Full Circle with The Christi Reece Group

Libraries are essential to the vitality of our community. Christi sits down with Mesa County Libraries Executive Director, Michelle Boisvenue-Fox, to hear about all the programs and resources the library provides, threats to funding, the upcoming 125th anniversary of the library, and more on this month's Full Circle Podcast!Get a library card, check out upcoming events, and learn more about our great library system at their website!If you prefer to watch your podcasts, head over to our YouTube page to see this and all our episodes!

Christi talks with Jeff Zimmerman, President of Fort + Home, about real estate investing, renovating historic buildings (including the beautiful Hotel Melrose in Downtown Grand Junction), and the exciting affordable housing project they are working on in Orchard Mesa, in the Grand Valley area of Western Colorado.Learn more about Fort + Home at their website.Like to watch your podcasts? Check out this and all our episodes at our YouTube page!

This month Christi sits down with community leaders to get a builder, realtor, and Chamber of Commerce perspective on the proposed Impact Fees for the City of Grand Junction. Hear from the following guests:Candace Carnahan - Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce - President/CEODave Hancock - Porter Homes - Owner/OperatorKevin Bray - Bray Real Estate Development - Director of DevelopmentRon Abeloe - Chaparral West, Inc - PresidentThe next public hearing for the Impact Fees is April 2, 2025.If you prefer to watch your podcasts, head to our YouTube page to see this and all our episodes!

There is a lot of talk about soil issues in Western Colorado and how it can affect building a house in this area. Christi talks with Michael Berry with Huddleston-Berry Engineering and Testing and Dave Hancock from Porter Homes to discuss the challenges, but also the solutions for dealing with our unique soil issues in the Grand Valley.If you prefer to watch your podcasts, head over to our YouTube page to see this and all our episodes!

Christi sits down with Phil Goetzmann, Owner of Goetzmann Custom Homes, and Jane Quimby, Project Manager for Redlands 360, for this month's Full Circle Podcast. Hear about this new Grand Junction, Colorado development with its focus on 360 degree views, commitment to recreation and access, integrating into the community, and offering a diversity of housing options as the different phases of the neighborhood unfold.Learn more about Redlands 360 at https://redlands360.com/ and dive into Goetzmann Custom Homes at https://www.goetzmannhomes.com/Prefer to watch your podcasts? Head over to our YouTube page to watch this and all our episodes!

What is Towards Net Zero Building? How does the Grand Valley stack up when it comes to green building practices? Christi sits down with Ryan Cowan, CEO and Owner of RG Cowan Design Build, to discuss their philosopy and practice of building architecturally significant and energy efficient homes in Western Colorado for this month's Full Circle Podcast!Learn more about RG Cowan at https://rgcowandesign.com/Prefer to watch your podcasts? Head over to our YouTube page to see this and all our episodes!

How are cell phones impacting our kids and our parenting? Christi sits down with Tedi Gillespie from the Western Colorado Community Foundation to discuss the Hold the Phone campaign with D51 schools, their brand new Heads Up Parenting initiative, and much more for this month's Full Circle Podcast!Learn more about the Heads Up campaign at https://wc-cf.org/headsup/If you prefer to watch your podcasts, head over to our YouTube page to check out this episode and more! 

Christi sits down with Dr. Timothy Winegard, author of The Horse: A Galloping History of Humanity. They discuss Tim's books, growing up in Canada, his move to Grand Junction, teaching at Colorado Mesa University, his love of history, and, of course, hockey.You can find his books at local booksellers as well as online.If  you prefer to watch your podcasts, head over to our YouTube page!

Christi sits down with the Mayor of Palisade, Greg Mikolai. Hear how tourism impacts this small Colorado town, the exciting things to do there, and how they are looking to the future.If you prefer to watch your podcasts, head to our YouTube page to see this and all our episodes.

