Women in Business Luncheon
Thursday October 23rd, 2025
11:15 AM - 2:00 PM
Mount Vernon Canyon Club
24933 Club House Circle
Golden, CO 80401
Join us in welcoming our newest inductees into the Mountain Area Women in Business Hall of Fame and recognizing Women on the Rise. Enjoy an elegant meal and network with other career-focused women at this women empowering women, luncheon.
We will also hosting a Pre-Luncheon Meet & Greet event at The Evergreen Gallery, check back for the date and time. This event is open to all ticket holders and will give you a chance to meet new contacts before the luncheon.
Congratulations to our awardees!
Mountain Area Woman in Business Hall of Fame
Barb Scripps
Barb Scripps is President of Scripps, Taylor & Associates, P.C., a CPA firm with offices in Bergen Park, Colorado that she started in 1992. She began her career in Denver where she spent 9 years with a Big 4 accounting firm. She then moved into the private sector as a controller for 4 years and returned to public practice in Denver in 1989. Knowing she needed to work closer to home as she raised her children, she started Scripps & Associates PC, which then became Scripps, Taylor & Associates in 2005 (STA). Today STA employs a staff of 9. The firm serves business and individual clients throughout the mountain community and the U.S., providing business consulting, tax planning and preparation, accounting and payroll services, and representation before the IRS.
Barb received a B.S. degree in accounting from C.U. Boulder and completed graduate work at the D.U. Masters of Tax program. She became a CPA in 1977. She currently serves as Chair of the Mt. Evans Home Health and Hospice Board of Directors, having served on that board for over 18 years. She also serves as Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of Evergreen Country Day School, where she also served as president for 4 years . She has previously served as president of the Evergreen Rotary Club, where she continues active involvement, and as president of the board of Center for the Arts Evergreen, and on the board of the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce. She served on the Evergreen Park and Rec District’s Buchanan Park Master Plan Committee. She sings with the Evergreen Chorale of Ovation West and is a member of Church of the Hills.
She has been recognized by Center for the Arts as its Art Person of the Year and has also been honored by the Colorado Society of CPA’s as a “CPA Making A Difference” and by the West (Jefferson) Chamber in its Celebration of Women.
Barb is married to Tom Scripps and they have lived in Evergreen for over 40 years. They raised their 3 children in Evergreen, all of whom now live with their families in the west Denver metro area.
Woman on the Rise
Tiffani Packer
Tiffani Packer is the visionary founder behind a dynamic portfolio of restaurant concepts celebrated for their distinctive atmospheres, heartfelt hospitality, and culinary innovation. Beyond her success as a restauranteur, her most meaningful role is being a wife and mother to four children, a foundation that shapes her values, leadership, and the culture she inspires. At the heart of her journey is a commitment to building both a family and a company rooted in community connection, integrity and joy. Whether she’s dreaming up her next adventure over a cup of tea, trailing at the heels of her kids, or wrangling her beloved goats Tiffani brings energy, authenticity, and an unshakable devotion to living life big! She is intentional about creating spaces where people—guests, teammates, and loved ones —feel seen, valued, and nourished. Tiffani believes food is just the beginning of a much bigger story - one about togetherness, growth, and meaningful experiences and memories.
Nonprofit Woman of the Year
Betsy Hoke
Betsy Hoke has devoted much of her life to education and the environment – the last 45 years here in Evergreen.
She is best known for being owner (and “Head of School”) of the Montessori School of Evergreen for 25 years. She took the school from a small preschool program to a school serving 300 children/year through middle school, establishing a well-respected Montessori program highly acclaimed throughout the state.
In 1980 she bought the 3-year-old for-profit operation to keep her job as a teacher and PT administrator and continued to run it as a business until 2005 when she changed it to a nonprofit operation with a board of directors. In 1985 she bought a house in the Marshdale area, using it as her family’s residence for two years as well as a home for preschool and elementary studies. After two years, her family moved, and the school expanded. In 1992 she opened the Troutdale facility and eventually, upper elementary grades and finally a middle school.
After leaving the school, she continued to work as a field consultant and coach to administrators and teachers in the Montessori system. Betsy is currently the Director of Education for Afrikids, a charity which supports the education of 145 students in Tanzania.
Her volunteer activities reflect her values and combine her love for education and proactive role in protecting the environment.
- She’s served on the Bootstraps board, helping to provide higher-education opportunities for mountain-area hand high-school graduates.
- She volunteered with the successful effort to Save Noble Meadow that protected 405 acres from development; it was the first public project of the Mountain Area Land Trust (MALT). She later served on the MALT board of directors.
- She served on the board for Evergreen Area Sustainability + You (EASY), taking education on sustainability into the schools.
- She served on the board for Peruvian Hearts for many years (and continues to do so) providing financial assistance for Peruvian girls pursuing higher education.
- She served on the board for several years for AfricAid, supporting education in Tanzania and played a critical role in establishing two Montessori classrooms including one that now serves 3 – 8-year-olds. She trained the Montessori teachers and returns each year to support the program.
- Served on the board of Little Souls of Tanzania, an orphanage providing a home to 25 kids up to age 14 and travels there one or two times a year.
- She is currently on the board of Wild Aware in our community where she integrates her love for education with her concern for the environment. The mission is to foster wildlife awareness and provide education to allow humans and wildlife to coexist in a safe, healthy and rewarding way.
Our 2025 Guest Speaker:
Emily Garcia, LCSW is a keynote speaker, and the founder of Tribe Mind Body Wellness, a holistic counseling practice with offices in Arvada and Lakewood, Colorado. With 16 years of experience as a therapist, she provides support to adults through a wide range of services, including individual counseling, group programs, and community-based wellness events. Emily began her career working in schools and community settings, developing a strong foundation in child and family therapy that continues to inform her work today.
Emily founded Tribe in response to the widespread need for belonging- a value that remains at the heart of her practice. She is passionate about creating spaces where people feel seen, supported, and empowered to grow. In addition to leading a large team at Tribe, she co-hosts the podcast SoulStirred: Stories of Growth and The Human Experience, where she explores personal stories and mental health topics.
Thank You to our Sponsors!
