After 27 years at CMC Vail Valley, counselor Larry Dutmer is retiring
Special to the Daily
Andy Colwell for Colorado Mountain College/Courtesy photo
He wasn’t a real ski bum, but skiing trips to Vail led Larry Dutmer to help students at Colorado Mountain College Vail Valley as a counselor for 27 years.
Dutmer moved from Chicago with his wife, Deb, and two sons, Jake and Will, in 1996 and recently retired. Dutmer said he counseled Chicago-area community college students for five years before he explored the prospect of pursuing his career in the Vail area.
“I didn’t even know Vail had a college campus,” Dutmer said of previous ski trips to the resort. “So it was like, ‘You mean I could continue my career in Vail?'”
Dutmer has a business degree from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in counseling from Loyola University Chicago. After many years in the business realm, he decided to make a career change to counseling.
“I had always noticed that people just seemed to open up to me even back in high school,” Dutmer said. “Then I went through a church-related peer counselor training program and realized I loved helping people. I thought, ‘Wow, I could get paid for listening to and encouraging people?'”
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Dutmer said his time as a CMC counselor allowed him to positively impact the lives of students and community members. One student he counseled had lived in her car at a rest area near the Vail Valley at Edwards campus so she could attend classes.
“You’d never know what she was going through because she presented herself well,” Dutmer recalled. “She ended up getting scholarships, earned associate and bachelor’s degrees and now has a job in Denver where 50 people report to her. All she needed was some direction and encouragement to persevere.”
Dutmer also worked with students going into medical school and helped English as a second language students qualify for more opportunities in the valley.
Paula Hauswirth-Cummings is the associate dean of academic and student services at CMC Vail Valley at Edwards and has worked with Dutmer for years.
“Larry has touched the lives of, literally, thousands of students, colleagues and community members through his work at CMC,” Hauswirth-Cummings said. “He guided students in exploring more about themselves and helped them to use that knowledge to set and achieve life goals while helping them to balance all the pieces of their lives along that journey. He truly leads by example through his life of service, and the dedication and genuine care that he shows for others has made a lasting imprint on all of us.”
“It is a great feeling to assist people who are at a crossroad in life,” Dutmer said. “It was fun to talk with them as they were looking to make a positive change.”
In retirement, Dutmer plans to stay in the area and broaden his opportunities as a musician (he plays drums) and volunteer time as a board member of Vail Valley Cares and the Dickens’ Carolers. A recent grandfather, Dutmer and his wife also plan to travel.
