Familiar Face – Jennifer Morrison

This wonderful Familiar Face suggestion was courtesy of co-owner of the Niwot Tavern, Tara Kpogoh-Narh. Kpogoh-Narh wrote, "Jennifer Morrison lives and breathes Niwot. She is a local who helps support everyone...small businesses in Boulder, Hygiene and Longmont. She's just amazing. She's always advertising for everyone. I'm sure you've seen her posts." The posts Kpogoh-Narh is referring to are on a public Facebook page called Nifty Niwot.

Kpogoh-Narh added, "She brings Stacy [Szydlek, co-owner] and I dinner a lot of nights at the tavern while we're working, because we get tired of eating the same food all the time and it's so nice to have a home cooked meal. When she received her stimulus check, she sent the money to small businesses needing help."

This was enough to pique our interest in Morrison and find out what makes her tick.

Left Hand Valley Courier: (LHVC) - Where have you lived and what brought you to the Niwot area?

Jennifer Morrison (JM) - I grew up in Boulder and graduated from Boulder High School in 1981. My twin sister moved to the northern Virginia area in 1993 and talked me into joining her in 1996. I ended up in grad school, George Washington University, so I stayed there until 2000 when I graduated with an MS in finance. I moved back to Denver in 2000. But, when the economy crashed in 2001, I had to go back to the northern Virginia area for a job. I was recruited to return back to the Boulder area for a job in 2005, which is when I moved to Niwot.

I worked for 10 years in Gunbarrel in the mid-80s to mid-90s and regularly ate lunch at Rev Taylors and Cottonwood Café, so I was familiar with Niwot. The main reason I landed in Niwot was that I was looking for somewhere quiet, dark (not a lot of street lights), and space between the houses. After living in the north Virginia area, I definitely wanted fewer people.

LHVC - What was your education and work path?

JM - I started out at Fort Lewis College in Durango where I was working on an accounting degree. I decided to take a break and got a job as a bookkeeper at Art Hardware in Boulder in 1984. I helped transition their accounts receivables to a computer system. I left Art Hardware for a job at Wiland Services located in Gunbarrel in 1986, which was the beginning of my database marketing career. I eventually completed my B.S. in marketing from Metro State College while attending night school. And, as I mentioned previously, I also have a M.S. in finance from George Washington University.

I have worked in database marketing for pretty much my whole career. I have been an independent contractor for the past 10 years or so. As a data analyst, I have worked with many different types of companies. I help them with customer acquisition and upsell campaigns, as well as campaign results.

LHVC - Tell us a bit about your family and pets.

JM - I have a Goldendoodle named Ginger Ale, who's seven years old, and a cat named Otis, five years old. I also have a brother that lives within an hour of my sister [in Virginia]. My dad and stepmother live in North Carolina. It's weird to be from Colorado yet have no family left here.

LHVC - Do you have any hobbies?

JM - I took up crochet about three years ago. I've really been enjoying it. I mostly make hats, scarves, and blankets ... many I donate.

LHVC - In what ways do you connect with the community?

JM – I have always been a fan of small businesses. My favorite restaurants and breweries are all small businesses. I enjoy using my marketing skills to help small businesses even though (or maybe because) most of my work experience has been with big corporations.

I started a Facebook group called "Niwot" about eight years ago that was primarily for local friends to communicate about Niwot. Last spring, when COVID hit, I changed the name to "Nifty Niwot" and it has now grown to over 250 members. This group is open to the public, so now it includes many people that I don't know.

I also started [the] NextDoor group for Niwot about 8 or 9 years ago. I was the lead for the group until recently when I passed the baton to another local.

LHVC - Are there any plans you're looking forward to?

JM - We were supposed to travel to Belgium and Holland last April to see the tulips but the trip was cancelled due to COVID. I'm hoping that we can go this coming spring.

LHVC - What's a fun fact about you?

JM - I have an identical twin sister named Jill. We were always best friends. Unfortunately for me, she still lives in the northern Virginia area. We try to see each other at least twice per year and of course, we talk on the phone often.

If you have a suggestion for a Familiar Face in Niwot or Gunbarrel, please send a message to [email protected]