Wade Troxell is a professor of mechanical engineering at Colorado State University and the former mayor of Fort Collins, Colorado. Born and raised in Fort Collins, Wade has served the community as a student-athlete, an academic, city council member, and three-term mayor. His leadership spans city planning, education, and civic engagement, and his service has deeply influenced our community. Through his work, Wade continues to mentor the next generation while embodying what it means to love your city one life at a time.
[1:08] Introduction of guest Wade Troxell—his local roots, his roles (professor, former mayor), and significance to Fort Collins.
[3:40] Wade’s family history and early childhood in Fort Collins—family’s move, growing up near CSU, early education.
[7:33] High school, football career at CSU, and transition to engineering studies and college athletics.
[10:56] Academic achievements—engineering degrees, bioengineering work, and initial professional experiences including summer with the Denver Broncos.
[12:51] Working at Kodak, impact of major employers (Kodak, HP, Anheuser Busch) on Fort Collins and Northern Colorado development.
[16:59] Urban planning, city growth, infrastructure, and intentionality behind Fort Collins’ design and community.
[22:17] History of Fort Collins city planning, influence of Colorado State University in town development, and major historic milestones.
[24:07] Wade’s public service—roles on city council and as mayor, personal anecdotes, and fostering long-term community vision.
[26:39] Servant leadership philosophy, family legacy of community service, and influence of local mentors and leadership on Wade’s values.
[31:50] The "Mayor for a Day" story that planted the seed for civic leadership
[35:40] Reflecting on servant leadership and community mentors
[39:17] The life and influence of Hal Kinard
[44:35] Wade's vision for continuing to love Fort Collins “one life at a time”
Fort Collins is often praised for its charm, but its growth and excellence are no accident. Behind its vibrant community, wide streets, and bike trails lies decades of thoughtful planning and intentional leadership. How has Fort Collins maintained its small-town heart while evolving into one of the most desirable places to live in Colorado?
According to Wade Troxell, who served as mayor and teaches mechanical engineering at Colorado State University, the key lies in visionary leadership and community engagement. From his family's arrival in 1947 to his own public service roles, Wade has witnessed Fort Collins’ evolution from a town of 20,000 to a city of over 175,000—without losing its integrity. Through careful infrastructure planning, inclusive growth strategies, and a culture of giving back, Wade believes the city’s strength is rooted in its people and their shared responsibility.
On this episode of The Love FoCo Show, Jeff Faust welcomes Wade Troxell for a conversation about Fort Collins’ rich history, thoughtful city development, the power of servant leadership, and why every resident has a role in shaping the city’s future.
TRANSCRIPT
Intro: This is the Love Foco Show.
Wade Troxell: What I love about Fort Collins is that kind of intentionality and planning. It's not, you know, folks move here and think that it became great right when they arrived and you really have to look back to the founding of Fort Collins and the decisions that were made over many years that why Fort Collins has remained a great place to live, work, play, and raise a family.
Intro: Welcome to the Love Foco Show. Our podcast highlights the incredible people who make Fort Collins the place we're proud to call home. Each week, your host, Jeff Faust, sits down with local leaders, community champions, and change makers to share their stories, what they love about our city and how they're helping it thrive. So whether you're out on the trail, at a brewery, or walking through Old Town, thanks for tuning in. At Love Foco, we believe in loving our city one life at a time.
Now let's dive in.
Jeff Faust: Hey, everyone. Jeff Faust here, your host for the Love Foco podcast. Every episode, we sit down with business owners, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, and influencers from our amazing city. Just basic amazing humans who are making a difference in and around Fort Collins. It doesn't matter if they're selling or serving or building or brewing. You name it. We hope these conversations will inspire you to get involved, to share your story, and to make a difference by loving our city one life at a time.
Today's interview, we're sitting down with Wade Troxell, who I lovingly call Mr. Fort Collins. He was born and raised here, played football at CSU, now a professor at CSU. He was a mayor of our town when I first moved to Fort Collins.
