Sunshine Gardens makes staff changes
Sunshine Gardens Senior Community announces new leaders of its administrative team at the 32nd Street Assisted Living community:
Heather Downing, executive director, has been promoted after serving as activities director for the last six years. She has a degree in recreation and outdoor leadership.
Jay Else, RN, is assisting Downing as Sunshine Garden’s resident services director. Else has his degree in nursing and has experience in critical care and emergency care nursing.
Adrian Wegeng-Frank, the new Sunshine Gardens activities director, has a degree in business administration.
Jeffrey Hofferber, has joined the team as dietary manager, and is preparing to take his registered dietician exam.
For more information, call 385-9314.
Kim Pardini announces retirement
Kim Pardini, who has been the jeweler at Old Gold for the last 23 years, has passed Old Gold jewelry story on to Richie and Tyayna Pagan. Richie Pagan began making jewelry in 1994 and has spent several years working at Aldrich Art. Many of his creations have been featured at local galleries. Pardini served as a consultant at Old Gold through September. He is moving to be closer to family.
StoneAge named best place to work
Durango tooling manufacturer StoneAge has been selected as one of Outside magazine’s Best Places to Work 2014.
Each year, the magazine recognizes the top 100 companies in the United States that help their employees strike the ideal balance between work and play. These companies encourage employees to lead an active lifestyle, are eco-conscious and prioritize giving back to the community. The list of winners is available at www.outsideonline.com/dreamjobs.
Outside conducted an eight-month vetting process in partnership with the Best Companies Group to assess the policies, practices and demographics of hundreds of companies.
Peak Physical Therapy announces addition
Peak Physical Therapy LLC, 129 East Animas Road (County Road 250), announces the addition of Tiffany Purcell to its therapy office.
Purcell graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with a degree in nutrition and an emphasis in pre-med. She then worked as a personal trainer and nutritionist. Purcell received her master’s in physical therapy from Western Carolina University in 2007. In addition to orthopedic physical therapy, she specializes in myofascial and trigger point release techniques and deals in women’s health issues such as pelvic pain, urinary incontinence and pelvic floor strengthening.
For more information, visit http://peakphysicaltherapy.net.
Laurie Sigillito receives honor
Laurie Sigillito, owner of FASTSIGNS of Durango, was honored by the International Franchise Association with its annual Franchisee of the Year Award.
Franchise owner-operators representing 53 franchise systems were recognized during the IFA’s 15th annual Public Affairs Conference for their outstanding performance and the contributions they have made to enhance growth and development of franchising.
For more information, visit www.fastsigns.com/560 or call 247-8000.
Bank of the San Juans adds to board
Tom Melchior, chairman of the board of Bank of the San Juans has announced that the former directors of First National Bank of the Rockies have been asked to join the board of directors of Bank of the San Juans.
First National Bank of the Rockies was acquired by Glacier Bancorp, Inc. on Aug. 31, and the 10 offices were merged into Glacier’s Colorado Division, Bank of the San Juans of Durango. Directors Ronald J. Danner, Frederick M. Brodie, IV, and Angelo Theos will assume positions as directors at the upcoming Oct. 21 meeting of the board of directors for Bank of the San Juans to be held at the Meeker office of Bank of the San Juans.
Medical practice announces new hire
Southwestern Colorado Ear, Nose and Throat Associates, 1 Mercado St., Suite 205, welcomes Wendy Stapleton to its staff.
Stapleton has more than 20 years of experience in the medical field as a physician assistant. She was previously employed by Durango Orthopedic Associates.
For more information, call 385-7272.
Bar and grill opens at Vallecito
Don Ferris of Keller Williams Realty announces the opening of the Lake House Bar & Grill (formerly the Schank House) at Vallecito Lake by Susie and Kitt Nicoly.
Kitt is owner of the Beetle Bar and Grill in Chicago.
Rakita physical therapy staff grows
Rakita Tomsic Physical Therapy announces the addition of Laura Wenger to its physical therapy team.
Wenger is a recent graduate of the Physical Therapy Orthopaedic Residency program at the University of Utah, where she worked as a physical therapist in focused clinical practice, didactics and teaching roles. The residency program is advanced training and she is the second residency-trained physical therapist in Durango, along with Ellen Tomsic. She will be sitting for her Board-Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist examination in spring 2015. Wenger’s education and training also includes serving as lab instructor for a doctorate-level physical therapy examination course at the University of Utah Department of Physical Therapy in 2013 and providing training for rehab technicians in Jacmel, Haiti, in 2012.
