The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County today announced Dorothy Rupert as the recipient of its 2016 Stan Black Award and Elaina Verveer as the recipient of its 2016 Pat-on-the-Back Award.
Criteria for The Community Foundation’s Stan Black Award include the length of involvement with charitable organizations in Boulder County, the breadth of that involvement among various organizations, and the involvement with more than money. Like Stan Black – a now-retired partner at Hutchinson Black and Cook, LLC – Dorothy Rupert has distinguished herself by an unwavering commitment to paying it forward.
Nominated for the award by Benita Duran, Rupert has consistently and generously offered her volunteer time, treasure and talent in serving the Boulder County community.
In particular, Rupert is deeply rooted in public education and cares passionately about the issues of young people. For more than 35 years, she was a high school teacher and a high school counselor in the Boulder Valley School District. This first chapter of her career of public service influenced legislation that she later continued to pursue as a state representative, and then as a state senator.
Among numerous other accomplishments, Rupert was one of the founders of Attention Homes and has greatly influenced better protections for women and girls, as well as a more thoughtful and effective state prison reform program.
As part of this year’s Stan Black Award recognition, a grant of $500 will be made each to Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence and the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless – Rupert’s nonprofits of choice.
The Stan Black Award was established at The Community Foundation by Hutchinson Black and Cook, LLC in honor of Stan Black.
The Pat-on-the-Back Award – named for Pat Shoemaker and established by her daughter, Linda Shoemaker – is conferred every year to recognize so-called unsung heroes who have quietly volunteered their time to care for our community with the same dedication that Pat embodied. This year, the award goes to Elaina Verveer, nominated by Sabrina Sideris, Program Director for INVST Community Studies at CU-Boulder.
Verveer has nearly 20 years’ experience in the fields of youth leadership, program and curriculum development, and service learning. She is the founding director of the Public Achievement Program at CU-Boulder, where she taught related courses on a volunteer basis. She has also volunteered thousands of hours as a program advisor to the Lafayette Youth Advisory Committee, other nonprofits, and the Puksta Scholars program at CU.
Her nominators described Verveer as one of the most generous and humble local leaders they know.
As part of this year’s Pat-on-the-Back recognition, a $1,000 grant will go to the Empowerment Center of East County – Verveer’s nonprofit of choice.
Learn more about The Community Foundation’s Community Leadership Awards.
