Ambassadors

Allison Clark is a Loveland native and happy to be working at her family-owned theater, Candlelight Dinner Playhouse. Allison has been with the Candlelight for 5 years and has enjoyed building Candlelight's reputation and relationships throughout the community. Allison joined the Ambassadors last year in an effort to get to know the chamber better. Since then she has loved volunteering her time at events and truly values the friendships she has built within the chamber. She encourages anyone in the community anxious to grow their business to reach out to her and the chamber for tips, events, and business leads. Allison, her husband and their sweet dog, Fiona reside in Loveland.

My name is Austin Tacheny and I am a Business Specialist at Wells Fargo Bank at our Loveland Centerra location.

My wife and I graduated from Northern Colorado in 2016 and have lived in Loveland since we got married in June of 2016. We have a little girl who turns 1 in November and her name is Everly. Before I went to the University of Northern Colorado I grew up in Orange County California. My hope for the city of Loveland is for everyone to feel loved and part of a community. I am so happy to help the Loveland Chamber of Commerce to grow our city and help local business owners succeed financially.

I am looking forward to meeting everyone and I cannot wait to see our local business owners grow.

Barbara Hanfland is a native of Fairview Heights, Illinois, who has spent the majority of her life in Colorado.  She and her husband, Tom, raised their kids and lived in Summit County, CO, for over 30 years before moving to Table Rock Lake near Branson, MO, where she was an insurance agent.  They returned to Colorado in 2017 to be near their 2 kids, Keri and TJ, and their four fabulous grandkids.

Barb is a certified Acupressure Therapist and enjoyed 20 years as the owner of The Acupressure and Massage Center of Dillon.  She was fortunate to work with Kellen Schweitzer D.C. at Front Range Family Health and Chiropractic in Loveland before joining Secure American Insurance in March 2019.  Working as an Ambassador with the Loveland Chamber has been a highlight of living in this great community.

Relationships are Barb’s most treasured asset, at home and at work.  Her most favorite pastimes are hanging out with Tom and her kids, riding her bike, hiking the local trails and being an embroidery nerd.

Becky Pelle's past includes ventures in franchised business as well as independent ownership.  Becky and her husband Ed became the current owners of Blackjack Pizza & Salads in March 2000. Becky has  been  practicing  the arts of bookkeeping, advertising and personnel management since 1984 when her first business, a ServiceMaster Franchise, was purchased.  

Becky has served as a past Ambassador President with the Longmont Chamber of Commerce and is currently an Ambassador with the Loveland  Chamber of Commerce.  She firmly believes in the Mission Statement of the Chamber and uses this venu as one way to support her community.  

Bill is Director of Advocacy for the Loveland Chamber. In that role, he monitors the legislative landscape throughout northern Colorado and the state including key relationships with lawmakers and civic officials. Bill has worked closely with the Fix North I-25 coalitions, workforce initiatives and other programs that impact the welfare of citizens of Loveland and our business community. A resident of Loveland since 1984, Bill has worked closely with veterans programs in northern Colorado and is passionate about the great things our community has to offer.

Brooke Cunningham is a Colorado Native, who grew up in Broomfield but moved to the northern Colorado area to go to College (go rams!). Once she got a taste of the good life in Noco, she just couldn’t stay away and made her way back to the area after moving to the Denver area for jobs after graduating.

Brooke worked in marketing for a wide array of businesses including business coaching, frozen yogurt franchises, municipal government, and orthodontics and was inspired by how targeting the right message to the right person can literally change their life. But Brooke was also inspired by using her skills to make the world a better place. Enter the world of nonprofits and housing affordability!

Brooke started working with Neighbor to Neighbor, a Larimer County based nonprofit focusing on preventing homelessness and increasing housing affordability, in July of 2018. Since that fateful time, she has learned so much about the challenges of some of our less fortunate neighbors and actively works to raise funds and awareness to help solve some of these problems.

When she isn’t saving the world, Brooke also enjoys reading (she’s in two book clubs!), knitting, hiking, and playing board games with her partner of over 10 years, Kyle.

