Arn Menconi
Encyclopedia
Arn Menconi is an American politician. He earned his M.B.A. At University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....

, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

 and undergraduate in Communications at DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...

 in Chicago, Illinois.

Early life and education

After moving to Vail, Colorado
Vail, Colorado
The Town of Vail is a Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,589 in 2005. The town was established and built as the base village to Vail Ski Resort, with which it was originally conceived...

 in 1991, Menconi started teaching snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...

 and saw a need for the sport to reach out to those who would not otherwise have an opportunity to visit the mountains. A fully certified snowboard instructor through the American Association of Snowboard Instructors, Menconi produced the largest amateur snowboard series for ten years through SOS and has inspired many more fundraising sport events such as the Colorado Eagle River Ride, a hundred mile road bike event. Menconi is also President of Vail Velo, the Vail Valley's biking club.

SOS Outreach

Menconi is the Founder and Executive Director of SOS Outreach
SOS Outreach
is a non-profit that works to teach underprivileged youth to make positive decisions through outdoor sports. Based in Colorado, the group has offices in Eagle County, Summit County, and the Front Range, as well as across the country in 13 different states and 45 resorts...

, formerly the Snowboard Outreach Society
Snowboard Outreach Society
SOS Outreach was renamed from Snowboard Outreach Society in 2007 to coincide with its expansion to include skiing. It is an American youth program 501 non-profit organization founded in 1993 in Avon, Colorado by Arn Menconi...

, the county's largest winter sports based youth developmental agency. The mission of SOS Outreach is to build character in underserved and underprivileged youth to enhance decision-making for healthy and successful life experiences. Headquartered in Vail, Colorado
Vail, Colorado
The Town of Vail is a Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,589 in 2005. The town was established and built as the base village to Vail Ski Resort, with which it was originally conceived...

 and founded in 1993, SOS teaches over 3000 kids each year at 30 ski resorts in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

With an operating budget of over $3 million a year, SOS Outreach is a not-for-profit organization with over 500 adult volunteers. SOS aims to build character and self-esteem in youth through snowsports and the SOS curriculum. SOS programs offer snowboarding and skiing programs and the structure of the SOS Curriculum, which include consistent adult mentors, community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....

 opportunities, and life skills workshops. Each SOS program integrates the five core values of the organization: Courage, Discipline, Integrity, Wisdom and Compassion. The core values are an integral part of the entire organization. SOS has been accredited by US Senator Ken Salazar
Ken Salazar
Kenneth Lee "Ken" Salazar is the current United States Secretary of the Interior, in the administration of President Barack Obama. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a United States Senator from Colorado from 2005 to 2009. He and Mel Martinez were the first Hispanic U.S...

 (2)(3), by the Congressional Record
Congressional Record
The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published by the United States Government Printing Office, and is issued daily when the United States Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks...

 United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 (4) and by the National Ski Area Association as a leader in sports-based youth development (5).

Political career

In 2000, Menconi was elected to the Board of County Commissioners in Eagle County, Colorado
Eagle County, Colorado
Eagle County is the thirteenth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado in the United States. The county is named for the Eagle River. The county population was 41,659 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is the Town of Eagle...

 as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

. He was reelected to his second term in 2004 and term limited in 2008. He held many board positions on local economic, environmental and social capital posts and state and national designations. For six years he was the Vice Chair of the Colorado Counties, inc. Health and Human Services Committee and a board member of the National Association for Counties' Human Services board.(6)

He is the co-founder of the Eagle County Economics Council, a forward thinking group made up of top community leaders are actively engaged in a variety of efforts to sustain long-term economic viability and high quality of life for current and future citizens of Eagle County.

Noted for his visioning skills, Menconi created the Eco Sports website, the county's only online mapping chamber for counties to showcase their recreational opportunities. Menconi's term was concerned controversial by many. He advocated for a social justice focus by creating sustainable growth management, affordable housing
Affordable housing
Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...

, budget analysis leveraging social programs and early childhood development. Twice conservatives tried to recall him without success and his first opponent accused him of having snowboarders from a neighboring county illegally vote for him. Menconi is looking forward to spending more time with his family and with SOS Outreach upon his term limit at the end of 2008 (7).

Early childhood development and environmental activism

In 2006, Menconi led a tax increase proposal to raise funds for early childhood development that lost at the polls. Menconi created a subsequent county-funded million dollar program that was the first early childcare program to bring together all four areas of early childhood — education, health, special needs and family resources.(8)

Menconi helped to bring permanent funding for open space
Open space reserve
Open space reserve, open space preserve, and open space reservation, are planning and conservation ethics terms used to describe areas of protected or conserved land or water on which development is indefinitely set aside...

 and placed thousands of areas into preservation. He led the successful campaign to acquire the two largest open space parcels in Eagle County. Working with a multi-generational ranching family and community activists, prevailed over a two year period to save a pristine 4000 acres (16.2 km²) parcel of ranch land that serves as the gateway to Glenwood Canyon. Menconi actively supported a public-private partnership
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...

 to preserve a 70 acres (283,280.2 m²) parcel of prime Eagle River land in the heart of the county's most populated area.

Social life and family

Menconi speaks on various topics of social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...

, land use, non-profit leadership and sports-based youth development. He is married to Anne Menconi, the Executive Director of the Bright Future Foundation and has two children Maya Rose and Matteo. In addition to snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...

, he is an avid cyclist and has competed in over a dozen 100 miles (160.9 km) mountain bike races. He currently lives in Eagle, Colorado
Eagle, Colorado
Eagle is a Statutory Town in and the county seat of Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population was 3,032 at the 2000 census.The town was made famous as the location of the Kobe Bryant sexual assault trial.-Demographics:...

.

External links

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