Learning who’s who is one of the advantages of belonging to the Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Yet even in a group as tightly knit as it is, trying to figure out who was who at the 10th-anniversary Fiesta Colorado presented some challenges.
Not because there were a bunch of strangers at the fundraiser chaired by freelance writer Helen Thorpe, whose husband, John, is Denver’s mayor, and Liz Alicia-Velez, senior vice president and general manager of Western Union Financial Services.
The theme was Máscaras … A New Experience, and the 800 attendees were asked to wear masks to the dinner and awards ceremony held at the Adam’s Mark Hotel.
Festivities also included scenes from “Phantom of the Opera,” performed by Felisa and Roberto Moreno, and “En Mis Palabras,” performed by the Central City Opera cast. Tropical Caoba played salsa and merengue music for dancing.
Fiesta Colorado benefits the chamber’s education foundation, which awarded four-year scholarships to Elane Spivak-Rodriguez of Colorado State University; Ruby Gonzales and Tanya Ramirez, who attend the University of Colorado at Boulder; and Victoria Hernandez of CU-Denver.
Excellence in Education awards were given to Escuela de Guadalupe, the Denver Inner-City Parish, Rudionna Gaza-Armstrong from Denver School of Science and Technology, and North High’s Patricia Salas. “We are thrilled and proud to be recognized (in this way),” said Escuela president David Card, “and we look forward to the day when it is our graduates who are part of the Latino leadership of Denver.”
The benefit’s co-chairs, along with chamber CEO Jeff Campos and board chair Martha Rubi of Paginas Amarillis, welcomed such VIPs as the mayor and his predecessor, Wellington Webb; U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette; Denver City Council members Rosemary Rodriguez, Michael Hancock and Rick Garcia; Fire Chief Larry Trujillo; District Attorney Mitch Morrissey; Rene Bullock, the mayor pro-tem of Commerce City; honorary emcee Luis Canela; and George Franco, chairman of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
KBNO Radio owner and chamber board member Zee Ferrufino was at the gala too, along with Tom Salaba, vice president and regional manager of Anheuser-
Busch, and fellow beer company execs Shawn Erney (director of sales and marketing), Wes Debenport (marketing service manager), Carlos Esparza (regional Latino market manager) and Kekoa Lopez (family brand manager); Lewis Scott, director of Daimler-
Chrysler Denver Business Center; Sal Gomez, president and CEO of Source One Management; Mario
Carerra, vice president and general manager of Entravision; Tatiana Arguello, national sales manager for Telemundo; Monique Lovato, community service manager for Xcel Energy; Jerry Natividad, chief executive officer for American Facility Services Group; and John Aragon of Comcast.
Chamber board members joining in the fun included chair-elect Luis Colon; attorney Denise Maes of Berenbaum Weinschienk & Eason; Keith Montoya of Doc1 Solutions; Faustina Carrasco of First Bank of Cherry Creek; L.G. Chavez Jr. of Burt Automotive; Nolbert Chavez of Capitol Success Group; Troy Eid of Greenberg Traurig; Janina Ferguson of Calderon Hispanic Marketing; Greg Lopez of GNL Concepts; Don Pacheco of AXA Advisors; Ric Padilla of Qwest Communications; Tim Padilla of Wells Fargo; Carlos Rocabado of Seguros Ideal; and Elizabeth Suarez of Xcelente Marketing.
Good as gold
The 50th anniversary Denver Debutante Ball takes place Dec. 23 at the Brown Palace Hotel, and on a recent Friday night the downtown landmark was the setting for a reception honoring the women who have chaired this benefit for the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.
Betty Lynn Jackson and Sally Rippey organized the cocktail gathering attended by founding chairwoman Katie Stapleton, 12 who have completed the traditional two-year term as the event’s leader, and close to 200 present and past committee members. 2005 chair Amy Whalen recalled highlights of previous presentations and helped unveil a commemorative plaque that will hang at the Brown in perpetuity.
“The best thing,” observed Nancy Wimbush, “is that we all still like each other.”
Among the guests: Sue Anschutz-Rodgers; Dick and Diana Lyford; Barbara Moore Rumsey; Bob and Barbara Danos; Merrill and Jane Yale, Barbara Knight; Newell and Judy Grant; Medora Douden; Dawn and Willis Wood; Joyce Lowdermilk; and John and Ginny Freyer.
Society editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jmdpost@aol.com.
More online: View additional pictures from Fiesta Colorado and the Denver Debutante Ball party denverpost.com.
