2010 ECF Parade Marshalls
 - Kipp & Diane Nye -
In 1992, a couple arrived in Elbert County to begin new careers: one with the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension office, and the other as a teacher in the Elizabeth School District. At the time, no one could have imagined the tremendous impact this couple would have on the County as they raised their family and pursued their professions over the next seventeen years. Fast forward to today, and there are few in the County who do not know and respect Kipp and Diane Nye. The Elbert County Fair Board is very pleased to recognize Kipp and Diane at the 2010 Elbert County Fair Parade Marshalls.

Kipp and Diane both were raised in Lamar, Colorado, and following graduation from high school both headed to Fort Collins and Colorado State University, and eventually Diane to Greeley and the University of Northern Colorado. Kipp majored in Animal Science at CSU and went on to become a Middle School teacher and Assistant Principal in Windsor.  By this time he had received his Master’s Degree in Education. Diane received her degree in Elementary Education.  Kipp and Diane were married in 1976, and began a partnership of serving youth and community that continues to this day.

In 1992, Kipp began his work through CSU as the new, still wet-behind-the-ears, Extension Agent and Director in Elbert County. But, he hit the ground running and never looked back. Over his seventeen years of service to the County, Kipp helped grow the 4-H program to one of the most robust in all of Colorado. Today, the 4-H program in Elbert County has over 550 members who participate in projects ranging from market livestock to shooting sports, to roping, to cake
decorating, to creative cooks, to geology, to leather craft….the list goes on and on. The 4-H youth of the County routinely participate and win many championships at the Colorado State Fair. Additionally, Elbert County has been well represented at district, regional and state programs and offices through all of Kipp’s Elbert County Years. In his roll as the Extension Director, Kipp also served the 4-H youth of the State as swine superintendant at the State Fair, National Western Stock Show Catch-a-Calf judge, and much more.

However, Kipp did not focus solely on the development of one of the State’s finest 4-H programs. He was equally passionate about sharing the wealth of CSU’s resources with County residents in many other areas. Under Kipp’s leadership, the Master Gardener program in Elbert County grew from a quiet group of a few residents, mostly women, to a vibrant group of both men and women who have helped residents from Agate to Elizabeth and from Simla to the Northwest corner of the County understand the breadth, enjoyment, and value of responsible landscaping and gardening in our semi-arid home on the High Plains. Additionally, Kipp spearheaded a vigorous and active program for educating people about the dangers of noxious weeds. He helped coordinate the Elbert County Weed Commission; he secured numerous grants to build weed study areas, and he never let the County Commissioners forget their responsibilities for
controlling such weeds. In one project, funded by a grant secured by Kipp, he pulled together over ten landowners along Running Creek in the Western part of the County to participate in a two-year program to study the nature of Leafy Spurge and methods by which it can be controlled. Not only was this an incredible service to these landowners, but he probably helped considerably slow the spread of this noxious weed to other parts of the County through this project.

Over his seventeen years of service to the County and CSU Cooperative Extension, Kipp was a champion for improved range management, regularly sponsoring and teaching workshops for beef ranchers, small acreage land owners, home owner associations, and municipalities. He offered courses on water usage and availability, responsible grazing practices, and much more. In short, Kipp’s well stated and always evident mission was to use the extensive resources
provided by CSU to help make Elbert County a pleasant, economically viable, and productive place to live.

His work extended beyond the borders of Elbert County, though. He developed a state-wide program in cooperation with the Colorado State Patrol to provide training for CSP officers in communicating with the people they serve. This innovative program that helped coach the patrol officers, resulted in the CSP being highly regarded throughout the State for exceptional service and outstanding communication skills. Kipp also developed the state-wide Building Youth Through Effective Coaching Program, where rural coaches, far from college campuses, receive training in order to encourage and develop the abilities and responsibilities of student athletes.

Kipp has received numerous awards for his exceptional work on behalf of youth, CSU, and the entire State. In 2008, he was named a Colorado State Patrol Honorary Colonel (there are only 30 of them). He received the 4-H/Youth Division Award from the Colorado County Agents Association, and in 2007 received the National Agricultural County Agents Distinguished Service Award.

Upon moving to Elbert County in 1992, Diane went to work for the Elizabeth School District, where she served with distinction at Running Creek Elementary. She was a long-time third grade teacher, taught special education and gifted students and later in her career served as the instructional coach for the school. In 2001, Diane was named, from a national pool of applicants, the “Teacher on the Trail” for the famed Iditarod Dog Sled Race in Alaska. Decked out in
parkas so thick one hardly could detect her body inside, Diane sent daily emails and reports not only to Running Creek Elementary, but also to numerous schools throughout the nation and the world.

Diane served as a 4-H project leader in photography for Running Creek 4-H Club and also in Weld County before coming to Elbert. She was a founding member of the Elizabeth Wrestling Booster Club and its secretary for several years. She also served on many school district committees and was co-president of the teachers’ organization for three years. For the last three years, she was a volunteer proofreader for the Master Gardeners’ newsletter, learning a lot about gardening and Elbert County along the way. 

Diane was, like Kipp, a fixture at the Elbert County Fair, where for many, many years she served as the official photographer, taking pictures of events, programs, exhibits, and, of course, very proud youth with their various livestock projects. One particularly challenging species was the swine. Hogs just do not like to stand and have their pictures taken, so Diane devised a clever system of feed bowls, always full of grain and corn, just out of camera view, to keep the pigs
focused just long enough for her to snap the picture. Each year, the 4-H community looked forward to Diane’s slide show of the fair, where she somehow managed to include at least one shot of virtually every County 4-H member!

Kipp and Diane raised their three children, Patrick, Kathryn, and Kyle in Elbert County, and all were active and very successful in the 4-H program: Patrick with his entomology displays and his love of shooting sports, Kathryn with her horses, calligraphy, and horse judging, and Kyle with his hogs and chickens. Each now is married and pursuing careers and family adventures that they, too, will share with children one day.

In the summer of 2009, after earning her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, Diane accepted a position in Lamar as Principal of Parkview Elementary School. So, sadly, the residents of Elbert County helped the Nyes pack and move back to where they grew up many years ago. But, Kipp and Diane return to Elbert County often to see friends, engage in some “big town” shopping, and to support various County 4-H programs or projects.

We are very proud to honor Kipp and Diane as the Parade Marshalls for this year’s County Fair. No couple has been more dedicated or deserving!!!