With all the Ponzi schemers and rip- off artists whose names and faces are splashed all over the front pages and TV screens, one might think there aren’t any good guys left in the world of business.
Oh, but there are — and five of them were inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame at a dinner underwritten by UMB Bank as a fundraiser for Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
A record 1,000 people were at the Hyatt Regency Convention Center last Thursday to applaud as Charlie Gallagher, Walt Imhoff, Micky Miller, Ann Padilla and Bob Young took their place as Hall of Fame Laureates, chosen by a committee headed by John Freyer, president of Land Title Guarantee Co. Land Title’s founder, William Vollbracht, was a 2008 Hall of Fame inductee.
The Hall of Fame was established in 1990, and several of the past inductees, or their representatives, were at the dinner. Among those introduced by emcee Gregg Moss of 9News: Cathey Finlon, Buz and Gene Koelbel, Jerry Groswold, Harry Lewis, Dick and Eddie Robinson, Jordon Perlmutter, Bruce Benson, Dana Crawford, Joy Burns, Merle Chambers, Barry Hirschfeld, Mickey Gart, Sam Gary, Geri Cohen, Dan Ritchie and Fred Hamilton.
Junior Achievement director Robin Wise and chamber president Kelly Brough welcomed a crowd that also included the chairs of the JA and chamber of commerce boards, Brian Addy and Bill Lindsay, respectively; UMB Bank CEO Jon Robinson; Rocky Miller; Joe Blake; Tami Door; Rob Cohen; Debbie Welle-Powell; Leanna Clark; the Rev. Michael Sheeran; Linda and T Tafoya; Wayne and Diana Murdy; Rich Kylberg; Walter and Christie Isenberg; Ted and Cindy Halaby; Miles and Jan Cortez; Bob and Lynda Dalton; Jay Davidson; Rick Calhoun; Charlie Fote; Melvin Dinner; and Cynthia Evans.
Read more about the honorees and why they were chosen in my Seen First blog:
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also, GetItWrite on Twitter
