New hire at Visit Glenwood Springs

Visit Glenwood Springs, the tourism department of the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association, has hired Heidi Pankow as tourism promotion project manager.

Pankow has more than 30 years of tourism marketing experience, most recently responsible for marketing and public relations at the Ouray Tourism Office.

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She has worked on regional and state tourism collaborations and initiatives, including the Colorado Historic Hot Springs Loop, and as a mentor and contractor for the Colorado Rural Academy for Tourism (CRAFT). She is an alumnus of the Colorado Tourism Leadership Journey class of 2019. She is currently the Western Colorado representative on the Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway Commission.

As a Colorado resident for more than 20 years, Pankow has a passion for the state’s unique and authentic experiences. She will be working with the Visit Glenwood Springs team in marketing, public relations, social media and digital asset management, and consumer and media outreach roles.

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“Glenwood Springs has always been a favorite destination of mine. I’m thrilled to join the team and will work diligently to promote tourism in a responsible manner to benefit the community and visitors alike,” Pankow said.

Lisa Langer, director of tourism promotion, said of Pankow, “I have worked with Heidi for a number of years in her various state and regional tourism roles. She will be a great asset to Glenwood Springs and will bring fresh insight to our tourism marketing efforts.”

Pankow started her new position Jan. 4 and can be reached for marketing and media inquiries at heidi@visitglenwood.com or 970-261-1110.

City of Glenwood Springs taking applications for state business relief funds

The city of Glenwood Springs is administering the Small Business Relief Program funds made available as part of Colorado Senate Bill 20B-001.

The city will consider applications from eligible small businesses for relief based on need and proven loss of revenue.

The legislation, passed in December, provided for

$57 million in direct aid, grants and fee waivers to struggling small businesses due to COVID-19. Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Small Business Relief Program was allocated $35.15 million for grants to eligible local governments to disburse to qualifed small businesses.

Additional information is available on the state’s website at https://oedit.colorado.gov/covid19.

Eligible businesses include any corporation, LLC, partnership or sole proprietorship (nonprofits are not eligible) that fits into the following types of businesses:

• restaurants

• bars (includes winery, brewery, distillery, etc.)

• caterers

• movie theaters

• gyms and recreation centers

And businesses that have voluntarily closed that confirm that they intend to continue ongoing operations for at least six months are eligible.

Eligible businesses need to:

• have been founded prior to March 26, 2020

• have revenues under

$2.5 million

• be a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or sole proprietorship in good standing with all licenses

• have at least one employee, unless they are a sole proprietorship

• have a reduced revenue of at least 20% due to capacity restrictions from public health orders

• be in compliance with all state public health orders.

“The legislation creating the program sets forth tiered relief payment caps, based on the business’ receipts (sales or revenue) from 2019, with a maximum payout of $7,000,” according to a city news release. “Relief payments are based on need and financial losses, as determined by state requirements.”

The application period is open through Friday, Feb. 5, for eligible small businesses to apply. The application and eligibility criteria are available on the city of Glenwood Springs website at https://cogs.us/597/Small-Business-Relief-Program.

Businesses with questions should contact Jenn Ooton at 970-384-6404, or Matt Nunez at 970-384-6424.