Growing up in Northern Colorado I have seen many changes and growth in the area over the past 50+ years. Northern Colorado is my home and I cannot see myself living anywhere else! I started my real estate career in 2009 and have enjoyed every day since helping people realize their dreams and goals of home ownership. My philosophy is to build trust and ensure I fully understand buyers and/or sellers housing needs in order to help them meet their goals and help them get where they need to be with as little stress as possible and on time.

I look forward to earning your business and be your trusted real estate adviser.

Cathy has enjoyed working for many years in the world of finance and lending.  It began at a Savings and Loan in Denver and continued in Fort Collins and the Loveland/Berthoud areas.  After working for many years at Home Federal Savings, she and her husband, Rocci opened Optima Mortgage in Fort Collins.  From there they both went to work at Merrill Lynch.  Currently she is assisting her clients at Adams Bank and Trust for five years plus in the capacity of a Financial Services Representative.

There are many creative endeavors that pull at Cathy.  She was fortunate enough to operate a stained glass business doing custom pieces for her clients.  There are many other hobbies that she’s dabbled in including jewelry-making, quilting, sewing, crocheting and reading.

She and Rocci enjoy their 38’ motorhome.  They takeoff in it whenever possible, which will be more often when they retire.  A favorite destination is Santa Fe for Indian Market.  They have several Indian artist friends and enjoy being with them at Market.  Their corgis, Max and Carrie love to travel in the motor home as well. They get excited to head out as soon as Rocci pulls the motor home in front of the house.  The motor home has also headed to northern Minnesota to visit Cathy’s sister and her family among other destinations.

She also enjoys sharing adventures in the motorhome with her five grandchildren.  One outing afforded a view of hot air balloons during breakfast!

Cathy was also lucky enough to have earned the honor of 2018 Loveland Chamber Ambassador of the Year.  The Chamber is a great place to meet business owners, help celebrate businesses ribbon cuttings and learn more about each of the businesses, attend the Business After Hours events to network with business people and connect with the community.

I graduated from Loveland High School in 1978, relocated for a short time for school and work, then returned with my wife Marilyn and our two children to the great city of Loveland in 1989. Our son Andrew is a High School teacher and coach in Fountain, CO and our daughter Katie lives in Highlands Ranch as an administrator and music director at Jubilee Fellowship. I was fortunate and blessed to work in a local church for twenty years where I specialized in youth, family and outreach.

Seeing the continuous needs of single moms and their children, Marilyn and I founded a community wide, faith based non-profit organization called Be the Gift.

Be the Gift provides a healthier and safer homes to single mom families through the support and assistance of volunteers in the community. We believe that everyone has a dream and desire of doing something significant with his or her life. We are connecting every day ordinary people with an opportunity to do extraordinary things by facilitating hope, acceptance, compassion and change in our community through the single mom home repair projects. A win-win for the single moms, their children and the community we all live in.

Deanna is one of the Loveland Chamber's most enthusiastic cheerleaders.

"Hello! Thanks for checking out the Loveland Chamber! Loveland is such a wonderful place that has grown so much since 1974 when my family moved here. Loveland is the most amazing community.

I have been in banking of the past 28 years. I am happy to help you with any of your banking needs. I specialize in consumer loans (home equity lines of credit, car loans)   I truly love living in Colorado and all it has to offer. My passions are fishing and camping with my family and friends. Adventure is out there go explore!

I hope to meet you at your future ribbon cutting!"

What does she like best about being an Ambassador?

"I enjoy being a Chamber Ambassador because of all of the fantastic new people I get to meet. We are the boots on the ground help the lovely Chamber Ladies make great things happen."

Chamber Ambassador, Don Reilly’s business, DJRImaging Photography has two prime areas of focus;
(1) Helping businesses do “Visual Storytelling” and
(2) A source of “Stock Photos” with emphasis on showing Loveland/Larimer Co. visually in all seasons of the year.

1. Business client assignments to photo products, facilities, people, events and more are done on location to meet client needs conveniently and to enhance the story telling for the client.
2. Shopping in my on-line stock galleries,, results in finding many photographic views of the area that can be useful for digital (social media/website). Also, a wide range of prints and wall art are available on the site that enable businesses and homeowners to showcase pride in or make gifts of the beauty of Loveland/Larimer Co.

Visit https://djrimaging.smugmug.com/Stock-Photos to see many choices, the “Loveland Views” gallery in particular.

