LARAINE SALDIVAR
DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING

Involvement:
Denver Leadership Foundation Alumni
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Project Angel Heart
Urban Land Institute
National Western Association and Citizen of the West Arrangements Committee

WHERE IS YOUR HOMETOWN?
Houston, Texas – It’s big! It’s hot! Best Mexican food around. It is a great place to be from, and Colorado is my home now. Been here for more than 24 years.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE FAMOUS FOR?
Making a positive impact, even if it’s just impactful to one person.
I always say:

“Give an hour. Give a dollar. Give something.”

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
Something outside with my favorite adventure partners, Shawn, Taisie, and Tuli (furry babies). Sometimes we take the human kids with us if they are around. I love to cook, eat, travel, movies, live music, watch the Broncos, kayak/SUP, golf, motorcycle rides, hike, camp, and ski. Just about anything that doesn’t involve freefalling from a plane.

WHAT’S SOMETHING PEOPLE WOULDN’T GUESS ABOUT YOU?
I love to backpack! When I first moved to Colorado, I didn’t own any camping or backpacking gear. Fortunately, I met some women that had formed an outdoor activities group. I started mountain biking, but absolutely fell in love with backpacking. With a borrowed backpack, I hiked one of the hardest trails in the Black Canyon of Gunnison and climbed back out in the pouring rain, lightning, and mud. Could hardly walk for a week because of the steep terrain, but I was hooked! I have been backpacking with the same three women for more than 20 years!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE?
”The mind is everything. What you think, you become.” - Buddha

WHAT’S THE BEST PLACE YOU HAVE EVER VISITED?
Greece. I went to a wedding about 5 years ago and have been back almost every year since. The fresh fruits and vegetables, delicious seafood, the people, the history, and the water keep me going back as much as possible. I hope to sail the islands in the future.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE US DESTINATION?
Any place warm and sunny with some water. We spent a week camping on the beach at Lake Powell one summer. We made our way to South Dakota in a camper last summer, stopping a few lakes on the way to SUP and kayak.