Hamilton named Grand's Realtor of the Year 

At a gala banquet at the Grand Lake Lodge, Penny Hamilton, owner-broker of Forest and Lake Real Estate Company, Granby, was awarded “Grand County Realtor of the Year” for 2005. 

It’s an annual award that honors realtors for not only professional achievement, but for devotion to volunteerism and overall community involvement. 

The award was presented to Hamilton by Paul Lewis, owner-broker of Coldwell Banker Mountain Properties in Winter Park, who was last year’s Realtor of the Year. 

“Penny is involved in so many community betterment projects that the list is too long to recite,” Lewis said. “She sits on the board of the Greater Granby Area Chamber of Commerce and the Grand County Board of Realtors. 

“We had many worthy nominees because so many of our Realtors devote hundreds of hours to public service,” Lewis continued. “They are truly the unsung heroes of our community. But Penny Hamilton’s long, long list of community achievements and activities made Penny an outstanding choice for this important award.” 

In nominating Hamilton for the Grand County Realtor of the Year, Tracey Chambers, a broker-associate with United Country Real Estate Central, outlined Hamilton’s “long, long list of community achievements” in a narrative. Chambers wrote: 

“Three words describe our ‘Dr. Penny,’ – positive, energetic and enthusiastic. Those attributes make her a tireless worker. 

“She doesn’t just talk-the-talk, she actually walks-the-walk. While she has more degrees than a thermometer, that doesn’t stop her from getting her hands dirty and breaking finger nails. 

“As our nominating committee approached our submissions deadline, our biggest problem was getting Penny to sit down long enough to list her history of community involvement. But here is a partial list: 

“As a pilot who co-holds a world aviation speed record, one of the first things she did, even before she and her husband moved full-time to Grand County in 1992, was co-found the Grand County Aviation Association and the Friends of the Granby Airport, Inc. 

After getting the IRS 501(c)(3) status for the Friends of the Granby Airport, Inc., she served as its secretary for nine years. Each year, she participates in the annual airport clean-up, fix-up day and helps when the Colorado Chapter of the 99s (women aviators). She also serves as the Granby Airport Support Network Volunteer for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). 

“Recently, Penny served as the local coordinator/hostess for the spring conference of the Colorado Airport Operators Association (CAOA) held at the Winter Park Mountain Lodge. 

“But when Penny first came to Grand County,” continued Chambers, “she noted the County animal shelter was under staffed. So, Hamilton co-founded Grand County Pet Pals and brought new energy to Pennies for Pets. She wrote grants resulting in a computer and adoption-management program at the shelter and more funds to support its activities. She worked on the ‘Pet of the Week’ newspaper feature and, with the help of newspaper editor Patrick Brower, made it a reality resulting in the adoption of literally hundreds of pets that, otherwise, might have been euthanized for lack of timely adoption. 

“In 2003, sensing our local law enforcement officers are under-appreciated, Penny initiated, with the help of Sheriff Rod Johnson and former Deputy Sheriff Glen Trainor, a program that has, so far, expressed a community ‘thank-you’ to 12 law enforcement officers with emphasis on making those without families here feel at home in Grand County. 

“Penny donates her time and/or contributes financially to the Grand County Council on Aging and the Senior Diner Program; the Grand Foundation, the Granby Rebuilding Fund, the Grand County Food Banks, the Grand County Events Center, the Grand Youth Experiential Adventures, the Samaritan Center and the EAA Aviation Student Scholarship Project. 

“She was a founding member of the Grand County Business and Economic Development Association (BEDA), drafting its initial grant application for start-up funding, helped recruit other board members, served as the BEDA volunteer executive director but credits Jana Huse for doing all the heavy lifting for BEDA. 

“Currently, she sits on the board of the Granby Chamber of Commerce where she coordinated the welcome center for Ride the Rockies, helped raise funds for the Chamber’s Spring Golf Tournament and was actively involved in getting funds for the Granby Community Relief and Rebuilding Project. Penny has recruited the judges for the Fourth of July Parade and assisted the parade announcer with local information. On the Grand County Board of Realtors, she served as Outreach Chairperson to raise scholarship funds for local students and assisted with the food and back-to-school supplies drives. 

“As part of her Granby Chamber volunteer work, one of her favorite activities is nominating local heroes for various recognition programs. So far, several of her nominees such as: Lorene Linke, Carl Marsh, Kenya Marte, Kadie Huse and Susan Masterson have been honored in special ceremonies held in the Governor’s Mansion for the Colorado Cares Awards. 

“In addition, she nominated, now Winter Park Police Chief Glen Trainor for awards related to his heroic actions during the Granby bulldozer rampage of June 4, 2004. One award for Chief Trainor will be presented soon, and another is still pending. 

“In connection with the Granby Centennial, Penny is doing research and about to author: Granby: Then and Now (1905-2005) A Quick History of Granby, which is scheduled to be available for readers on or about December 9, 2005. 

“How she finds time to do all she does is a mystery to me,” Chambers continued. “Especially, when you know that she and her husband co-author a series of thrillers such as The Grand Conspiracy and The Panama Conspiracy (written as William Penn), plus two more novels in the ‘conspiracy’ series. But I also know all of these community activities, plus running her own real estate company and taking time to mentor younger real estate agents cuts into her leisure-time activities – assuming she has any leisure time. But one summer, she and her husband found time to teach me to sail on Lake Granby. “For sure, she always finds time for Bandit, their Old English Sheepdog, and for working with Old English Sheepdog Rescue.” 

Gary Glenn, the broker-owner of Prudential Winter Park Realty, summed up the important roles realtors have in the local economy. Moreover, why each year, dedicated, community-oriented brokers are recognized as such.

“As past president of the Colorado Association of Realtors and having received the Grand County Realtor of the Year Award myself,” he said, “I know how important it is for Realtors to be involved in our community, and to be hands-on, proactive in community projects.

“Real estate is such an important economic engine that creates so many jobs that it is vitally important for the agent-brokers to give back to the community by volunteering and donating their time to improve the quality of life of our full-time and part-time residents.”

And from her long list of community involvement, Hamilton has certainly done just that.