Christi sits down with Fruita Mayor Matthew Breman and City Manager Mike Bennett to talk about all the exciting things happening in Fruita, Colorado right now! They also talk about growth, city planning and more in this month's Full Circle Podcast.If you prefer to watch your podcasts, head to our YouTube page to check this episode out!Learn more about the city at Fruita.org

Hear from Candace Carnahan, President and CEO of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce on this month's Full Circle Podcast. Find out more about what the Chamber does to support the businesses in our community and what opportunities there are to get involved!Learn more about the Chamber at https://gjchamber.org/.If you prefer to watch your podcasts, head over to our YouTube page to check out this and all our episodes!

Christi sits down with the Grand Valley Outdoor Recreation Coalition's new Executive Director, Chandler Smith, on this month's Full Circle Podcast. Hear from Chandler on the GVORC's mission, the state of outdoor recreation in the Grand Valley, and his own fascinating background in the industry.Learn more about GVORC at https://gvorc.org/If you prefer to watch your podcasts, head over to our YouTube page to check out this and all our episodes!

What public works projects are on the horizon for Grand Junction and how does that impact you? REALTOR®  Jen Taylor sits down with Public Works Director Trent Prall from the City of Grand Junction to get the inside scoop on what's happening in the Grand Valley in this month's Full Circle Podcast!Visit Grand Junction's website - it's a great resource for all your GJ needs!If you prefer to watch your podcasts, head over to our YouTube page to see this and all of our episodes.

Christi sits down with GJEP Executive Director, Curtis Englehart, to discuss the economic and business outlook for the Grand Valley, including recent wins and the diversification of our local economy.Learn more about GJEP at https://www.gjep.org/If you prefer to watch your podcasts, head over to our YouTube page!

Christi and Reece sit down with Fire Chief Ken Watkins and hear about the evolution of the fire department, future growth, recruitment efforts, fire safety and more for this month's Full Circle Podcast!If you prefer to watch to your podcasts, head over to our YouTube  page to watch this and all our podcasts!

Christi sits down with Mind Springs Health CEO, John Sheehan, to discuss the important topics of mental health, the services Mind Springs offers, and the changes they have been making to bring the best mental health care to Western Colorado.Learn more about their services at their website. If you prefer to watch your podcasts, visit our YouTube page to see this and all our episodes!

Colorado State Representative Rick Taggart is Christi's guest on this month's Full Circle Podcast! They talk about Rick's personal story as well as what's happening at the Colorado House of Representatives, including his focus on schools, water, and bipartisanship. You can learn more about Rick and get in contact with him at www.rickfor55.com.If you prefer to watch your podcasts, head over to our YouTube page!

This month on the Full Circle Podcast, Christi sits down with our own Reece Stanley, REALTOR®  and Director of Agent Success on the team. They talk about the current real estate climate, advice for agents, real estate investing, looking towards the future, and a whole lot more!If you prefer to watch your podcasts, check this interview out on our YouTube page!

Christi sits down with Will Hays, COO of Hilltop Community Resources. Hear about the myriad of services that Hilltop provides, as well as Will's interesting journey and passion for his work.Find out all the great work Hilltop does and how you can help at https://www.htop.org/If you prefer to watch your podcasts, check out all our Full Circle episodes on our YouTube page!

Our sweetest episode yet!  Christi sits down with Doug Simons Jr, VP of Manufacturing and Co-owner of Enstrom Candies in Grand Junction, CO. Get a fascinating look behind the scenes of how their world famous toffee is made and their commitment to quality  at this multi-generational family company.You'll probably want to order some toffee after listening, so head over to their website to get some STAT! Can't wait? They have multiple retail locations as well, locations listed on their website.If you prefer to watch your podcasts, head over to our YouTube page!

Christi sits down with Grand Valley artists, Erin Stephens-Marner and Ami Purser, to discuss their art, making a living as an artist, and the growing art scene in Western Colorado!You can find both of them on Instagram at @esmpotteryfarm and @amipurserIf you like to watch your podcasts, be sure to head over to our YouTube page to see this and all our podcasts!   https://www.youtube.com/christireecegroup

Christi talks with Robin Brown, Vice President of Development for Colorado Mesa University/CEO of CMU Foundation.  They talk about Robin's transition from the Grand Junction Economic Partnership, fundraising and scholarships at CMU, first generation students and a whole lot more!Learn more about supporting CMU at www.supportingcmu.com  If you prefer to watch our podcasts, you can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel!

