The 2^nd Regular Session of the 73^rd General Assembly convened on January 12^th, 2022. A few of the priorities that were addressed by leadership in both chambers and by the Governor were focusing on affordable housing, funding education, addressing the behavioral health crisis, public safety, and workforce development. With it being an election year, we may not see as many controversial issues this session but there still won’t be a lack of issues that ALCC and other GreenCO members will be engaged on.

At our 50^th birthday in 2012, we were talking about moving from manual typewriters to texting. At our 60th, we are engaged in the unimaginable of 1962—the “virtual” world of offices, meetings and more. And when not being virtual, we are all masked up trying to beat COVID without seeing the smiles or frowns on each other’s faces.

Yet throughout 60 years of evolutions, ALCC has excelled as a grassroots organization grounded in service—both puns intended. Even with 1 to 8 staff guiding the organization, you “grassroots/grounded” volunteers, who share a passion for your careers and service to your industry, have consistently done the critical work.

Since the start of COVID-19, we have seen an increase of cyber threats to the order of 600%, making it more imperative than ever for small- to medium-sized businesses to adhere to basic security controls. This article reinforces my ALCC presentation in May 2021 that pointed out some fundamental steps that every business can take to reduce their likelihood of being impacted by these threats.

Both employees and the businesses can take to help reduce the likelihood of serious breaches. Threat actors know no boundaries nor do they distinguish between small or large businesses. The majority of them are purely after financial gain. This usually comes in the form of fake emails phishing you to click on a link or encouraging you to rapidly move funds to a newly established account. Determining these fake identities and assets is becoming more difficult as the threat actors reuse actual graphics, terms and phrases of real companies.

This issue of Colorado Green Now is the second in a two-part series. The first part was published December 22, 2022. In this issue, you’ll learn about the other four women featured in the November/December 2021 issue of Colorado Green magazine. Colorado Green spoke with eight women who play different roles in their respective companies. Some own their business, some are managers at their employers’ firms, some are designers but most wear multiple hats. They also learned that it took a few years to develop confidence navigating as a woman, particularly when younger and newer to the industry.

As a senior in high school, Charlene Farley Chacon (Residential construction team manager, Designscapes Colorado) worked as an interior landscape technician in office buildings. The following year her sister, who was working at an outdoor garden center, encouraged her to apply. She remained at the garden center for seven years, working seasonally during college at CSU, and on weekends during her first years at Designscapes Colorado. Both she and her sister studied horticulture at CSU. Chacon met Phil Steinhauer, CEO at Designscapes Colorado, at a CSU career fair and she has worked at the company since then—20 years.

LeAnn Ostheimer (executive vice president design-build, Lifescape Colorado) grew up on a dairy farm and worked outside as a kid. She also had a childhood attraction to create, build and organize things. A long-time friend—now a colleague—introduced her to the CSU horticulture program, which combined all her interests including her desire to be outdoors.

Kristina Smith-Becker is president at American Design & Landscape. Her parents started the business in the late 1960s and as a child in junior high she was working in it by answering the phone. Though she went back to Colorado during summers after staring college, she did not work in the family business but started a small maintenance company mowing for HOAs, and enjoyed working outside. A few years after graduation, while working in an office, her father asked if she would come back into the business. She did. Over time, her parents faded out of the business and she took it over. She has done a lot of self-learning, taken classes, attended conferences and received certifications. After more than 30 years she still finds it exciting to see customers light up.

After college, when Jessi Burg (president, Outgrow Your Garage Inc. and former CEO, Pears to Perennials) moved to Colorado, she worked in urban farming and was developing pollinator habitats. In 2017, when she started her own urban gardening company, it quickly segued into a sustainable landscaping company doing full-yard maintenance. Pears to Perennials was doing design, install, maintenance and irrigation work. Burg wanted to own a company in the seasonal green industry so she could largely set her own hours, have a few months every year where she can work remotely or not at all, and do nearly all of her work outside. With her own business she says, “I get paid to do things I love and I’m building a savings account.”

After three years, Colorado Green felt it was time to check in with women in the industry again (see the September/October 2018 issue). For the November/December 2021 issue, Colorado Green spoke with eight women who play different roles in their respective companies. Some own their business, some are managers at their employers’ firms, some are designers but most wear multiple hats. All have worked in the green industry for several years, giving them a perspective when looking back at their experience. They also learned that it took a few years to develop confidence navigating as a woman, particularly when younger and newer to the industry. They model perseverance.

Anne Campbell (Co-owner and operations manager, Colorado Stoneworks Landscaping) says she got into the landscape industry “by accident” and now having been in it since 2007, she is committed. During 2006 when the company was founded, she was working full-time elsewhere while helping evenings and weekends at Colorado Stoneworks. The company needed more help in 2007 and when the “then owners” asked her to consider joining, she said yes, but only as an owner, not an employee. She bought in and later that year married Jon Campbell, one of the original two partners. Since becoming co-owner, Campbell, who loves learning, continues to educate herself in numerous ways.