For more information, visit http://rakitatomsicpt.com or call 259-0574.
Alert Traffic Control announces hire
Alert Traffic Control, Inc. announces the hire of Michael Brennan as its operations manager.
His duties will include project estimating and client contracts, fleet management and overall supervision of business operations. Brennan brings to the business several decades of contracting experience and personnel management. Alert Traffic Control provides traffic-control services, road signage and equipment rental for federal, state, county and municipal road-construction projects in Colorado and New Mexico. Alert Traffic Control is at 543 Sower Drive, Bayfield.
Zuma announces new ownership
Zuma Natural Foods of Mancos announces that Dustin Partridge has taken ownership of Zuma Natural Foods.
The store, originally established in 2004, will continue to be at 299 N. Main St., Mancos. Partridge was most recently the dairy and frozen food manager at Natural Grocer by Vitamin Cottage in Durango.
Zuma Natural Foods, under their new ownership, plans on improving its selection of local foods as well as working toward carrying products that are not only organic, but GMO-free and sustainable. On the cafe side, Partridge is looking to focus on special dietary needs including gluten-free, paleo and diabetic options. Also, there will be remodeling done to increase the dairy, grocery and frozen foods to twice the current capacity.
Hours of operation will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Partridge and staff will host a meet and greet on Oct. 26. Participants will receive a free cup of coffee and baked goods. For more information, call 533-7300.
New law firm announces formation
Durango attorneys Harry Tate and Lynne Bruzzese, together with Buchanan & Stouffer, announce the formation of their new law firm, Buchanan, Stouffer & Tate.
The firm will offer services in simple and complex estate and business planning, estate and trust administration and philanthropic planning. Bruzzese will be the managing attorney. Tate and Bruzzese can be reached at their new office at 150 Tech Center Drive, Suite B or by calling 799-7919. Tate and Bruzzese have more than 60 years of combined legal experience. Buchanan & Stouffer, P.C. is a Colorado law firm that represents clients throughout the Rocky Mountain region.
Auto-body shop opens in Ignacio
Dubs Auto Body specializes in collision repair, paint, glass replacement, spray-in bed liners and aluminum welding.
The business welcomes insurance work. It provides a lifetime warranty on all work. The shop is at 170 Ute St. in Ignacio.
For more information, call 563-0213.
NextGen Climate opens Durango office
NextGen Climate Colorado is opening a new office in Durango, and will host a gathering from 5 to 7:30 p.m. today at the Crossroads Building Rooftop Terrace, 1099 Main Ave.
Participants will meet community and campus organizers. In Colorado, NextGen will run a grass-roots organizing and communications program. The Colorado campaign program aims to persuade and turn out voters, while also working to educate the electorate and drive a public narrative about the implications of climate change.
For more information, visit https://co.nextgenclimate.org.
Mumbling Marmot announces new tutor
Shaun Loveless has joined Mumbling Marmot Tutoring, specializing in math and science.
Loveless is a student at Fort Lewis College majoring in chemistry with a minor in mathematics. He is currently a teaching assistant at FLC in organic and general chemistry, and is a tutor in the FLC STEM3 Student Success Center.
Mumbling Marmot Tutoring LLC provides private tutoring services.
For more information, call Yvonna Graham at 903-7498 or visit www.mumblingmarmot.com.
Dolores resident honored by magazine
MUNIRevs Founder and CEO, Erin Neer was chosen by Colorado Biz Magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential Young Professionals in Colorado.
Neer, former finance director for Mountain Village in Telluride, was chosen from more than 300 applicants in the state. MUNIRevs provides a paperless business review solution for Colorado municipalities. Neer envisioned easier and faster ways to solve sales-tax questions and thus devised the paperless process for municipalities to process the revenue they collect.
MUNIRevs, short for Municipal Revenues, currently serves more than 10,000 businesses in Colorado.
For more information, visit www.cobizmag.com/articles/genxyz-2014-25-most-influential-young-professionals or www.MUNIRevs.com.
Herald Staff
