Rene Brown: Hard Work Looks a Lot Like Luck

[00:00:00] Hi, I'm Katie Kramer, President and CEO of the Boettcher Foundation. Welcome to Colorado Leadership Stories, where we talk to everyday, courageous leaders who have made transformational impacts in their communities and are building a better state for everyone. You'll hear from leaders and organizations and communities throughout the state as we explore the idea that leadership is an activity that anyone can do.

[00:00:40] Rene Brown is the chairman of the board of PBNT Bank. She plays a huge role in the Colorado State Fair as she serves on the Board of Authority. And with the fair kicking off on August 23rd this year, I'm thrilled that we're here to chat about what's new there.

[00:00:56] But let's talk about the heart, the Brown family's unwavering commitment to the community. Since 1966, they have stood as stalwart supporters of the Colorado Junior Livestock Sale, channeling over $2 million to support and nurture our 4-H and FFA youth.

[00:01:14] Rene, it's so great to be here with you. And we are recording in Colorado Springs at the Southern Colorado Public Media Center at KRCC. So thanks for hosting us, folks. And we're so proud.

[00:01:26] Betcher was so proud to support this facility. So let's dive right in, Rene.

[00:01:31] Rene Brown Okay.

[00:01:32] Rene Brown So your family's from Pueblo and you've lived there pretty much your whole life. What's your favorite part about growing up in Pueblo? And maybe what's your favorite part today?

[00:01:41] Rene Brown Sure. I would say definitely my favorite part about growing up in Pueblo was our family and extended family traditions and times. I hail from a strong Italian traditional family. And that meant every Sunday afternoon, we were at the grandparents having spaghetti dinner and playing with cousins who were our best friends.

[00:02:04] Rene Brown And just have such fond memories of growing up in those traditional times that I did. As an adult, I had moved away from Pueblo for a job opportunity. And then when I started my own family, I thought, I want my kids to have the same opportunity to be raised around family and extended family and sharing all these traditions that I had.

[00:02:30] Rene Brown So I made a choice to move them back to Pueblo. And I think it's probably one of the best decisions that I made.

[00:02:37] Rene Brown As for today, I think that the fact that Pueblo is such a melting pot and there's such strong cultural influences in the Hispanics and the Italians and Slovenians and the Greeks that it's just has so much culture to be partaking in. And I just love that part of Pueblo.

[00:03:02] Rene Brown I do feel that we're kind of a tight knit small community, even though we're a town of 160,000 and that Pueblans like to see other Puebloans succeed and raise each other up and support each other. And so I think that's my favorite part of it now.

[00:03:20] Rene Brown It's a wonderful community to be sure, growing up in Southern Colorado. And there's a certain pride, I think, that comes from Pueblo. Anybody who I know that's from there is, you know, we know what high school they went to, first of all, but who won the bell game maybe that year.

[00:03:37] Rene Brown But also it's, it is a really, really special place. And I know that your family has a legacy in Pueblo County that's been instrumental in the fabric of the community for decades.

[00:03:50] And that comes in the form of operating multiple enterprises and then also being involved in the community and with your philanthropic efforts.

[00:03:59] Rene Brown So tell us about the history of that and some of the things that maybe you're most proud of in that family legacy.

[00:04:07] Rene Brown Sure. My father's parents came to Pueblo from the Bronx, New York.

[00:04:11] Rene Brown My mom is actually a first generation U.S. citizen.

[00:04:15] Rene Brown Her father was born in Italy.

[00:04:18] Rene Brown So my grandparents were products of the Depression era.

[00:04:24] And in addition to their day jobs at the steel mill, and one of my grandfathers was a carpenter, they farmed and ranched as necessary to make sure they had a secure food source for their families.

[00:04:37] Rene Brown And I think through that, they taught my parents, who in turn taught us the value of a dollar and what hard work will do for you.

[00:04:48] Rene Brown My father, I like to say, is the definition of the American dream.

