Alpine Bank announces officer promotions
Alpine Bank in Durango announces the following promotions:
Beth Drum has been promoted to senior vice president. Drum is a Colorado native, growing up in the Denver area. Her career at Alpine Bank began in 1996; and while she has worked in many areas throughout her tenure with the bank, her key role has been business development and marketing.
Nick Johnson has been promoted to assistant vice president. He was born in the Roaring Fork Valley and has been an Alpine Bank customer since his first savings account as a child. He graduated from the Leeds School of Business at University of Colorado-Boulder in 2011 and joined the Alpine team a year later in Durango as a management trainee. Johnson manages operations for the downtown and Three Springs locations.
Erin Dale has been promoted to banking officer. Dale was born and raised in Denver. She graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder in 2007 with a degree in business management. Her career in banking began as a teller when she was in college, and she transitioned into lending in 2008. Dale came to Alpine Bank in 2013 as a loan assistant after relocating to Durango. She specializes in commercial and consumer lending out of the downtown Durango location.
Locals open quilt, sewing boutique
Stitch, a new contemporary quilt and sewing boutique, was recently opened by longtime locals LeeAnn Vallejos and Mark Rosenberg.
The store provides high-quality fabric, supplies, notions, patterns, books and sewing machines. Stitch also will be offering sewing and quilting classes.
Vallejos said more and more people are joining the “maker movement.” Not only are they growing their own food, more people are taking up sewing and quilting as a way to create personal one-of-a-kind items for their family and friends,
Vallejos, most recently, was executive director of Local First. Rosenberg is a well-known musician in the Four Corners and is the instrumental music teacher at Miller Middle School. The husband-wife team has lived in Durango for more than 15 years.
Stitch is located at 153 E. 15th Street, just south of Rotary Park.
For more information, call 247-1085. Learn more about the store at www.stitchonline.net. The email address is info@stitchonline.net.
Business After Hours will be held Aug. 14
The Durango Chamber of Commerce will hold the August Business After Hours from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 14, hosted by Signature Salon. The cost is $7 for members and guests.
There will be food by Norton’s Catering, wine from Animas Wine & Spirits and beer from A&L Coors Inc. There will be door prizes and music by Kim Goodman on Spanish guitar.
For more information, visit www.durangobusiness.org.
Michael Testa earns certification
Michael Testa, physical therapist and owner of Advantage Physical Therapy & Wellness, P.C., recently received his Level 2 certification in Functional Dry Needling.
Dry Needling is a treatment for muscular tightness and pain, which commonly follows injuries and often accompanies the degenerative process. Through this process, small, thin needles are inserted at trigger points to relieve pain and tension.
For more information, call Advantage Physical Therapy & Wellness at 259-7829.
Investment dinner for start-ups will be Friday
The La Plata Economic Development Alliance and the New Mexico Angels will hold an Angel Investment Dinner at 5:15 p.m. Friday at Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort. The event is designed to bring entrepreneurs and angel investors together to fund start-up companies in the region.
Speakers will include John Chavez and Dorian Rader of New Mexico Angels, Roger Zalneraitis of La Plata Economic Development Alliance, Ray Hagerman, chief executive officer of Four Corners Economic Development and Matt Taylor, chief executive officer of Mercury. The event will spotlight two innovative start-up companies pitching to investors for funding.
Dinner and drinks will be served. Register online at www.nmangels.com.
Jennifer D’Amadio to purchase The Clayroom
Beginning Friday, Jennifer D’Amadio will be the new owner of The Clayroom, Durango’s paint-your-own-pottery studio and art school.
D’Amadio brings with her experience, skills and enthusiasm for art. She will share her talents with students of all ages and abilities.
Besides classes for youth, stained glass, teen as well as adult instruction in a variety of art media will be offered starting in August, as well as extended walk pottery painting hours.
To enroll, call 426-9685 or stop by the studio at 171 E. Seventh Street, up the hill from the Strater Hotel. Visit www.theclayroomofdurango.com.
Real Trends honors local real-estate agents
Mary Rigby, broker and co-owner, and Denise Storm, associate broker – both with RE/MAX Pinnacle in Durango – were ranked among America’s Best Real Estate Agents for 2014 in the annual “Real Trends” report released this month. To qualify, agents must have achieved at least 50 transaction sides or $20 million in residential sales during the year. Rigby ranked No. 63 and Storm ranked No. 98 in transaction sides in Colorado.
Rankings are compiled by industry analyst REAL Trends and based on 2013 home sales.
Of the top four brokerages in Durango, RE/MAX Pinnacle ranked first in sales volume per agent for 2013, averaging $6.5 million per agent.
For more information, call 259-2255.
Local author to publish first novel
Local author Mandy Mikulencak’s debut novel, Facing Fire, will be published in September 2015 by Albert Whitman & Company. The sale of the book was announced July 15 by Mikulencak’s literary agent, JL Stermer of N.S. Bienstock of New York.
The young-adult novel is set in Durango and follows a homeless teen who is forced to live with her uncle, navigate a new school and find her first love – all while hiding from the man responsible for the fire that destroyed her family and permanently scarred her face.
Herald Staff
