Time, talent and treasure are critical traits for those wanting to build community. Everyone offers something, but in my more than 20 years of community involvement, never have I met someone as effective at community building as Marianne Virgili. She is a community champion who has a proven track record of making great things happen.
Her resume and awards speak for themselves, but there is an impressive story of community leadership that weaves through those accomplishments. She led Glenwood Springs’ Chamber Resort Association for decades and grew it from a small-town chamber of commerce to a nationally recognized organization. But more important to me, she did so in a community that has its share of division and diverse opinions, while earning unwavering respect from everyone with whom she worked.
Many Chamber executives are cautious enough to stay out of political issues to avoid conflict. Virgili, on the other hand, not only jumped in head first, she successfully championed at least a dozen local election campaigns. Elections are an amazing amount of work, and she was often the spark, the engine and the accelerator that inspired incredible progress not only in Glenwood Springs, but throughout western Colorado with her efforts to challenge the Gallagher Amendment and support Colorado Mountain College’s four-year bachelor’s degrees.
A person simply can’t achieve what she has without integrity, wisdom and a strong will. She is now willing to dedicate her time and talent to CMC, and I urge you to vote for her as a CMC trustee.