Professionals on the Rise

Chamber & EDC Adds Government Affairs VP

Jeff Thormodsgaard has joined the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC staff as the vice president of government affairs, effective Dec. 2. Thormodsgaard has more than 15 years of experience in public policy, government relations and strategic advocacy. Thormodsgaard will lead strategic policy initiatives, advocate for a business-friendly regulatory environment, lead strategic policy initiatives and oversee the Chamber & EDC’s Government Affairs Council.

National SBA Names Instructor of the Year

Longtime veteran advocate Eric Phillips received the Instructor of the Year honor, a national award from the U.S. Small Business Administration, on Nov. 21. Phillips is an instructor for the Colorado Veterans Business Outreach Center, which supports veterans and military spouses seeking to start their own businesses. The U.S. Army veteran served in the Quartermaster Corps. Phillips is an economic development specialist and veterans business development officer for the SBA Colorado District Office.

Nakamura, Hobbs join Sports Corp. Board

Dean Nakamura and Dirk Hobbs have joined the Colorado Springs Sports Corp. board of directors. Nakamura has spent more than 19 years on the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and, after years of supporting high-level athletics programs, currently serves as the USOPC’s senior vice president and chief of Training Centers & Games Operations.

Hobbs has more than 30 years of experience as a marketing strategist/executive and serial media entrepreneur in multiple industries. He is the founder of Colorado Media Group LLC and executive publisher of The Southern Colorado Business Forum & Digest and NORTH magazine.

Manitou Urban Renewal Authority ED Retiring

Jim Rees, Manitou Springs Urban Renewal Authority executive director, will retire at the end of 2024. Rees has served the MSURA since 2018. The MSURA leads the redevelopment and improvement of Manitou’s urban renewal area, bounded by the Manitou welcome sign on the east through the intersection of Manitou Avenue and U.S. Highway on the west. During Rees’ tenure, the MSURA completed significant milestones including finishing the Manitou Avenue streetscape and partnering with the Creative Alliance of Manitou Springs to acquire and place multiple art installations.

Ent Adds Senior VP for Advocacy, Government Affairs

Ent Credit Union has appointed David Sprenger as senior vice president of government affairs and credit union advocacy. In this newly created role, Sprenger will lead Ent’s efforts to build and strengthen relationships with legislators and regulators, elevating the credit union’s voice at state and federal levels and advocating for policies that benefit Ent’s members and communities.

Volunteer Lauded for Supporting Community, Athletes

The Colorado Springs Sports Corp. has recognized Joseph Schwetz as the 2024 volunteer of the year. The retired VP of engineering and technical services has taken his passion for running and giving back to support local events including the Apex bike race and the Rocky Mountain State Games. His favorite part of volunteering: interacting with athletes.

Theatreworks Artistic Director Heading to Minneapolis

Caitlin Lowans, artistic director of Theatreworks Colorado Springs, is leaving that position to join Ten Thousand Things Theater in Minneapolis as artistic director in February 2025. Lowans, who succeeded Theatreworks founder Murray Ross in 2018, has led the Colorado Springs company through multiple outstanding productions, created the ACT OUT community tour and shepherded the move into the Ent Center for the Arts. Productions will continue as planned during the search for a new leader.

U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Chief Executive Officer Sarah Hirshland and Chairman Gene Sykes were cited in the Sports Business Journal’s list of Most Influential in the sports business. They were commended for having “cemented the United States’ place as a home for the Olympics and Paralympics for the next decade.

After helping Salt Lake City secure the 2034 Winter Games, they extended the country’s reach with Sykes being named an International Olympic Committee member in July” by the SBJ. The article went on to say that “Sykes’ and Hirshland’s roles in cooling tensions around anti-doping have elevated them in the movement.”

Nine Colorado Springs organizations came together to apply for the NSF Regional Innovation Engines Grant to fund the school, which plans to open in late 2025. Those organizations are: U.S. Air Force Academy, The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS), Pikes Peak State College, The National Cybersecurity Center, The Space ISAC, The Space Foundation, Exponential Impact, Catalyst Campus and the Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC. All of the organizations are represented on the CSST board of directors. CSST won a Type 1 grant of $1 million. Critical to the goals of the NSF grant is cultivating regional talent and a skilled technical workforce. The NSF promotes the creation of quality STEM-based education for K-12.

In its first year, the school will provide students in the ninth and 10th grades curriculum focused on space leadership, applied cyberscience, ethics and entrepreneurship to prepare for careers in aerospace, defense, cybersecurity, information technology and space technology fields.

Local CommonSpirit Hospitals Earn High Grades

Ten CommonSpirit Health Mountain Region hospitals have earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. Leapfrog assigns grades to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them. CommonSpirit hospitals in Colorado receiving an “A” for fall 2024 include CommonSpirit Penrose Hospital and CommonSpirit St. Francis Hospital in Colorado Springs.

AdPro Wins Awards for State Fair Marketing

AdPro, a full-service marketing and advertising agency headquartered in Colorado Springs, won 11 awards from the International Association of Fairs and Expos for its marketing campaigns promoting state fairs in Colorado and New Mexico. AdPro has worked with the Colorado State Fair for four years and won Best Marketing Campaign in District Four for its 2024 work. The company won Best Marketing Campaign category in District Three for the New Mexico State Fair, the first year AdPro has partnered with that fair. The Colorado awards also include: first place, single-sided, flat promotional ad; first place, double-sided, multi-page or folded promotional ad; and third place, online advertisements.