[00:04:54] Rene Brown My father was actually born Salvatore Leonard Palazzo.

[00:04:58] Rene Brown But as a result of prejudices that didn't allow my grandparents necessarily to secure work, they changed their name.

[00:05:08] And today he is Sam Charles Brown.

[00:05:12] So he graduated high school and with his diploma and this strong desire to succeed and this hard work ethic, he went out into the world and he made himself.

[00:05:25] Rene Brown He started working for an HVAC construction firm when he was in his early 20s.

[00:05:35] And after working there a few years, one of his coworkers and he decided they could do this more efficiently and more profitably than the firm they were working for.

[00:05:46] Rene Brown And so the two of them went out together and started Mount State Sheet Metal, also known as MSSM, which was an HVAC construction business.

[00:05:56] And it was a very successful HVAC construction business.

[00:06:00] Rene Brown And they started and serviced more of commercial buildings and institutional hospitals, school districts, and those sort of things.

[00:06:11] The business grew over the years.

[00:06:14] And my father bought his partner out in the late 70s.

[00:06:18] My brothers at that point had already come into the business.

[00:06:22] And then I eventually joined them in about the mid-80s.

[00:06:28] But it was the construction firm and its success that became the basis for all of our other enterprises that we became a part of.

[00:06:37] Eventually the construction business grew to where we were working nationwide.

[00:06:42] And we were transporting people to and from businesses.

[00:06:46] And as a result of that, we started another business where we had airline charters.

[00:06:53] We used our investment from MSSM's profitability to invest in a local bank.

[00:07:00] And today we're a majority owner.

[00:07:04] We got into real estate.

[00:07:06] We did multifamily.

[00:07:08] At one point we had built a casino and ended up taking over it.

[00:07:12] And so we owned a casino in Blackhawk at one point.

[00:07:15] But through all of that, my parents still farmed to supply us our fresh vegetables and fruit year-round.

[00:07:24] And we would go to the fair and buy animals at the junior livestock and put them in our freezers for year-long food as well.

[00:07:33] And eventually we built hydroponic greenhouses on the property.

[00:07:37] And so then we had fruits and vegetables year-round for us.

[00:07:40] And so all of that is deep-rooted in my family.

[00:07:46] People would tell my father that he had a lot of good luck.

[00:07:51] And my father would respond, good luck looks a lot like hard work.

[00:07:55] And that is true, 100% true.

[00:07:58] There was nothing that we received from good luck.

[00:08:02] It was all hard work.

[00:08:04] It was blood, sweat, and tears.

[00:08:05] I remember those extremely lean years when we were kids growing up.

[00:08:10] I remember those.

[00:08:11] Everything went back into our businesses.

[00:08:14] My parents didn't have the opportunity for a higher education.

[00:08:17] And they wanted to provide us that opportunity.

[00:08:21] And they didn't push us into going to college or seeking higher education.

[00:08:26] But my father definitely challenged me in my choices of higher education and what degrees I sought out and what I intended to do for a career path.

[00:08:39] And I think that guided me in becoming a stronger person throughout my life.

[00:08:45] And although I'm extremely proud of the successes that we've had in a multitude of businesses, I think I'm also equally as proud as our ability to use that success to give philanthropically.

[00:09:01] Not just within Pueblo, but we've kind of reached nationwide with it.

[00:09:06] One of the things that's been near and dear to my father's heart from day one of our philanthropic giving is medical research.

[00:09:14] And so we're benefactors at the Mayo System because we give there.

[00:09:20] The Colorado State Fair and the Junior Livestock Sale, as we know, our family has been a part of for 60-plus years.

[00:09:27] And also support CSUP school system and Wounded Warriors, just to name a few of the larger organizations that we're a party to.

[00:09:37] That is so inspirational.

[00:09:38] And what it reminds me of, honestly, Renee, is the Betcher family story.

[00:09:42] They, like you, and the country of origin there was Germany, but came here looking for opportunity.

