Courtesy photo
Since the mid-1990s Susan Mizen has led the team at the Routt County based organization Horizons Specialized Services and earlier this month she was recognized for her decades of dedication when she received the Jane Covode Award from Alliance Colorado.
“I am grateful to the Leadership Team at Horizons for nominating me and honored that I was selected as the winner,” Mizen said. “I am so fortunate to have the support of people at Horizons and at Alliance.”
Earlier this month Alliance Colorado, a statewide nonprofit association of various agencies and boards focused on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, recognized Mizen for her passionate promotion of the needs of disabled citizens. Alliance Colorado presented Mizen with the Jane Covode Award at the Alliance’s annual summit in Breckenridge. According to statement’s put out by Horizon’s Mizen was recognized for her “exemplary effort, integrity, passion, and long-term commitment to the intellectual and development disability system and the people it serves.”
“Susan’s authentic commitment to serving adults and children with IDD and their families has been prominent in her tenure at Horizons,” stated officials from the organization.
Mizen initially began her tenure with Horizons as a volunteer and officially joined the organization in 1981 as Horizons was transitioning from a local grassroots initiative to the larger, multi-county service entity it is today, with a budget of more than $6 million. During her time with Horizons Mizen has helped spearhead several prominent initiatives including the purchase of four group homes and multiple rental spaces and acquisition of a $1.27 million HUD grant for the construction of a transitional living complex for Horizons’ clients.
Today Horizon’s serves five different counties in northwestern Colorado from the Utah and Wyoming borders to North and Middle Park. Their service area includes Grand County where the organization provides early intervention, family support and supported living services. According to Horizons the organization served 88 individual adults, 157 children and 103 families throughout their five county area during the last fiscal year.