Our team of staff, consultants, facilitators, and trainers are dedicated to serving the needs of our region’s entrepreneurs and small businesses. And as part of the extended Colorado Small Business Development Center Network, we also have access to hundreds of additional experts across the state. To meet with a consultant, register with us today!

West Central Director

Nancy Murphy

From ballet to BMW and the Olympics to opera, Nancy has a deep understanding of luxury and lifestyle products as well as for-profit and nonprofit businesses. As a corporate “intra”prenuer, marketing strategist, and brand manager, she has created trends and introduced new products into the global market with great success. She is a strategy powerhouse and certified spreadsheet geek. She holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In 2008, Nancy turned her attention to helping small businesses work smarter, not harder. She has advised hundreds of businesses—large and small—on how to substantially increase their bottom line. She also holds an ICF certification in executive coaching.

Areas of expertise include luxury/lifestyle products, marketing strategy, brand management, and consumer behavior.

Her clients include BMW, Jaguar, Volvo, the Olympics, American Express, Benetton, Sprint, Santa Fe Opera, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Silicon Valley Ballet, Nambe, Chaco, Shadescapes Americas, and American Express’ National Arts Marketing Project, as well as numerous startups and small businesses across the nation.

Montrose

Susan Bony

Susan Bony has more than 30 years of business development, marketing and management experience in settings ranging from Fortune 500 firms to regional non-profits to owning her own consulting business. She has lectured on a wide variety of subjects including business development, cash management, strategic planning, customer service, advertising and marketing. Susan earned a bachelor of science in family and consumer sciences from the University of California, Davis. She completed her Master of Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Crested Butte

Marla Covey

Marla Covey lives in Crested Butte and has been in banking most of her career. Her primary experience and knowledge comes from working for more than 24 years in banking and finance in the Gunnison Valley. Most of her experience has been in lending, so she is able to work with clients to be able to be prepared for establishing or strengthening their banking relationship. She has a network of lending and bankers at many banks throughout the Western Slope and Colorado. In addition to loan applications, she is excellent at general business consulting.

Ouray

Jake Dominy

Jake Dominy has been a part time resident of Ouray County since 2001, splitting his time between Colorado and Arizona. Prior to 2015, Jake was the owner and president of an asphalt paving/trucking firm based in Arizona. During Jake’s time as president, the company’s annual revenue grew from $5 million to over $40 million. Jake has practical expertise in most aspects of running a small business, with emphasis on cash flow management, banking relationships, business expansion and scaling, and ownership transition resulting in a successful exit. He holds a BS in business management from Arizona State University and a JD from California Western School of Law, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He is currently an inactive member of both the Arizona and Colorado Bar associations.

Kelly Johnston

Kelly Johnston has experience in both the public accounting and private industry accounting fields. Her background includes a bachelor’s in finance and a master’s in accounting, with experience in the healthcare industry with critical access hospitals and physician offices, audit and tax preparation. Her education and experience add value to new start up organizations, developing businesses, and healthcare entities by creating a strong financial reporting set up and assisting in new financial reports.

Paonia

Dave Knutson

Dave Knutson brings leadership consulting, coaching, and training to the private, nonprofit, and local government sectors. Designated the Human Resources Professional of the Year by the Western Colorado Human Resources Association, he has also been awarded the Pinnacle Award, The Society of Human Resource Management’s highest level of recognition in the profession, and the National Workforce Readiness Award.

Gunnison

Paula Mann

Paula has over 20 years of experience in Accounting, Tax, and Business Consulting. She began her career in public accounting at Deloitte, before working at various diverse financial services firms, including New York Life, Marsh & McLennan, hedge fund DE Shaw, and Simon Equity Partners. Most recently Paula has run her own tax and consulting practice, as well as currently serving as a Lecturer in Accounting at Western Colorado University.
Her recent Board service includes acting as Treasurer of the Gunnison Valley Animal Welfare League and an appointment to the Colorado State Board of Accountancy.
She holds her Certified Public Accountant certificate and is licensed to practice in the State of Colorado. She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and finance from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and a Master of Taxation from the University of Denver – Sturm College of Law.

Crested Butte

Jeff Moffett

Data-driven and research-guided marketing strategies are more effective. Dynamically pricing your products and services based on changes in supply and demand will maximize your revenues. Data sources abound and more easily accessed than ever before. Transportation data, tax trends, survey responses, census data, and cohort studies are just a few examples. Jeff has over twenty years of experience analyzing data for developing highly effective business development strategies. Jeff earned an M.S. in econometrics and a Ph.D. in applied statistics at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Telluride

Jan Newell

Jan became interested in bookkeeping during her years as office manager for a local non-profit organization when she first moved to Telluride. She became a Certified Bookkeeper in 2010 and started a bookkeeping business in 2011. Specializing in non-profit organizations, Jan combines computer and spreadsheet skills in her consulting services.

Delta County

Barry Pennell

Born the son of a chef and then marrying a chef, Barry has been around the food business his entire life. Starting early in high school, Barry worked weekends and summers at a Unilever food manufacturing facility that made butter and syrup and then held every job from a dishwasher to General Manager in restaurants to pay his way through college. Upon graduation from Kansas University, Barry dove into the beer industry and helped launch multiple brewpubs, restaurants, and a microbrewery. Barry also worked for Coors managing special events and a regional sales team covering Summit County and the Vail Valley. Barry possesses a combined 20+ years of food and beverage knowledge in restaurants, breweries, catering, and manufactured food production.

