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Vail Valley Partnership’s Success Awards celebrate business and community

Award winners are from organizations big and small

Vail Valley Partnership CEO Chris Romer, left, celebrates with the staff board of Mountain Pride, which won the Small Nonprofit of the Year at the Partnership's annual Success Awards, held May 12 at the Riverwalk Theater in Edwards. Pictured, from left, are Director Madison Partridge, Grace Anshutz, board members Megan Carter and Gail Flesher, and Community Engagement Manager Orlando Ortiz.
Lauren Mendez/courtesy photo
The winners
  • Chairman’s Award: Dwight Henninger
  • Member of the Year: Brooke Skjonsby
  • Best Place to Work: Colorado Mountain College, Edwards
  • Business of the Year: RA Nelson
  • Emerging Business of the Year: Little Bird Commissary Kitchen
  • Small Business of the Year: Revolution Power Yoga
  • Nonprofit of the Year: Your Hope Center
  • Small Nonprofit of the Year: Mountain Pride
  • Actively Green Business of the Year: Eagle Valley Community Foundation
  • Community Impact Award — Organization: Vail Health Behavioral Health
  • Community Impact Award — Individual: Madison Partridge
  • Young Professional of the Year: James Dilzell
  • Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: My Future Pathways
A full list of finalists is available on the Partnership’s website.

The Vail Valley Partnership, the valley’s chamber of commerce, every year celebrates the best of the local business community with its success awards. The parties are generally big successes, too.

The latest of those celebrations was held May 12 at Edwards’ Riverwalk Theater. There was plenty of food, of course, and people getting reacquainted with old friends and colleagues after a busy winter season.

As folks grabbed popcorn and, perhaps, a beer, then settled into their seats, Chris Romer and Erik Williams of the Vail Valley Partnership honored the valley’s best.



Most of the winners were selected by a committee of former winners, but a couple of winners were honored by the Partnership’s leadership.

Former Vail Police Chief Dwight Henninger, center, was honored with the Vail Valley Partnership’s Chairman’s Award at the organization’s May 12 Success Awards celebration at Edwards’ Riverwalk Theater. Presenting the award were Partnership CEO Chris Romer, left, and Partnership Board Chair Mark Herron, right.
Lauren Mendez/courtesy photo

Former Vail Police Chief Dwight Henninger was honored with the Chairman’s Award.

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Partnership Board of Governors Chair Mark Herron announced the award, saying the winner is viewed as someone who has made a long-lasting mark on the community.

Henninger, who’s now working as an adviser for the U.S. Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said he’s noticed that in his first few weeks in Washington D.C., “almost everyone I meet has some connection to Vail … this is a special place.”

Vail Valley Charitable Fund Director Brooke Skjonsby was honored as the Vail Valley Partnership’s Member of the Year at the organization’s annual Success Awards, held May 12 at the Riverwalk Theater in Edwards.
Lauren Mendez/courtesy photo

Brooke Skjonsby, director of the Vail Valley Charitable Fund, is the latest Member of the Year.

“There may not be a better example of a (community contributor) than Brooke,” Romer said. Referring to her work with Eagle County Gives, Romer called Skjonsby a “convener of leaders.”

Accepting her award, Skjonsby talked about her long love affair with the valley, starting with family visits, then trips to the mountains while a student at the University of Colorado.

Through personal and professional experience, Skjonsby said she’s learned that “We’re all part of the fabric of the community, pointing out issues and finding solutions.”

Mountain Pride and its founder/director Madison Partridge won a pair of awards. Mountain Pride was honored as the small nonprofit of the year, and Partridge took home the individual award for Community Impact.

Partridge made sure to invite people to this year’s Pride in the Park event, set for June 3 at Avon’s Nottingham Park. She also noted that the group’s work on behalf of the LGBTQ community “is more important than ever right now.”


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