Braxton Johnson
Market President at Parker Redstone Bank* and Parker Community Advocate
“One of the things I like most about community banking is the fact that we stay local,” says Braxton Johnson, market president of the Parker branch of Redstone Bank. “Not only do we employ people living within our community,” he says, “we only lend to clients in our surrounding community.” And all of Redstone’s depositors’ money stays within the community.
“Community bankers truly care about the communities they live and work in,” says Braxton. “They are invested in the success of the overall community, and it shows in the decisions that are made by the bank.”
And like other community banks, Redstone makes it a priority to know its customers by name. But Redstone goes a bit further than its competition when it comes to customer service. When a Redstone client has a financial need, they can sit down and work one-on-one with the decision maker. For this reason, says Braxton, “We can help our clients with a financing need in a matter of days. Redstone Bank was also founded by people living within the Parker community. We are unique in the sense that our roots in the Parker area run deep—all the way back to our original founding in 2008.”
Community has been the cornerstone of Braxton’s life too. "I have known my group of closest friends since elementary,” he says.
In fact, the majority of Braxton’s wedding party consisted of friends from second and third grade. “We still all live within an hour or two of each other,” he says. And they continue to connect multiple times per week.
“I think it is unique, in the sense,” says Braxton, “that life can take a toll on friendships, but our group has made it a priority to not let anything interfere with the friendships we have built with one another.” The same can be said for the priority Braxton and the staff at Parker Redstone Bank give their clients—and why they’re able to build such long-lasting client relationships.
*MEMBER FDIC. EQUAL HOUSING LENDER.
Ryan Johnson
President at Redstone Bank* and Parker Community Advocate
Banking and the Parker community are in Ryan Johnson’s blood. “I moved to the Pinery at age 13, back in 1975,” he says. “I went to school at the Douglas County Junior High and Douglas County High Schools. Graduated from the University of Northern Colorado and, soon after, started working at FNB of Parker—one of the only two banks in Parker at the time. After FNB Parker sold, I opened the two Colonial Banks in Parker and the branches in Elizabeth and Kiowa.
Ryan has been the president of Redstone Bank for 12 years. “Redstone Bank was a mix of all my banking career and an obvious choice of where I belonged,” he says. “Redstone is a true local community bank. The bank’s board members and senior management team are locals. The decisions and direction of Redstone Bank are made right here. When you walk in [the] lobby, we will get to know more than just your name. When you call [the] bank, we will answer the phone. When you need to talk with someone, our doors will be open.”
Ryan has been a Parker resident for over 50 years and spent the past 30-plus years as a community banker. “As someone who has grown up, lived their life, and raised their family in Parker,” says Ryan, “I am obligated to pay back this community. My wife and I still live in the Pinery, along with my two sisters and our families. Parker is not just a community to me; it is the only home I have ever known. I am proud of what this town has accomplished and very excited about Parker’s future.
“As I drive through the town today with my family and friends, I am proud of the contribution I was able to make that has helped Parker become a great community for so many families and businesses.”
*MEMBER FDIC. EQUAL HOUSING LENDER.
Justin Sovoie
Realtor at Equity Colorado Real Estate and Vice President of Dads of Parker
Justin Sovoie loves people—a lot. And he’s around people—a lot, which is fine by him. Not only is Justin a Realtor at Equity Colorado Real Estate, he’s also the vice president of Dads of Parker.
“What I love about real estate is the personal interactions,” says Justin. “I love talking with people, hearing their interests, looking at the market, and [learning] what I can do to help them grow—not only for themselves but their families.
“I care about people—who they are and where they want to be,” Justin says. “That is why being a Realtor is so very important to me. It is what you learn from the individuals who are seeking to move forward with their lives—it makes being a Realtor so very rewarding.”
Justin also joined Dads of Parker for social interaction but—more specifically—to help his community. “Men need interactions and the support of other men,” he says. “We can converse, talk about our families, and [learn] how best to help and support each other. We are there for each other—and what we can do as a unified team. When I joined [Dads of Parker], there was a need for someone to assist the president—to be involved with the group and help push it to the next level. I felt that this was a calling for me and wanted to be there in that role.”
Dads of Parker President Jon Brusco and Justin set a goal to obtain a 501(c)(3), which they were able to achieve. “As we have grown,” says Justin, “our thoughts and hopes are to grow the organization in such a way that we can benefit and help families who need support in many different ways—from emotional, to financial, to just a hand that says, ‘We care.’”
Justin grew up in Littleton and loves the outdoors. “From skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, hiking, and swimming, you name it,” he says. “I love to be involved.” And this love of the outdoors—and people—continued beyond high school with a career in fire service, where he worked in wildland fire and continued to fuel his “love and sentiments” of working to help people.
Parker is where Justin decided to settle down. “I love Parker,” he says, “because it feels like the small community that I grew up in, and everyone wants to help each other. Aside from that, this community is important to my wife Kristin, as she grew up here, and [Parker] is proving to be a wonderful place to raise our boys. We want to live in a community where people care for one another. This is an experience and example we want to instill in our boys."
Max Williams
Operations Manager at The LOCAL and Advocate for Community Sailing of Colorado
According to Max Williams, The LOCAL Colorado has a simple mission: to connect Coloradans by making space for communities to engage with their local producers and businesses. “We are nothing without our incredible network of over 500 vendors,” he says. “By shopping with us in any capacity, you're supporting local economies and hundreds of businesses rooted in your community.”
To help to fulfill The LOCAL’s mission, Max (in his position as operations manager) manages and coordinates each of its three farmers markets (Parker, Southlands, and Castle Rock) and special events throughout the year. He also oversees store operations for The LOCAL’s two retail stores (Parker and Southlands) with the help of his “awesome store managers.”
