News

HEARTS & HANDS RAISES FUNDS FOR NONPROFIT WORK

Castle Rock, CO – The Douglas County Community Foundation (DCCF) Hearts & Hands Fund is short $7,000 to the goal of full funding for Fall distribution to local nonprofits and the community is asked to step us to assist multiple nonprofits who are serving Douglas County with programs and services in the areas of mental health, nutrition, and safe homes. Over the past 18-months DCCF staff and directors have worked closely with community members and influencers to shape and inform this funding program

CSU System partners to launch Sturm Collaboration Campus in Castle Rock

On Aug. 16, Colorado State University System institutions will join community members and partners from Arapahoe Community College (ACC), Douglas County School District (DCSD), and the Town of Castle Rock for a ribbon-cutting ceremony of Sturm Collaboration Campus in Castle Rock – a project more than four years in the making. ACC originally conceptualized the campus in response to the identified needs of educating people where they are, and cultivating vibrant communities in the south metro region. In

Growing Forward Population & Economic Trends in Colorado, Douglas County, and Castle Rock

Castle Rock Economic Partnership proudly welcomed Elizabeth Garner, State Demography Office on August 1st at Town Hall for a discussion on Colorado population projections & preparing for Census 2020.View presentationElizabeth Garner | State Demography Office, Department of Local Affairs Demography.dola.colorado.gov

Town to contribute first $2M toward local higher ed at new Sturm Collaboration Campus

Education, industry and community will come together at Arapahoe Community College’s new Sturm Collaboration Campus, set to open to students next month north of Castle Rock Adventist Hospital. The Town is playing a significant role in the community aspect of the campus by providing up to $3 million toward site improvements for the project. Now that certain project milestones have been met, the Town will formally contribute its first $2 million toward the campus in a ceremony at the construction site on

Steady Job and GDP Growth for Colorado

Colorado continues to outpace the nation in its rates of employment and real GDP growth. If employment continues to expand at its current rate, 1.9%, Colorado will add 50,700 jobs in 2019. June marked the 57th consecutive month for the state’s unemployment rate to be below 4.5%. The current rate is 3.0%, compared to 3.7% for the U.S. Where are Colorado companies finding qualified workers to fill open positions? The Fed expects to see “sustained expansion of economic activity”, but it is posed to

Arapahoe Community College Sturm Collaboration Campus Grand Opening

Please Join us for our FREE Seminars, on various days through November 2019!

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Master Magnetics, Inc. is pleased to announce, Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Brown is named Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce 2019 Business Person of the Year.

CASTLE ROCK, Colo., May 10, 2019 – Brown received the award at the Chamber of Commerce 2019 Annual Banquet and Awards Ceremony. The ceremony highlighted local business leaders, honoring winners in multiple categories, including Small Business of the Year, Citizen of the Year and Castle Rock Advocate, among others. Fellow Business Person of the Year Nominees were John Saunders of Where Food Comes From and Joe Weber of Chick-fil-A. In addition to her daily responsibilities at Master Magnetics, Brown is

Under the Dome- 2019 End of Session Report

VIEW THE SINE DIE REPORT HERE2019 Session FactsDemocrat/Republican split in House of Representatives: 41/24Republican/Democrat/Unaffiliated split in the Senate: 19/16Number of bills, resolutions, and memorials introduced during the 2019 Legislative Session: 653Number of bills signed by the Governor as of 5/3/19: 155Number of bills vetoed as of 5/3/19: 0Last day for the Governor to Act: June 2, 2019   Introduction The 2019 Legislative Session commenced with a new political landscape. Democrats entered

Chamber Announces Best of the Best at Annual Awards Ceremony

The Chamber's vision of igniting passion for business success and community prosperity was evident at this year's annual banquet where award nominees, community leaders and members reflected on the Chamber’s sixty-four years of commitment to our business community. The annual passing of the gavel ceremony, a time-honored tradition, provides the opportunity to announce new leadership, recognize the Chamber's successes, and to celebrate the outstanding business leaders in our community. Castle Rock Chamber

Castle Rock Water registered apprenticeship program in Water Operations.

Castle Rock Water and Arapahoe Community College have partnered to create a registered apprenticeship program in Water Operations. You can work up to 30 hours a week for Castle Rock Water in a paid apprenticeship program while attending Arapahoe Community College’s new Sturm Collaboration Campus. Castle Rock Water will also sponsor up to 50% of tuition! We have two info sessions coming up to find out more. You need to attend an info session to be eligible to apply. Please see the attached flyer or click

Under The Dome Week 14 (2019)

Highlights of the Week This week the General Assembly passed the most comprehensive oil and gas reform in decades, the sponsor of the bill to repeal the death penalty voluntarily pulled the bill, and the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act moved forward in the Senate.  The House passed the budget bill on Thursday and Friday and next week the JBC will meet as the conference committee to reconcile differences and ensure it is a balanced budget.   The House added several amendments to the Long Bill during a

