Sue Anschutz-Rodgers: dynamo philanthropist still collaring wild animals.

• Position: HALL OF FAME

Rancher and philanthropist Sue Anschutz-Rodgers has always been adventurous and willing to test the thin ice, literally.

She tells the story of how as a youngster in rural western Kansas she was the one who volunteered to test the ice on the creek near her house after school to see if the kids could go skating.

In a diverse life as a businesswoman and energetic philanthropist, especially for causes in rural Colorado, Anschutz-Rodgers remains daring at age 81. She spent five weeks last summer in Africa camping in the bush, riding in helicopters and placing tracking collars on elephants and rhinos as a board member for Lewa Wildlife Conservancy of Kenya. She tells of one very exciting evening watching six lions outside her tent.

Anschutz-Rodgers was honored in November with a lifetime achievement award from the National Philanthropy Day in Colorado. She splits her time between work in Denver, ranching in Carbondale and many charitable causes.

She serves as hands-on president of the Anschutz Family Foundation, established in 1982, that has awarded more than 9,000 grants totaling more than $52 million to nonprofit and community organizations related to self-sufficiency, community development, economically disadvantaged, children and youth, seniors and the...