Familiar Face - Chris Teta

"[Niwot] is a comfortable town. Even if you don't know someone, you probably still recognize them."

Chris Teta said this is why he has been involved in the Niwot community since 1988.

Teta is originally from New York and moved to Colorado in 1986 to attend college at The University of Colorado Boulder. He received a degree in political science and later got two masters degrees in urban planning and public administration. He is a member of the City of Longmont Planning & Zoning Commission.

However, Teta is probably more recognized from his contributions to the Rock & Rails summer concert series. Starting in 2018, Teta has been the on-site manager of the event, supervising the setup and takedown work, and managing security for the popular event.

Biff Warren, co-manager of the event, said, "Chris has been invaluable since he took over from Bill Whitener when Bill retired a few years ago." Warren explained that Teta is part of the organizing committee every spring, and has come up with several improvements to Whistle Stop Park in the last few years, including adding additional gates for easier access, adding crushed rock to the driveway in front of the Depot building, and installing black windscreen on the fencing.

Teta handles placing the traffic signs and cones along streets surrounding the park every Thursday in the summer, and gets the park ready for the volunteers who show up at 4 p.m. to help set up for the event.

"It's amazing that we get so many people to come out every Thursday," Teta said. "So many people are so invested that they cater their schedules around being there and even stay through the rain to socialize and support the community." Teta especially loves being social and talking to patrons, whether they're new to the event or long-time friends.

Teta is also involved with other community events in Niwot, including the Niwot Jazz Festival, which is expected to return in 2024.

Outside of Rock & Rails, Teta is a self-employed contractor who works on fixing irrigation systems, building decks, and doing general restoration work. Before that, throughout most of the 1990s, Teta worked as a salesman and finance manager for automobile and motorcycle dealerships. Teta even owned his own dealership for a brief period of time in the 2000s.

When he's not working, Teta spends time with his family. "Two of my kids graduated from high school at Niwot and the other two from Silver Creek," he said. His kids have also been involved in the community either in sports, nannying, and most recently, helping out at Rock & Rails on occasion.

In his personal time, Teta enjoys listening to vinyl records of live-recordings, particularly blues & jazz, playing tennis, and participating in the book club at Inkberry Books in Niwot on occasion.

"(Being involved in the Niwot community) always felt like me and my family were welcomed," Teta said. That's part of what makes being in this community special to him.