Member Bio

Member #: 93
Member Year: 2011
Ann Nichols

Bio Summary
Community Activity Summary
Ann Nichols has participated in numerous community organizations in Manitou Springs - Historic Preservation Commission, Urban Renewal Authority Board, Mineral Springs Foundation - and on numerous other community Boards including the El Paso County Parks Board, the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority, Board of Wild Blue Animal Rescue and Board of the Energy Resource Center.
Occupation Summary
Various positions at Colorado Springs Utilities from 1977 through 2002 - including Regulatory Economist, Financial Economist, Controller and Director of Finance. After retirement from Colorado Springs Utilities worked as an independent financial and water resources consultant for a number of entities including City of Fountain, City of Aurora, Front Range Metropolitan District and Forest Lakes Metropolitan District.
AdAmAn Service

Hobbies
Reading and hiking.
Climbing Experience Summary
Ann has climbed all but 7 of the normally recognized fourteeners - some multiple times. Ann has also done many hikes and climbs internationally including Kilimanjaro, the volcanoes of Mexico and many other international hikes.

Bio Detail
Community Activity Detail
Board of Directors, Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, April 2006 – present – currently serving as Treasurer Secretary, Board of Directors, El Paso County Water Authority, January 2006 – January 2014 Treasurer, Board of Directors, Friends of Beidleman Environmental Center August 2004 – 2006 Treasurer, Board of Directors, Barr Camp Inc. October 2004 – present. Commissioner, Manitou Springs Historic Preservation Commission, June 2002 to present – served as Chair several times Board of Directors, Colorado Water Resources & Power Development Authority October 1997 to January 2013 Treasurer : 2000-2001 Vice-Chair: 2002-2003 Chair: 2004-2005. Board of Trustees, Memorial Hospital, Colorado Springs, Colorado, May 1993 – February, 1997. Chairman, Finance Sub-Committee, Board of Directors, Fountain Valley Authority 1993-2001 Vice President, President
Occupation Detail
Independent financial and water resource consultant for various cities and metropolitan districts – including extensive involvement in activities with regard to land use planning and development, both from the perspective of the developer and the municipality February 2002 - present § City of Colorado Springs § City of Fountain § City of Manitou Springs § Forest Lakes Metropolitan District § Front Range Metropolitan District § Transport Metropolitan District Retired from the Colorado Springs Utilities February 2002 General Manager of Finance, Colorado Springs Utilities, City of Colorado Springs. June 2001-February 2002 Same duties as below with the exception of Budget preparation and payroll management. Director of Finance & Management Services, Colorado Springs Utilities, City of Colorado Springs September 1993-June 2001 Colorado Springs Utilities is a municipally owned operation that provides electric, natural gas, water and wastewater services to the citizens of the City of Colorado Springs and to select areas outside City boundaries. Principal duties include: § Oversight of all General Accounting and Payroll systems § Oversight of Utilities Pricing Division activities to include annual cost of service studies for each utility service and annual analysis of current revenue requirements for each utility service. § Extensive experience with quasi-judicial regulatory hearings both before the Colorado PUC and the Colorado Springs City Council. § Coordination of all investment activities. § Assistance in and coordination of Budget development activities for all Utilities departments § Overall responsibility for the management and restructuring of the Utilities revenue bonds and notes. § Coordination of all activities revolving around the issuance of Utilities revenue bonds. § Oversight and coordination of long term financial forecasts for each of the four core utility services § Provide Utilities staff support as a Board member for the Water Resources Department's four irrigation and reservoir companies § Twin Lakes Reservoir and Canal Company § Colorado Canal Company § Lake Meredith Reservoir Company § Lake Henry Reservoir Company § Provide financial and economic support to a broad array of water resource projects and activities to include § Homestake II Project § Various water rights acquisitions § Aurora-Colorado Springs Joint Water Authority § Water Development Fee restructuring § Fountain Valley Authority financing activities § Water Resource Plan § Eagle-Ark Project § Water Rate Structure review and analysis § Otero Pump Station Expansion Utilities Controller, Colorado Springs Utilities, City of Colorado Springs, December, 1990 - September, 1993. Same duties as above. Acting Utilities Controller, Colorado Springs Utilities, City of Colorado Springs June 1990 - December 1990. Same duties as above. Financial Economist, Colorado Springs Utilities, City of Colorado Springs, April 1984 - June 1990. Provided a wide range of financial and economic support to the various Utilities Departments, including long term financial forecasting for each Department, assistance with budget development and assistance with debt issuance and debt management. Senior Regulatory Economist, City of Colorado Springs, Department of Utilities September, 1981 - April, 1984 Developed expertise concerning cost of service techniques for utility operations, revenue requirement philosophies and rate design methodologies. Responsible for analysis and current information on a variety of rate design and costing principles. Assisted in the areas of load research, forecasting and modeling techniques, and cost benefit analysis. Regulatory Economist, City of Colorado Springs, Department of Utilities, October, 1977 - September, 1981 Part-time Economics Instructor, Undergraduate and MBA Programs, Regis University, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1984 - 1994 Part-time Economics Instructor, Pikes Peak Community College, Colorado Springs Colorado, September, 1976 - June, 1983 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Economics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, September, 1969 - August, 1973
Climbing Experience Detail

Memories
Memories From First Climb
Glen Law approached me at work about applying to the AdAmAn Club as Glen had been an avid Member for some time. I applied and made the "waiting lisr". About two days before the climb, Glen told me that if I could be ready by the 29th I could climb. I immediately went to Chinook to buy appropriate gear - I generally hiked in the summer and fall and did not have adequate winter gear. The first hike with the Club was very pleasant - pretty mild weather and not a lot of snow. I thought this was a breeze. It would not always prove to be so.
Memories From First Member Year
My New Member year was one of those exceptions to the pleasant, mild weather on my first trip as a guest. There was deep snow and we started the hike under a high wind watch - which became a high wind warning the night of the 30th at Barr Camp. Once we slogged through deep snow to A Frame and got on the face, we began to encounter high winds that would routinely blow me - and others - off our feet. It was a real struggle to get to the top and but for Sean O'Donnell and Brooke Chestnut keeping me earth bound, I know I would have ended up in eastern Colorado. Because of the very high winds our summit crew could not, of course, get to the top and when we arrived on top we found the lock to the summit house frozen and Don Sanborn has to thaw it out with a blow torch. Carl Lindeman got blown over backwards near the summit and tore his ACL and had to be carried on a litter to the top. It was a very memorable year.
Memories of Family

Favorite Memories from Climbing Fourteeners

Memories from Favorite Mountain Climb
I have climbed lots of mountains but Pikes Peak remains my favorite mountain - not the normal trails but the less traveled ones - like bottom less pit, north pit, oil creek tunnel, Bob's Road and the trail to the confluence of the north and south branches of French Creek, Severy Creek, Lake Moraine, the experimental forest and many other out of the way locations. Many times, I have hiked for an entire day and never run into another sole on these back country trails.
Memories of Favorite Gear
When I had but hours to buy a suitable winter coat for my first hike with the Club, I bought a very good Marmot winter coat which I have always used on the climbs and still use every winter. It is a lovely dusty green and I don't think it will ever wear out.
Memories of Worst Gear Failure
I never gave in and bought an insulated cover for my old water bottle. Consequently, I would occasionally get to A Frame and find it was frozen solid. One year it stayed frozen even after hours in the summit house, the drive back down on the 1st and until after mid day the next day at my house.