Under the Dome, Week 13 (2019)

Highlights of the Week This week the Senate debated the FY2019-20 Long Bill, the budget for the state, and several amendments were added.  One of the more significant amendments increased transportation funding by $106 million General Fund, adding to the $230 million for transportation already in the budget.  This was a last minute deal struck between the Senate majority and minority leadership to prevent the Senate GOP from requiring the budget bill be read at length which would have taken approximately

Pegasus Restaurant marks 30 years in Castle Rock

Owners credit customers, staff for eatery's successJanie, John and Sheridan De Lay are the mother, father and daughter operation behind Pegasus Restaurant, which celebrates 30 years in Castle Rock this month. They credit supportive staff and customers for their success.JESSICA GIBBSPosted Monday, April 1, 2019 1:30 pmJessica Gibbsjgibbs@coloradocommunitymedia.com The numbers each mark a different milestone — 20 years in the first building they bought instead of rented, 30 years in Castle Rock, and 35 years

Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce announces the 2019 best of the best nominees

And the nominees are….  Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce announces the 2019 best of the best nominees for their Annual Awards:  Businessperson, Small Business, Citizen, Castle Rock Advocate, P.S. Miller Philanthropist, Ping Lee Jung Volunteer, and Ambassador of the Year.  Winners will be revealed at the Chamber's Annual Banquet ceremony on May 4, 2019.  Please help us congratulate all of our nominees!   The Businessperson of the Year Award recognizes business owners and/or management who have competitively

Arapahoe Community College Receives Historic Gift Of Up To $10 Million from Sturm Family Foundation

State-of-the-Art Sturm Collaboration Campus Will Establish Industry-Aligned Higher Education Model  Castle Rock, Colorado (March 15, 2019) – Arapahoe Community College (ACC) has received a gift of up to $10 million from the Sturm Family Foundation, the largest in the history of the 13-institution Colorado Community College System.  A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY With an over $5 million match opportunity, bringing the full potential of the gift in excess of $15 million, the funding will be used in its

Under The Dome, Week 10, 2019

Highlights of the Week   This week, the Joint Budget Committee began setting the budget for the larger departments including the Colorado Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing which runs the state’s Medicaid program, K-12 education in the Department of Education, and the state’s behavioral health programs in the Department of Human Services.  Under the Dome, there were several late nights in committee debating newly introduced, controversial bills and the legislature finally reached the halfway

Under the Dome, Week 9 (2019)

Highlights of the Week   On Monday, the House Energy and Environment Committee met to discuss a bill to distribute plastic straws only upon request in restaurants and a second bill to extend and modify Colorado’s innovative vehicle tax credit.  HB 1143, Distribute Plastic Straws Upon Request Only, was brought by the Colorado Restaurant Association in an attempt to get in front of a potential full plastic straw ban. However, environmental groups testified in committee that the bill did not go far enough

Under the Dome, Week 8 (2019)

Under The Dome, Week 8   Highlights of the Week   Two high priority bills for Democrats saw lengthy hearings this week and, in each case, moved ahead.  SB19-085, Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, combines several policies from attempts in previous sessions to address the wage disparities based on sex.  HB19-1177, Extreme Risk Protection Order, or the Red Flag bill, was heard in committee on Thursday late into the evening.  The bill would create a temporary order to remove and restrict access to firearms

Under The Dome, Week 7 (2019)

Highlights of the Week   HB19-1174, Out-of-network Health Care Services, and SB19-134, Out-of-network Health Care Disclosures And Charges, are two bills to require disclosures about out-of-network care to patients and to sets rates of reimbursement to providers and facilities for services provided that were out-of-network.  Recent years have seen bill to address this issue fail, but bi-partisan support has brought the issue back to the forefront this session with insurers/consumer groups supporting

Under the Dome, Week 6 (2019)

Highlights of the Week   On Tuesday, Perry Will was appointed to the last vacant House seat. The House District 57 seat was left open when Senator Rankin was appointed to the Senate to replace Senator Randy Baumgardner, who recently resigned from his position.  Representative Will spent 40 years of his career working for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, most recently as a supervisor.  Senator Rankin’s wife, Joyce Rankin, was one of the contenders for the vacancy.  This is the first week of the session where

Mixing Old With New in Historic Downtown Castle Rock

  Rapid growth in suburban community has not affected its identityBY KEVIN TILSON        Published: 2019.01.24 03:00 PM  A Castle Rock building that dates back to 1918, the B&B Café, was once the site of an infamous gunfight where a fugitive shot and killed the Town Marshall. A bullet hole from the gunfight can still be seen in the café’s tin ceiling, reminiscent of Castle Rock’s rich western history. The streets of Castle Rock are lined with historic structures with stories of their own about

Under the Dome, Week 5 (2019)

