It started as a one-off in my first year of writing this regular column. To ring in the new year back in the eventful year of 2020, I offered a shoutout to eight Coloradans who served as models of how to lead lives to meaning, decency and contribution.

The response to that initial piece quickly convinced me to make it an annual tradition. In this age when so many seek to inflame and take advantage, we need all the shining examples we can find of how to do life the right way.

Herewith, this year’s eight exemplars:

Michelle Culver
Where the topic is human flourishing in all its forms, you will find Michelle Culver at the center of the conversation. Starting as a fifth-grade teacher in Los Angeles’ Compton area, Culver went on to nearly two decades as a senior executive with Teach for America. During that tenure, she initiated the Reinvention Lab, TFA’s research and development hub for reimagining education. More recently, Culver founded and now leads The Rithm Project to make sure humanity and connection are not lost in the age of artificial intelligence. Just a tad timely, perhaps.

Lang Sias
Were Colorado a competitive state with a viable, sensible Republican Party, Lang Sias could well occupy one of the state’s top offices. Since that is not the case, he has brought his leadership to other realms. Following service as a Navy fighter pilot, Sias fed his family by flying FedEx’s biggest planes. A former state legislator, he now heads Young Americans Bank and Center for Financial Education, another piece of Bill Daniels’ legacy. Showing the power of love, Sias, an evangelical Christian, is married to Rene, a conservative Jew; and they are raising their kids in the Jewish faith.

Timothy Fuller
Many years ago, too many, as a young political student at Colorado College, I avoided Prof. Tim Fuller’s political theory classes like the plaque. My interest then was way too limited to the practical side of politics. With maturity and an expanded horizon on my part, Fuller moved high on my list of favorite people for meaningful discussion and exchange of ideas. Whether talking about the history of late-stage republics or the excesses of higher education, he is invariably insightful. A renowned scholar on the philosopher, Michael Oakeshott, Fuller, now deep into his 80s, continues to teach and enlighten.

Norma Anderson
Ninety-three years young, Norma Anderson demonstrates principled engagement need not recede with age. She remains deeply involved with the issues of the day. Last year, she was the lead plaintiff in Trump v. Anderson, attempting to disqualify Donald Trump from the Colorado primary election ballot due to the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment. Though I disagreed at the time as a matter of tactics and the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately ruled against the plaintiffs, there is no doubt Anderson was acting on her values as she did consistently throughout an impactful political career.

Akasha Absher
It would be hard to find anyone who better exemplifies the ethic of civic involvement and supporting other professional women in their endeavors than Akasha Absher. With 25 years of experience, Absher leads impact investing for Syntrinsic, a firm providing investment counsel for nonprofits, foundations and philanthropically-minded individuals. She chairs the board of Pinnacol Assurance, no small assignment at the moment. Without knowing where she finds the time, Absher is also a certified yoga instructor.

Dylan Roberts
Age has its place, but indeed so does youth. A mere 36 years old, Dylan Roberts already has eight years of legislative service under his belt, five in the Colorado House and now three in the state Senate. Representing much of northwestern Colorado, Roberts has quickly established himself as a leader on a range of issues. His has been a voice of restraint within the Democratic caucus given Gov. Jared Polis’s ill relations with much of rural Colorado. Married to political consultant, Sarah Andrews, another next-generation Democrat of note, they are raising a family in the Colorado high country.

Kolby Morris Dahary
The rabbi of Har Mishpacha congregation in Steamboat Springs, Kolby Morris Dahary combines spiritual beauty with musical inspiration and rare eloquence. After her training at Denver’s Judaism Your Way, Rabbi Kolby, as she is known, moved to Steamboat to take her first pulpit and raise her young family away from the big city. Her guitar is always present and integrated into her services. She is, after all, the daughter of legendary rock promoter, Chuck Morris. Having lost a dear Israeli friend in the Oct. 7 attacks, Rabbi Kolby has emerged as an ever-thoughtful voice in seeking to make sense of the mess and understand the conflicting equities.

Kyle Clark
As Colorado’s most prominent television journalist, Kyle Clark needs no introduction. He is included here for his innovative efforts to improve the medium and use it to hold politicians to account. Gov. Polis’s ill-conceived bridge felt his sting. So did those with wild claims on behalf of Tina Peters. His Twitter account is a work of art, especially his light touch in disarming critics. Clark clearly has national-caliber talent. No doubt, he has had plenty of opportunities to work on bigger stages. But demonstrating unusual grounding, Clark has declined to chase that next big thing, choosing instead to lay down long-term roots here.

Happy 2025 all around, our often-troubled world notwithstanding. May these eight of the best among us provide illumination on the way forward.

Eric Sondermann is a Colorado-based independent political commentator. He writes regularly for ColoradoPolitics and the Gazette newspapers. Reach him at EWS@EricSondermann.com; follow him at @EricSondermann