Jay Prentiss

I graduated from Western State College (now Western State Colorado University) in 1992 with a degree in Business and a minor in Honors and Psychology. After college I started a successful small car business on the East Coast but missed the Gunnison Valley and in 1996 moved back to Crested Butte. In the last 23 years I have owned (and still own) numerous businesses including Prentiss, Inc., Worldly Travels, Altitude Painting, and High Altitude Property Management (which I successfully sold). I have built 10 homes in the Gunnison Valley, have bought and sold over 20 properties, have been an ambassador for Crested Butte Mountain Resort and a sponsored skier (as well as a writer, ski tester and gear tester) and have traveled the world for ski magazines and on photo and video assignments. I currently still run Altitude Painting and Prentiss, Inc., a small company with 20 employees. I also own rental properties in both the US and Mexico and use those properties for supplemental income. I am always looking for new opportunities in business and real estate ventures.

Montrose

Anthony Russo

Anthony Russo is a graduate from Charleston Southern University with a BA in Marketing and MBA in Business Administration. Mr Russo started his international career in 2003 with the South Carolina World Trade Center (SCWTC) when he was named the Education and Trade Services Manager in August of that year. During that time, he worked closely with numerous companies with diverse product lines, which include everything from pecans to metalworking. He was also responsible for the US Department of Agriculture’s Export Readiness Training Program that was sponsored by the Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA) for the State of South Carolina. He also authored the SCWTC Import/Export curriculum-The Nine Steps of Import/Export. In June of 2006, Mr. Russo was named the General Manager of Trade Development for the WTCA. Currently Russo also serves as the Director of Trade Services for the World Trade Center Denver through a contract with TradeHub International. In this role, Russo works with manufacturers in order to identify gaps in their operational processes and assist in the development of a strategy to address these gaps in order to mitigate risk and reduce both international and domestic costs.

Gunnison

Tammy Scott

Tammy is a native of Gunnison and has spent most of her adult life working with businesses and organizations in the Gunnison Valley. Following graduation from Western Colorado University she spent 10 years in the Banking Industry with a focus on Marketing and Human Resource Management on the Western Slope of Colorado. Returning to Gunnison Tammy enjoyed 25 years as the Executive Director of the Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center providing business support to Chamber members. For the past seven years, Tammy and her husband have co-owned Scott Resource Management Specialists where she provides consulting to clients in all areas of business, with a focus on Business Development, Marketing, Human Resource Management, and Event Coordination. Tammy also works for the Gunnison Valley Health as their Foundation and Event Coordinator.

Naturita

Deana Sherriff

Deana Sheriff is the Executive Director for West End Economic Development Corporation, working under contract through Region 10 League for Economic Assistance, but recently named WEEDC’s first employee. Since April 2017, Deana has been working to mitigate the economic effects of both a mine closure and power plant closure. Deana’s task is to help the region diversify the economy, and not only survive the impact of the closures and loss of high-paying jobs but to come out the other side a stronger and more resilient community.

Deana has worked in economic development for over 25 years, working in both metropolitan and rural settings. Deana’s passion for rural communities has helped to craft unique solutions that work for isolated regions. She particularly enjoys helping small businesses grow and prosper.

Deana received her Certification in Economic Development (CEcD) in 2016. She loves to travel and considers herself a Lifelong Learner. She’s found that she likes the West End so much, she has permanently relocated to the region, and intends to call this her home long into the future.

Gunnison

Rob Strickland

Rob started Midnight Marketing Solutions in 2004 while he was working at the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association to answer the call for professional marketing services in rural Colorado. What started as moonlighting (hence the company name) has evolved into many long-term client relationships on all sorts of projects. He has found his niche in interactive marketing because it suits his interests and lifestyle well. He graduated from Western Colorado University Magna Sum Laude with a Business Degree and an emphasis in marketing. Since then he has served on a variety of nonprofit boards, taught marketing courses at WCU, and lead seminars and workshops. His greatest joys come from serving others.

Telluride

Nichole Zangara

I’m Nichole Zangara, founder and creative director of Co+Creative Solutions, a boutique marketing and design studio rooted in Telluride, Colorado, available anywhere. With over 15 years of marketing experience, we thoughtfully create polished, inspiring and intentional experiences for small businesses and entrepreneurs who want to invent – or reinvent – themselves using a planned strategy. With a focus on compelling, immersive, visual storytelling, we are big picture thinkers with a love for the small details. Most importantly, we are here to help you attract your ideal client, connect with your community, and leave a lasting mark on your respective industry.

I grew up in St. Louis, attended college in Dallas and D.C. (I thought I was going to be the next Barbara Walters.), and then totally unintended, fell in love with Telluride, Colorado, the summer of 2001. I share life with my husband Jim, our little one, Avery, my always-loving parents, five brothers and sisters (I’m a twin!), and a slew of nieces and nephews.

I still have the same friends I’ve had since I was five years old. I’m overly sentimental, loyal to my core, forever curious, and unapologetically meticulous. I have a serious passion for monochromatic design with textured elements, a frothy cappuccino, and organizing any space, even an already organized space.

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