College of Business Alumni
The UCCS College of Business Lifetime Entrepreneurship Award
2009 Recipient
Gary Loo
President and CEO, High Valley Land Company
Chairman, High Valley Group
Award Luncheon Founders Circle Sponsors
Award Criteria
The
UCCS College of Business Alumni Association has set the following
selection criteria for the Lifetime Entrepreneurship Award:1. The honoree has created or reinvented a thriving company in the Pikes Peak region.
2. The honoree has had an impact on the economy and quality of life of the Pikes Peak region in several of the following areas:
-Number of people employed
-Volume of sales
-Beneficial influence on public policy
-Philanthropic impact
3. The honoree has sustained involvement in the community.
4. The honoree has continued to live in the Pikes Peak region.
About Gary Loo
Gary's connection to UCCS goes back to the university's earliest days, when he attended a few classes in a building downtown. Following
graduation from the University of Northern Colorado in 1964, Gary
joined the family business, Looart Press, Inc. He was elected Vice
President in 1967. Looart was merged with Current, Inc., another family
business, and he was named President in 1976. Current, Inc., the primary
subsidiary of Looart Press, designs, manufactures and distributes
directly to the consumer a complete line of greeting cards, stationery,
gift wrap and related products. In 1986 Looart/Current were sold to
Primerica and Gary became President of High Valley Group, Inc. a
private investment company. In 2003, Gary was named Chairman for High
Valley Group, Inc.Gary has literally had a hand in changing the shape of Colorado Springs. He was instrumental in developing the huge Briargate subdivision in northeast Colorado Springs, and provided a $1.5 million loan to help build Sky Sox Stadium. Gary has also had significant investments in Nighthawk Industries (sold to Williams, PLC) and Izze Beverage Company of Boulder (sold to PepsiCo in 2006).
Gary is a 1997 recipient of the UCCS Distinguished Service Award, and has served on numerous city and county task forces including the City of Colorado Springs Long Range Planning and the Emergency Housing Task Forces. He has a long-standing commitment and involvement with community affairs, particularly service related agencies. He has been named the Colorado Springs Businessperson of the Year by the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce. In February 2009, the Loo family was inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame. Gary continues to serve his community through his work on several boards, including the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Foundation, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Foundation, and the Air Force Academy Foundation.
“Gary Loo exemplifies the type of entrepreneur we want to recognize,” said Venkat Reddy, dean, College of Business. “His commitment to his dream and to our community, makes him an ideal role model for our students and other budding entrepreneurs.”
About the Award
On April 21 at an awards luncheon at The Club at Flying Horse, the college will honor Gary Loo, President and CEO, High Valley Land Company and Chairman, High Valley Group. Gary is probably better known, though, in his former role as President of Current, Inc.The award luncheon is a fundraising event to support the UCCS College of Business and the work does to support more than 7000 alumni, student, college, and community connections. Founding sponsors of the award luncheon are American National Bank, Flying Horse Foundation, Nunn Construction, Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, and Stockman Kast Ryan + Co.
About the keynote speaker, Jerry McMorris
Keynote speaker, Jerry McMorris, is no newcomer to entrepreneurial ventures, either. McMorris, a 1962 University of Colorado alumnus, jumped into entrepreneurship as a sophomore in college when he purchased a small trucking company, which he turned into one of the largest trucking companies in North America, NW Transport Services. Jerry has also had a hand in development of Timnath, Colorado, and in building a large windmill farm in Wyoming. He’s most famous, however, for saving the Colorado Rockies. Jerry led an ownership group that brought the expansion team to Denver when the original deal began to fall apart. He served as president and CEO from 1992 until 2001. He sold his stake in the team in 2005. He now serves as the chairman of the National Western Stock Show. Jerry has maintained his close ties to CU, and serves on the advisory board of the Leeds College of Business at CU-Boulder.
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Founded in 1965,UCCS, is the fastest growing university in Colorado and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 29 bachelor’s degrees, 18 master’s and four doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 7,700 students.