La Plata Electric Association’s operations team announces the addition of Matt Gallaway and Dalton Hotter. Gallaway serves on the line crews as a journeyman lineman, with Hotter taking on the position of storekeeper.
Gallaway entered the electric utility business immediately out of high school in his hometown of Stilwell, Okla., joining Ozarks Electric Cooperative in the four-year apprentice lineman program.
He worked as a lineman for Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative in Arizona for four years, before moving to Oregon and joining Pacific Power.
Hailing from a multi-generational Durango family, Dalton Hotter was born and raised in Durango. Launching his career initially in construction, he sought to tackle a new discipline.
As storekeeper for LPEA, Hotter works with the warehouse and purchasing, as well as the line crews, to ensure needed equipment and tools are stocked and available.
The Durango Chamber of Commerce will present Lunches With Leaders from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Ore House restaurant, 147 East College Drive, with Jerry Martinez, owner of CJ Diner.
The event is part of the chamber’s Young Professionals of Durango.
Register at www.durangobusiness.org.
Southwest Colorado Small Business Development Center will offer a one-hour workshop for new and existing businesses.
Adviser Rich Lindblad will present “The 10 Fatal Mistakes Small Businesses Make and How to Avoid Them.” Statistics show 80 percent of businesses startups fail in the first five years. Learn how to avoid being one of those statistics with advance notice of what red flags to look for.
Lindblad has been an adviser for the Small Business Development Center for more than 10 years and has worked with more than 2,000 clients during that period. He has taught entrepreneurial classes at numerous universities for more than 20 years.
The workshop will be held on Thursday in Pagosa Springs from noon to 1 p.m. at First Southwest Bank, 249 Navajo Trail Drive. Bring your lunch. Cost is $10. Visit https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.asp to register.
The workshop will be in Cortez from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday at First National Bank, 2258 East Main Street. Fee is $10 and bring your own lunch. Visit https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=170360146 to register.
The workshop will be in Durango from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 21 at First National Bank, 259 W. Ninth Street. Cost is $10. Bring your own lunch. Register online at https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=170360138 or pay at the door with cash or a check made payable to Fort Lewis College.
The Durango Education Foundation announces the new DEF Fellows program, a directory service to connect volunteers with educators needing help with classroom or program enrichment within Durango School District 9-R.
The DEF Fellows directory provides searchable information that will allow teachers to find individuals with skills and special knowledge to assist with instruction or projects, mentor or tutor students, or serve as expert advisers on focused topics.
Interested individuals can submit a directory listing at: www.def-fellows.org. For more information, contact the DEF Fellows Program administrator at admin@def-fellows.org or call D.E.F. at 385-1491.
Herald Staff
