Colorado business Hall of fame 2012: junior achievement and the Denver metro chamber of commerce honor six people whose business acumen and community involvement merit legacy status.

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Get to know this year's Colorado Business Hall of Fame laureates, and you might be able to take care of some of your most pressing wants and needs. Now in its [23.sup.st] year, the Colorado Business Hall of Fame pays tribute to the state's business leaders while promoting free enterprise and community service.

This year's class includes brewing executive Pete Coors; oil and gas veteran and famed Silver

Oak vintner Ray Duncan; American Furniture Warehouse owner Jake Jabs; ski resort and catalog retailer's David and Renie Corsueh; and private equity fund chief and former corporate executive Landis "Lanny" Martin.

Profiles of the laureates appear on the following pages. They will be honored as the newest members of the Colorado Business Hall of Fame on Jan. 26. The black-tie dinner begins at G p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center, 650 15th St.

Proceeds of the event help fund the K-12 business and economic programs of Junior Achievement, which readies 105,000 students in 525 schools throughout metro Denver. Northern Colorado and Wyoming, thanks to the efforts of 3,700 dedicated volunteers.

"The contributions of the Colorado Business Hall of Fame's six new laureates provide excellent examples for all future businessmen and women," said Robin Wise, president and CEO of Junior Achievement Rocky Mountain.

Last fall, Maria Hernandez, a junior at Jefferson High School in Edgewater, participated in the JA Finance Park, a touring program that debuted in Denver at a Wells Fargo bank atrium.

"Financing your budget is really important. You need to spend money on what you really need, not what you want, just the things that are necessary and come first." the 16-year-old said after she addressed a group of business leaders at a reception to kick off the program.

Such scenarios present the kind of reality-check experiences that encourage middle- and high-school students to stay in school and strive for good careers. Wise said.

"They also see kids during the park experience who have more education and kids who have less education," she said. "And die kids who have more education have more...