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Rifle, Colo. - It’s not about Russell George, it’s about education for everyone.
That’s what one of Rifle, Colorado's most well known and admired residents has to say about the Friday, Dec. 12 concert in his honor at Colorado Mountain
College’s West Garfield Campus.
“It’s humbling that they would do this,” George said. “But it isn’t about me, it’s about the
music and the fact that we can have concerts like this in our lovely town.”
George is currently head of the Colorado Department of Transportation, and was
director of the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Colorado Department of Natural
Resources. He served 8 years in the Colorado legislature, including Speaker of the
House.
George’s history with CMC dates back to the community college’s first years, said
Foundation CEO Alexandra Yajko.
“He was one of our first pro bono counsel of record as a volunteer lawyer early on,”
she said. “Despite all he’s done and accomplished, he’s never forgotten CMC, he’s
been a speaker at several graduations and featured in our newsletters.”
George is also a member of the CMC Foundation Council of Distinguished Friends.
The Harvard-educated George credits CMC with helping him overcome a fear of
something brand new in the 1980s - computers.
“I really was frightened of them,” he said. “They baffled me and I feared them. But
CMC offered evening classes on introduction to computing and I took them. They
helped me get over my sense of failure whenever I couldn’t get the computers to do
what I wanted.”
Later, George taught business and constitutional law for several years at the Rifle
campus, then in downtown Rifle, Colo.
“That really cemented my strong feelings about CMC,” he said. “It’s all about education
for everyone and that’s always been the hallmark of CMC.”
The determination, interest and ambitions of CMC students and staff George got to
know “inspire me still to this day,” he said.
Yajko said honoring George was also an easy decision “because he’s such a positive
role model, he was a powerhouse as an elected official with integrity.”
To CMC, George will always be “a treasured friend,” Yajko said.
That’s what one of Rifle, Colorado's most well known and admired residents has to say about the Friday, Dec. 12 concert in his honor at Colorado Mountain
College’s West Garfield Campus.
“It’s humbling that they would do this,” George said. “But it isn’t about me, it’s about the
music and the fact that we can have concerts like this in our lovely town.”
George is currently head of the Colorado Department of Transportation, and was
director of the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Colorado Department of Natural
Resources. He served 8 years in the Colorado legislature, including Speaker of the
House.
George’s history with CMC dates back to the community college’s first years, said
Foundation CEO Alexandra Yajko.
“He was one of our first pro bono counsel of record as a volunteer lawyer early on,”
she said. “Despite all he’s done and accomplished, he’s never forgotten CMC, he’s
been a speaker at several graduations and featured in our newsletters.”
George is also a member of the CMC Foundation Council of Distinguished Friends.
The Harvard-educated George credits CMC with helping him overcome a fear of
something brand new in the 1980s - computers.
“I really was frightened of them,” he said. “They baffled me and I feared them. But
CMC offered evening classes on introduction to computing and I took them. They
helped me get over my sense of failure whenever I couldn’t get the computers to do
what I wanted.”
Later, George taught business and constitutional law for several years at the Rifle
campus, then in downtown Rifle, Colo.
“That really cemented my strong feelings about CMC,” he said. “It’s all about education
for everyone and that’s always been the hallmark of CMC.”
The determination, interest and ambitions of CMC students and staff George got to
know “inspire me still to this day,” he said.
Yajko said honoring George was also an easy decision “because he’s such a positive
role model, he was a powerhouse as an elected official with integrity.”
To CMC, George will always be “a treasured friend,” Yajko said.