[00:09:51] And then serial entrepreneurs, right?

[00:09:55] They started with hardware stores.

[00:09:57] Then they needed a cement factory.

[00:09:59] They had a bunch of real estate, cattle, sugar beets, all these things, and then ultimately the Brown Palace Hotel.

[00:10:06] But similarly, in the story that you're telling, it's this is a family that worked hard and then decided to pay it forward.

[00:10:16] And that is exactly what you all are doing.

[00:10:19] And I think it's amazing.

[00:10:21] When I think back, I mean, your parents must be incredible.

[00:10:24] And I've had the chance to see them over the years at the State Fair, at the Livestock Sale.

[00:10:29] We think about the lessons that you've learned from them.

[00:10:32] Certainly, I hear hard work.

[00:10:33] I hear philanthropy, you know, giving with a heart about causes that you care about.

[00:10:39] When you think about their impact on you and your extended family, what are some other things that come to mind relative to what they've taught you about leadership or how to be good community members?

[00:10:51] Yeah, I think my father and I, we sat side by side in an office for nearly 40 years.

[00:10:59] So whether he was working with our business or any of the other enterprises that we were involved in, our offices were side by side.

[00:11:07] And so no doubt, my mother has always said that.

[00:11:11] I have a brother who is 14 months older, 13 months older than me, very close in age.

[00:11:17] And she said, you came along and we were kind of a surprise.

[00:11:20] And so I kind of pushed you towards your dad.

[00:11:22] And my dad nurtured that relationship between him and I, not just in my younger years, but my complete adulthood.

[00:11:29] And so there's so much of what he did with philanthropy and giving and just striving to be successful that he absolutely nurtured in me.

[00:11:42] I give him full credit for the person that I am today.

[00:11:45] Oh, that's awesome.

[00:11:46] And I'm lucky to come from amazing parents, too.

[00:11:50] And what a profound impact I know that they have on us.

[00:11:54] Well, and also you have a large extended family.

[00:11:56] We were just talking about you had a chance to spend some time with grandkids in the last week.

[00:12:01] What do you hope that they are learning from you as a leader?

[00:12:05] I hope that all of my nieces and nephews, my grandkids, my kids, and my great nieces and nephews are seeing the same thing and are carrying it through because they will have the opportunity to do this as well.

[00:12:21] And I've spoke with them, the grandkids, the nieces and nephews, my kids, about the importance of philanthropy and being able to pay it forward, as you say.

[00:12:32] I think there are some of them that are very deeply rooted in it as well.

[00:12:37] They understand the legacy that we've started and the need to carry on.

[00:12:43] And so I believe that their successes in life, they've been successful as well.

[00:12:49] I think that will help them carry it through, that they've been taught well and that they will carry it forward to the next generation.

[00:12:55] Well, that's awesome. And certainly they've learned from your example and the impact that you're having.

[00:13:04] And so let's turn there next.

[00:13:05] Let's like one of the main things that you've chosen to invest in is our Colorado State Fair and also the junior livestock sale.

[00:13:14] And timely because that's coming up in the next couple of weeks here.

[00:13:18] And Colorado State Fair has been in Pueblo for more than 150 years.

[00:13:22] I know I remember growing up in Southern Colorado and going every year to the State Fair with my family and have many, many memories of that.

[00:13:32] And like you get to go back as an adult and still enjoy it.

[00:13:36] But you've served on the State Fair Board for a number of years.

[00:13:39] When you think about Pueblo and the State Fair's importance there, talk about in terms of economic or exposure or the community, say what you think that impact is.

[00:13:51] Absolutely. So talk about a rich history, as you said.

[00:13:55] We're celebrating 152 years of the state fair.

[00:13:59] The first fair festival was in 1872, four years prior to Colorado becoming a state.

[00:14:05] Oh, I didn't know that.

[00:14:06] Yeah. So several years of economic impact and influence to Pueblo and southeastern Colorado specifically.

