Client Success Stories

Facilitation of Board Retreats: Past & present clients

Over the past nineteen (19) years as a management consultant and professional facilitator, Jasper has provided assessment and facilitation services for numerous Boards, non-profits and municipalities. Clients have included small business, state associations, local governmental, community agencies, Chambers of Commerce, Leadership programs, and non-profit organizations. Some of the client projects have been one-session retreats, others have involved multiple meetings, and others have been done in phases. Each series of meetings or client requests have been approached as a unique project, with focused research, assessments and facilitation based on the specific situation and people involved. Board and staff development projects are custom tailored to the situations, needs, financial constraints and time available for each client organization. Each client is worthy of focused process efforts, based on the budget, time and internal constraints and goals desired. In most cases, a final report or work product is provided by Jasper to the executive director, management team and/or Board.

Durango Business Improvement District, Durango, CO
www.downtowndurango.org

Business leaders and property owners in downtown Durango are investing property tax (1.5 mil levy) for better marketing, enhanced services and visibility for the Main Avenue business district. Jasper was asked to provide Board of Director support and oversight of the CSL, Int’l ‘feasibility study’ during 1999 and 2000. The initial $50,000 CSL, Int’l study was completed in November 2000. In additional, Jasper has coordinated the annual budget process, hiring of consultants to the Board and supervision of special projects for the Board. The staff support position is responsible for coordinating the Board/CSL relationship, oversight of the ‘feasibility study’ process and Board of Directors support. In November 2003, the District successfully, by election, resumed the annual mil level from 2004 to 2010. In his role as the BID coordinator, Jasper is assisting the Board in managing a $250,000 annual budget and operations. Jasper has continued as a contract staff support person for the past ten years. (1999 to present).

Water Information Program, Southwestern Water Conservation District www.waterinfo.org

The Southwestern Water Conservation District, created by the Colorado state legislature in 1941, began their Water Information Program in 1994. Four Corners Management Services was hired to provide project management and program development services. Since the inception of the program in August 1994, Jasper has worked with the water district on the Water Information Program which now includes a quarterly newsletter, web "home" page, informational brochures, professional display unit for public information, water fairs for children, water education materials and information, media research, media relations and other related activities. Presently, the Water Information Program is a model program among water districts in Colorado, both in terms of joint venture funding (involving 10 different participating water entities) and the delivery of the program services to the public. Jasper coordinated this public information program under contract with the District from 1994 until 1999.

Grand Junction Convention & Visitor’s Bureau: Board & Staff

In April 2000, Jasper provided facilitation and consultation for the Grand Junction Convention & Visitor’s Bureau for the annual Board of Directors retreat. The facilitation process includes pre-retreat surveys, ProScans for directors, facilitation and documentation of the process for the client. A follow up presentation to the Board was made in May 2000. In December 2001, Jasper provided facilitation for the GJVCB staff retreat. In April 2002, Jasper was asked to return to Grand Junction to provide facilitation services for the Board of Director annual advance. Jasper has also worked with Debbie Kovalik and her professional staff over the past several years, including staff development sessions and advisement. In April 2005, May 2006 and April 2007 Jasper facilitated the Board planning retreats and strategic plan updates.

Partial Listing of FCMS Clients & Projects

Grand Junction VCB, Grd Jct, CO	La Plata Electric Ass’n, Durango, CO
Uncompaghre Leadership Program	Leadership La Plata, Durango, CO
Colorado Municipal League, Denver, CO	Durango Biz Improvement District
Durango Community Foundation	Desert Sun Coffee Roasters, Durango
Uncompahgre Hospice, Montrose, CO	Club 20 Board & Executive Committee
Marketing for Smarties, New York, NY	Client Focused Solutions, LLC

Jasper’s Role as Director for Companies & Organizations

Stoneage, Inc www.stoneagetools.com
Outside director & Board chairman

Jasper was selected from a pool of candidates to service as an outside director on the Stoneage, Inc. Board of Directors. Stoneage, Inc. is an employee owned manufacturer of precision water blast and water jet technology and tools, which are sold throughout the United States and internationally. The company has continued to grow and maintain high levels of profitability, employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction during the past 25 years, since Jerry Zink and John Wolgamott founded it. Recently the company has moved into a new $4 million manufacturing plant in Durango, CO. Sales of Stoneage Tools include domestic and exported product sales around the world.

