ALAMOSA – Over 40 percent of students at Adams State are the first in their family to attend college. And that makes a difference for Adams State University Board of Trustee Member Reeves Brown, who stands up for the institution he serves largely because it is the only gateway for many students to pursue their dreams and ambitions.

Brown believes if one of the larger Colorado universities were to go out of business, every one of the 35,000 students would likely relocate to a different university to complete their higher education experience.

“However, Adams State serves as the only gateway for so many of the students within our diverse population to pursue those dreams and ambitions,” he says. “In those cases, Adams State is not just an avenue for their pursuit, it is the avenue.”

And Adams State and the San Luis Valley share the benefits of the shared place. Brown believes Adams State has a much more significant impact on Alamosa and the broader San Luis Valley community than larger institutions up north.

“It is a two-way street. Adams State depends on the support of the community to be effective and sustainable and it is important for Adams State to continue to seek every opportunity to engage the community collaboratively and ensure we are in-step with the community’s culture.”

Brown grew up on his family’s fifth generation cattle ranch in eastern Montana and understands the significance of a strong relationship between the University and its rural surroundings.

“Adams State is an integral part of the San Luis Valley cultural fabric and simply cannot long exist if we find ourselves out-of-step with our broader community,” he says.

The year 2021 is only a couple months away, and Adams State is poised for the 100-year anniversary of the institution’s founding. “Regardless if we are celebrating Adams State’s 100th birthday, 101st birthday, or every birthday thereafter, we will continually reassess our unique and essential role in serving our student population and adapt however appropriate in order to prepare them to be most successful,” Brown said. In the future, he sees the board working collaboratively with students, faculty, and staff, and the community to improve the institution’s education experience.

Reeves received a B.S. in agriculture business and a minor degree in economics from Montana State University. He is an independent public policy consultant and project coordinator for the “Building a Better Colorado’’ project, a non-partisan effort to engage Coloradans in a constructive conversation about how to improve their state and seek consensus public policy recommendations. Reeves served on Governor John Hickenlooper’s cabinet as Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) from 2011-2015. He also served as the executive director of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and oversaw the creation of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agriculture Land Trust, which led to the protection of over two million acres of agriculture land nationwide.