By John O’Brien

Redstone Review

LYONS – Recently Lyons Economic Gardening Group, LEGG, a branch of the Lyons Area Chamber of Commerce, sponsored a seminar on website basics. Over 30 people attended. The presenters, Jeff Gagliardi and Bill VanLeeuwen, covered the three phases of website development. If you are interested in the handouts, these are available on the LEGG website at www.lyons-colorado.com/legg/. Stay tuned for the next LEGG seminar and another relevant topic for businesses.

Over the last two months I have introduced to individual members of LEGG. In December, you met Christy Crosser up close and personal. In the January issue of the Redstone Review, you got to know Bill VanLeeuwen. In this issue, we get to know Rick Whitcomb much better. Many of you in Lyons already know him personally. We in LEGG, and our LEGG clients have been very fortunate to get to know him personally and professionally. Let’s take a closer look.

Rick and his wife Karyn moved from Boulder to Lyons in 2007. He is currently president and

CEO of BiOptix Diagnostics, Inc., a venture-backed biotech startup based in Boulder. Rick joined the company in 2008, just in time for the financial meltdown that has affected so many people, companies and communities in the past year. Despite that environment, the company found strong support from Boulder Ventures and from some private investors, and the company was funded in March of last year. The company grew from four employees to 15 employees in 2009 and is launching its first product in early 2010. It was named a Top 50 Innovator for 2009 by a New York-based venture association in November.

Prior to joining BiOptix, Rick worked for nearly 20 years at Hewlett Packard Co. and a spin-off, Agilent Technologies, Inc. He was exposed to a wide array of opportunities during his time at HP and Agilent. He led mergers and acquisitions, managed a global portfolio of businesses, and led operational finance teams for several years. Rick moved around a lot during that time, spending five years in Germany, six years in Silicon Valley, and eight years in Colorado. After each foreign or California-based assignment, he returned to this area, indicating that Chief Niwot’s curse isn’t just a suggestion.

Rick was born in Oregon but did most of his growing up near Minneapolis. He moved to Colorado in 1983 and has considered this area home ever since. He holds a Master of Science in Finance and Econometrics from the University of Colorado, and a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the University of Minnesota.  In between recoveries from various sport-related surgeries, Rick enjoys road biking and hiking.

John O’Brien is the chairman of the Lyons Economic Gardening Group, LEGG and president of the Lyons Chamber of Commerce. He has worked in business and industry for many years and teaches classes at the University of Denver. He lives in Lyons. For more information on LEGG or the Chamber of Commerce please contact legg@lyons-colorado.com or call 303-823-5215.

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