Fast Track Communications, Inc.

Jasper was asked by the Fast Track majority sharehold (La Plata Electric Association LPEA) to serve as an outside director on the Board of the telecommunications subsidiary company. In 2005, the Board elected Mr. Welch as the Chairman of the Board. Since Jasper has served the emerging telecommunications company Board of directors, the Company has moved from unprofitable operations to a growing and profitable company. In the Spring of 2007, Jasper served on the General Manager search committee. In FY 2006 the company reported $1.7 million in sales, with has grown to $3.2 million in sales in 2009. Over the past several years the company profitability has reached its highest levels. In May 2007, the company hired its first full time General Manager (Steven Dorf, formerly of Time Warner Telecom, based in Albuquerque, NM market). Jasper worked with the Executive Committee, corporate attorneys, LPEA HR staff and full Board to coordinate the selection and hiring process over a 3-month period. Fast Track Communications is a profitable company serving customers with telecom services in Colorado and New Mexico. In December 2007, Mr. Welch was re-elected by the Board as the Chairman of the Board.

City of Durango - www.durangogov.org
Local elected official & Mayor

In 1991, Jasper was elected to his first term on the Durango City Council, finishing in the top 2 out of 7 candidates running for local municipal office. In 1995, Jasper was re-elected to the Durango City Council. As an elected official, Jasper worked with 5 elected Council members, a professional City staff of over 200, with an annual budget of over $22 million. During his two terms, Jasper represented the City at various events, functions and meetings. He served as Mayor in 1994/95 and 1998/99. He completed 8 years of service as an elected City Councilor in April 1999. On February 5, 1998, Jasper announced his candidacy for the Colorado State Senate (SD-6) for southwestern Colorado. In May 1998, Jasper was nominated as the Republican nominee by unanimous ballot. Following an issues based campaign, Jasper won 4 of the nine counties in the State Senate district, but fell short of the majority vote district wide (46%/54%). While disappointed, Jasper was satisfied that he and his family had run the best race they could against an experienced 12-year legislator (Jim Dyer, D-Durango). Running for the Colorado State Senate was a life experience that required hard work, discipline, organization, fund raising and a sense of humor. Jasper has a 30-year track record of community and public service to western Colorado and the Four Corners region.

Club 20 - www.club20.org
Western Colorado: Chairman, Director, volunteer, facilitator

In 1990, Jasper served as the volunteer Chairman of Club 20, which included the responsibility of chairing executive committee and Board meetings. Given the diverse viewpoints of the 22 member counties that make up Club 20, Jasper was asked to handle Board meetings, in which lively debate ensued during most meetings. During his elected term as Chairman, Club 20 revised their by-laws to give more power to the individual county delegations during Director elections, modified the dues structure, enhanced the professional staff role in visiting outlying member counties and worked with various volunteers to enhance Club 20's role in western Colorado issues. Jasper has served in various positions in Club 20 since 1985, including Regional Vice Chair, Chairman of the Transportation Committee and serving on the Board of Directors. In March 1999, Jasper was a finalist in the Club 20 Executive Director search, one of four qualified finalists to head the western Colorado regional organization. In December 2001, Jasper was asked to be the lead facilitator of the Executive Committee and Committee chair Board & Committee Chair advance. He developed a draft Club 20 Organizational Model that was presented to the Executive Committee in March 2002. In March 2003, Jasper was awarded the highest public service award given by Club 20, the John D. Vanderhoof award for public service to western Colorado. In June 2006, Jasper was asked to facilitate the Board and Committee Chairman planning retreat in Paonia, Colorado. Jasper is working directly with Reeves Brown, Executive Director of Club 20, to assist the Board in their long-range planning and organizational development for 2006 and 2007.

Client Focused Solutions, LLC - www.clientfocusedsolutions.com
Founding member of firm

In April 2006, Jasper became a founding member of Client Focused Services, LLC, a western Colorado based professional services firm. This professional services company will provide client support to a number of professional services firms, including Ken Richards, CPA (Delta, CO), Nancy Wharton, Consultant (Durango, CO), and Jasper Welch, Consultant (Durango, CO). The new professional services firm, CFS for short, will provide an array of professional services to clients throughout western Colorado & northern New Mexico.