NETTIE REYNOLDS

Nettie Reynolds has had a distinguished volunteer career that spans more than 30 years. Her first service opportunity was as a teen member of the Civil Defense League. Growing up in Colorado, rural town values and ethics provided the foundation for her giving spirit. As a mother, volunteering earned her the gratitude and respect of the community.

Reynolds earned the Silver Beaver Award from Boy Scouts of America after 14 years of dedicated service. She was also a 4-H Foods and Clothing leader for five years, a home demonstrator for eight years, a member of the Eagle Valley High School Accountability Committee for six years, and a member of the Eagle Flight Days Committee for nine years.

After her children became adults, Reynolds’ life as a volunteer assumed a faster pace. Her primary interest was to serve her community through emergency services, and in 1969, she organized the town of Gypsum’s Ladies’ Volunteer Fire Department. She arranged training for 32 women, who, for the next 15 years responded to all structural fires, vehicle accidents, medical and wild land fire emergencies. She held the position of Fire Chief for many years. While active in the Volunteer Fire Department, she was also Assistant Fire Chief and Safety Officer but retired in 1997. She continues to support them as Treasurer of the department’s Auxiliary and as president of the pension board.

In 1974, Reynolds became the third person in Eagle County to be certified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). For many years, she was also a volunteer and managed and ran emergency medical calls with the Western Eagle County Ambulance District. Since the mid-1990s, she has been active in many health care organizations and emergency medical service agencies. She is a member of the High Country Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team. They provide debriefing services to a five-county region in northern Colorado, and she debriefed emergency workers following the Columbine High School disaster. She also trained to serve on the national CISM team and is an advisor to the board of directors for Colorado West Counseling Service.

Reynolds’ volunteer resume is extensive and also includes service with the Western Eagle County Ambulance District board of directors, Mountain Hospice, Eagle County Coordinator for the American Red Cross for the Western Colorado Chapter, Senior Advisor for the Greater Eagle Fire Protection District, the Alpine Council on Aging, and the Colorado Division of Insurance Counselor for Medicare and Medicaid. In her “spare time,” Nettie Reynolds visits with 20 to 30 seniors and disabled community persons monthly. She provides them with attention, runs errands, and makes them feel loved.