Friends and Neighbors: Amy Sapp

Amy Sapp is Kimball's new Special Projects Coordinator for Economic Development.

"I feel I'm a good fit because you could put me in a room with anybody and I'll find that common ground," she said.

It's true even in her personal life, as she explains, "my friendship base is..." (extending her hands out as far as they can reach), really big."

Amy grew up as the only child of Marilyn Baker and attended school in Eaton, Colo. After gradation she moved to Greeley, went to Aimes Community College, worked and lived in the Greeley area for most of her life.

Her employment background is well rounded, including management, recruitment and coordination of a large roustabout and oilfield construction company; leadership, development and customer support of an online publishing company; and earlier experience in administration.

About two and a half years ago, she moved to Galeton, Colo., 7 miles east of Eaton, to live in and remodel a rental house of her mother's that had been destroyed by renters. Amy fixed up and remodeled the house, planted a yard and improved it so much that her mother, Marilyn Baker, was able to sell it for a profit.

After Ms. Baker's rental sold, Amy was in need of a place to live. She considered moving back to the Greeley area, however she prefers living a smaller community where her young children can have access to smaller classes and better teachers. Amy and her mother were on a road trip last fall and happened to drive through Kimball on their way to check out the Scottsbluff area. While driving through the residential streets of Kimball, she spotted a house and told her mother, "I don't want to look at any other houses, I want that house". Amy and her two youngest moved in just before the new year of 2016.

At that time, Amy was working and managing an oilfield company and was able to continue working for them from her new home in Kimball, traveling to Colo. and Wyo. only once or twice a week.

For the past six months, Amy spent most of her free time renovating and decorating her new home including the addition of a private area and kitchenette for her mother's use in the basement. After her retirement, Marilyn moved in a few months ago and gladly helps take care of her only grandchildren. They both agree that this is the perfect situation for everyone.

Walking into Amy's home feels like walking into a Country Home magazine, featuring country chic decor. Rustic finds mix with antique cut glass, a cement angel bust and a newer pieces. A pastel flower print overstuffed chair contrasts beautifully with a couch covered in antique pastel quilts next to the recycled wooden coffee table and an antique trunk. Freshly renovated hardwood floors covered in white and pastel throw rugs keep the house looking bright and welcoming while being the perfect foundation for her young children to live and play.

Both Amy and Marilyn love antiquing, searching for that one perfect item to add to their beautiful home.

Amy is the mother of four children, and according to her, they really are the love of her life, even before her passion for antiques and decorating. Although the oldest two are in their twenties and living on their own in the Front Range she still keeps in close contact with them. Her youngest children, Jena and Adrian attend Mary Lynch School.

She says that her kids "absolutely love" the Kimball schools. She understands that most of the parents she's talked to complain about the Kimball schools, but they really don't understand how bad it is elsewhere. Her children had been in classes of up to 28-35 kids per teacher and coming home with hours of homework, she felt her kids where not getting the education they needed.

Here, they come home happy and more importantly, their grades and understanding of what they are learning have improved.

Her youngest, Adrian, has special needs and his previous school didn't know how to deal with him so they would send him home at the first sign of any issues. In addition he wasn't allowed to participate in music or P.E. Amy felt that he wasn't learning and he certainly wasn't learning to control himself.

Here, he participates in P.E., and is learning to control his anger through the help of the Kimball teachers, "they've been a blessing," she says of the teachers he had this past spring. "I love the staff here," she insists without reservation.

Talking about how much she loves the school, she's also really loving her new job as the Special Projects Coordinator for Kimball's Economic Development department that she took over from Julie Schnell in the past month. Amy says the people in the community have been open and welcoming to her since they moved to town.

Because of the welcome afforded her, she has a feel for Kimball and it's people that has helped her to jump right into her job, updating the website, http://www.kimballed.org, organizing the office and taking several field trips around to start a dialog with the business owners of Kimball.

One of her major goals is to become the liaison between local businesses and the city, facilitating, developing and directing business development and assisting in whatever they might need to succeed and grow. She is open to the opinions of locals owners and their ideas to accomplish her goals and the business community.

Amy is willing to look into any area to help the town she's chosen to call home, including help potential new business with everything from finding a property to assisting them with grants.

Currently she is location owners of empty commercial buildings locally. She hopes to update the website with accurate information for those outside of Kimball who may be looking for a home for their business.

Amy has a deep compassion for helping and her respect for the local system is evident. She explained, "Since I'm so new to this position, I really feel that I need to get a feel of people's beliefs, people's opinions, try to figure out how to be that person that can (help Kimball) make a change."

Amy believes that growth and positive change can be accomplished and she has many ideas to encourage not just growth but involvement in the downtown area as well as the residential neighborhoods, yet she is willing to get to know her new hometown better. She say's, "it's our home now too."