In the Beginning there was Judith

The year was 1972. Picture two women sharing a cup of coffee while their children—seven of them—played nearby. Those women, Judith Bortz and Betsy Carey, both former teachers, had just heard of a small grant made available by Junior League to do “something” in Denver’s schools.

Being the creative educators that they were, their vision was to enrich the education in Denver’s schools. They submitted a proposal that would bring volunteer speakers into our schools who would share their knowledge and passions with DPS students. The proposal was accepted, and they found 30 individuals, initially parents of students in the 10 elementary schools they were serving, who were willing to be part of this new adventure.  

The program, initially called Operation Community Talent, grew quickly. More schools came on board. More volunteer presenters said “Yes”. The search for funding was on. Judith and Betsy decided to job share leadership of the organization, as raising seven children was also a full time job!

Fast forward—Judith went on to lead the organization for over 25 years. Her leadership, commitment and grace were the cornerstone upon which Community Resources, Inc. was built. Her work with CRI was definitely a labor of love. As she told her husband, “This was the most exhaustive fun I’ve ever had.”

Now, 50 years and over one million students impacts later, we say a BIG THANK YOU to this wonderful woman. She turned her vision into a plan and then she worked and worked her plan, bringing wonderful learning opportunities to countless children in our community.

Great leaders are hard to find and impossible to forget.