RTA cheered our own Mike Riggs as he took on the Pikes Peak Marathon & Ascent, one of the oldest continually held half-marathons in the US. Beginning in Manitou Springs, more than 1400 runners made their way up to the summit of Pikes Peak in this year’s Ascent. The 13.3-mile race climbs about 7,800 vertical feet, making it a grueling uphill battle.

This was Mike’s first Ascent, and his time placed him in the top 26% of all runners in this year’s race! Way to go Mike!!

Follow our page for a full interview with Mike and how his work as Project Architect and Construction Administrator for the new Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center provided him with years of “on-the-job-training” for this challenging event.

RTA Architects’ Senior Marketing Manager Valerie Jackson, MBA was recognized by SMPS Colorado as its Marketer of the Year, one of the chapter’s highest honors, at the annual Marketing Excellence Awards. SMPS is the only organization dedicated to creating business opportunities in the A/E/C industry. SMPS Colorado was founded in 1983 and is one of the Top 5 Chapters nationwide. Marketer of the Year is awarded to the chapter member who stands out in the craft of marketing and communications in the A/E/C industry and has made significant contributions toward promotion professionalism. Valerie has served on the chapter’s Southern Colorado Committee since 2015 in multiple leadership roles including Committee Co-Chair and Committee Sponsorship Champion.

Valerie joined RTA Architects in 2015 after receiving her Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Marketing from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) and a 25-year career that previously spanned the consumer services and technology sectors. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Marketing from Pennsylvania State University. More information about the SMPS Colorado Marketing Excellence Awards can be found on the chapter’s website, https://www.smpscolorado.org/marketing-excellence-awards. Our congratulations to Valerie on the well-deserved recognition!