VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
The Telluride Foundation’s Volunteer of the Year Award is given in recognition of someone who has unselfishly contributed to our regional community through volunteerism, community service or philanthropy. The recipient is nominated though an open community process and selected by Telluride Foundation.
At an annual community celebration, the recipient(s) is awarded a grant of $5,000 to be given in their name to the local nonprofit of their choice as well as a commemorative plaque.
2026 Nominations are open. Click HERE to submit your nominee!
The Telluride Foundation is proud to announce Barbara Hinterkopf as the recipient of the 2025 Volunteer of the Year Award (Awarded Posthumously). Barbara Hinterkopf’s dedication to education, equity, and the empowerment of young women left an enduring impact on the Telluride community and beyond. As President of SPARKy, Barbara championed access to higher education for first-generation Latinas by leading the Latina Scholarship Fund, mentoring students, and ensuring they felt supported both financially and emotionally.
Barbara went far beyond traditional volunteer service—she believed in each student’s potential and never gave up on them. Whether guiding young women through SAT prep, checking in with college students, or comforting a student overwhelmed by financial aid concerns, she was always present and compassionate. In addition to her work with SPARKy, Barbara was a founding board member of CARE Elementary School and supported local arts and education initiatives, including the Ah Haa School’s capital campaign. Her efforts have helped hundreds of students realize their academic and personal goals.
Our 2025 winner shares this honor with , Terry Tice (2003), Lissa Margetts (2004), John Micetic (2005), Bill Carstens (2006), John Pryor and Jane Hickcox (2007), Kathy Green (2008), Marilyn Branch (2009), Dan and Greer Garner and Andrea Benda (2010) and Billy “Senior” Mahoney (2011), Anne Brady (2012), Dean Rolley (2013), Kristin Holbrook (2014), Gary Freedman (2015), Elaine Fischer (2016), Wendy Brooks (2017), Susan Rice (2018), Barb Gross (2019), and San Miguel County Search and Rescue and Cat & Barthold Lichtenbelt and Marti & Partick O’Leary (2020), Corinne Cavender, Lollie Lavercombe, Cara Wilder (2021) Claudia Garcia Curzio, Julia Millan Avila, and Andres Jacinto Alonzo (2022), David Sussman (2023), Emily Haight & Leila Seraphin (2024)