Karla Shriver, Konnie Martin and Leroy Salazar

ALAMOSA — LeRoy Salazar retired from the Board of Directors of San Luis Valley Federal Bank at the Bank’s annual meeting in January.  He was granted emeritus status upon his retirement.  Salazar had been on the board since 1995 and served as Chairman of the Board since 2016. Duane Bussey, CEO of the Bank said, “We are grateful to LeRoy for the leadership and counsel he provided to the Bank for so many years.  With his experience as a business owner, agricultural engineer, and farmer, he provided a valuable local perspective that was so helpful in decision-making and strategic planning for the Bank. LeRoy’s integrity and strong work ethic are consistent with the values we strive to live up to at the Bank. We are excited he will remain active with the Bank in his role as an emeritus director.”

Salazar and his wife, Michelle, reside at their home outside of Manassa and will remain focused on their farm operation and many other community organizations. Besides staying active with the Bank Board, LeRoy will continue to be actively involved with the water community in the Valley.  He has been a driving force in organizing Sub-district #3 and is currently chairman of that organization.

He will continue to stay involved with the Hope for Children Foundation and plans to spend more time with his family.

Karla Shriver was elected to the Chair of the Board position at the Annual Meeting to succeed Salazar.  She has served as the Vice Chair of the Board since 2016 and has been on the Board since 2000.  Shriver came to the Valley after five years working for the Farm Credit System in Wichita and Montrose.  She was a partner in ProView Real Estate from 1985 to 2010, specializing in the sale of ag property.  After phasing out this business, she served two terms as Rio Grande County Commissioner from 2011 to 2019.  She has operated her farm since 1985 in Rio Grande County.

Shriver has been very active with community service across the Valley.  She is a Trustee of the Ralph Outcalt Foundation and a SLV Regional Council member of the El Pomar Foundation and the Chair of Water Sub-District #2.  She’s also a member of Citizens for Colorado’s Water, the San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District, The Colorado Water Congress, and has a key leadership role with the Friends of Ski-Hi Park.

She is a graduate of Colorado State University with a BS in agricultural business.

“We’re excited to have Karla step into the lead role for our Board, said Bussey.  She has many years of experience with the Bank as our longest-tenured board member, and her diverse background including agriculture, local government, and the non-profit world is a tremendous asset for the Bank.”

The Board elected Konnie Martin to fill the vacancy created by Salazar’s retirement.  Konnie is the CEO of San Luis Valley Health in Alamosa and has served in that position since 2013.  Previous to the SLV Health CEO role, she served as the organization’s Chief Financial Officer. Konnie also held various leadership roles at Valley Wide Health Systems, including Chief Operating Officer.    

She has been active in a number of community and professional organizations including, serving on the Colorado Hospital Association Board of Directors, where she was the Chairperson for 2019-2020. Konnie was recently named to the American Hospital Association Rural Healthcare Council.

Martin is a graduate of the University of Arkansas-Monticello, and she has received significant leadership and health management training during her 30+ years in the health care industry. She completed the Health Care Executive Program at the Johnson & Johnson/UCLA Anderson School of Business and earned the AHA Health Care System Transformation Fellowship.

She and her husband Damon, the Cross Country and Track and Field head coach at Adams State University, reside in Alamosa. 

“Konnie will be a great addition to our Board of Directors,” Bussey said.  “She has been very successful in a number of leadership roles in the demanding world of health care, and she has been very involved in the San Luis Valley community. She is highly respected in her profession, on both a state and national level, and a very high character person.”