[00:14:17] But I became involved in the fair about 15 years ago.

[00:14:24] Chris Wiseman was then the state fair manager.

[00:14:27] And Chris and I were actually high school friends.

[00:14:29] Oh, wow.

[00:14:29] And he contacted me and he said, what do you feel about serving on the State Fair Foundation?

[00:14:35] And I said, well, I'll come to a meeting.

[00:14:37] I definitely have an interest.

[00:14:38] We had been participating and supporting the fair since the 60s.

[00:14:44] And so I definitely had an interest in serving as well.

[00:14:47] And so I said, absolutely.

[00:14:48] I'll come to a meeting and learn about it.

[00:14:51] And I didn't realize that the first foundation meeting I was going to go to that I would be walking out as the sole member of the foundation who needed to revamp the bylaws and go and seek a board and start the process of becoming a foundation itself that supported youth activities at the fair.

[00:15:13] And so we did a good sales job that day.

[00:15:15] And I served on the foundation for about nine years.

[00:15:21] And during that time, then I was appointed to serve on the authority board as well.

[00:15:25] And I think that I've always had pride in the fact that my service on that board has had such an impact, a positive impact for not only the amount of coverage that we get of people coming to the fair, but also for the financial impact that we've provided.

[00:15:47] We did an economic impact study back in 2021 in the midst of the COVID era.

[00:15:53] Oh, my goodness.

[00:15:54] Yes.

[00:15:55] And as a result of that study, it was determined that the yearly revenues that the fair generates, both for fair time and non-fair time activity, is about $55.5 million.

[00:16:06] Wow.

[00:16:07] Most of that coming from the 11-day fair event and that we generate 600-plus jobs a year.

[00:16:16] All of that equates to more than $19 million of earnings for Pueblo County and $4.5 million of tax revenues for city, county, and state.

[00:16:29] So, yes, I do have a pride that we are having that positive impact to Pueblo, to Southern Colorado, and then the state as a whole.

[00:16:37] Oh, clearly.

[00:16:39] And I think one of the things that I'm most excited about is what the future holds for the state fair, having participated in it as a kid and then now as an adult.

[00:16:49] But you've got some exciting things ahead related to growth and expansion.

[00:16:54] And I know that you launched the master plan several years ago.

[00:16:59] So, tell us a little bit about that story.

[00:17:02] Sure.

[00:17:02] About what's going on.

[00:17:03] Sure.

[00:17:04] In 2016, the state tasked the authority board with creating a new master plan.

[00:17:10] And we went through a very long process of determining the best needs of the fairgrounds for both fair time and non-fair time activities.

[00:17:19] And after about three years, we developed the full master plan and put it into production in 2019.

[00:17:27] That master plan contained six phases.

[00:17:31] It was to be completed over the next 30 years.

[00:17:35] And in 2019, it had a price tag of about $220 million.

[00:17:39] We have made it mostly through phase one at this point and are just starting into phase two, phase two A to be exact.

[00:17:49] Phase two A being the Sam Brown family pavilion.

[00:17:53] Yay.

[00:17:53] Thank you.

[00:17:56] My father, for years, was asked by the fair, you know, can we name something after you?

[00:18:02] And as you know, my father, he's a quiet guy, doesn't like attention on him.

[00:18:07] And he would say, no, no, no.

[00:18:09] Finally, on this last ask, they said, please, can we name something after you?

[00:18:12] And he agreed.

[00:18:13] So, I have a sense and pride that he finally said yes.

[00:18:16] And this is starting forward.

[00:18:18] But so we are starting our capital campaign for the pavilion.

[00:18:23] This pavilion is about an 83,000 square foot facility that will be used as a livestock pavilion during fair time, June through September.

[00:18:32] And then during non-fair time, it will have educational classrooms in it.

[00:18:38] It will have some offices, a balcony area that potentially might be a VIP area for us.

