06 Colorado Business Hall of Fame.

• Position: SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION - 17th Annual Colorado Business Hall of Fame - Advertisement

Colorado's rich history is dotted with scores of truly outstanding men and women who have helped make our state what it is today. Among them are the business leaders who have dedicated so much of their lives to providing our region with both professional and philanthropic leadership. In their honor, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and Junior Achievement- Rocky Mountain Inc. are proud to present the 17th Annual Colorado Business Hall of Fame. Committed to ensuring the vitality of our workforce, this event recognizes outstanding role models for tomorrow's business and civic leaders and sets a standard of excellence for our community.

The seven individuals being inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame this year have achieved unmatched success in their respective professional industries. In addition, each of our laureates has made invaluable contributions to Colorado's civic and community organizations through monetary support and dedication of time and resources.

The Denver Metro Chamber and Junior Achievement hope you will join us as we honor these leaders who have helped shape Colorado's communities and built a legacy for the future. Proceeds from this black-tie event will help fund the K-12 business and economic programs of Junior Achievement and the leadership, public policy, economic development and small business development programs of the Denver Metro Chamber. For more information, or to purchase tickets to the event, please call 303-628-7369 or visit www.denverchamber.org.

ABOUT THE DENVER METRO CHAMBER

The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce is the voice of the regional business community, advocating on behalf of member companies on issues critical to the economic vitality and quality of life within the region. Chamber membership includes more than 2,500 metro area companies and their 300,000 employees, representing the region's largest corporations, as well as the smallest entrepreneurial ventures. Along with its affiliates, the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, Denver Metro Small Business Development Center, and the Denver Metro Chamber Foundation, the organization is focused on economic development, tax policy, transportation, health care reform and small business services. For more information, go to www.denverchamber.org

ABOUT JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT

Junior Achievement relies on the success of business professionals to inspire students to reach their full potential. Junior Achievement's K-12 business and economic curriculum comes to life when volunteers from the business community lead students through the innovative, hands-on lesson plans. Volunteers act as invaluable role models for students and provide relevance to what students learn, showing students the link between education and future opportunity. During the 2005-06 school year, Junior Achievement's proven programs will reach 85,000 young people in 500 schools in Denver and Northern Colorado, and will be taught by 3,000 volunteers. Share your success and inspire kids to reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.jacolorado.org or call (303) 534-JAJA.

TOM GLEASON

The story of Fort Collins' phenomenal growth over the last 40-plus years wouldn't be complete without including the impressive career of now retired banker Tom Gleason.

Gleason was born in 1928 and, at the age of 28, went to work for First National Bank--one of only two banks in Fort Collins at the time. He first worked in the consumer loan department, the beginning of a career at First National Bank that would last for more than four decades. Gleason climbed the corporate ladder at First National until he eventually became president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors. Gleason helped the bank grow its assets from $7 million to, currently, more than a billion dollars.

As Fort Collins grew, so did the bank. Throughout that growth, Gleason always maintained a close relationship with local merchants. Gleason now says that taking care...