Who We Are

Elaine Gurule

Board President

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Elaine is the founding Board President of the Small Town Project, where she oversees our mission of improving the quality of life in her small town of Rocky Ford, Colorado. She is a local Realtor® with Keller Williams Performance Realty and has a first-hand view of how big of an impact distressed properties have on home values. Elaine's commitment to improving the lives of residents in the Rocky Ford community developed from a background in early childhood education where her passion for seeing young children learn and flourish now finds purpose in seeing her community revived and flourishing. Seeing a great need in our community for a group of small giants to give the town the care and attention it deserves, Elaine and Duane founded the Small Town Project with a passion for nurturing the community.

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Elaine along with her husband, Duane, and children live on South 11th Street in Rocky Ford.

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Adrienne Encinias

Board Director​

Adrienne is a 2002 Rocky Ford High School graduate and committed community member. She has been involved in numerous school and community groups and is passionate about promoting programs for our youth and at-risk populations. 

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Adrienne lives with her husband and children on South 2nd Street in Rocky Ford.

Nevaeh Chavez

Youth Board Director​

Nevaeh is a Rocky Ford High School Student (Class of 2022) and our very first Youth Board Member. Her biggest strength is her enthusiasm, and she is passionate about lifting up the people around her. Her understanding of the importance of community involvement comes from her family and grandma, and she is committed to doing her part in leading positive improvements in the community that will make it a better place for kids, teenagers, and families.

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Nevaeh lives with her family in Rocky Ford.

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Soraya Shiranlou

Board Director

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Soraya is a 2006 Rocky Ford High School graduate with a Master's of Business Administration degree from the Colorado State University-Pueblo. She is also the founder of a well-known digital marketing company, Modern Media Marketing. 

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Soraya lives with her fiance, Sam, and two dogs on Spruce Street in Rocky Ford.

Duane Gurule

Executive Director​

Duane is the founding Executive Director for the Small Town Project. Duane is a 2004 Rocky Ford HighSchool graduate who obtained his Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems at the Metropolitan State University of Denver. During his early career, he worked at iLendingDIRECT leading the forward progress in technology and managing the IT infrastructure of a national finance company. Duane is also the Southeast Colorado Community Organizer for The Colorado Trust and focuses on promoting health equity in our region. He and his family moved from Littleton, Colorado back to the Rocky Ford area in 2018 and he fell back in love with all of the unique qualities that make his small town so wonderful. A strong community advocate, he also serves on the board of directors for Southeast Health Group and the Advisory Council for Otero Junior College. 

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Duane along with his wife, Elaine, and children live on South 11th Street in Rocky Ford.

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