[00:18:43] But the building itself can be revamped to attract larger livestock shows or horse shows or sports complex for youth sports, potentially.

[00:18:55] It will house six basketball courts, six volleyball courts.

[00:18:58] So there's a myriad of things that it can be multipurposed for.

[00:19:02] And so we're just in the beginning phases of doing that capital campaign for it.

[00:19:07] It's a $40 million project expecting $15 million to come from private funds and $25 million from public.

[00:19:14] And so we're just starting down that path.

[00:19:17] And we've got a good start on it.

[00:19:18] I'm really happy with our progress just in the first few months on it.

[00:19:22] That's great.

[00:19:23] And so if people are interested and like you, they would like to contribute.

[00:19:28] Like how do they find out more about what the plans are or how that they could get engaged?

[00:19:34] So there's a couple of ways.

[00:19:35] You can actually just call it State Fair and we will give them that information.

[00:19:40] Or we are putting this capital campaign through the foundation.

[00:19:44] So you can go to the Colorado State Fair Foundation and get a link for giving if that's what you want to do.

[00:19:50] But just reach out to either the foundation or the fair.

[00:19:53] They will put you in contact with the correct people to give you all the information that you want.

[00:19:58] That's great.

[00:19:58] Well, I know there's a lot of us lining up to help.

[00:20:01] So that's exciting.

[00:20:02] Very exciting.

[00:20:03] So we have to talk about the Junior Livestock Sale.

[00:20:06] Absolutely.

[00:20:06] Because I think it's probably yours and mine, one of our favorite events of the year.

[00:20:10] And this year always takes place in late August.

[00:20:14] And this year it'll be on August 27th.

[00:20:16] And you've been part of that sale to the 1960s.

[00:20:20] And so maybe share, how did that originally happen that you got involved with that?

[00:20:25] Other than maybe you were buying beef or whatever for your own freezer.

[00:20:28] Is that kind of the genesis?

[00:20:29] Well, that's exactly how it happened, yes.

[00:20:31] When we started MSSM in the very early years, so in 1966 or 1967,

[00:20:38] we started going to the fair and buying an animal under the company.

[00:20:42] And I was a very young child at the time that we started this.

[00:20:47] And it's come so full circle for me because I remember those times in the livestock pavilion,

[00:20:53] the current livestock pavilion, small ring with one bleacher that we would sit at and buy animals

[00:21:00] and take them home and put them in our freezer.

[00:21:02] And then it grew.

[00:21:04] And it grew into the event that it is now.

[00:21:07] And it moved over to the event center.

[00:21:10] And now 400 people attend and 134 animals or so are sold.

[00:21:15] And we raise a half a million plus dollars in an evening for the participants of the sale.

[00:21:21] And my kids got to do what I got to do.

[00:21:25] I brought them there.

[00:21:26] They stood at that fence and watched those animals and fell in love with them just like we did.

[00:21:30] And then I got to bring my grandkids there.

[00:21:33] And they have done the same thing.

[00:21:35] So it has come completely full circle.

[00:21:38] I think the opportunity to support youth and ag and the belief that the generation of youth

[00:21:46] that are there and selling their animals there is our future leaders.

[00:21:51] You and I have both been there and talked to those kids.

[00:21:54] And you have a sense of pride that these kids are going to be our future leaders.

[00:21:59] It makes you believe in that generation.

[00:22:02] And our family has always felt that what we were doing by supporting it potentially is

[00:22:08] helping these kids have a college education or further educating yourself.

[00:22:12] And so that's what we carry forward and why we continue to support it.

[00:22:16] Well, and that's certainly why we're involved too.

[00:22:19] Certainly my own personal philanthropy as well as the Betcher Foundation and the Denver Rustlers,

[00:22:24] which is also a big buyers group.

[00:22:27] We're celebrating 40 years this year with the Denver Rustlers.

[00:22:31] That's exciting.

[00:22:32] That's right.

[00:22:32] Yes.