Christi has an in-depth conversation with Dalida Sassoon Bollig, Chief Executive Officer at the Business Incubator Center in Grand Junction.  Hear about how the Incubator supports small businesses and startups in our area, plus learn more about Dalida's fascinating international background!To learn more about the Business Incubator Center and all their services, visit their website.If you prefer to watch your podcasts, head over to our YouTube page to see this and all our podcasts! 

Christi sits down with James Pulsipher, Regional Manager of Fidelity Mortgage in Grand Junction. Hear about what's going on in the mortgage industry and Western Colorado real estate, plus learn more about the upcoming James Pulsipher Cancer Center at Community Hospital.You can reach out to James and his team via their website or call them at 970-242-7000.If you prefer to watch your podcasts, visit our YouTube page for this and all our podcasts!

Christi talks with Betsy Bair, the Corporate Affairs Administrator for Community Hospital in Grand Junction, CO. Hear about her interesting upbringing, her background in politics, and all the exciting things happening at Community Hospital right now. A lot of fantastic additions are opening in the near future, including the James Pulsipher Regional Cancer Center, the Early Childhood Education Center, and the new Palisade clinic!You can learn more about Community Hospital at https://yourcommunityhospital.com/If you prefer to watch your podcasts, check out the video of this interview at our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@Christireecegroup

Everyone is a bit fascinated with flying, whether you've never flown or you've flown a thousand times. Get an inside look at how an airport and the airline industry is run with Christi's interview with Angela Padelecki, the Executive Director of the Grand Junction Regional Airport. Angela's quiet confidence and leadership will make you want to book your next trip today! 

Do you think retirement will be boring? Listen to this interview with man-about-town, Biff Messinger, and he will tell you all the ways to keep retirement exciting and meaningful in this entertaining episode of the Full Circle Podcast! If you know Biff, you know he is a storyteller, and he did not disappoint as our October podcast guest.Biff talks about a lot of wonderful organizations he has been involved with over the years.  Here are some links to check them out:RiversEdge West  https://riversedgewest.org/Community Food Bank  https://www.foodbankgj.org/Grand Valley Resettlement Program  https://www.jdainternational.org/The Cycle Effect  https://www.thecycleeffect.org/Vitalant Blood Donation  https://vitalant.org/locations/grand-junctionHorizon Sunrise Rotary  https://rotary5470.org/clubinfo/grand-jct-horizon-sunriseIf you prefer to watch your podcasts, head over to our YouTube page!https://www.youtube.com/christireecegroup

For our September podcast, Christi sits down with the publisher of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, Jay Seaton. It's a fascinating discussion about journalism today and the role  of the local paper.Not a subscriber of the paper? Check them out at https://www.gjsentinel.com/.Want a video of the interview? Hop over to our YouTube page: https://youtu.be/We_kj6P0HYk

Are you ready for ski season? It's coming up fast! Learn what Powderhorn Mountain Resort has planned for winter, as well as the fun stuff they do year-round, in this chat with General Manager, Ryan Schramm!Get your ski passes now, prices go up on September 6!Get all the details at https://www.powderhorn.com/Prefer to watch your podcasts? Head over to our YouTube page at https://youtu.be/Zvq27S0EUw4

Christi sits down with the new District 51 Superintendent, Dr. Brian Hill.  Hear about Brian's philosophy on education, the role of leadership, the district's new strategic plan, and more in this month's Full Circle Podcast!If you prefer to watch your podcasts, head over to our YouTube page to watch this and all our Full Circle Podcasts! 

