Candidates for Gilpin County positions in the upcoming elections in November will be profiled in The Mountain-Ear. A questionnaire was sent to each candidate.

Rebecca Shirey is the Republican candidate for Assessor. She moved to the county in 1990 with her family and currently resides in mid-county. She is single. Her adult daughter lives with her husband and two children in Golden.

She attended North Central College in Naperville, Illinois; Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood; and the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. She has had computer training for hardware and software updates, as well as training with A.D. Banker & Company for Insurance and Securities Licensing, obtaining four insurance licenses and a securities license.

She has been involved with the community and county over the many years she has lived here while continuing to raise her family. Wanting to reach out and meet more of her neighbors, she regularly attended a monthly Saturday morning breakfast of the Independent Voters Association.

She served nine years on the Homeowners Association Board, the last couple of years as President. In 2008, Rebecca joined the Peak to Peak Rotary Club, which raises funds for local high school graduate scholarships, contributions to the Gilpin Food Bank, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides free books to children from birth until they begin school.

She was elected President of the Rotary Club, accomplishing a great deal during that year, and receiving an award from the district for her work. She qualified as a two-time Paul Harris Fellow, an honor in Rotary.

She has also assisted the Salvation Army as a “Bell-Ringer” in Black Hawk.

Rebecca started her career as an accountant, then moved on to the position of controller, for General Motors dealerships in Chicago. She has worked in many large dealerships across the country, always in an accounting capacity as controller.

Shirey managed an office of 10 employees and oversaw 50 employees in the business while managing multi- million dollar budgets. She was in the top five percent of the country’s Controllers and Accountants as rated by General Motors for accuracy and timeliness.

She joined the newly approved gambling business in Colorado in a marketing position, rising to the position of Player Development Manager overseeing promotional campaigns and budgets. In 2006, Rebecca left the casino business to open her own Farmers Insurance Agency.

Because she was so familiar with the properties in Gilpin County, she was able to provide insurance coverage to many who were having difficulty finding the proper coverage without having to cut down all the trees that made their homes so pleasant.

In her work obtaining insurance for her clients, Rebecca has communicated with and accessed the Assessor’s website during the past 16 years, becoming aware of some inconsistencies in record keeping.

As an insurance agent during the increased fire rating, she was required to inspect and photograph all properties asking for insurance. This has given her the opportunity to travel and personally see a great deal of Gilpin County.

She feels that her attention to detail, accounting background, and customer service skills uniquely qualify her for the position of Gilpin County Assessor.

She plans to address her duties at the Assessor’s office with the same enthusiasm and energy she put into starting and operating her business. She sold her profitable insurance agency in November 2020, giving her the time to fully attend to the issues of the Assessor’s office. She feels she has the background as well as the personal attributes of a good assessor.

Shirey said she has a sense of fairness and the ability to communicate with personnel of different job descriptions and personality types. She exhibits personal integrity, confidence, and leadership. She is focused on tasks with order and planning and tenacity, and has the willingness to act when failing practices or activities are identified.

Rebecca Shirey feels she is the best candidate for Assessor and is asking for your vote!

For further information she can be reached at Rebecca4Gilpin@gmail.com