DJRImaging Photography
- Don Reilly -

Kimberly Artis has over 11 years of experience with U.S. Bank, serving her consumer and business customers with truly exceptional service. Kim builds a personal relationship with all of her customers; she truly knows who they are, what their needs are and provides them with sound financial solutions.

She consistently goes the extra mile to make her customers' banking relationship the best experience possible. She has served our community and the Chamber's Ambassador Committee for over 8 years. She believes the benefits of being an Ambassador are numerous; from meeting new businesses (some of which she wouldn't know existed without the Chamber), participating in amazing community events (***the Corn Roast is her favorite), and more!

Kim enjoys the fabulous connections she has established through the Chamber, which have benefited her, both personally and professionally. She feels that her membership with the Chamber has been a significant contributor to her success with U.S. Bank. Please reach out to Kim (or her fellow Ambassadors) with your questions and needs, she is always glad to help you succeed in your professional and personal life as well!

In 2001, I enlisted as an aircraft mechanic with the Air National Guard. I spent 16 years living all over the country and gaining knowledge of how others think and feel and experience life. After 16 years as a mechanic, my leadership team saw that I had a knack for caring and assisting those I work with and asked me to apply for a first sergeant position. For the past year, I have been serving in this capacity.

Why would my military career have anything to do with being a financial advisor and how does that help you? As a first sergeant, our motto is: Mission First. People Always. This is exactly how I treat my clients. Make sure we're taking care of your financial needs and your goals, while ensuring you and your family are being fully supported in all aspects of your life. In addition to my military and Edward Jones careers, I am a wife and a mother. I have four children who continue to amaze me and teach me every day. I enjoy being active and sharing my passions with them. My family stays busy with golf, gymnastics, dance, hockey, and the occasional chance to go flying in a prop plane.

My tenacity and personal strive for excellence in all that I do will become apparent to you, as we work together to develop and strategize for your financial success. My clients come to me with unique and often complex financial goals. Together, we can find solutions, but not limited to, buy-sell agreements, key person insurance, investment of working capital, tax-efficient strategies, and ultimately transfer of wealth.

Nothing is more important to me than finding out what's important to you. Then, through an established 5-step Process we can partner together to achieve your goals. I look forward to the opportunity to serve as your trusted financial partner.

I'm a born and raised farm girl with deep roots in the Northern Colorado area, 4th generation to be exact!  With a grandfather who served as the Larimer County Extension Agent for almost 30 years and an uncle who founded the Rocky Mountain Fence Post magazine, I have community service and publishing in my blood!  After a successful fast-pitch softball journey that led me to college in Georgia, I graduated from Mercer University with a Bachelor's degree in Marketing and from The University of Phoenix with a Master's degree in Global Management.  I then settled into a wonderful corporate career at UPS for 14 years with the most recent role being the Central Region Sales Manager at UPS Mail Innovations.  During this time as a sales manager, my husband and I welcomed two beautiful children that changed everything for me!  I desired less travel and more engagement with my local community, which is what drew me to Lifestyle Publications.  I now spend my days meeting with my local community building lasting partnerships that will help businesses grow - the very same passion my grandfather had 90 years ago on the very same streets and roads!  I am also able to share the good news of Loveland, Berthoud and Johnstown with the community each and every month!  What an honor and dream come true!  

Hello, my name is Kurt Albers. I work for Re/Max Alliance. I firmly believe there are two things important of being a great Realtor. Compassion and Passion. Purchasing a home whether a first-time buyer or buying your last home for retirement is a challenge and is emotional. Having the skills and compassion to help my clients face these challenges is very important. Pleasant purchases such as the first home, an addition to the family or better financial conditions are wonderful but still create uncertainty due to lifestyle changes. Harsher lifestyle changes such as the four D’s (Death, Divorce, Disease and Disaster) are stressful and I must do my best to help ease my clients of the burdens they are facing. Finally, the heart felt changes such as downsizing, selling the family home or relocation are tough and I must be compassionate to understand the feelings involved. These are must have qualities. Passion for my industry, community and life fulfillment are also necessary for success. When I started in my real estate career, I was looking for a better life. After serving the Realtor community for some time now it has become a true passion to be the best I can be and to help my industry be of strong ethical and of high moral standards. The community I live in is extremely important and I’m devoted to the people that share these communities with me. I Love what I do! Marketing, Sales, negotiating etc: are also very

important and I am exceptional in all of them. My resume is available for anyone who wishes to know more of my background and qualifications.