Christi sits down with Grand Junction Mayor, Anna Stout, to discuss what's happening at the city, her work as CEO of Roice-Hurst Humane Society and at the Foundation of Cultural Exchange.  Anna is a busy gal and so passionate about her work - listen and get inspired!To find out more about her organizations, click below:Foundation of Cultural ExchangeRoice-Hurst Humane SocietyCity of Grand JunctionPrefer to watch your podcasts? Check it out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oOd3yh-V02k

Christi sits down with President John Marshall from Colorado Mesa University to discuss his first year as president, CMU's COVID response, the future of the school, and more!If you're interested in supporting CMU, visit https://www.supportingcmu.com/giveWant to watch this interview?  Check out https://youtu.be/i83FnpbtbDE

Christi sits down with Diane Schwenke, outgoing President of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, for this month's Full Circle Podcast. Diane talks about her 30+ year career at the Chamber, the ups and downs through it all, and what's next for the Chamber and her!If you prefer to watch your podcasts, check out this and all our episodes on our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/Christireecegroup

Christi sits down with the James Beard nominated chef/owner of Bin 707 and Taco Party, Josh Niernberg!  You'll be making dinner plans by the time you finish this conversation about Western Colorado cuisine, restaurant life, and how even a nationally recognized chef can't get his kids to eat their meals.Check out Josh's restaurants:http://www.bin707.com/https://www.tacopartygj.com/If you prefer video, check out the interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DVWl6BBGKR8

Christi sits down with Rob Bleiberg from the Colorado West Land Trust to talk about their mission to protect and enhance agricultural land, wildlife habitat and scenic lands in Western Colorado! Find out how you can donate, volunteer and learn more at https://cowestlandtrust.org/.Prefer to watch your podcasts? Check out our YouTube channel for this and all our Full Circle Podcasts!

Christi and Marketing Manager Mattie sit down with the owners of The Storm Cellar Winery of Hotchkiss, CO to talk wine, growth, grapevines, palates, pairings and more.  Jayme and Steve are so passionate about their wine making that you'll be running out to the store by the end of this episode to try their incredible, award-winning wines!Find out more about them at stormcellarwine.com or follow them on social (they do GREAT social).  Cheers!If you prefer video, check out our YouTube page!

Christi sits down with the Director of Grand Junction Parks & Recreation, Ken Sherbenou, and with the City Forester, Rob Davis, to talk new parks, how to protect your trees, and the exciting projects on the horizon for our city!To find out more about what is happening in Grand Junction parks, visit their website.If you prefer video, check the video out on YouTube!

Christi sits down with area agents for a roundtable on what's happening in the Grand Junction and surrounding areas real estate market.  Guests include Anna Rickenbach, Jen Pedersen and Mike Foster.  Hear what the group has to say about the state of Western Colorado commercial and residential real estate!If you like your podcast in video form, check out our YouTube video: https://youtu.be/uvqiftHLWTw

Christi sits down with Mesa County Valley School District 51 Superintendent Dr. Diana Sirko to talk about how schools are faring thru the COVID era, the bond measure to build a new Grand Junction High School, her upcoming retirement and more! If you're interested in learning more about supporting the GJHS bond measure, check out the Citizens for School District 51 Facebook page .  You can learn more about supporting  the district in general by visiting  the D51 Foundation website.If you prefer to watch your podcasts, check out this interview on YouTube!

Christi sits down with Greg Caton, the City Manager for the City of Grand Junction.  Get an overview of some of the big projects happening in the city, how we are faring after a crazy year+ of COVID, and what the city is looking to in the future.  Bonus - Greg answers his own phone and emails, so don't hesitate to reach out to him with your questions and ideas for Grand Junction!Learn more about what is happening with the city at their website!

Christi sits down with Jeff Snook & Jody Corey, owners of the Spoke and Vine Motel, and hears about what brought them to the Grand Valley, renovating an old motel, buying the Palisade Cafe,  and all their other exciting adventures in Palisade and the Grand Valley!Info on the motel:https://spokeandvinemotel.com/The Palisade Cafe & Wine Bar:https://www.palisadecafeandwinebar.com/Check out the video of the interview at https://youtu.be/ydAaAAC5tfo.

It's summer break, so Christi had an opportunity to sit down with popular (and busy) District 51 music teachers, Jen Daigle from East Middle School and Isaac Lavadie from Grand Junction High School.  They discuss their passion for teaching, the importance of music in schools, teaching through COVID, and their hopes for the future.  An inspiring talk with these community leaders who mean so much to our kids!If you would like to support the music in our schools, reach out directly to the schools, District 51, or contact GJHS Band Parents at GJHSBandFundraising@gmail.com or check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/GJHSMusicParents/.You can watch a full video of the interview on our YouTube page at https://youtu.be/DHPJuHnIdAM.

