Dane Ruttenberg, newly retired school counselor for East Grand School District

For more than three decades, Dane Ruttenberg has demonstrated unwavering dedication to the well-being of Grand County youth – supporting their emotional, mental, and physical health through his roles as educator, counselor, athletic coach, and community leader. His career reflects a deep commitment to building resilience and connection, both within schools and across the broader community.

From his grassroots efforts launching the first high school soccer program at Middle Park High School in 1996, to coaching youth ages 5–18 for more than 25 years, Dane’s leadership has helped generations of students thrive on and off the field. In the classroom, he served as a counselor and intervention specialist at Middle Park High School, East Grand Middle School, and both Granby and Fraser Elementary schools. Alongside his wife Deb, he also helped launch the *Incredible Years* program, facilitating parenting classes for seven years and strengthening family-school partnerships.

Throughout his career, Dane has been a driving force behind programs that promote healthy development, inclusivity, and positive school climate. Whether through counseling, collaboration with teachers and families, or active involvement in school and parent advisory initiatives, he has consistently fostered environments where students feel valued, supported, and empowered to succeed. Dane officially retired from education in the spring of 2025 and is filled with gratitude for the opportunities and support the district provided him throughout his career. He feels extremely blessed to have met his amazing wife, Deb, in Grand County and to raise his 22-year-old twins Jay and Ethan in this wonderful community. 

Austin Wingate, Chief of Grand County EMS

Austin Wingate serves as Chief of Grand County EMS (GCEMS), where he leads with a focus on prevention, community connection, and creating systems that put people first. Working full-time in emergency services by happy accident since 2006, his experience spans field care, critical care transport, and system leadership, with a consistent goal of making EMS a dependable part of the community safety net.

A leader known for his integrity, innovation, and collaborative spirit, Chief Wingate has helped transform GCEMS into a high-performing, trusted system focused on both prevention and rapid response. He helped secure a new EMS station in Granby to strengthen operations, expanded car seat safety inspection and installation programs, and led the implementation of prehospital whole blood – an initiative credited with saving lives while avoiding waste. Under his leadership, GCEMS providers consistently outperform state and national benchmarks, achieving excellence in 27 of 29 clinical care metrics, leading the state in bystander CPR rates, reducing response times despite rising call volumes, and maintaining an exceptional 4.92 out of 5 patient satisfaction score.

Chief Wingate is also recognized as a reliable and proactive partner across agencies, particularly in addressing mental health crises and community-wide emergencies. His ability to collaborate, innovate, and keep people at the center of decision-making continues to improve outcomes for residents and visitors alike. Dedicated to both his team and his community, he brings skill, vision, and compassion to every aspect of his work. In his downtime, he’s most at home in the mountains with his dog in tow, a project underway to keep busy, or out enjoying live music.

The Award for Excellence in Health Service has been given out annually since 2013. Past award recipients are:

2019: Sue Johnson, LCSW and Katie Hornbaker, CRNA

2018: Heather Bentler, RN and John Nichols, MD

2017: Wade Walker, RPh

2016: Val Lind, RN

2015: Hannah Foley, NP and Ray Jennings, GCEMS Chief

2014: Mary Jo Hargadine, RN

2013: Therese McElroy, RN