Highlights of the Week   This week at the Capitol the perennial bill to take Colorado off of daylight savings time died in Committee, the building was filled with members of the public on Wednesday to testify on a bill to update Colorado’s comprehensive sex education requirements, and legislation to create a program to import drugs from Canada passed its first committee.  On the Senate Floor Monday, there was a lengthy debate about SB19-042, National Popular Vote.  The bill would enter Colorado into an

Under the Dome, Week 4 (2019)

Highlights of the Week    It was a busy week under the gold dome with a filibuster on the Senate Floor, several health bills moving forward in committee and on the floor, and Governor Polis signing his second executive order to create a new state office.    A lively debate took place on the House Floor this Wednesday about SB19-039, Interdistrict Transportation of Students.  The bill would remove language from a section of statute created last year by HB18-1306, Improving Education Stability for

Political Advocacy Update from Chamber President, Pam Ridler

The Douglas County Business Alliance is in full swing and monitoring legislation that affects business. Today we took the following positions on these bills:HB 1008 - Include Career and Technical Education in Building Excellent Schools Today Program (Support)HB1013 - Child Care Expenses Tax Credit for Low Income Families (Support)HB1096 - Colorado Right to Rest (Oppose)SB5 - Import Prescription Drugs from Canada (Oppose)SB6 - Electronic Sales and Use Tax Simplification System (Support)SB34 - Local

Ridler Graduates from U.S. Chamber Foundation Education and Workforce Fellowship Program

Fellowship Provided State and Local Chambers with Opportunities to Engage Nationally on Critical Education and Workforce Issues  WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation today announced Pam Ridler, President/CEO of the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce graduated from its premier business leadership program. The inaugural Business Leads Fellowship Program trained and equipped leaders from state and local chambers of commerce with resources, access to experts, and a network of peers to build

Under the Dome, Week 3 (2019)

Capitol will be closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Day DCBA bill tracker:  https://bit.ly/2SDrzzp     Highlights of the Week   On Thursday, Governor Polis signed an executive order containing directives to create a Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Program, to use Volkswagen settlement dollars to electrify the state’s fleet of vehicles, to form a Transportation Electrification Workgroup, and to develop a clean transportation plan.  Under the Executive Order, the Colorado Department of

Colorado Economic Growth Will Taper off in 2019

From an economic perspective, 2019 is going to be an interesting year. The 2019 cber.co economic forecast projects that momentum from 2018 will carry into 2019. There will be solid growth in the first half of the year followed by slower growth in the second half. There is more downside risk than upside potential. A few of the things to watch for in 2019 are:The slowing in the global and U.S. economies will be felt in Colorado.Colorado will add 61,000 jobs in 2019.The economy is operating inefficiently

U.S. Chamber Awards Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce with 4-Star Accreditation

U.S. Chamber Awards Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce with 4-Star Accreditation The United States Chamber of Commerce today awarded the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce with 4-Star Accreditation for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact on the community. “Business leaders are a critical voice in conversations about promoting economic growth and job creation in their communities.” said Raymond P. Towle, IOM, CAE, U.S. Chamber vice president of Federation Relations and

Community Recognition

Castle Rock is a top Town The numbers, facts, research and databases help tell the story residents live every day - Castle Rock is a great place to be. In fact, our Town ranks among the best both locally and nationally, according to a variety of national publications and studies.Money Magazine: Top Place to Live Money magazine recognized Castle Rock in its top places to live in 2011, 2012 and 2014. Most recently, Castle Rock ranked in the Top 10, coming in at No. 4. Narrowing the list is difficult, of

6 Reasons Solopreneurs Need a Chamber Membership

If you’re a solopreneur, you’re likely putting in some long hours building your business. Anything that helps you be more productive for little money is a necessary investment for you at this point. You may have thought briefly about the chamber and then decided against it because when you think of older people standing around talking about business, you probably figured it wasn’t for you. It’s not how business gets done nowadays. But the chamber offers a lot more than what you imagined and a lot of it

4 OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO SELL YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE

If you own a business you probably spend a lot of time thinking of different ways you can sell your product or service. Maybe you’ve investigated neuro-marketing or tried one of these sales approaches. A hard, persuasive sell is getting more difficult these days, isn’t it? Relationships are becoming incredibly important to brands, especially with social media. So is content marketing. Everyone wants infotainment. They long for information that is engaging and solid, not too long, not too short. Consumers

Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Recruits Pamela Ridler to Board of Directors

The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) is proud to announce to its national Board of Directors Pamela Ridler, CCE representing Colorado.  Ridler became the President/CEO of the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce in 1998. Prior to her position with the Castle Rock Chamber, Ridler held the position of Vice-President of the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce.  Ridler got her start in the non-profit arena as director of the United Way of Ellis County in Hays Kansas.  Established in 1914, ACCE