Prepare yourself to  be entertained and inspired by Christi's conversation with Coach Tremaine Jackson from Colorado Mesa University Football!  They talk about food, community, race relations, Black Lives Matter, Texas, grandmas, the allure of Grand Junction and, of course, football.  You'll be wanting to invite Coach to your house for dinner by the end!To learn more about CMU Football and how to support the team this fall, visit https://cmumavericks.com/sports/football.If you prefer to watch the interview, visit our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/ChristiReeceGroup

You'll be inspired by Sarah and Thaddeus Shrader of Bonsai Design in this month's Full Circle Podcast!  From their work building world class adventure courses, to their commitment to the outdoors, to their role in the development of Riverfront at Las Colonias on the Colorado River, these guys are doing incredible work in our community and beyond!Check out their website to learn more about them!

We've all heard the news by now that President Tim Foster at Colorado Mesa University is retiring at the end of this year.  Christi sat down with him to discuss his legacy, how the school has changed during his tenure (including the impact of COVID-19), new developments at CMU, and what's next for him!If you prefer to watch your podcasts, the full video is available at https://youtu.be/qe0eK_sI-50Bonus question for Tim:What's your advice for your successor at CMU? Take the time to understand the community both in the Grand Valley and across Western Colorado.  There is a unique spirit here which is very western in terms of openness and a willingness to embrace new ideas and find ways to make things work.  The people here love the University but you have to spend the time to make sure they understand whatever one wants to do. 

Jen Taylor sits down with Mike Foster from Coldwell Banker Commercial Prime Properties to talk about what is happening in the Grand Valley commercial real estate world!You can learn more about Mike and get his contact info at http://mfoster.cbcprimeproperties.com/.

In this episode, Christi talks with Bryan Johnson, President of St. Mary's Medical Center in Grand Junction, CO.  Hear what's new at the hospital, how the COVID crisis has impacted them and what is on the horizon for health care.  To learn more about SCL Health - St. Mary's, visit https://www.sclhealth.org/locations/st-marys-medical-center/.If you prefer to watch your podcasts, check out our YouTube page for the video: https://youtu.be/firbVWhovLk

In our first remote podcast, Christi sits down "virtually" with Anne and Jen, the infamous owners of the Hot Tomato Pizza and Bestslope  Coffee Company in Fruita, Colorado.  They talk pizza, bikes, COVID-19, ice cream and more!If all this makes you hungry, you can check out Hot Tomato at https://www.hottomatopizza.com/ and for Bestslope, go to https://bestslopecoffeeco.com/.If you prefer to watch your podcasts, check out our YouTube page: https://youtu.be/-7hTqpwqkXc

Join Christi and Scott Winans for an inside look at the new Palisade Plunge and all the work COPMOBA and others have done to make this exciting  trail a reality!  Learn more about the Plunge and COPMOBA at https://www.copmoba.org/.

As harvest season winds down, Christi talks with Garrett Portra of Carlson Vineyards about their approach to wine making, the effect of the late frost, summer wildfires and COVID, their new(ish) tasting room in Downtown Grand Junction, and more!If you want to visit their two tasting rooms and learn more about their wines, visit the Carlson Vineyard website at https://www.carlsonvineyards.com/.You can also watch a video of the podcast at https://youtu.be/82cRawLdHWA!

In this episode Christi interviews Elizabeth Fogarty, the Director of Visit Grand Junction.  The two of them have a fascinating discussion about place and tourism marketing, data analytics, relationship building, the effect of COVID-19 on tourism, how Grand Junction is evolving, and how we protect our quality of life on the Western Slope through it all.  Visit https://www.visitgrandjunction.com/ to learn more about their vision, order a visitor's guide, and to see all there is to do in the Grand Valley!If you prefer to watch your podcasts, check out the video: https://youtu.be/9B4j1pCXAxs