[00:22:33] Great legacy there of bringing leaders from the Denver area to Pueblo to experience that firsthand

[00:22:40] and see the future leaders of ag and the wonderful impact that our state fair has in Pueblo and beyond.

[00:22:47] And just a bit about that.

[00:22:49] There's several different buyers groups, the Pikes Peak Posse and the Fair Ladies.

[00:22:53] Yeah.

[00:22:54] Pueblo Range Riders.

[00:22:55] That's right.

[00:22:56] And we all come together to support those kids and make sure they get a fair price for their animal

[00:23:01] after putting in months and months of work to raise them.

[00:23:06] And so, yes, a lot of hard work back to the hard work and paying it forward again.

[00:23:10] That's part of that.

[00:23:11] And for folks that are listening, we always, these buyers groups are bidding against each other to kind of,

[00:23:18] we're trying to raise it for each other.

[00:23:20] We work together.

[00:23:20] Raise the prices.

[00:23:21] Raise the hype.

[00:23:22] It's a blast.

[00:23:23] It's a blast to be there.

[00:23:25] And I would say if you haven't been to the Junior Livestock sale, it is so much fun.

[00:23:29] And we're kind of all in cahoots here to make sure that all these kids get a fair price.

[00:23:33] And the Brown family typically buys the Grand Champion Market Beef for a number of years, right?

[00:23:39] I think you always do, don't you?

[00:23:40] Well, I don't know that we've always done it, but it seems lately we've done it more than not.

[00:23:45] Yes.

[00:23:46] Great.

[00:23:47] So maybe that's a streak you'll continue this year.

[00:23:50] You never know.

[00:23:51] I'll be right there raising the bid for you.

[00:23:52] Yeah, you'll be making me pay more for it.

[00:23:56] I love it.

[00:23:57] That's great.

[00:23:57] It's so, so much fun.

[00:23:59] Well, we are just almost to the lightning round here.

[00:24:02] But just one other question.

[00:24:04] I just take it back to you personally, Renee, because so much of your story just,

[00:24:09] I just feel the sense of connection to community, of pride in the legacy of your family's impact

[00:24:16] in this space.

[00:24:18] I also see you as this incredible leader that has so much influence in the community and also

[00:24:25] on your own family.

[00:24:27] When you think about your own leadership, what do you want your legacy to be on the go forward

[00:24:36] here?

[00:24:37] Yeah.

[00:24:37] I think that I would be just thrilled to death to be known to help support other women to

[00:24:48] become great leaders.

[00:24:50] When I got into the family business, that was never my intent.

[00:24:54] I went off and got a computer science degree back in the early 80s when technology was, I was

[00:25:03] carrying around a box of cards, learning Fortran and a Cobalt and BASIC and Unix.

[00:25:10] Technology was just on the cutting edge then.

[00:25:14] And that's one of the areas that my father challenged me to pick a career or an educational

[00:25:19] path with.

[00:25:20] And so I didn't intend to use that to come back to the family business.

[00:25:25] But my father called me up while I was in college and he said, what are you learning?

[00:25:28] And I said, I'll show you what I'm learning.

[00:25:30] You can't go buy a software package in those days off of a shelf.

[00:25:34] Right.

[00:25:35] So I would come home and I would write programs for the business.

[00:25:39] First, the accounting programs.

[00:25:40] I would write payroll and job costing and those things.

[00:25:44] And then I got a job with IBM and moved to Texas straight out of college.

[00:25:49] And then as I told you, I wanted to raise my kids in Pueblo.

[00:25:51] So I moved back to Pueblo and my father said, come back and help us automate more.

[00:25:57] So when I came back, I focused on automation of estimating and detailing, which now we know

[00:26:05] as AutoCAD and the CNC equipment within our fabrication facility and the ability for these

[00:26:13] to talk to each other.

[00:26:14] And so in order for me to be successful at being able to write those programs for the

[00:26:19] company, I had to learn it first.

[00:26:21] So I had to learn estimating.

