Community Outreach Work Group
Meet the Community Work Group Members
Jessica Chariton
Team Lead
Growing up in Rye, Colorado, and often competing against Salida high school athletes in swimming and running, Jessica Chariton spent a lot of time in Salida in her youth. She learned to ski at Monarch, hiked on the Colorado Trail, and camped all over San Isabel National Forest. Jessica left Colorado in 2000 after graduating from Rye High School to attend Southern Virginia University where she earned a BA in English with a minor in Creative Writing in 2003. From 2003-2005 she lived in Taiwan and served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She learned Mandarin Chinese while living there.
Upon graduation from college in Virginia she headed to the opposite coast to the state of Washington to attend law school at Gonzaga. She dropped out of law school but still ended up in graduate school where she got an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language. In Washington, she met her husband Nick on a boating day with friends. After ten years of teaching college classes, she obtained her real estate license and jumped into a new business with a brand-new baby. Real estate in Pueblo County taught her to a lot about rentals and property investing. After five years of Nick working at Rocky Mountain Eye Center's Pueblo offices, the company moved their family to Salida to work at the Salida office. Jessica decided to continue in real estate in her new market and has loved all the learning and experience that has brought with second homes, wells and septic systems, zoning, and so on. Jessica and her husband Nick have five children together who are all in Salida Schools and love calling Salida home.
Firm: HomeSmart Preferred Realty, Salida
Mobile: 719-334-8579
Office: 719-530-7105
Email: jcharitonrealestate@gmail.com
https://homesmart.com
Cess Retener
Cess is our Director of Operations. Cess plays a crucial role in overseeing and managing all membership activities. From organizing educational events to developing innovative programs, her dedication ensures that our members receive the utmost value and support. Cess is also responsible for ensuring a seamless application process for new members and industry partners, as well as implementing policies and procedures to optimize efficiency and maintain compliance with NAR and CAR standards. Additionally, she provides invaluable support to existing members and coordinates communication and marketing efforts for the organization.
Firm: REALTORS® of Central Colorado, Inc.
Mobile: 719-850-2078
Office: 719-539-3381
Email: rocc-member@rocc.realtor
Desi Faraci
Desiree (Desi) Faraci brings hard working values fused with creativity for real estate and property management needs. With a diverse background involving marketing, retail sales, corporate consulting, graphics design and a fourth generation Italian restaurateur, Desi, merges her talents to get the job done successfully.
For a decade, she and her husband with two teenage daughters reside in Crestone, CO in the great San Luis Valley. Desi fell in love with the high desert, moving from the east coast, and never looked back. She enjoys painting art, hiking, cooking, volunteering in community events and percussion drumming. Her family is well known for their renowned Mandala Pizza that was served throughout Colorado. Desi is also the publisher of a new real estate magazine in the San Luis Valley called SLV Dream Homes www.slvdreamhomes.com.
Jane Brown
Jane is originally from the mountains near Buena Vista, Colorado, where her family has made their home for over 60 years. She is a graduate of Colorado State University, a proud military spouse (ret.), and has a background in business, design, and professional photography.
Jane brings a diverse and powerful skill set to real estate as her comprehensive knowledge, experience, and vision enable her to prepare homes for the market with precision; ensuring they are beautifully staged, photographed, and marketed. She is also a strategic and skilled problem solver, solution-oriented, and highly adaptable. She leverages her creativity, innovation, and robust real estate background to serve each client.
Her accreditations include, GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute) and MRP (Military Relocation Professional), and CFS (Certified Foreclosure Specialist).
Janel Blackburn
I adore small town life and I am passionate about contributing to my community. Raising my four exuberant children with my husband in Chaffee County has been such a blessing. My family and I have explored this small slice of Colorado thoroughly. We have rafted the rivers, hiked the paths, hunted the backwoods, ridden the trails, skied the peaks and climbed the mountains. My children have graduated from Salida School District where my husband is the school superintendent, and I have had a career as a teacher in the local schools. I volunteer at my church, the pregnancy center and as a mentor for at-risk youth. Besides working in real estate I also run a seasonal bakery, Blackburn Oven, in downtown Buena Vista.
In my spare time I bake perpetually, maintain a large vegetable and flower garden (which can be challenging at 8,500 ft). I also love to play board games, swim, sail, kayak, rock climb and identify every wildflower I find.
