Norm Steen, Former County Commissioner, Teller County
Pikes Peak Regional Council member since 2014
Norm Steen joined the Pikes Peak Regional Council in March of 2014. Norm was a retired military officer and Teller County Commissioner when he was invited to join the Council. Though Norm was the only council member from Teller County, he shared that he “felt immediately welcomed and quickly noticed a sense of deep listening, collaboration, and desire to work together.” As a parent, policy maker, and local business owner Norm felt prepared to represent his community, sharing “it was a pleasure to bring all that to the table.”
The Pikes Peak Regional Council had been focused on education and youth issues since 2012. In August of 2014, the Council recommended three multi-year grants to organizations supporting Harrison School District 2 students through preventative programs. Norm shared how much the Council valued multi-year grants because they “can commit future funds which provides a level of stability to the grantees.” Additionally, the focus on preventive rather than reactionary programs “created a system and a culture of healthiness,” which can have a much broader impact than crisis management alone. When deciding which organizations to fund, the Council sought champions with existing community and financial support that would benefit from the Council’s funding.
In 2018, with an interest in addressing veteran issues, the Council convened leaders to learn about homelessness in the region. As a result, the Pikes Peak Regional Council transitioned from a focus on youth to veteran services including homelessness, education, and counseling. By the end of the year the Council recommended a $150,000 three-year grant to Veterans’ Climb through Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center. Norm described the challenge in facing veterans’ issues: “we were not really sure if we could address it because it was such a huge issue, but it was just too big to ignore.”
In 2021, the Council started its next cycle of funding by recommending grants to Home Front Military Network, Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center, and Springs Rescue Mission. When deciding which organizations to fund, the Council wanted to see a clear vision, purpose, and capacity to sustain positive change when considering potential grant partners. According to Norm, an organization’s leadership was another important factor in the Council’s grant recommendation process. The Council valued building a relationship of trust and accountability, with organizations defining their own metrics of success.
By 2022, the Council began seeing a need for one-time funding across a variety of areas, referred to by the Council as “emergent funding.” It made recommendations for organizations such as Monterey Elementary School, The Mindfulness and Positivity Project, and Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation. When asked about the need for emergent funding outside of the Council’s focus area, Norm said the Council “recognized that we need to be agile because a dynamic community has changing needs.” Norm emphasized the benefit of having a responsive council is that it has “eyes and ears on the ground to recognize those emergent solutions.”
Most recently in 2023, the Council shifted its focus area from veterans’ homelessness to preventative youth mental health. This shift was largely influenced by the side-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth well-being. Isolation, unhealthy technology habits, and teen suicide rates prompted the Council to transition its focus.
Norm hopes the Pikes Peak Regional Council continues to work towards community-wide collaboration and connection through funding opportunities. For new council members, Norm recommends being a good listener and learning to amplify quiet voices in the community.
