Durango Harley-Davidson - Trevor Bird
written by Sara Lynn (Kuntz) Valentine    
  “I was born and raised in New Braunfels, Texas,” Trevor Bird, the new owner (with wife Catie) of Durango Harley-Davidson says. “I started working for the family that owned the Harley franchise in San Antonio the summer of my freshman year of college. I owe the Gottsackers a lot – I wouldn’t be here today if not for them. Rugger, the Gottsackers’ oldest son, and I grew the business from around 30 employees to over 150 employees, and from one location to four, between 2002 to 2008. I became a partner in 2014 in two Harley franchises and am still an active partner and vice president.
    “Catie and I had always wanted to have our own Harley dealership. We found out Durango Harley-Davidson was ‘secretly’ for sale and visited Durango for the first time last December to check it out. It almost felt like the owner, Jeff Murray, was interviewing me even though I was the one wanting to buy the dealership! It was important to him that the right people take over. Catie and I felt an immediate connection with the Murrays and we fell in love with Durango. We had opportunities to buy franchises much bigger in terms of revenue. We chose Durango because of the people here and the quality of life - it seemed like such a great place to raise our kids. Our daughter Millie is seven and our son Reece is five.
    “We joined the Chamber right away. It’s important for a community of any size to grow the right way. It takes collaboration between city leadership, the Chamber, and local non profits.  We want to support our Chamber so the Chamber can fulfill its mission in serving the community.
    “It’s important to us to give back. I have served as secretary and treasurer for a nonprofit foundation, For the Love of Kids and Harleys, for over ten years. This organization has donated over 3 million dollars the last twenty years to children’s charities.  We look forward to developing ways that For the Love of Kids and Harleys can help meet needs here in Durango.
    “We’re excited to be here. Among many other things. We’re enthusiastic about rebuilding the Rally and making it a wholesome and family-friendly motorcycle destination for the Labor Day weekend.”
    You can call Trevor at 210.823.2359 or email him at [email protected]. Learn more at www.durangoharley.com and www.durangorally.com.

Shauna Young – Assertive Wellness
written by Sara Lynn (Kuntz) Valentine
    “We are one of the country’s only truly full service natural health centers,” says owner Shauna Young. “I’m a naturopath with a PHD in natural science and nutrition, and our other doctor, John Partenope, is both an MD and a naturopath. We also have a weight loss specialist, personal trainer, aesthetics, and both whole body and spot targeted cryotherapy. So we have it all now!
    “We tend to see a lot of ‘mystery’ issues - things like fibromyalgia for example, that is not actually a ‘disease’, but rather a group of symptoms. We’ve worked with everything from migraines, digestive disorders, autism, arthritis, to people who simply want to feel as well as they can. After 16 years the list of what we’ve NOT worked with is probably much shorter than the list of what we have!  Rather than band-aiding symptoms, we work to find the root cause. We’re often more like detectives.
    Our new Whole Body Cryotherapy is a leading edge technology for pain, injury and inflammation. A session, which lasts up to three minutes, involves exposure to minus 120 degree temperatures. This activates the nervous system, clears out toxins and metabolic waste, enhances blood circulation, and triggers the release of powerful endorphins. The result is often significant pain relief, faster muscle recovery and accelerated healing of injuries. As Hollywood has discovered, there are aesthetic benefits as well, since cryotherapy shrinks pores and increases collagen production. Preventative care is a huge part of what natural medicine is all about and cryotherapy is a very effective tool in accomplishing that goal.
    Shauna has written two books, ‘If Naturopaths Are Quacks, I Guess I’m a Duck’ and ‘Erasing Autism: The Spectrum Balance Protocol’. She’s the medical advisor for the No Harm Foundation and her autism dietary protocol, available at no charge at www.noharmfoundation.org, has been downloaded in 76 countries.
    “We see folks from all 50 states and over a dozen other countries, so a lot of people seem to know where we are. The Chamber, however, has been great getting the word out to remind locals that we’re here,” Shauna says. “Our mission? In a nutshell, when it comes to you and your health we like to shoot for great. A lot of people will settle for good… we like great…”
    Questions? Call 970-385-7577 or visit www.assertivewellness.com.

YOU’RE INVITED
6th Annual Membership Appreciation Party
    The Durango Chamber of Commerce Staff and Board of Directors along with our partners, Alpine Bank, The City of Durango and La Plata Youth Services invite you to attend our 6th Annual Member Appreciation Party/Business After Hours.   
    Join us for complimentary BBQ, Beer and Wine (provided by Steamworks and El Moro) on Friday, September 15th from 5pm-7pm at the Durango Community Rec Center Pavilion area (2700 Main Avenue).  Participate in the City of Durango survey and be eligible to win prizes!  


Eggs & Issues
Which Comes First…the Developer
or the Infrastructure?
Thursday, September 20, 2017
8am - DoubleTree Hotel
    We’ve talked about growth, but what really needs to happen to achieve predictability in development?    Have you thought about the pros and cons of development?  Join us on Wednesday, September 20th at 8am at the DoubleTree Hotel for our Eggs & Issues Breakfast, “Which Comes First…the Developer or the Infrastructure?”. This breakfast will feature a panel of experts who will share their visions for the future of our community.
    Cost is $18 for Chamber members and $25
for non-members and includes a full breakfast. Reservations are required, so please use our convenient online registration or call 970.247.0312. Cancellations after September 15th will
be invoiced.


September Lunch & Learn
Wednesday, September 27, 2017 | 12 Noon
First National Bank of Durango
"Resistance"
presented by Mark Haeussler, CEO,
Alpine Leadership
   Make plans now to join us on Wednesday, September 27th for our Lunch & Learn presentation “Resistance” presented by Mark Haeussler, CEO, Alpine Leadership.
    Rarely is leadership about managing the status quo, and any change has the opportunity to invite resistance from those we lead. In any new, innovative, or uncertain endeavor, leaders can expect to encounter resistance. Some strategies are not sustaining, such as using positional power and force. But there is hope! In this practical, sometimes humorous, and sometimes interactive, program, leaders will learn how to spot resistance earlier, better understand it, and learn how to manage it and even harness it with greater effectiveness and ease.
The cost is only $10 for Chamber Members and $20 for non-members and includes a delicious lunch catered by The Soup Palette. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED, so please use our convenient
online registration or call 970.247.0312.
    No-shows & cancellations after September 22nd will be invoiced.