Deeply embedded in the family of Susan Chandler-Reed, Kathy Chandler-Henry, and Sarah Adams Steepleton are the vibrant values of community, leadership, education and an unwavering love for their home state. Their family homesteaded and, four generations later, continues to run a ranch just outside of rural New Castle on the Western Slope.
Sisters Susan and Kathy grew up in Eagle, in the 1960s and 1970s, a time when fewer than three dozen students graduated from Eagle Valley High School annually. Growing up in a rural area provided the sisters with a strong sense of community and with tremendous leadership opportunities. Their years of participation in 4-H helped them to hone their public speaking and interpersonal skills.
In high school, Susan and Kathy were inspired by an older high school classmate who had won a Boettcher Scholarship.
“Knowing that this wonderful thing happened for someone else in my small community gave me the idea that it was a possibility for me as well,” Kathy recalled.
Susan was awarded a Boettcher Scholarship in 1971 and attended Fort Lewis College. She earned an MA in archeology from the University of Colorado Boulder and went on to found and own a cultural resource consulting business in Montrose.
For decades, Alpine Archaeological Consultants has provided cultural resource services throughout the southwest, conducting site surveys and ensuring that pipelines, roads, and other projects do not disrupt culturally sensitive sites. In addition to working locally to preserve and protect Colorado’s cultural heritage, Susan, now retired, held leadership positions in national archaeology organizations.
Kathy, who was recently featured on the Colorado Leadership Stories Podcast, was a 1973 Scholar and also attended Fort Lewis College. She later earned an MA in political science and health administration from Duke University.
Kathy worked as an administrator at Colorado Mountain College and as president and CEO of Black Diamond Research, a consulting and education firm. Since 2013 she has served as an Eagle County commissioner, an elected position. Her priorities include social investment, economic vitality, resilient communities, and environmental stewardship in Eagle County, which is now home to more than 52,000 people. In addition to her Eagle County civic leadership efforts, Kathy has worked on public lands issues at the national level.
Sarah, a cousin of Susan and Kathy’s, also grew up in rural New Castle and echoes the family’s passion for community and leadership.
“The benefit of growing up in a rural area is that there are a lot of opportunities to be involved.” Sarah enjoyed close relationships with teachers at Rifle High School, who were deeply committed to their students.
She participated in several activities but has particularly fond memories from her time as a state and national officer for Future Business Leaders of America. She received a Boettcher Scholarship in 1999 and earned a BS in business administration and international business from the University of Denver.
“Our family has always been very big proponents of education. The scholarship allowed me to attend DU, which I would not have been able to do without tuition assistance.” She went on to earn her international MBA with a concentration in finance from DU.
For 19 years Sarah worked in a variety of positions at Allstate, most recently as operations senior manager in marketing. She invests in strengthening her community in a variety of ways, including supporting her children’s schools, serving on DU’s Pioneer Leadership Program Alumni Board, and providing financial forecasting support for a small nonprofit focused on helping families and children with dyslexia.
Susan, Kathy, and Sarah, like many other hardworking rural Coloradans with deep ties to their state, continue their family’s legacy of service to their communities and love for Colorado.
That’s the Spirit of Boettcher.