[00:26:23] And so it just kind of became this natural progression.

[00:26:26] I learned estimating and then I got into project management and purchasing and scheduling and

[00:26:31] just on and on.

[00:26:32] And I think my father had this great ability to have a belief in me and put me up there

[00:26:43] to be the face of MSSM and know that I would succeed, that necessarily I didn't have that

[00:26:49] knowledge myself.

[00:26:51] This is back in the late 80s, early 90s.

[00:26:54] And I would go on to, for instance, we were building a launch complex to launch the Mars

[00:26:59] Observer at Cape Canaveral.

[00:27:01] Oh my goodness.

[00:27:02] And Bechtel was one of our clients, largest contractor in the world.

[00:27:05] And I would go into our meetings there.

[00:27:08] And 99.99% of the time, I was the only female, let alone a 20 or early 30 something

[00:27:14] female in the room.

[00:27:16] So it gave me a lot of resilience and a lot of seeded belief in myself by doing that.

[00:27:24] He later encouraged me to get involved with the construction organizations on a national

[00:27:31] level.

[00:27:31] And so I became involved in business education at the national level and helped write coursework

[00:27:42] that our members from our construction industry could go to school with the Deli Webb School

[00:27:49] of Business at Arizona State University for project managers, both undergrad and grad coursework.

[00:27:55] And I also was tasked with going to our national conventions and teaching business education

[00:28:02] classes, you know, so that people could be as successful as they could possibly be.

[00:28:06] And I think during all of that, I always encouraged women to join me in that.

[00:28:14] Eventually, my father stepped away from the business and my two brothers and I purchased the business

[00:28:22] for him.

[00:28:23] I had the very distinct opportunity of working in a family business for nearly 40 years.

[00:28:28] And people will always ask you, how did that work?

[00:28:31] Because not all family businesses work.

[00:28:33] Right.

[00:28:34] But it worked fantastic for us.

[00:28:36] I think we had a respect and admiration for each other's strengths.

[00:28:43] And so we were very cohesive in how we ran the business and worked with each other.

[00:28:48] And it worked well.

[00:28:49] It worked well for us for 40 years.

[00:28:51] Then as we sold the business a few years ago and transitioned out of it, in the meantime,

[00:28:56] I had transitioned into running other businesses that we had.

[00:29:00] In particular, I had transitioned into leadership opportunities at the bank.

[00:29:05] And now I sit as chairman of the board of the bank.

[00:29:10] But what makes me happy about that is that we have a predominantly female board of directors.

[00:29:17] Nice.

[00:29:17] We have a female president and CEO.

[00:29:20] We have a female CFO.

[00:29:23] And we have a female chairman of the board.

[00:29:25] I love lifting other women up and seeing them be successful.

[00:29:29] I love that.

[00:29:31] And I didn't know what a trailblazer you have been in your career in industries that did not have females.

[00:29:38] That's amazing.

[00:29:40] Yes.

[00:29:41] Wow.

[00:29:41] Wow.

[00:29:42] Wow.

[00:29:42] Well, do you have any advice?

[00:29:44] I mean, we are better scholars.

[00:29:46] You interviewed better scholars for us.

[00:29:47] Last year, you sat on our panel.

[00:29:50] You think about those incredible females that have so much potential.

[00:29:55] And sometimes, being vulnerable, you have doubts.

[00:30:00] I'm sure that that was hard, getting in those situations where you feel,

[00:30:04] do I belong here?

[00:30:05] Can I do this?

[00:30:06] But when you think about, what advice would you give to young women?

[00:30:11] I would say believe in yourself.

[00:30:13] If you want it in your soul, you can make it happen.

[00:30:16] And just believe in yourself.

[00:30:18] It's not going to be easy.

[00:30:19] It will not always be easy.

[00:30:21] My path wasn't easy.

[00:30:22] And there was a lot of times that I had self-doubt as well.

[00:30:26] But I would push through, just continue to push through.

