Dr. Margit Hentschel
College Educator/Center for Mindfulness
Margit is the co-founder and co-director for the CSU Center for Mindfulness. She is the Director of the Office of Service-Learning at CSU’s Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT) and directs CSU’s Community Engagement Leaders program. Margit has core beliefs that women have much to contribute and share in our community and world. Margit devoted her Ph. D. dissertation to the study of Nobel Peace Prizes awarded to women and their strategies to overcome patriarchal societies to seek peaceful reconciliation. Margit is a role model for our community. Margit (Masters in Natural Resources and Ph.D. in Education) has served as Environmental Manager for City of Fort Collins where she led a multimillion dollar cleanup of the Poudre River. She also created the CSU Mindfulness Center to help young professionals navigate the stresses of the working world. Margit has also led projects to support indigenous communities through environmental impacts in Colorado.
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Mary Carraher, MSW
Advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves
Mary is currently the Distance Learning MSW Field and Site Coordinator at Colorado State University School of Social Work. She previously served as the Director of the nonprofit Project Self-Sufficiency for 25 years. Mary devoted her time, expertise and energy to fulfilling the mission of that nonprofit agency, assisting low-income single parents build strong, healthy families and achieve economic independence. Mary is passionately committed to creating opportunity for those who cannot speak for themselves.
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Nora Rice
Healthcare/First Female MD in Fort Collins 1900’s
Deceased
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Nora came to Fort Collis in 1867 and taught 6th and 7th grade at Franklin School. After her husband, who was a physician, died in 1902, Nora decided that with two small daughters she would go back to school with only the equivalent of a high school education and become a doctor. She gained admission to Michigan Medical School, an unusual accomplishment for a woman then, and spent two years there before transferring to the University of Colorado Medical School to receive her medical degree. Female doctors were more distrusted than trusted at that time. She opened a practice in Fort Collins most likely as the first female MD in FC and later moved to Baca County as the only physician in that county. Her daughter called her “an awesome, gutsy” lady.
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Pauline Birky-Kreutzer
Peace Corps Pioneer
(Deceased in 2008 at the age of 92)
Pauline was a Peace Corps pioneer. As a Research Associate with CSU Research Foundation with Dr. Albertson, she co-crafted the proposal to create a national youth service corps. Pauline helped to develop and establish the Peace Corps which was founded in 1961, and she coordinated the first training of volunteers. She worked at a time when women were rare in the workforce, and, as such, she was a role model for subsequent generations of women.
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Arlene Ahlbrandt
Historian/Author
(Born June 19, 1930 --Deceased October 7, 2010)
Arlene is noted for preserving Fort Collins history and individual’s history as an author and a woman in media. Arlene began publishing a newspaper in Wellington which is now the North 40 News and shared per passion for history in the numerous books she has authored. With a lifelong interest in history, she wrote tales of the people and the towns of Fort Collins and Wellington. She was a descendant of the pioneer Briggs family, who came to Colorado in 1887. She taught elementary school for several years before initiating her newspaper. One of her more famous books is about Annie, the railroad dog.
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Betty Moseley
Advocate for Elderly
A retired CSU math teacher, Betty was the visionary for and co-founder of Elderhaus Adult Day Care Program which was organized in 1980 as the first of its kind in Colorado. She lobbied the state legislature to ensure Medicaid benefits could be used for the care of seniors in day programs, a key success factor even today in providing for quality day care of seniors across the state. Betty has spent the past 30 years as a selfless advocate for all members of society who are often overlooked, particularly seniors, those with disabilities, and the low-income members of our community. She has a servant’s spirit.
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Britta Clay
FCPD Victims Advocate for Girls & Women
Britta supports individuals through devastating situations, and empowers them with hope, guidance and strength. Britta is a Victims Advocate with the City of Fort Collins Police Services. She is a role model who motivates and inspires all victims, especially young girls who have been assaulted; teaching them they can be strong, have a voice and rights, and it is okay to stand up to the one who violated them. She touches the lives of many people in our community every day. Britta teaches volunteers from SAVA to help victims, she helps victims from the initial report all the way through the court process and helps them have a voice and seek justice. Britta has been recognized by the entire Fort Collins Police force as employee of month twice.
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Dian Sparling
Healthcare-First Independent Midwife in 1981
Dian found her calling in life to become a midwife as a Peace Corps member serving in West Africa. Dian has served the Fort Collins community for over 40 years and has delivered an estimated 2000 babies. Dian started Womencare in 1981, as the only independent Midwife in Fort Collins. One of the first midwifery practices in Colorado, Dian has built this practice on the premise that no one is turned away because of a lack of means to pay the bill. Dian has been heralded as a midwifery pioneer in Colorado. She and her staff have been very involved in the community as they work to connect clients with community services as needed and participate in health fairs and other programs.
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