Weld County Educator Ben Rainbolt Joins RMFU

Denver – Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) announced recently that Ben Rainbolt Jr. has accepted a position as director of the organization’s Charitable and Educational Foundation and the very successful Cooperative and Economic Development Center (CDC).

We are excited that Ben Rainbolt has joined the Co-op Center staff,” said RMFU President Kent Peppler. “Ben’s roots are in rural Colorado, and with his experience in agriculture and education he will be an effective leader for rural communities in the Rocky Mountain region. He has the skills and enthusiasm to continue the leadership that was provided by Bob Mailander since the inception of the Co-op Development Center nearly twelve years ago.” A native of Kit Carson County, Rainbolt was born and raised on a diversified farm/ranch near Burlington.

He has a lifetime career in education as an agriculture teacher at both secondary and post-secondary schools. He taught in Washington County and at Valley High School in Weld County. He became principal of Valley in 1998. During his ten years at Valley, the graduation rate improved from 67 percent to almost 90 percent. Scholarships earned by seniors each year increased annually from $100,000 to almost $500,000.

“I want to expand the Center’s visibility throughout the Rocky Mountain region,” Rainbolt said. “The CDC is one of the best kept secrets in the Rocky Mountain region. I intend to focus on projects and organizations that involve groups working together in rural Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico, primarily in food/farming systems and renewable energy areas.”