Royalty isn't something we have here in the U.S., but one of our local crown jewels is Janell Ames and her love for Douglas County.
Janell Ames loves Parker and has been involved in this community her whole life. She loves the roots she has put down. She is very loyal and loves people. Janell grew up in the Pinery and went to Ponderosa High School. She studied marketing at college at then Mesa State and married her high school sweetheart, Billy. They decided to stay in the Parker area and have two boys and a girl.
As a very young mom, she became involved again at Ponderosa as a girls' softball coach and loved it! She felt that being home with her children when they were young was very important. They chose to sacrifice so she had the chance to raise her children full time. Through this era, she became involved in her children's classrooms, in the PTO, at church, and in the neighborhood.
One day, soon after having her third baby, a friend showed up with a flyer for Mrs. Colorado. She thought it was silly at first but eventually decided to get involved in the pageant with a friend. She became Mrs. Parker and was involved in the pageant for four years, also becoming Mrs. Colorado! Crazy enough, one day she saw heels out at her grandma’s house and she announced to Janell that she and Janell’s mom were also going to be part of the competition that year. She talked about what a fun and special experience it was to be part of an exciting event together.
It was a world she did not know about and had to train for in a whole new way. Janell said it really helped her to reflect on what she stood for, what she wanted to show her children, and what she wanted for the community. She learned she had a voice and that she could be a strong woman. She wanted to show her daughter what being a woman with internal beauty looks like – being smart, kind, humble, and helping others.
After winning, Janell thought of how she could give back to Parker. She made 200 appearances as Mrs. Colorado through service, speeches, and events. She worked with our former mayor, David Casiano, on many projects. Among other events, they organized a walk for the cure and were part of the holiday parade. She started a chapter at the Children’s Hospital called "Seeds of Hope" to help give comfort to moms with babies in the NICU. She also partnered with a local charity and did a women’s home build. Each event where she made an appearance, she took someone close to her and tried to get her kids involved.
Years later, when her kids were older, she did many hours of volunteering at Sagewood Middle School. Danny Winsor, the principal, sought her out to be more involved in the school and start teaching. She taught student government, speech, and Avid. She loved the culture that she and her students created in the classes and how they included community service in their curriculum. She taught for seven years and even had the chance to teach one of her sons.
In 2022, when she decided to retire from teaching, she reached out to Danny to let him know. He was working at the district level by then and told her about an opening as the new DCSD Legacy Campus event coordinator. She decided to apply and now loves being back in the school community! She has been able to work with so many people throughout the district, businesses in the area, and non-profit organizations as they come to the Legacy Campus for events, meetings, speakers, competitions, banquets, and training. She loves to connect with former students, families, and other teachers. She still volunteers to help with the pageant and even hosts the prelims for Mrs. Colorado at the campus. She loves her position and how it gives her a taste of all the worlds she has been a part of and loved in her life! She loves the culture and takes pride in their campus. Her impact locally has been felt very heavily. Her love for our area and the people here is very evident!