of the Year on Thursday at the 2023 Durango Rocks Awards.
Former Durango Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors President Vaughn Morris announced Sippy’s award. He said the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic has a huge economic impact for the area.
During the first stretch of his tenure, the event saw a jump in participation from 2,800 participants in 2007 to 4,000 in 2013, according to a Durango Herald story published in 2013.
Sippy has also been instrumental in planning Durango Mesa Park, serving as a board member for the Durango Mesa Park foundation. His love of sports, natural landscapes and vision for Durango drives considerable economic impact, Morris said.
“The 18,150-acre parcel is planned to be used to build trails and features designed to put Durango on the map as a world class racing and training destination,” Morris said.
Sippy said he never dreamed he would end up winning citizen of the year.
“You don’t do things in the community knowing this will be the end result,” he said. “You just do things in the community because you appreciate being here.”
He recalled when he first raced in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in 1989 and marveled at how much the community has become a part of his life.
“This is just a tremendous honor and I appreciate all of you and our community and hope to continue to be a part of it,” he said.
Morehart Murphy Regional Auto Center was honored as the 2022 Business of the Year. It was recognized for its record of financial performance, strategies and growth.
In 2009, Pat Murphy Motors and Morehart Chevrolet Subaru joined forces to start Morehart Murphy Regional Auto Center. In 2020, they opened a new Subaru dealership in the Three Springs area, overcoming challenges with the pandemic such as supply chain shortages.
Morehart Murphy’s deep family and business roots in Durango are apparent in many ways. They serve on a variety of local boards and make significant contributions to organizations like Community Connections, Durango Education Foundation, Annie’s Orphans, Mercy Hospital Foundation, Women’s Resource Center, United Way and more, according to the Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber recognized Adela Flora, a wedding florist, as the Small Business of the Year for showing perseverance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Owner Natalie McClain was able to overcome challenges like a complete shutdown of business, halt to the wedding industry, plus massive supply chain issues through strategic planning, creative solutions and transparency with her clients, according to the chamber.
Adela Floral was able to grow during this time, increasing the number of employees from one to seven in just a year.
The HomesFund was awarded Nonprofit of the Year for its support for affordable housing development programs.
Some of its recent projects include the Animas View Resident Co-Op Park, the Triangle Mobile Home Park, Lumien apartments and Animas City Park Overlook Townhomes, which offer several deed-restricted units.
HomesFund has infused $12 million in lending funds to more than 360 local families, according to the Chamber of Commerce.
The HomesFund also helps guide individuals through the homebuying process.
Ben Sorensen of Ascent Digital Marketing was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year for the growth of his company that opened offices in Montana and North Carolina since starting in 2021.
“He’s utilized his leadership skills and entrepreneurial spirit to assemble a team that caters to clients who need digital marketing to help them grow,” according to the chamber.
Sorensen is also a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician with Fort Lewis Mesa Fire Protection District.
Pathfinder Chiropractic was awarded Spirit of Durango for its exemplary customer service, support for nonprofits and for starting Wines and Spines.
Wines and Spines raises money for special causes or nonprofits, including the Durango Education Foundation, Women’s Resource Center and a boy who is battling brain cancer.
The Chamber of Commerce said founding doctors Haley and Garett Roop created a family-oriented office environment with rewards for the entire team when big goals are met.
Joe Kusar was honored for his volunteer work with local nonprofit organizations like United Way of Southwest Colorado, the Durango Arts Center, Durango School District 9-R Board of Education and with Arc of Southwest Colorado.
Arc of Southwest Colorado is a nonprofit that supports and provides services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
He is known for his magnanimous spirit and resiliency, in addition to his passion for skiing, according to the chamber.
“I’m probably better at recognizing great talent than I am at being great talent,” Kusar said.
Ann Morse, director of Manna soup kitchen, won the Morley Ballantine Award, which is awarded to a woman who has exhibited excellence in business or nonprofits.
Morse has been an integral part of the recent growth and transformation of Manna. Through listening to the community’s needs, she took the helm on transforming the organization from a traditional soup kitchen to a resource center, food market and community kitchen, according to the chamber.
“We have just the most amazing volunteers who show up every day to help support all of us at Manna and then our program participants and other partner organizations come and help us,” Morse said. “I’m truly blessed to be in this community and have the job that I do.”
Tracy Cornutt received the Barbara Conrad Award for her commitment to the community through consistent leadership.
Leadership La Plata is the skills training and broad-based community education arm of the Durango Chamber of Commerce.
Cornutt has been an integral piece of LLP’s continued success for the past decade. Since graduating with the class of 2012, she spent time as the curriculum co-chairwoman, supporting the development of each class and pioneered the leadership coordinator position, developing a new role that is now key to the program. She is now chairwoman of the leadership committee, again contributing to the monthly class content, the chamber said.
Kylah and Nick Breeden, both employees with Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, played a key role in helping rescue an injured hiker in October, earning them the Outstanding Contribution to the Community Award.
The two helped an injured Aztec woman who had been missing for two days hiking on the Colorado trail. A passenger riding the train noticed a woman waving frantically from the far bank of the Animas River 5 miles south of Silverton. After the passenger notified the train crew, Kylah and Nick, who were the engineer and firefighter aboard the train at the time, assisted the woman. Kylah crossed the river and assisted the woman with her injuries, which included a severe break in her leg, while Nick alerted for help.
“We just want to say thank you to everyone who supported us that day and the days after – Al, and the rest of railroad family. I would also like to give a shout out to search and rescue and the train crews that day who really made it happen,” Kylah Breeden said.
Joseph Kuzma, creator of Blue Lily Productions, won Young Professional of the Year for the expertise and enthusiasm he has brought as president of Young Professionals of Durango, according to the chamber.
“The recipient is motivated and jumped into the YPOD program with both feet,” said Chamber of Commerce CEO Jack Llewelyn before awarding Kuzma. “He’s taken initiative in planning events, confirming sponsors and recruited YPOD members.”
This year’s Diplomat of the Year award went to Brad Cook, who has been a diplomat for 26 years, because he went above and beyond in chamber event attendance in 2022.
Diplomats must attend a minimum of 50% of all the required events, and Cook attended well above that number.
“He earned extra credit and finished the year with 136% of the activities accomplished,” the chamber said.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
