Jeff Toborg
Jeff Toborg’s interest in politics started at age 18 thanks to the persistence of his grandmother. At the time, his local government refused to put a new roof on the senior citizen's home. So, Jeff’s grandmother and her friends conjured up a plan to save the day: urge Jeff to run for city council. Though he didn’t win that time around, by age 24, Jeff had found his niche on the council, as well as a passion for community involvement. Years later, Jeff became a city councilman in Parker before being elected mayor in 2020.
Jeff, a California native, jokes, “I wasn’t born in Colorado, but I got here as soon as I could!” His day job involves project management in healthcare IT, hoping his business acumen serves as an asset to the Parker community. Though economic growth is a primary objective for Jeff, he hopes that expansion can be done without sacrificing Parker’s personality.
“While we grow, my goal is to maintain Parker’s small hometown feel. I hope neighbors still help neighbors, and that we don’t lose the charm and community that drew people here in the first place,” he says.
As mayor, Jeff serves the community though fostering the growth of existing businesses, celebrating new businesses and fighting for legislation to protect Parker. However, he boils down service to “being open and available to the community.”
In his free time, Jeff enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids, as well as exploring Parker’s extensive trails and open spaces. His rule of life is simple: “I love my God, I love my family and I love my community. I work hard on all of those relationships.”
Lance Brooks
Lance Brooks has not only made a name for himself through a successful construction company, 5 Rings Construction, but also through his athletic career resulting in world championships and competing in the Olympics. Before being a business owner and world champion, Lance grew up in a small town in Illinois, often working on construction sites and other jobs, which he credits with teaching him the value of hard work. Playing sports growing up, his hard work led to becoming an All-American athlete in track and field before participating in the 2012 Olympics and the 2013 World Championships.
Eight years ago, after deciding to leave behind days of rigorous training and travel, Lance started 5 Rings Welding and Construction, working as a contractor in Parker and the surrounding area. Additionally, his nephew operates 5 Rings in Lance’s home state of Illinois. Besides being an Olympic athlete, Lance isn’t your average contractor–he truly strives to build trust with his clients and values loyalty. He suggests that others looking to find pride in their careers should be brave in their decisions, as difficult decisions often lead to the most rewarding results. He recommends surrounding yourself with good people you can learn from to continue your personal and professional growth.
Apart from his welding and construction business, Lance enjoys spending time with his family and spending time outdoors, especially going up to the mountains. He is always open to new opportunities, stating that he loves what he does and will do it forever, but is open to finding new pursuits as well.
Anton Sloan
Anton Sloan has an eye for improvement. When he sees that something can be done a better way, he jumps on the challenge. When Anton moved from Scotland to the United States, he worked as a pilot. Then, as his family and bills grew, he decided to exercise his entrepreneurial chops and started a coffee roaster. In its early stages, the roaster was one of the fastest growing businesses in Denver.
One afternoon, he noticed that people in his neighborhood were getting overcharged for windows. He told his wife, “You know, I think we can offer some better pricing.” He sold the roaster and drew up a business plan. Sloan Windows and Doors was born.
Sloan Windows and Doors specializes in windows, pergolas, doors and coverings such as blinds and shutters. The family business is run by Anton, his wife, Jana, their four children and some of their children’s friends. It’s a tight knit group—they don’t hire any subcontractors that aren’t considered family.
“I couldn’t do this business without my sons,” Anton says. “We trust each other and we know we’re going to do things the right way without cutting corners.”
According to Anton, the window business is a rat race. The issue that his neighbors faced years ago isn’t going away—if anything, it’s worse. So, Anton and his family do what they can to operate with integrity and keep prices low.
“People are just getting ripped off all over the place,” Anton says. “We just want to help people. That’s the way we are as a family. I know it works because we’re busy.”
Check out Sloan Windows and Doors here: https://www.sloanwindows.com/
T.J. Sullivan
In the first half of his career, T.J. Sullivan was a frequent flyer, speaking at college auditoriums and building an industry-leading company. These days, as an established leader in Parker, he works with the Parker Chamber of Commerce, finding ways for Parker businesses to thrive. He is grateful for his earlier career, but is happy with where he is now, as it's less chaotic, sleeps in his own bed and spends more time with his children. He takes great pride in the work he does with the Chamber, recognizing the personal impact that small businesses have on their owners and the community. As he says, “The jobs you create mean a kid can play baseball or go to dance class or afford college. You can’t have a thriving community without thriving businesses."
He sees his role with the Chamber as being one of support for business owners, as it can be exhausting and lonely to try to start a new business. Nurturing the ambition, commitment and sense of communal responsibility of business owners energizes him each and every day. With over fifty new members joining the Chamber in the first quarter of 2022 alone, Parker is a growing business environment. T.J. believes in creating opportunities for others and encourages people to push through fear and go after opportunities that present themselves. He says it is important to know what you are good at and what you are not–then hire people who fill those gaps. He advises to invest in your mentors and to be one whenever you can. And, finally, to give others more love than you expect in return.
T.J. says that he inherited his pleasures from his French-born mother and loves flowers, large bodies of water, a good drink, seafood and R&B music. One day in the future, T.J. hopes to make another career change–running a small comedy club somewhere on a beach.