Regional co-coordinator brings together Grinnellians on the Front Range
Nov. 07, 2018 — Volunteering is something that comes natural to Jason Reynolds ‘94.
He started off volunteering for the Office of Admission at Grinnell College when he was a student by giving tours of the campus. After graduating from Grinnell with a degree in anthropology, Reynolds interviewed prospective students for the College.
“It was a natural progression after that,” he says.
A resident of Littleton, Colorado, Reynolds is now co-coordinator for the Front Range Regional Network. The alumni group works together to formulate plans that foster community in the Front Range communities of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.
Jason Reynolds ’94, right, listens to a comment made by Steve MacFarlane '82, Puget Sound regional coordinator, during a regional network volunteers meeting Saturday in Grinnell.
Reynolds says he thoroughly enjoys hosting and coordinating community events for Grinnell, especially the College’s annual Global Day of Service in June. The first year the Front Range group took part in Global Day of Service they restored hiking trails that had washed away in the mountains due to weather-related causes.
The Grinnell group collaborated with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. Participants used trail building tools to make the repairs at White Ranch Open Space near Golden. With over 80 volunteers in total that day, a lot was accomplished, Reynolds says.
“The first Global Day of Service was my favorite event to coordinate.” he says. “It was a neat project. There are many spectacular trails around Denver.”
In addition, the committee has volunteered to clean up and do landscape maintenance in parks around the Denver area. The group also has collaborated with Angelica Village, an organization that nurtures conscious community living spaces for people with special abilities, families seeking refuge from war and violence, and individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
Reynolds will conduct a poll next year to see what type of volunteer work the group may want to take on in the future. They usually focus on outdoor activities, working with Denver’s Parks and Recreation.
While service is a big part of the group’s mindset, there’s plenty of time for socialization too. The regional group’s annual summer picnic, which Reynolds co-hosts, brings together alumni, family members, current and entering students, and friends of the College. Reynolds also has helped organize a pub night, and a bike and brunch ride. The gatherings have gone a long way to strengthening the local Grinnell community.
Planning is also a big part of Reynolds’ career. He is a planning commissioner for the City of Littleton and a planning program manager for Arapahoe County. He enjoys applying various skills, such as creativity, math, art, and politics in urban planning.
“It is challenging and rewarding,” Reynolds said. “There’s always something new and interesting in the community.”
In his spare time, Reynolds likes to read, cook, brew beer, and play video games. He also does a fair amount of outdoor activities, such as mountain biking and jogging.
“There’s so much lovely wilderness within a short drive from Denver,” he says.
Reynolds said there are about a dozen individuals that periodically participate in regional group activities. Reynolds said they are looking for ways to recruit more Grinnellians in Colorado to take part.
“It’s fascinating to connect with other Grinnell alumni,” he says. “We’d love to share that bonding experience with additional alums.”
—by Lisa Shapiro
For your information:
Did you know Grinnell has a dozen regional networks in a dozen cites? For information about each of the cities, contact the regional coordinators or get in touch with Anna Halpin-Healy ‘13, assistant director of alumni relations for regional programs, at 641-269-3186 or halpinhe2@grinnell.edu.
To read more alumni news, check out our news archive.