[00:30:29] And so, you know, you find somebody who helps lift you up and say you can do it.

[00:30:35] So look for that support team.

[00:30:38] And just continue to try.

[00:30:40] Anyway, best success comes from failure.

[00:30:44] Yes, it does.

[00:30:45] And I echo, too, the importance of having your team behind you,

[00:30:51] whether it's your parents or your family or just other women or men

[00:30:56] that are wonderful mentors and champions for you.

[00:30:58] Right.

[00:30:58] So that's great stuff.

[00:31:00] You're the best.

[00:31:01] All right.

[00:31:01] We have lightning round questions for you.

[00:31:03] So just really quick.

[00:31:05] What is your favorite Colorado hobby?

[00:31:07] Being in the outdoors, specifically the mountains.

[00:31:10] Whether it's hiking or just being out there,

[00:31:12] it's a sereneness that I feel and just love being out in the mountains.

[00:31:17] Me, too.

[00:31:18] Definitely.

[00:31:19] Okay.

[00:31:19] What's your favorite Colorado landmark?

[00:31:22] Well, it's got to be the Colorado State Fair.

[00:31:24] Of course.

[00:31:24] I should have guessed that.

[00:31:25] Of course.

[00:31:26] Okay.

[00:31:27] What action hero do you most identify with?

[00:31:30] I would say Wonder Woman.

[00:31:34] Good.

[00:31:34] I was hoping you would say that.

[00:31:35] Really?

[00:31:36] Yeah.

[00:31:36] Because she surpassed the gender stereotype,

[00:31:41] but she did it with a caring and compassionate side to her.

[00:31:45] She always was for the underdog and serving those, you know,

[00:31:49] that couldn't necessarily serve themselves.

[00:31:51] So I hope people would think of me as being supportive of them.

[00:31:55] So, yes.

[00:31:56] Well, absolutely.

[00:31:56] And all the other things, too, Renee.

[00:31:58] The strength, the strength of character,

[00:32:00] and also helping other women.

[00:32:01] So as she did, that's a great answer.

[00:32:03] Okay.

[00:32:04] Finally, what are you currently binging?

[00:32:07] Is there a show or a book or a podcast or something that you are enjoying

[00:32:11] or it's wasting your time?

[00:32:15] Probably a book.

[00:32:16] I don't binge much shows, but probably a book.

[00:32:21] And I do do a lot of reading, and it's all over the board when I read.

[00:32:26] I do fictional.

[00:32:27] I do non-fictional.

[00:32:28] I love non-fictional characters in American history as well as military.

[00:32:34] I love non-fictional military.

[00:32:37] My son and my son-in-law both served in the military,

[00:32:40] so it's kind of just rooted that in me.

[00:32:42] But I will say just two nights ago I finished a fictional book,

[00:32:47] The Berry Pickers, and so I am looking for my next best reads.

[00:32:50] But, yes.

[00:32:51] Excellent.

[00:32:52] Well, thank you so much for meeting me here in Colorado Springs today.

[00:32:56] It's fun to be with you, and I'll look forward to seeing you in a couple weeks.

[00:32:59] It was a pleasure.

[00:33:00] Absolutely.

[00:33:00] A lot of fun to come.

[00:33:02] Absolutely.

[00:33:03] All right.

[00:33:03] Thank you very much.

[00:33:04] Thank you for joining Colorado Leadership Stories,

[00:33:07] where we hope to inspire the next generation of Colorado community builders,

[00:33:12] doers, and difference makers.

[00:33:15] Colorado Leadership Stories is presented by the Boettcher Foundation.

[00:33:19] The Boettcher Foundation supports Colorado by empowering leaders and communities with tools

[00:33:25] to tackle challenges and pursue opportunities, building a better state for everyone.

[00:33:30] With an 85-plus year legacy of giving back, we're committed to amplifying our impact for future generations.

[00:33:39] That's the spirit of Boettcher.