This morning BizWest held its 11th annual Women of Distinction event. It was inspiring and humbling to hear the stories of the 11 honorees. A feature in this week’s Chamber SmartBrief e-Weekly newsletter highlights some of the recipients.
It was my honor to introduce ‘Leading Lady’ honoree this year, Yvonne Myers. She is a remarkable person. Following are my remarks:
“To all of the nominees and finalists, congratulations, and thank you for your contributions to our region. I know most of you, and you’re very impressive individuals. And among the nominees are Kim and Ann on my team. I’m very proud of both of you.
And, a big thank you to BizWest for hosting this event to recognize deserving leaders.
Yvonne Myers is this year’s Women of Distinction Leading Lady honoree.
She is a woman of big energy and a big heart.
A Colorado native and CSU graduate, Yvonne has been with Columbine Health Systems for 30 years. She has represented Columbine brilliantly during that time, and is a strong and compelling advocate for health care in general and the care of seniors in particular. Thank you to Bob Wilson for seeing her gifts and for enabling her to work her magic in the community.
What sets Yvonne apart is the breadth of her involvement and the depth of her passion.
She has been active with Colorado State University, the Health Sector Partnership, Poudre School District and the school district foundation, Front Range Community College, the Coloradoan editorial board, the board of UCHealth Foundation, Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, the workforce development board, the United Way and numerous city and county boards and committees among other organizations and causes.
Among those other organizations is the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce where she is a board member and past chair. She holds the distinction of being the top fund raiser in the Chamber’s 115 year history.
The Chamber’s job is to build our region’s future through business. Successful businesses make a strong local economy, which lets our region afford a great quality of life.
That requires vision and money. At a couple of key junctures, when we needed strategic direction, Yvonne played a critical role. Her support of our annual Moving Fort Collins Forward campaign and the decision to conduct our 5-year key strategic initiative campaign, Northern Colorado Prospers, are part of her lasting legacy.
Her impact with us is replicated across many other groups.
By itself, being so active is remarkable. Then there’s the matter of how it’s done. This is where the passion comes in. Yvonne shows up and engages in a way that draws others to her, she’s a magnet.
And she does so with courage and conviction. While being the consummate team player, I know of times when she bravely stood alone for what she believed was right. She has demonstrated a strength of character we all hope for.
Yvonne Myers is the most remarkable person I know. It’s a great honor for me to introduce her as this year’s Women of Distinction leading lady!”