Staff Spotlight: More About Mitchell

Every Monday and Thursday mornings two very important staff members come walking through our doors; Mitchell Elder and his dog Zelda. Though Zelda only joined our little family a couple years ago, Mitchell has been here at Cultivate for over six years. When he moved to Colorado from Oklahoma 15 years ago, he wanted to find a job working in the non-profit sector, and Cultivate has been his dream job.

As a member of the Choctaw Nation, Mitchell has found that many of the values he was raised with inform his work here. The value placed on honoring and caring for the senior community was a part of his upbringing, and makes this position a natural extension of those beliefs. He is often a calm and laidback presence in the office and can respond to issues with great ease. Very little gets under Mitchell’s skin and he says it is because he can find common ground with anyone. There is always something that he can connect with, which informs his interactions with volunteers and clients alike. Mitchell is often the first one to volunteer for things around the office and helps keep almost half of our programs running each week.

When he is not in the office, he is still with his little dog Zelda! He loves to hike, read or watch movies with her and his wife Laura. He and Laura also attend a large number of concerts every year. His record collection is extensive, and shows his deep love of music. This also helps with Cultivate events and means that anytime you come to an event you are listening to a Mitchell Playlist!

Whatever Mitchell puts his mind to, he does with a calm that is enviable. We are lucky to have him on our team!