Small towns have an individual charm and a unique culture. That is why finding a local realtor with intimate knowledge of a town makes all the difference when trying to buy or sell a home. I know what it takes to live, own a home, operate a business, and raise a family in this picturesque valley.
Contributing to a healthy, vibrant community is vital to a whole-hearted existence. I see real estate as yet another way to strengthen the community that I love so very much. It is my desire to help everyone to find somewhere they can call home.
Jennifer Ricci
Bio Coming Soon!
Katwin Hinerman
Katwin was born and raised in New Mexico where she graduated from Eastern New Mexico University with a degree in Theater Education, while serving in the New Mexico Air National Guard making her move to Colorado in 1998. She moved to the Salida area in 2005, where her daughter was born, and has made it her home. While living here, she has loved being a part of the art and theatre community. Katwin enjoys making pottery & her time outdoors, hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter.
Katwin began her Real Estate career, in 2012, as an office manager and became licensed in 2016 as she found Real Estate to be a perfect fit for her desire for continuous learning as well as a place to use her diverse skillset. She currently works as a full-time REALTOR© for Legacy Properties of Colorado.
Being community-minded, Katwin has supported several organizations including ElevateHerCO and The Salida Circus. As a member of the Board of REALTORS© Katwin hopes to serve her peers as well as the community.
Kevan Lyons
Kevan has been directing the REALTOR® organization in our area since June 1996 as Association Executive and CEO. He has education and experience in banking, accounting, finance, business management, new products/services, event management, and technology. Kevan has worked with community organizations in Florida and Chaffee County area since the early 1980s. He has experience producing major fundraising events, including television and radio promotions. Kevan has worked in politics and on congressional and state elected office campaigns. He has lobbied and advocated at the Federal, State, and local levels since the early 1980s. Kevan has spoken to groups on various topics to groups as large as 1200 attendees.
Kim Wilcoxson
Hello, I'm Kim Wilcoxson. I am a full time REALTOR® and a native of this vibrant community. YES, I graduated from Salida High School! As an active member of ROCC and the Advocacy, Community, and Performance Workgroups, I am dedicated to supporting our members. I am deeply invested in the advancement of our industry and the empowerment of fellow professionals. Through active participation, I strive to strengthen my knowledge and refine my skills to better assist our members and my valued clients. I am a mother, a wife, a grandmother and a photographer! Whatever your reason for stopping by, welcome! Let me know how I can help get you connected.
Laura Ostrom
Bio Coming Soon!
Firm: First Colorado Land Office, Inc.
Mobile: 702-755-0158
Office: 719-395-0101
Email: laura@firstcolorado.com
http://www.firstcolorado.com
Lorie Jackson
Senior Mortgage Advisor Lorie Jackson has been serving the Colorado, California and Wisconsin areas for over 20 years. As a VA, FHA, CHFA and Jumbo loan specialist, she has been named one of the top mortgage officers in the nation. Lorie was named Top Loan Officer by 5280 Magazine in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 out of a pool of thousands of Colorado Home Loan Mortgage Officers.
Lorie is happily married with one daughter and lives in Colorado. Her favorite activities with her family are mountain biking, snowboarding, hiking, and cross-country skiing. Lorie knows that living in a state like Colorado is a privilege, and finding your perfect home here is a dream come true. With a booming home market, having a dedicated Colorado Mortgage Advisor is the key to a smooth mortgage loan experience.
Lorie prides herself on providing personalized service, with the fastest turnaround times. She is always striving to do her best for her clients every day – with a passion to make the home loan mortgage process as simple and enjoyable as possible. Lorie’s mission is to exceed her clients’ expectations, earn their trust, uphold integrity, and of course have fun! Buying a home in Colorado should be an enjoyable experience. Make sure that you have a Mortgage Advisor who strives to make your experience the best it can be!
Ryan Morgan
Ryan Morgan was born in the San Luis Valley. He is bilingual in English and Spanish which has helped him serve clients from all over the San Luis Valley. His experience in sales and management has helped Ryan serve clients looking for agricultural, residential, and commercial properties.
He loves what he does and is committed to staying current with all aspects of real estate by continuing his education as a REALTOR®. Ryan’s goal as a member of the ROCC board is to support REALTORS® in the San Luis Valley, sharing his knowledge and experience so that the San Luis Valley is well represented as an energetic and active real estate market. He enjoys working with and learning from other REALTORS® as well.