Beth Drum, Senior Vice President, Alpine Bank
Southwest Regional Council member since 2016
Beth Drum joined the Southwest Regional Council in March 2016, and shared it was “a great honor and a privilege” to be considered for the role. Her community development work with Alpine Bank was a catalyst for her engagement with nonprofit organizations in the region. She added that representing El Pomar “feels like the culmination of 25 years working with nonprofit organizations.”
When thinking about first joining the Council, Beth recalled the importance of “listening, being curious, and asking good questions.” This learning phase was supported by joining concurrently with two other new council members, Joe Keck and Rebecca Larson. The diversity of experiences and expertise of the three new council members strengthened the Council and enhanced its perspective on the region at-large. Prior to their joining, the Council focused on efforts in youth development and substance abuse prevention.
In 2017, the Council discussed its growing interest in mental health care. To further refine this interest, the Council discussed how its goals and values could best align in pursuit of the greatest impact possible. Beth highlighted how taking the time to engage in long, productive dialogues helped the Council find consensus. Through discussion, the Council decided to focus on youth well-being with an emphasis on high-quality care, as Beth said, “even if you impact just one person’s life, you’ve made a difference.”
In an effort to address this new focus, the Council learned of the state-led Collaborative Management Program (CMP). Beth said “CMPs are the boots on the ground; they’re the ones leading these organizations and interacting with the youth, so it made perfect sense to work with them.” Connecting with the CMPs enabled the Council to learn about organizations more efficiently which led to recommendations in July of 2017 to four organizations supporting mental health programming in the Southwest including: San Juan BOCES, La Plata Youth Services, Archuleta County Stepping Stones program, and The Piñon Project.
Accountability was emphasized heavily in these partnerships, Beth shared. “It’s the Council’s responsibility to ensure that those organizations are using the funds accordingly.” In 2018, one year after recommendations, the Council gathered its grant partners to hear updates on the impact of the funding. To Beth, this convening was an “invaluable” experience which provided transparency, deeper connections, and sparked discussions on future funding opportunities. It allowed the Council to “see when organizations are on the cusp of an advancement and where they could use more money to push forward.”
The Council shifted its funding strategy in 2021 as the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic heavily influenced funding decisions. Needs in the Southwest varied across the region and access to clinical mental health services declined, so the Council recommended 21 small grants in early 2022 to upstream organizations providing fundamental and preventative youth development. Beth described these grants as incredibly effective for supporting a wide array of organizations, many of which saw diminished funding sources through the pandemic. Most recently, the Council prioritized enhancing the geographic spread and impact of grant dollars. In March 2024, the Council recommended 11 grants to different youth-serving organizations across the region.
When thinking about the future of the Southwest Regional Council, Beth hopes El Pomar continues “to see the invaluable difference made by investing in the region and its rural counties.” She encourages council members to continue to carry the torch of stewardship for their regions. To new council members, Beth suggests “be curious, ask questions, and learn from your fellow Council members. There’s great value in learning about the communities that surround your home base.”