Lance grew up in a small conservative town called Fairview Montana. When the oil embargo went into place there was no work to be had in that community, so we moved to Fort Collins, Colorado in 1986. Lance finished up high school and got a degree in construction management at Front Range Communtiy College where he graduated with honors at the top of his class. During this time Lance also started worh with Albertsons. He worked for them for 18 years and was in charge as a store director in 12 different stores in the state of Colorado. While working for Albertsons he earned a degree in business management from Cornell University. 

Lance left Albertsons in 2005 due to some serious business model changes and started his own construction company called Lance Homes. He teamed up with Leivestad and Berkely Builders to build many new homes in Loveland. During this tine 2006 he married a beautiful woman Jaquie Leivestad. 

In 2008 Lance got out of the construction indsutry and started his own insurance company to offset lost income due to the construction downturn. The insurance business flourished, and Lance really found his place helping people. 

Outside of work Lance still feels a desire to help people anyway he can. Lance was a Trustee for his church for 9 years, is the Loveland Chamber of Commerce Ambassador President, participates in many local event and is looking forward to serving our community for many years to come. 

Lisa Leveillee is Senior Business Advisor with First National Bank.  She has been in banking for 8 years and was recruited to the team based on her experience in personal banking, small business banking as well as commercial banking.

She has successfully started, owned and operated several businesses and in her current role as a Senior Business Advisor, she helps small business owners gain access to capital and advise them on business financial matters by working closely with them to understand short and long term goals.

Her networking skills have been extremely effective in helping business owners connect with the resources they need to thrive.  In addition to being an ambassador to the Fort Collins, Loveland and Windsor Chambers of Commerce, she is also on the NoCo Manufacturing Trade Show Planning Committee, Citizen Advisory Committee of the Climate Action Plan for the City of Fort Collins as well as a member of the Loveland Downtown Partnership Business Alliance and a recent graduate of the Leadership Loveland Class of 2019.

As an upper-level executive in the commercial banking industry, Noreen Flood knew all the intricacies of personal financial statements, business financial statements, construction and development lending, as well as other types of lending and credit decision management. However, after 30 years of commercial banking, she found herself wanting more.

Rather than spend her post-banking years enjoying retirement on a golf course, Noreen knew there was more for her to do. Therefore, in 2009 she decided to use her expertise in “big banking” and apply it to small businesses and individuals who need help managing their personal and business finances.

With a solid skill set in multi-million dollar banking, and a heart for helping people, Noreen launched Daily Money Solutions in 2009 as a bookkeeping firm. Soon thereafter, Daily Money Management (DMM) was added to help seniors and busy professionals stay on top of their daily finances. Finally, Fiduciary Services for smaller estates were added as a complement to her DMM clients.

Now a three-fold business, Daily Money Solutions works with small businesses, seniors and busy professionals - and Noreen loves serving them all!

Lynnette is the Membership Coordinator for the Loveland Sam’s Club and has been with them for over 9 years. Before joining Sam’s Club she was the Employing Broker for The Team Real Estate in Greeley.

She loves visiting with Businesses and their employees. So now, instead of selling homes she is selling Memberships, which she says is very rewarding knowing that she is providing a service that will help both businesses and families.

"I love being involved in welcoming businesses into the Loveland Chamber and being an ambassador gives me the opportunity to be more involved in the Loveland Community. I have also made great friends thrpugh the Chamber."

Rick has been a member of Loveland Lyons Club for about 2.5 years. Lyons primary purpose is to support the community through fundraising. Rick is one of the engineers for the Buckhorn Express train in North Lake Park. He has been a resident of Loveland for 42 years where he raise 3 children and now has 9 grandchildren. He also was an entrepreneur who ran his own business for 10 years. Born in Denver and raised in Littleton before moving to Loveland, Rick has a love for Colorado.

I Love meeting people and being an ambassador for the Loveland Chamber of Commerce. It has provided me numerous opportunities to share the mission of the Lyons club. Additionally, it has allowed me access to a variety of nonprofit organization where I now volunteer. Volunteering is my life purpose and there is no better place to call home than Loveland! I appreciate all of the unique relationships I have developed in just the past couple of years.

