Through the hard work and dedication of the Board of Directors and Creede’s amazing community of volunteers, the project continues to make significant progress.

We are seeking letters of interest and resumes for a full time director with an anticipated start date January 2011.  In addition to the qualifications listed below, we seek a long term employee committed to making a difference in the community of Creede and enhancing quality of life for the entire San Luis Valley.

Organization: Founded in 2001

Our Mission: To provide outstanding recreational educational cultural and entertainment programming in harmony with the interests of the community while collaborating with regional partners.

Our Vision: The Mineral Country Fairgrounds Association will enhance quality of life by providing activities for Creede area residents and visitors through the development of a regional all-season facility.

Our Values: *Promoting the safety, health, and well-being of our community *Providing superior services and programs *Recognizing, encouraging, and valuing our community, residents, and visitors *Serving as stewards of our fiscal, human, and natural resources *Managing growth responsibly *Advancing partnerships *Respecting our cultural heritage

Position: Reporting to the Board of Directors and President, the Executive Director will perform daily office tasks and field work involved with:

• Office administration, record keeping, grant/report writing, and budget development/oversight.
• Marketing and communications.
• Interpretation of the organization’s goals and objectives to the public and affinity organizations – including public education and collaboration on tasks and projects of mutual interest.
• Implementing fundraising, membership, and sustainability goals.
• Communicate with architects as directed by the Board.
• Other tasks as assigned or prioritized by the Board.

Desirable Skills, Qualifications, Qualities:

• Direct experience and educational background in one or combination of:  Director of small to medium size non-profit organization…  marketing, communication and fundraising development… director of agricultural/cultural program and events management… property management… recreation director….other?
• Strong verbal and written communication skills. Persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and generalist’s skills suitable to scope and purpose of the organization and development plans.
• Grant writing
• Adaptable, resourceful, innovative, self-directed, multi-disciplinary, hands-on.
• Able to work collaboratively with diverse groups in a rural/frontier small town context.

Responsibilities (A-D below): To promote and advance the key objectives and goals of the organization relating to but not limited to the following:

**Note: Given time and financial constraints of the present position, A-F responsibilities below to be prioritized by the Chair/President and Board in concert with the Executive Director for manageable short and long-term objectives.

A. Community Development:

• Collaborate with County and area schools, recreation, agricultural/ranching, and other affinity groups – to support and expand physical and other educational and recreational opportunities.
• This includes making presentations of educational, cultural, and/or recreational importance; offering experiential activities through programs and events;
• Enlisting and broadening opportunities for volunteer involvement and employment as budget allows. Maintain a climate that attracts, keeps, and motivates involvement by the Board, volunteers, employees.

B. Communication and Collaboration:

• Maintain and deepen communication – via website, e-mail and official correspondence, PSA’s and press releases, office accessibility and visibility.
• Maintain broad public awareness and interest – by helping to implement and oversee special programs, annual events,  seeking public involvement and input via presentations, updates, and community surveys.
• Advocate for and help implement organizational goals for partnering and sustainability for each phase of development.
• In concert/under direction of Board and President/Chair, represent the programs and point of view of the organization to the public, organizations, and community groups.

C. Grants, Membership and Financial Support:

• Generate and expand funding for initial and ongoing operations and development – through memberships, fundraising campaigns/events, and donations from individuals and granting entities.
• Maintain accurate records, cultivate, and increase membership and donor base.

D. Administration and Board:

• Maintain official records, documents, and communications to assure compliance with federal, state, local regulations and granting organizations.
• Work with the Treasurer and President/Chair in preparing a budget and see that the organization operates within budget guidelines.
• Provide monthly reports to the Board and help prepare monthly agenda in concert with the President/Chair.
• See that the Board is kept fully informed on the condition of the organization and all important factors influencing it.

Compensation Commensurate with Experience

Please call 719-658-2376 for more information, or send an email to info@upperriogrande.org

The Mineral County Fairgrounds Association hosted a   viewing of architectural sketches for the Upper Rio Grande Events and Recreation Complex on July 8, 2010.  At the Community Church MCFA board members received input and thoughtful discussions on this project. Catherine du Toit and Anderson Inge of 51% Studios presented their vision for the future of the site. Many of the topics discussed focused more on how the complex will benefit the community and not the delicious food.  Some benefits of the recreation complex included providing a place for local children to learn to swim, provide a large venue for concerts, and give all age groups a sense of place within the community.

The architects and MCFA board have committed to making the site as self sustainable as possible, investigating newer technologies to answer old maintenance problems. Ideas on sod roofing, geothermal heating, and solar collectors were discussed. In all the architects presented designs for three buildings; an indoor events arena, a maintenance building, and a recreation center. Also included were designs for the entire complex, complete with landscaping, parking lots and traffic flow patterns.  The impressive scope of the presentation ranged from layout of the entire complex to a cross section of the swimming pool/recreation to a shadow study of the buildings at various times of the year.  In addition, the architects had roughed out square footage numbers for each building and total construction cost estimates.

If you would like to learn more or see the sketches, please call 719.658.2376

We are excited to have reached another landmark of this wide reaching community project, the completion of the initial design phase.  Your input will be especially valuable at this point in the process.  Reflecting the Community Survey and ongoing feedback, the architects will present design concepts for the appearance of the buildings, internal circulation and specific uses the spaces within.  Currently being developed are plans for three buildings: indoor events arena, community recreation health and fitness center with swimming pool, and 4-H livestock/maintenance building.

You have generously supported the fairgrounds/recreation complex in the past with donations and feedback.  We are excited to share with you the latest developments and hear your thoughts as we move forward toward construction.

The Outdoor Riding Arena was relocated last week, marking an exciting first step in the MCFA’s flexible masterplan.  For the past two years the arena has been on the site’s “upper bench”, on Airport Roadway under the flight path.  The Masterplan adopted by the Board has located all event facilities on the “middle bench” to achieve several benefits for visitors and eventors alike:  better proximity to the lovely, newly-remediated Willow Creek and its bike paths; natural separation from wind; and framing events in a more focused and contained setting that has its own identity.

The Fairgrounds site has now experienced its first growing season since the entire site went through a process of soil ‘remediation’.  Due to the presence of heavy metals that resulted from Creede’s mining heritage, much of the site’s top layer of soil has required treatment to prevent the metals from joining the Willow Creek run-off.  This process has also involved the complete upheaval of the indigenous vegetation of the site, and the relocation of the site’s existing willows to newly created wetlands areas.  The Board is delighted to be able to report that the relocation of the willows has been a complete success.  This represents an important sentimental success, one which is now beautifully complementing the wetlands formed as a key part of the overall remediation requirement.