Steamboat Pilot & Today

Alpine Banks of Colorado recently won two American Bankers Association Marketing Network 2005 Advertising Awards. The awards recognized the Alpine Bank "Alpine Swines" Project for Literacy campaign.

The "Alpine Swines" were elected "Best of the Best" and "Judges Special Recognition" by the ABA judging panel. The ABA received close to 400 entries nationwide. An awards reception will be held Sept. 7 in Miami at the national ABA Marketing Network Conference.

The Alpine Swines fund-raising project involved 15 fiberglass pigs that were professionally painted by local artists and then paraded across the Western Slope for Alpine Bank communities to enjoy. Posters, trading cards, information booklets and replica piggy banks followed suit to re-establish the importance of literacy to adults and children. The "Swines" were auctioned off at the end of the year, with proceeds benefiting local literacy nonprofit groups and projects.

Insurance agent earns CASL designation

Steamboat Springs

State Farm Insurance agent Debbie Aragon has earned the Chartered Advisor for Senior Living professional designation from The American College in Bryn Mawr, Pa.

Candidates for the CASL designation must complete a minimum of five courses and 10 hours of supervised examinations. They also must fulfill stringent experience and ethics requirements. The CASL program is designed to address the unique financial needs of seniors. When the program is completed, a CASL-designated professional can provide advice about financial topics, including health insurance, long-term care financing, pension planning, trusts, Medicare and Medicaid supplemental planning and estate planning.

Aragon has been associated with State Farm Insurance for more than 30 years. She has been an agent in Steamboat Springs since 1997. She received her bachelor's degree in business management at Regis University.