How exciting that Durango 9-R’s Career Innovation Center has reached fruition. It was the brainchild of former Superintendent Dan Snowberger, school board members and committed educators.

Dr. Nancy Stubbs, Andy Burns, Kim Martin and I drove up to explore St. Vrain’s Innovation Center, with Dave McKeever and Gretchen Wilson from the teacher support team. Touring that amazing facility, we all felt the sure knowledge that we would create something similar in Durango for our students for generations to come.

Infused with the energy of this vision, Snowberger developed a dedicated team of local believers that this new facility would cater to varied interest-building and career-building trainings across academic realms, and students would persist through to graduation and beyond. This visionary coalition canvassed Durango, sharing the idea of a dynamic vocational educational enterprise, with the earlier models of the Culinary Arts program and Construction Technology under the extremely capable hands respectively of Susie Francis and Shaun Smith.

With Snowberger’s committed leadership, the $90 million 4A bond passed with $10 million for the CIC. I applaud the current superintendent, board and oversight committee for following through with these mighty efforts to bring an extraordinary opportunity that will benefit thousands of students, and direct them into stable, long-lasting and profitable careers.

Hard workers and people with vision make educational opportunities meaningful for our diverse students in this critical way. At his best, Snowberger was exceptional, experienced and tireless in his efforts for our public schools and our students.

Stephanie Moran

Durango