So much success, so many laughs at Vail Valley Partnership’s 23rd annual Success Awards
Courtesy photo
The Vail Valley Partnership welcomed hundreds of awards finalists, nominees and guests to celebrate its 23rd Annual Success Awards on Thursday at the EagleVail Pavilion. Winners in 10 categories received recognition for being the best in their respective businesses or in some cases, individual efforts.
“It’s one of our favorite events of the year,” VVP President and CEO Chris Romer said. “It’s gratifying to recognize these individuals and organizations for the hard work they’re doing to help our community thrive.”
The event began with a networking hour, with guests from the tiny — All the Good Stuff owner and nominee for Small Business of the Year, Samantha Miller, brought her infant daughter as her plus 1/2 — to the taloned, as Tim McMahon wore the ubiquitous feathered suit that’s brought him local fame as Chicken Man. He was a finalist for the Individual Community Impact Award.
Romer and his partner in crime, VVP’s Erik Williams, emceed the event, bringing levity and humor to the awards presentation, trading barbs and both admitting to the use of AI in summarizing and honoring the finalists. From likening nominees to classic TV shows and asking ChatGPT to create pickup lines associated with local organizations’ missions, there was no shortage of laughter throughout the show.
Chairwoman’s Award and Member of the Year Awardees
Michael Brown of Alpine Bank received the first award of the afternoon, accepting the Chairwoman’s Award from Tiffany Ingoldsby, who took the helm at of the VVP Board of Governors this year.
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Ingoldsby noted, “Mike embodies the spirit of service and collaboration that defines our community. His long-standing commitment to Eagle County has profoundly impacted our region. Mike leads with integrity, humility, and a true passion for helping others succeed.”
For his part, Brown said that while he’s been in banking for over 35 years, “Nobody loves banking.” Rather, he loves working within the community alongside other dedicated individuals and organizations.
“We’re not handing out awards for best income statement or prettiest storefront today,” Brown said, instead pointing to the hard, sometimes thankless work, being done by the individuals and businesses in attendance.
An excellent example of such a business was the next awardee, Katie Bristow. As co-owner of Black Tie Ski & Bike Rentals, Bristow gratefully accepted the Member of the Year Award, chosen annually by the VVP staff.
VVP’s Maren Cerimele, VP of Strategic Initiatives, was thrilled to acknowledge Bristow: “Katie embodies what it means to be a local in Eagle County, from her leadership in building an inclusive, welcoming business culture at Black Tie Ski & Bike Rentals and founding a local chapter of Hot Mess Express, reflecting both her entrepreneurial drive and her genuine care for the community.”
Katie highlighted the importance of the tools and resources offered by Vail Valley Partnership for any small business. Romer and Williams later traded jabs regarding whether the “tools” to which Katie referred were VVP staff or the programming offered by the Partnership. The jury was still out on that as of press time.
23rd Annual Success Awards Winners
A committee of last year’s winners combed through hundreds of nominations to narrow down each category to three or four finalists and then voted on the ultimate winners. The committee did not walk away knowing who had topped the voting, so the winners were a surprise to all attendees.
Best Place to Work: Antlers at Vail
Business of the Year: Moe’s Original BBQ
Chairman’s Award: Michael Brown
Community Impact Award (Individual): Tim McMahon (Chicken Man)
Community Impact Award (Organization): Eagle Valley Community Foundation
Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Mountain Recreation
Innovation in the Public Sector: Eagle Valley Library District
Member of the Year: Katie Bristow
Nonprofit of the Year: Eagle Valley Community Foundation
Small Business of the Year: Avanti Tattoo
Small Nonprofit of the Year: SpeakUp ReachOut
Young Professional of the Year: Jovita Tavera
Antlers at Vail took home the prize for Best Place to Work, and their application focused on commitment to employee wellbeing through innovative benefits, housing support, education programs and a culture that empowers staff to build long-term careers in the Vail Valley.
Williams whispered the phrase, “diversity, equity and inclusion,” for the next award, but the thunderous applause showed the concept was alive and well in the Vail Valley. Mountain Recreation was the standout in the Excellence in DEI category, focusing on expanding equitable access to its programming through scholarships, bilingual efforts and affinity-based outdoor initiatives, along with organization-wide implicit bias training. Mountain Rec’s People and Culture Manager, Erin Leach, emphasized the organization’s belief that, “It doesn’t matter where you come from or what your status is … everyone deserves the same opportunities to live a happy, healthy life.”
Perhaps the loudest ovation came when community fixture Tim McMahon took the prize for Individual Community Impact. In summarizing his nomination, Romer highlighted the numerous individuals who credited Chicken Man with vital mental health outreach that led them to get support and stay alive. “Support the kids in this valley,” McMahon suggested. “Whatever you can do to help them feel more cared for, do it.”
Mental health efforts also headlined the Small Nonprofit of the Year category, with longtime community staple SpeakUp ReachOut landing on top. SURO continues to deliver community programs and training, advance firearm suicide prevention and expand peer support to reduce suicide risk.
The Organizational Community Impact award and Nonprofit of the Year went to Eagle Valley Community Foundation, which increased food access, healthcare and economic opportunity for over 15,000 residents, strengthening working families through integrated programs, community partnerships and culturally responsive services. Marco Varela accepted the nonprofit of the year award on behalf of EVCF and likened the organization’s work to a blanket of snow — while one flake is simply a tiny portion of the whole, all the flakes together can change the landscape.
In an unplanned nod to Chicken Man’s call to support youth, Eagle Valley Library District was crowned the winner of Innovation in the Public Sector. EVLD was recognized for its relaunch of the Bookmobile in the past year, allowing delivery of full library services to underserved communities. They also expanded bilingual access, reaching ~300,000 visitors and increasing engagement countywide. “It’s proof that sometimes the ‘mysterious van’ rolling into town is actually the best thing that could happen,” quipped Romer as he likened the category finalists to horror movies with happy endings.
Avanti Tattoo was the top dog in the Small Business of the Year category, growing and serving clients while also launching free paramedical tattooing for breast cancer survivors performed by owner, Michele Toon, who is a licensed nurse. Avanti Tattoo also expanded restorative care access to the community, in addition to inking some amazing tattoos for fun, too.
Business of the Year winner Moe’s Original BBQ rose above the competition with its job creation, revenue generation and support for the Derby Fire and food collection to support local residents. “Twenty-three years of directing employees to nominate us finally paid off!” joked owner Jeff Kennedy. A ChatGPT-assisted Romer likened Moe’s to Captain America, representing the very best of community : “dependable, welcoming and always ready to step forward when it matters.”
This year’s Young Professional of the Year was Jovita Tavera of Mountain Family Health Centers. Like many of this year’s winners and finalists, Jovita took a lemon and made not just lemonade, but an award-worthy drink. She grew a short-handed staff from five to 20, allowing her team to double patient access and implement new initiatives that positively impacted the community. “I’m so proud of myself,” Jovita noted.
