14-06-2025
Meet the women honored as the 2025 Western Slope Women of Distinction
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — Annually, the Girl Scouts of Colorado presents three women in the Western Slope to be awarded as the Western Slope Women of Distinction. The honor is dedicated to women who have displayed leadership and commitment to advancing the profile of women in the community.
The 2025 honorees were selected by a committee of previous Women of Distinction (WoD) honorees. WoD picked this year's women based on their personal and professional contributions to the community. The Western Slope WoD has currently been awarded to over 30 women.
The Girl Scouts of Colorado has honored Lisa Martin, Helen Roe, and Laurel Walters for the 2025 Western Slope WoD.
'It's an honor to welcome this year's Women of Distinction,' said Leanna Clark, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Colorado. 'These women are powerful examples of leadership and excellence, and their strength, boldness, and empowerment make them outstanding role models who inspire our girls and power today's world.'
Lisa Martin is the founder of her own consulting business, Lisa D Martin, and works with Ariel Clinical Services and other organizations. Before founding her business in 2019, Martin worked in various roles for over 50 years, helping individuals. These roles include working in the Department of Human Services for over 30 years in adult services, Employment First eligibility services, and adolescent services for youth aging out of the foster care system. Martin has served for over 15 years as the Vice President of Human Resources at Hilltop Community Resources before working for four years as a human resources manager at Ariel Clinical Services. Her career experiences have taught her about aging, unemployment struggles, and the pressures and uncertainty of losing support systems.
Helen Roe is the director of the Business Loan Fund of Mesa County as part of the Business Incubator Center. After over two decades as an entrepreneur on the Front Range, Roe moved to Grand Junction and earned her degrees in marketing and accounting at Colorado Mesa University. She was offered an internship at the Business Incubator Center and remained at the company, working her way up, for 19 years. She was named the State of Colorado Small Business Development Center Counselor of the Year in 2011. Currently, Roe is also a small business coach specializing in accounting, finance, and strategic business planning. Roe is a former member of the Mesa County Executive Fair Board and currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Grand Junction Housing Authority Family Self-Sufficiency program.
Laurel Walters had moved to Grand Junction to become the chief operating officer for Rocky Mountain Health Plans after her early career as a Denver health plan's legislative affairs director. After her retirement in 2020, Walters has volunteered over 3,000 hours at the Grand Junction Police Department's Victim Services Program. In 2024, Walters received the Carol Hacker Award for Outstanding Victim Advocate in the Volunteer Sector from the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance. Her work has reportedly made a difference in many lives and contributes to the Grand Junction Police Department's mission of offering emotional support and resources to victims of crime.
The Girl Scouts of Colorado will be hosting an honor ceremony to celebrate the 2025 Western Slope WoD honorees from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Friday, October 31, at Colorado Mesa University. The proceeds from the ceremony will support Girl Scouts of Colorado's leadership development programs in entrepreneurship, outdoors, STEM, and life skills for over 1,800 Girl Scouts across the Western Slope.
Individuals interested in purchasing tickets or becoming a sponsor can contact Becky Grupe at
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