In the role of Chief Financial Officer, Olson provides executives with timely and accurate financial statements, ongoing cash flow projections, oversight over accounting and finance operations, as well as design and maintenance of the financial reporting structures.

In addition to his accounting and finance oversight responsibilities, Steven offers broad management, internal control and strategic advice to management. His Total Quality Management experience can greatly accelerated a company’s effort to document business policies and procedures as well as improve manufacturing processes.

His proficiency relative to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 benefits companies in a wide range of industries by evaluating all aspects of their internal control systems. He typically assists with the identification of key risks and design of mitigating controls, documentation of principle procedures and performing pre-audit testing to evaluate existing compliance.

Companies that Steven has previously helped represent a variety of industries including Internet communications, precious metals mining, agriculture, computer hardware manufacturing, and industrial equipment manufacturing. Proficient in general management, business principles and essential business practices, he has advised companies representing several industries including aggregates, publishing, aerospace, automotive parts distribution, information technology and others.

As an experienced project manager, Steven assists companies making the transition from basic accounting systems to wholly integrated business and financial information systems. His role as the project manager ensures rapid conversion to the new software and timely implementation with minimal disruption to operations. For project management engagements, Steven facilitates the documentation of various business processes, addresses relevant internal risks and controls, and performs initial compliance testing as part of the internal review process.

His success as an advisor to business is built on a foundation of considerable leadership and management experience obtained while serving in the U.S. Navy. As a Naval Officer, he held a wide array of leadership positions in the health care delivery field. He possesses a wealth of experience in health care including budgeting, operations, system design, data base management, financial management and others. Steven is a member of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants.

He has taught a wide range of business and accounting subjects as an adjunct professor for the University of Phoenix, the Monfort School of Business at the University of Northern Colorado and Front Range Community College in Northern Colorado. His University teaching experience enables him to continually bring added value to his business and financial consulting.

He currently serves on the Loveland City Council.

Tasha Hagemann is a loan officer with the Bank of Colorado. She started her banking career in 2008 as a teller and has worked in several different positions over the years, which gives her experience in all aspects of banking. She especially enjoys working for a community focused bank, as she believes banking is not just a transaction, but about building a relationship with customers to help them achieve their financial goals. Most banks offer similar products, but her mission is to get you the right products for your needs.

Originally from Wisconsin, she has lived in Colorado for over 10 years and recently became a Loveland resident. Tasha is always looking for ways to get involved in the community. Her involvement in the Ambassador program with the Loveland Chamber of Commerce has been a great opportunity to get fully immersed in the community, along with making great connections with local businesses and nonprofits.

Vince Deely, Director of Development, Loveland Habitat for Humanity.

Vince joined Loveland Habitat as the Director of Development in 2014. Loveland Habitat for Humanity makes affordable homeownership possible for low income families.  Through affordable homeownership, families and individuals build strength, stability and a self-reliance and experience improvements in family health, well-being and graduation rates. Loveland Habitat builds an average of 6 new homes a year, through the support of volunteers, donors and sponsors.  

He joined the Loveland Chamber in 2012 and became an Ambassador in 2014, which has helped him grow as an individual and professional. “Now I’m comfortable speaking in front of groups and networking. Joining the Chamber and Ambassadors is a fantastic way to meet new people, who share a common bond and interest in helping businesses grow and thrive. If you’re looking to get involved in all things Loveland, the Chamber is the place to be.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the Ambassadors program and how you can contribute to helping grow the Chamber, contact Vince at [email protected].

Walter Williams is the Director of Capital Advancement for Mountain States Children’s Home and has been with them for three years. A graduate from UNLV, Walter has always desired to work in a field that helps children – he was adopted from a children’s home as a child.

What Walter likes best about being an ambassador is the networking! Ribbon-cuttings, mixers and all Chamber events are a great way to grow awareness about Mountain States Children’s Home.

Walter is married to his wife Diana and will be celebrating their 19th anniversary this year – He also has two daughters Macy (13) and Kelly (9.) In his spare time, Walter enjoys playing golf and mountain unicycling.