Jeff Hertzke | Senior Vice President Points West Community Bank
Growing up just outside of Windsor on his family’s dairy farm, Jeff Hertzke absorbed a strong work ethic at a young age. Witnessing his parents and their dedication to providing for not only their family but their employees as well, instilled in him a motivation to provide for others the way he was provided for growing up. His parents offered him and his siblings the opportunity to be able to do good in school, excel in sports, and learn responsibility. This is something he hopes to have passed on to his children as well.
Attending Windsor schools since the first grade, Jeff has been a part of this community since he was a boy. One piece of advice that he received early on in his career was “Lead by example and don’t be afraid to do the little things.” Jeff has carried that knowledge with him throughout his career, and he applies that to every aspect in his life. His work ethic and drive have helped move him to where he wanted to be, and he has become more involved within his community. Serving on multiple community foundation boards for the school districts, Jeff enjoys being able to help offer even more opportunities to the families and students of Windsor.
His foundation helped shape the man he has become, and he is grateful to be able to give back and help watch the community that made him become even better. Keeping honesty at his core, Jeff believes in taking things one day at time, and being an overall kind and good person.
Martin Lind | Founder of The Water Valley Company, CEO of the Colorado Eagles
Growing up in agriculture and farming just outside of Windsor, Martin Lind never dreamed he would become a developer in this area. Taking what he learned from his youth in agriculture has helped him stand apart and make great strides in both business and community relationships. Using common sense as a guiding factor, their team strives to put community first in all their decisions. Making sure their projects are tangible and stand on their own merit to create amenities that bring joy to both his team and to Northern Colorado alike. Being involved as a community member and leader has helped drive and motivate Martin to bring new opportunities focused on keeping Windsor's “small town charm” at the heart of all they do.
His core faith in Christ has helped carry him through tough times and kept him knowing that tomorrow is going to be okay no matter how bad today may have been. That same faith has helped him lift others and support them on their path. Family is at the center of Martin’s world. As a fourth generation Windsor native, his roots run deep and the family tree is expanding. He believes in leading by example and instilling in them a legacy of faith, optimism, common sense, and a strong work ethic.
Being entrenched in the community is something Martin hopes to continue going forward and for his family to emulate. He encourages everyone to find what they love and to do their best every day at it, and the Lord will do the rest.
Tyler Smith | Chief Sales & Marketing Officer
Growing up in Windsor, Tyler has always appreciated the comradery and hometown feeling that you get from being centered here. Coming from a north- ern Colorado family, Tyler was the first to earn a four-year degree, attending UNC for his undergrad in business management. Through internships in the early part of his career, Tyler was able to work in project management and business development roles for some big companies and found his niche in relationships and business development. He rose through the ranks to C-level officer roles and has been named “40 under 40” and achieved multiple forms of recognition for his accomplishments. Grateful to still be in the community, he enjoys that “salt of the earth” small town feel and how Windsor has stayed true to its roots even during its evolution in the last 25 years.
Family is and always has been a large part of Tyler’s world. “Success is not wealth, it’s not extrinsic value, but it is defined by the happiness and the well-being of my loved ones and family” he states. One of his biggest inspirations in life is his wife, Rachelle. “She is constantly there for the ones she loves, is a wonderful mother to our children, a friend to all who know her, and she even finds time to go back to school to work on her goals. Her attitude about life and her support are two things that mean the world to me” shares Tyler. Family is the reason he pushes harder for his goals and through adversity, to try to provide better for those that surround him.
Sean Pike | Owner of Pikes Auto Care
Born and raised Windsor native Sean Pike comes from a long line of businessmen. Growing up, he was inspired by his family to work hard and set the bar high, coming from a place where a word and a handshake were how business was conducted. After graduating from Windsor, Sean attended business school and began his journey as an entrepreneur starting several businesses across multiple industries, including Pikes.
Sean learned from his father to eat, sleep, and breath your business and to really be a part of it. Honesty and integrity are two things engrained in the fiber of who he is and how he conducts himself. He believes in taking care of the people around him, knowing that you can’t do it all alone and that his team is a big part of what makes things happen. “If you use kindness, honesty, integrity, and hard work, those things are the combination for success in my mind and that is what I was taught and that applies to all aspects of life in general” shares Sean.
Being an extreme athlete, he finds that exercise and prayer help him manage any difficulties or stressors that life can bring. Sean has always been driven and he genuinely believes in surrounding himself with the best people possible. Knowing that he has humans he respects and appreciates to bounce things off and help keep him positive and accountable is something he holds in high esteem. Leading by example, and with love, Sean strives to continue to learn and grow and help the community around him to do the same.
Erich Ehrlich | Partner with Renaissance Insurance Group
Erich Ehrlich has been involved in the Windsor community from a young age, being student body president in high school and sitting on accountability committees through the school district were a pre curser or a bridge to the involvement he would have later. Dating back to 1903, his family’s roots have been planted here, making him a 3rd generation business owner in this area. Growing up in a rural setting centered around family and work ethic, he attributes those learning experiences to his dedication, tenacity, and character.
After graduating college, Erich returned to Windsor to begin his insurance career and has been intertwined within the community on numerous fronts ever since. He has served on the Windsor Chamber, school boards, been a part of the school booster clubs, united way, and was also a middle school football coach for 16 years; just to name a few. His involvement in these activities have helped him understand what community really represents and have added to the spice of his life.
Instilled with a burning desire to reach his goals, Erich measures those goals in years not days and tries not to get caught up on the small and short-term things. He highlights that challenges and failures do not mean you aren’t doing anything good and that we can learn from every set back if we choose to, stating that balance is the key. He chooses to define success by doing the best he can each day, thanking the Lord each night, and helping others along his journey; which is something we could all do more of.
One of my favorite quotes
"Work Eight hours and sleep Eight hours, and make sure that they are not the same eight hours" T.Boon Pickens
Clay Drake | Co-Owner of Drake & Partners Real Estate
To say Windsor native Clay Drake is inspiring would be an understatement. His story, his outlook, and his faith are a pillar of strength, even under the most difficult of life’s seasons. Witnessing his parent’s work ethic and drive helped fuel his internal motivation from a young age, learning that you can always find your way through even the hardest of times. He has learned to keep an open mind in life, and to lean into the hard things knowing they will bring the most fulfillment. With an impressive career in numerous fields, Clay now focuses on the business he and his wife own, and his time with his family.
His journey, and really his story, changed around 8 years ago in 2015, when he was diagnosed with cancer. Despite his illness and the challenges he faces daily, Clay feels he has been given a chance to approach life differently, and to be intentionally present with the people he loves. “I think the biggest thing that changed in me is that out of something bad came something good and that’s the lesson there. Bad things will happen to you, but you have a choice about whether you stay positive or choose to focus on the negative. Accepting the hard things only makes us appreciate the good more” he shares.
Being an already very faith-based man, Clay has found that his relationship with God has deepened even further during this chapter of his life, and he finds great joy in that growth. Discovering that his definition of success has changed, he sees the abundance all around him and the grace of God everywhere. His attitude and outlook are contagious, and his light is a beacon of truth. Clay sets an example for us all not to judge, to make others feel loved, to learn from one another in moments of opposition, to always speak your truth and love for others, and to see the good even through the bad.
