Left Hand Laurel: Kristin Alger

A Colorado native, this month's Left Hand Laurel recipient, Kristin Alger, grew up following her parents' advice to "always be a volunteer." Now a half century later, this long-time employee of the international medical device firm, Medtronic, volunteers more than ever, and is an inspiration to her many friends and neighbors in Niwot.

A familiar face in Niwot – "Everyone knows my dog," she says, "he's a friendly and gregarious mutt named Maxwell," Alger was born in Green Mountain near Red Rocks, attended Colorado College in Colorado Springs, then transferred to Fort Lewis College where her initial career path led her to her first job as an on-air reporter for a local news radio station in Durango.

She quickly moved on to doing media relations for the local chamber of commerce, then technical writing. She has since "traveled the world," from China and Israel to France and Italy overseeing audits for Medtronic, a company founded in Boston which has since expanded around the world and employs 95,000 people.

Most of the time, Alger works from home and says, "I can't complain." Even though she only moved back to Niwot 17 years ago – "and will never leave," she has a long connection to the community since, for many years, her father and stepmother owned the restaurant now known as Niwot Tavern, which was originally called Flanagan's. Flanagan's was an Irish Pub they started after retiring from IBM in the late 1990s.

Alger's smiling face, excitement and enthusiasm are contagious. Her face lights up when she talks about some of her many volunteer activities in Niwot, including volunteering at the beer tent at Rock & Rails, co-planning the Day After Thanksgiving Window Decorating Contest for local businesses with Carissa Brandes, and serving on the board of directors of the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA).

Most recently, in early February, Alger co-organized "Let's Wine About Winter," an event for local businesses and local residents that raised over $13,000 for the NCAA. Her co-organizer for this event was Anne Postle, owner of Osmosis art gallery and an adjacent architectural firm on 2nd Avenue.

"It was a really fun event," Alger said, smiling. "Local businesses bought wine and snacks. Local residents checked in at Pat Murphy's real estate office and got a coffee mug with a $10 coupon in it. Participating businesses had signs out front that said, 'Shush - There's Wine in Here' and this year we had 500 participants."

Alger moved early in her career to Denver, was successful as a fund-raiser for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and was eventually transferred to Detroit.

With a smile, she described a terrifying and horrific incident which determined her move back to her home state of Colorado 17 years ago and her decision to "never to move out of Niwot again."

The incident occurred in Detroit, which in those days was a high crime area. She was awakened "in the middle of the night" to find an intruder who had broken into her house. "I woke up because it was raining hard and my dogs were barking and I grabbed my phone."

"I'm screaming 'Get out! 'Get out!' and miraculously, he did get out. They found him two days later in my neighbor's garage," she added.

"I decided to move back to Niwot," she concluded. "It was 2005."

At first, she said, she worked as a bartender at Flanagan's. "I even worked when I first came back to Niwot as a checker at the cash register at the Niwot Market." She added, "I just wanted to stay here and figure out what I was going to do."

And she did. Not only does Alger have a successful career, many friends and neighbors, a happy dog, great volunteer activities, and a trip planned to Sicily this summer with her partner, an Italian chef and general manager at Trattoria Caprese, but she has confidence in the decision she made many years ago to return. "I love Niwot," she said with a smile. "I'll never leave."