Because volunteers are the lifeblood of any nonprofit organization, the National Repertory Orchestra feels it is important to recognize their efforts. We have many dedicated volunteers who have given sacrificially of their time and resources, playing an integral role in the creation of the NRO’s long and rich legacy. They are all deserving of recognition but we could only choose two outstanding individuals to receive this year’s awards.
In 2015 the NRO Board of Trustees established the Michael Altenberg Leadership Award to honor individuals who have demonstrated exceptional support of the National Repertory Orchestra. This annual award recognizes a standard of patronage, volunteerism and financial support over an extended period of time that few have achieved.
The first recipient of this prestigious award was Mike Altenberg. This year’s honoree is Paul Finkel, a strong community advocate and generous patron of the arts and education. Since retiring here in 1998, he has taken on leadership roles with many local organizations, including the Summit Foundation, Breckenridge Music Festival, Summit Public Radio, the Summit County Library Foundation, Education Foundation of the Summit, Synagogue of the Summit, Summit County Arts Council and FIRC. He has served as Treasurer on the NRO Board and today he participates on our Planned Giving Committee, underwrites one of our winter fundraisers, and is the head usher for all of our concerts. Finkel’s private family foundation, F Cubed, funds educational projects and scholarship programs in Summit County and has endowed the Finkel Auditorium at CMC and the Main Reading Room of the Breck Library.
The 2016 Outstanding Volunteer is Barbara Vonderheid. She joined the Board of Trustees in January 2012 after serving as Chair of Dancing on the Peaks for two years. Nine months later she was elected President of the Board. She continues to represent the NRO on the Breckenridge Cultural Coalition Council, leading the team negotiating the RWC usage agreement with BreckCreate and the Town of Breckenridge. Barbara and her husband Mark participate in the National Repertory Orchestra’s Community Link program, hosting several musicians each summer.