Max’s sense of teamwork, gratitude, and community go back to a program he was fortunate to be involved with as a child, Community Sailing of Colorado. But as most Coloradans know, and Max says so well, "Sailing in Colorado is comparable to skiing in Florida. There's not much of it!"
“I got involved with Community Sailing of Colorado on Cherry Creek Reservoir at the age of 8,” says Max, “where I spent most days on the water from there on out. I started traveling to regattas on the coasts in high school, where I met many new faces who'd end up becoming my college teammates and competitors. I cannot thank them enough for the incredible opportunity they afforded me. CSC is an awesome non-profit that I'd highly recommend anyone get involved with.”
Because of his involvement with CSC, Max attended the College of Charleston in South Carolina, where he was a member of their varsity sailing team for each of his four years. “Colorado gave me a unique advantage on the racecourse. Where most kids grow up racing in consistent sea breeze, Colorado has a much more ‘spontaneous’ or ‘fleeting’ wind. Light and shifty days will always be my forte!”
According to Max, “Kid's camps are [CSC’s] main show, but they offer plenty of opportunity for adult lessons, racing camps, special needs classes, and more! After being a camper for years, I became an instructor with them for years teaching advanced and racing programs. CSC is truly a community effort, and all of the coaches, volunteers, campers, and organizers are one big family.” For more information about CSC, visit communitysailing.org.
Jon Brusco
President at Dads of Parker and Cybersecurity Professional
The quote, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible,” coined by Walt Disney, is Jon Brusco’s favorite. And it encapsulates his own outlook on life. Plus, it seems fitting that Jon admires a man with a vision, as he is a man with a vision of his own—and a passion for life. “I really want to live a life worth remembering,” says Jon.
Living a worthwhile life while exploring his various passions is exactly the life Jon designed for himself. “I have been a federal employee a good portion of my life,” he says. “My federal career started in the Army in the mid-90s. I am a cybersecurity professional by trade, and I work within the government currently.”
In addition to his family life and his “normal career,” Jon runs a small woodworking business from home called Wandering Moose Woodworking & Design. “The ‘crafty’ business enables me to scratch the creative itch,” he says, “while the normal 9–5 career keeps the analytical part of my mind exercised.”
The community of Parker is also important to Jon. “Parker exemplifies its tagline of ‘Small town. Big Opportunity,’” he says. “When you walk down Mainstreet and see the small shops with the shop owners who take the time to know you and remember your name, the kids playing in the park, the way the town lights up at night—it’s hard to find a reason to not love Parker.”
To do his part in Parker community building, Jon started Dads of Parker in January 2021. “After being a member of Dads of Castle Rock and seeing what an amazing impact that group has had on their community, I thought that Parker would be a chapter to continue the mission. In 2022, after the struggle of standing up as a non-profit, Dads of Parker got a renewed energy with Justin Savoie, our new VP. Justin and I are a force to be reckoned with for sure.”
According to Jon, Dads of Parker is community. “We work to bring our community together by being positive influences through our actions and involvement in the community,” he says. “We support and foster relationships with our local businesses and have a measurable impact in our community by hosting community projects and fundraising events for our local businesses and families who’ve fallen on challenging times. Being a dad is challenging—and even more so when we’re relied upon to ‘have the answers.’ DoP serves as a ‘safe place’ for dads to ask questions, vent, or to support other dads.
“I would like to continue to build Dads of Parker to make it one of the cornerstones for the Parker community. I would like to continue to grow our events and our ability to adopt/support local families in tough times. I would like to continue to support our local businesses. I’d like to do this by bringing attention to what they offer our community and offering to assist in their events. Ultimately, I look for Dads of Parker to be synonymous with the word ‘community.’” For more information on Dads of Parker, visit dadsofparker.org.
Gurvinder Mangat, MD
Family Medicine and Primary Care Physician and Co-Owner of Seva Family Medicine and Lily Aesthetics
“Seva in our Punjabi culture has a lot of meanings,” says Gurvinder Mangat, MD, physician and co-owner of Seva Family Medicine, “such as helping with passion, selfless service, using personal touch to help someone—just as simple as holding a patient’s hand and telling them everything will be okay.
“We wanted to bring that aspect from our Punjabi culture and help patients without any ego. We love to see our patients in our office so we can talk with them, laugh with them, cry with them, but, most importantly, [to] get to know them—and help them on a personal level rather than [being] just a number.”
Gurvinder and his wife Shannon, FNP-C (family nurse practitioner certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners) have worked together since they met while working at the same hospital. “I feel like we make an amazing team,” Gurvinder says. “She can do a lot of things I cannot do, such as advanced skin care, which is one of her passions. She can do painless and quick blood draws, insert IV lines, and give IV fluids. I handle the more complex medical patients and the business/administration side of things.
“We opened up Lily Aesthetics inside our medical practice because this is one of Shannon’s passions, and she actually had a lot of her patients asking her to help them get rid of fine lines and wrinkles, tighten their necks and love handles, etc. Patients wanted a medical provider to [perform] these services—not just a drive-through aesthetic practice.”
Shannon also manages a weight loss program, where patients have lost anywhere from 20 to 80 pounds in a matter of months. “Those numbers of patients are growing exponentially,” Gurvinder says, “and we love to see the joy in these patients when they realize how much weight they have lost—and that they’re not needing their blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetes medications anymore.”
Seva Family Medicine also provides high-dose IV vitamin/fluid infusions, such as Myer’s cocktail, Immune boost, metabolism boost, and strength boost fluids. To learn more, visit sevafamilymedicine.com.
