Spotlight on: Melissa Oliver
4-H Event Planner, State 4-H Office
I was born September 5, 1975,
and was raised in Southeast Colorado on a farm and ranch. I grew up very active
in 4-H and learned early my love for traveling. At 12 years I spent one month
in Japan on the one-month Labo Exchange program motivated to go back to Japan,
I took classes at the community college at nights to allow myself to graduate
the end of my Junior year at 16 years and with the help of Courtney Loflin and
many others, I moved to Japan to work for LABO. After returning from Japan, I
completed my Associate of Arts in Business and then became a world traveling
bum!
College was always a struggle for the girl who loved to wander and
see the world. As a result, I had a semester here and a semester there of
college while working and traveling. These experiences gave me the opportunity
to learn a lot about people, culture and just life in general. I held jobs in
numerous fields including: retail, banking, hotels, car sales, insurance,
travel and even construction… building log homes for a summer. Finally in
1997, I found home for several years in San Diego, CA, where I worked at San
Diego Travel Group and La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club & Sea Lodge Hotel.
In 2000, I moved to Fort Collins to marry my long-distance boyfriend. I
continued working in the travel industry at New Horizons Travel and I finally
finished my Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a
concentration in Marketing in May of 2003. Just before graduation, I stopped
into the State 4-H Office to re-connect with some of my 4-H leaders and before
I left the office that day, I landed my dream job as their event planner.
I worked in the CSU Extension State 4-H
office from March of 2003 to June of 2008. During that time, I completed my
Masters in Agriculture Sciences and Extension Education in 2007. I am fortunate
to have the opportunity to still work closely with the 4-H program and contract
with the Colorado 4-H Foundation as their event planner.
In 2008, I
separated from my husband and seemed to be back to my early 20’s living
out of my car. A fun and humbling experience! I am now divorced and,
thankfully, life taught me many things and one being to have a very civil
divorce. While divorce was (and sometimes still is) the most difficult thing I
have ever done, I am a stronger happier person for it. Terry, my ex-husband,
and I are on good terms and still communicate. I am still traveling. There are
195 countries in the world and I have only seen 15 and I have only seen 34 of
the 50 state. So, I gotta a lot world to see!
Through all my life
experiences, jobs, school, travel, and of course 4-H, I have learned to be a
good leader and care about those I work with and for. I wanted to build a
company based around family and working with community-based partners. FUN is
the basis of my company! Our philosophy is work hard but play harder… And
we do!!!
The Tula Event Productions family has three past 10-year 4-H
members, five CSU Alumni, and a Cheyenne girl who spent four years working in
Japan. 4-H and CSU are at the heart of Tula and we all work hard to build the
4-H brand. There is almost not a day that goes by when one of us is not asked
about 4-H and what is 4-H. First order of business when someone wants to join
the Tula Family… a lesson in 4-H and CSU Extension. All of us (including
those who didn’t know 4-H before they started with Tula) promote 4-H and
know the story - from the corn clubs to computers and the next 100 years. Tula
also supports Extension and CSU and doesn’t miss a beat when explaining
4-H and its connection to Extension, CSU, and USDA.
Because Tula is based on family and community, all of us
in the company work hard to support our local communities. Buying local is the
center of Tula and everyone in the company works hard to meet as many local
businesses and support them as much as possible. An example of our commitment
to community is one of our biggest successes… Networking Showcase! We hold
mini-tradeshows where small businesses can afford booth space to promote their
business and product. Tula works with another local business to hold the event
in their store or shop (again promoting that local business) and utilizing a
unique and amazing event space.
4-H remains at the heart of Tula Event
Productions and will continue to be a special part of our company. I would not
be the person I am today if it were not for this amazing organization. I have
literally grown up in the 4-H program. THANK YOU 4-H!