My name is Angela Sayler and I have lived in Mancos for 5 years and have worked in Accounting for over 20 years.  I am currently a Substitute Teacher with Mancos Schools, on the Board for the Mancos Library, member of Montezuma Youth Pride and a Zumba Instructor.  Like Whitney Houston, I believe that children are the future and I want to spend what extra time I have to support all children with all the things that they need, no matter what that is.  Growing up we didn’t have a lot and I watched my mom struggle to meet basic needs.  I vowed to do what I could, to make sure that all kids have the essentials and opportunities to grow into extraordinary humans.    

Doty Shepard is the co-founder and executive director of Resilient Colorado | Cultivate Resilience, a non-profit dedicated to increasing the well-being of our communities by educating about the impacts of trauma and ways to enhance personal and community resilience. TEDx speaker, in-demand national trainer and workshop leader, Doty earned a Master of Arts degree specializing in support for youth and families and cultural transformation, then spent the next twenty years working in the field. She specializes in helping organizations infuse trauma-sensitive practices into all they do while cultivating the resilience of both staff and clientele.

Born and raised in southwestern Colorado, Emily experienced a childhood exposed to various outdoor activities and adventures. She was also actively involved with a family business for much of her high school and college years. She graduated high school in Mancos, CO and then attended Mesa State College (now CMU) in Grand Junction, Colorado and received her Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in business management, minor in human resources.

After graduating, she moved to Arizona and established her roots in the sunshine state, where she dedicated several years to the not-for-profit industry, working for both Childhelp, USA and The Make-A-Wish Foundation. She then found herself working alongside founder & entrepreneur of V’s Barbershop, Jim Valenzuela, and has spent the last twenty years growing the V’s Barbershop Franchise brand into a nationally recognized barbershop and men’s grooming brand with 55 locations across the country. Serving as COO of V’s Barbershop, Emily has utilized her background and passion for small business and entrepreneurship to continue the growth and success of the company, most recently in the e-commerce space and in the cultivation of a V’s product line. Emily serves as Vice President of the Board for The International Salon & Spa Business Network (ISBN) in an effort to further the men’s grooming industry and often works towards legislative change and bringing the grooming industry both education and awareness through this organization.

As native of Colorado, Emily returned to primary living in Colorado in 2014, where she spends the majority of her time raising her son, Rhett, and enjoying the mountains and small-town living. She also loves spending time with her friends and family, supporting her sons’ passion for competitive swim, reading, and she also serves on the Mancos RE-6 school board and is very involved with school activities.

She recently joined the Board of Directors for Mancos United as well, in an effort to continue to support and bring together community members and services in the Mancos community.

I have had the pleasure of living in Mancos for 8 years now with my husband and our three teenage boys (who are extremely active in the school and in sports). I love camping and snowmobiling in the mountains, boating in nearby lakes and exploring the country in our RV. I have recently opened up a nonprofit preschool and childcare center in Mancos after being in the early childhood field for 12 years. While in Mancos I have had the pleasure of being part of Mancos PTA, Mancos Youth Sports and the Mancos Booster Club.

Ivy Dalley grew up in a small dairy town in Wisconsin. She now lives in Mancos with her husband and her two children. Ivy is a teacher within the Mancos School District and a local business owner. Her passions are teaching and supporting our local youth. She is excited to be on the board of Mancos United so she can make a positive influence within our community.

Jamie Higgins and her family moved to Mancos Colorado from Oklahoma in 2020.  She currently works for the Town of Mancos as the Town Clerk/Treasurer.  Jamie served in the US Air Force where she met her husband.  After her travels they eventually settled down in Oklahoma.  There she was the Town Clerk/Treasurer, worked with multiple homeless shelters, and served on many booster clubs and school committees for her two children.  Jamie is excited to be a part of Mancos United and hopes to help better serve her community.  

During her 8 years living in Mancos, Jessica has discovered a new pace of life; one that is balanced with outdoor adventure, time spent with loved ones (including her partner, new baby boy, and dogs), and a passion for creating positive change for kids and families in Montezuma County. Through her work with The Pinon Project Family Resource Center, and Team UP collective impact, she has learned about our community, its struggles and triumphs, and the non-profit realm. Jessica finds immense value in her time in nature: grounding, presence, wonder, and joy and is excited to share these values with the community through her work at Medicine Horse Center. She is grateful for the opportunity to support the Mancos United board and learn and grow through her participation.

Hi! I’m Katie Calvert. I am originally from Northern Minnesota and have moved all over the western US, most recently moving here from Jackson, Wy. My husband and I have lived in Mancos for 6 years and built a house and have two crazy kids now. I love pizza, swimming, golfing, snowboarding, hiking, quiet time, cooking, eating, and……pizza.

Advocating for children and families has been my life’s work. I pursued a degree in teaching because teachers filled in the gaps for me and instilled a love of learning. Education gave me more opportunities than I ever dreamed possible. I’ve served many organizations from public schools to the YMCA to Google to Head Start. Regardless of economic status, families from all walks of life struggle to support and raise their children. As a society, we have not valued affordable, accessible child care for working families, our teachers, paid parental leave, and other support systems. I look forward to working with Mancos United to build a stronger and more united community in Mancos with a focus on the next generation.

Hello, my name is Tigo Cruz. I’ve been in the area for the past 5yrs. I am a husband to the amazing Shanda Cruz and a proud father of Daphne Dalling.  I am currently the head cider maker/product manager at Fenceline Cider, where I’ve worked for the past 4 years.

Tim has lived in the Mancos Valley for 20 years and is a scientist by education and a builder by trade. He served on the Mancos School Board for 10 years, on the Montezuma County Planning Commission for nine years, is a 4-H Shooting Sports leader and has served on the Southwest Basin Roundtable for eight years. Tim has been involved with MVR for six years.

In addition to two decades as an entrepreneur, I have gained valuable experience from being a public educator. My educational experience includes earning licensure as an Elementary Educator, Secondary Teacher in Business and Marketing, Career and Tech Educator in Marketing, and School and District Administrator. My unique background in the private and public sectors has allowed me to view our educational system from economic, political, and social frames. As an educator, I feel an affirmative responsibility to ensure that every student succeeds at her highest level, regardless of resources or societal barriers. I believe in uplifting our students’ unique journeys rich in our community’s traditions and culture. In addition, I have 19 years of K-12 educational leadership experience ranging from being a sixth-grade teacher, college faculty in the Principal Licensure Program at the University of Colorado and Fort Lewis College, Board President of a large urban school district, Executive Director of a title one charter school, and most enjoyably as a Superintendent of two rural public school districts in Colorado.

Travis currently serves in several different roles within our community.  He sees these roles as opportunities to live out his passion of helping others become the best they can be through sport and building relationships.  Travis serves our community as the Maintenance and Facilities Director, Athletic Director, Safety and Security manager, and Coach for the Mancos School District.  Travis is also very active with FCA  where he serves as the Mancos Huddle Coach and Southwest Colorado Coaches Ministry Ambassador.  Outside of the school Travis is the Pastor of Southwest Cowboy Church.  When not on campus or at a sporting event he spends his down time hanging out with family and friends.

When asked why? Travis’ answer is, “I believe my purpose is to love and serve others and I look for every opportunity to do this in the life God has blessed me with.