In the 1980s Lisa Curtis saw a need for an organization to provide trust and insight on businesses in the Northern Colorado area. Curtis pursued this need until she established the Better Business Bureau (BBB) serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming on May 17, 1983.
Today, the values established in 1983 continue to be upheld by the BBB as they celebrate 40 years of serving the community through ethics, trust and dedication. Since their founding, the BBB has operated on eight principles; building trust, advertising honestly, telling the truth, being transparent, honoring promises, being responsible, safeguarding privacy and embodying integrity.
The organization has been female-led since 1983 as they have served the community. “I have the honor to work with just really smart people, who are dedicated to our mission,” said Shelley Polansky, current president and CEO of the Northern Colorado and Wyoming BBB. Polansky and her team are dedicated to their mission of helping the community be familiar with the businesses they work with.
In addition to working with her team, Polansky also enjoys working with businesses and hearing their histories. “It's amazing how many generations of family leadership have gone into running and owning those businesses,” Polansky said. “So that, to me, is super fulfilling to get to hear their stories.”
As they have provided services to businesses, the BBB has adjusted their organization to best serve the public. They have done this throughout their history, from 1995 when they shifted from service by phone to an automated voice response system to their development of the BBB Community Center under Polansky. The new community center offers a space for businesses to work and collaborate with the BBB.
As they engage with the community and businesses, the BBB also strives to honor these businesses. They do this through their annual Torch Awards for Ethics, in which they honor businesses who have upheld the BBB ethics. This year, they will celebrate the 25th year of the Torch Awards with their 40th anniversary of the organization on April 27th at the Embassy Suites in Loveland.
While the BBB has adjusted as the world has changed, they hold the same values as they did in 1983.
“The world has changed but our values haven't,” Polansky said. “So, even though our programs, products, services and technology have continued to evolve since our founding 40 years ago, what hasn't changed is our commitment to trust and ethics and our commitment to those sets of ethical frameworks.”