About Midvalley Local NEWS

Father | Husband | Lifelong Learner | Growth-Seeker

I’m Rob Saffeels, a 36-year-old who’s embraced the unpredictable ride of life, and along the way, I’ve picked up a lot of skills, experiences, and perspectives that have shaped who I am today. Since high school, I’ve had more than 20 different roles – from lifeguard to store manager, to non-profit director to mental health technician; none of them related to the other. Every chapter has taught me something new, and each job has been a stepping stone to the next phase of growth.

My degree in Psychology from Corban University was a turning point for me after starting as a business major, sparking a deeper interest in human behavior, and that curiosity drove me to pursue my master’s in counseling. I’m certified in suicide intervention and prevention, a crucial skill that’s shaped my understanding of empathy and the real impact we can have on others by asking the tough questions many try to avoid.

After university, I worked at Apple, where I learned not just tech skills, but how to create real connections with people. I became a certified carpet cleaner and a diamontologist, earning my certification in diamonds while managing a jewelry store – because life’s full of unexpected turns, and each one offered a new way to develop expertise and understand what it takes to succeed in different environments. Every experience boiled down to finding how to serve others the best way they needed, not what was easy or comfortable for me.

Being a husband to Melissa (5 years), married the week the world was shut down due to Covid in March of 2020, and a dad to two amazing kids, Charlie (3) and Lyla (4 months), has been the ultimate lesson in patience, resilience, and love. Watching them grow reminds me that life’s journey isn’t about perfection; it’s about embracing the growth process and knowing that every step, no matter how uncertain, is leading you toward something greater.

From working with non-profits and small businesses, to navigating the corporate world, every experience has contributed to my belief that failure is not the opposite of growth – it’s part of it. I’m learning every day, and with my family and friends by my side. I’m more motivated than ever to keep evolving, whether it’s in my career or as a person. 

This is adaptive philanthropy: Not just fixing yourself, or the world around you, but learning how to live and accept yourself for who you are, broken and imperfect, in a world that will never be perfect either. We can work together for a better tomorrow. It starts today.

After a successful career in technology and management, Laurie opened the Durango FASTSIGNS® in 2009. In 2013, she purchased Durango TV. Laurie was the Colorado State Competition winner with her 2018 Business Plan for starting a visual communications company. She was also awarded Entrepreneur for the year award in 2020 by Durango Chamber of Commerce and FASTSIGNS Award her their prodigious FASTSIGNS Franchisee of the year in 2015.

After an award-winning journalism career, she joined Laurie in 2013 to launch Durango TV and blended her knowledge of journalism and public relations to build a proven process for creating short video news stories that are relevant to the community and have in-depth reporting. As NEWS Producer of LNN, she trains journalists how to transition from a print-based writer to a video journalist, how to find relevant and important stories in their community, and how to write stories using the LNN Video Script Template™.

After stints in Austin and Silicon Valley, Nathan co-founded Web Services Management in Durango in 2010 – a boutique web services and software company. A seasoned entrepreneur and technology architect, he has built several Content Management Systems (CMS) systems for media companies, and has deep experience weaving web, mobile, cloud and backend technologies into cohesive systems.