I can't wait for you to hear his story, the longevity of his influence in our community and the interview. It's a great time to sit down with him. And so let's go ahead and jump on in to this conversation.
Wade, thank you so much for being here. Grateful that you're making the time. And bonus, you are the first interview on the Love FoCo Podcast. So welcome to the podcast. You're you're our first interview. How does that how do you how does that make you feel?
Wade Troxell: Well, I'm honored actually. So and this is a subject that's near and dear to my heart, and I love Fort Collins and everything that Fort Collins has to offer. And and, you know, I've just been so fortunate to, this is my hometown.
Jeff Faust: Well, just I'm I'm so thrilled that you agreed to join the podcast and that you're our first interview. You know, you you were a big part of my life when I first moved to Fort Collins almost eight, nine years ago, and we'll get into a number of reasons why I really wanted you to be our first interview in a moment. But the first question that I'm gonna ask you, the first question I intend to ask everybody is just tell me a little bit about your Fort Collins origin story. Like, how did you show up here? Are were you born here, raised here? Did you transplant in? Like, so many others. Like, what is your Fort Collins origin story?
Wade Troxell: You bet. Well, Fort Collins is my hometown. So I was born in Poudre Valley Hospital and and, when it was a county hospital, way out.
Jeff Faust: That is awesome. So I'm sitting with a real actual native.
Wade Troxell: That's right
Jeff Faust: I mean, everybody totes that they're a native, but but you're an actual native to to not just to Colorado either, but all but to Fort Collins specifically.
Wade Troxell: That's right. So I was the youngest of of four kids, and and my folks came here in 1947. Wow. My dad positioned at Colorado State University. Basically, he he did his doctorate at Duke, and so my folks came out here in 1947 before interstates. And, you know, after three days of driving and in the middle of Kansas and my dad was a a forestry professor.
Jeff Faust: So Okay.
Wade Troxell: After three days of driving in in Kansas and hadn't seen a tree in days, mom said, we're going to Colorado, and you're to do what? And and so there are a lot of trees, and that's an important
Jeff Faust: Yeah. My goodness.
Wade Troxell: Environment here. So, he was a professor of forestry.
Jeff Faust: Okay. So really came across the entire Midwest to get out here. Yep. And I don't know the last time you drove through the Midwest to get to the front range. It's not the most appealing drive.
Right. And then so all of a sudden you land, you know, and you see the you see the the foothills, the Front Range, it had to have just blown everyone's mind.
Wade Troxell: A lot of two two lane highways and back then. Yeah. And and and my my brother was just born, my oldest brother, and and so, he came into Fort Collins. And at that time, think it was around 3,000 students at Colorado A and M. Drove around the oval.
Yeah. Back in the aggie days. Yeah. Aggie days. Drove around the oval and stopped at the Administration Building and the president agreeing at the time greeted him.
And welcome to Fort Collins. And and by the way, while you're here yeah, on in the fall, every afternoon after three, you're gonna also coach football.
Jeff Faust: Oh, by the way, surprise.
Wade Troxell: That's right. So about the first three or four years, my dad was the freshman football coach as well as teaching forestry.
Jeff Faust: That's that's amazing. And so you said you were the baby of four kids. Yeah. So how many years was like your family established here before you were born and started to live your life here?
Wade Troxell: Yeah. So 1947. So that's when, you know, we were established here and and, my the house I grew up in, my folks built it in 1951. It's really just three blocks from here on Armstrong and in the Mantz Addition.
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: And it was the first post World War two subdivision that was built. It was you know, Fort Collins lay down on a grid, but this is the first neighborhood that had one block long streets.
Jeff Faust: Okay.
Wade Troxell: And and it was mid century. Yeah. Yeah. And my mom had a a set of plans from Better Homes and Gardens and and it's a Cape Cod kind of house so it was different than all the other houses that were being built at the time and and that was the house I grew up in.
Jeff Faust: That's awesome. That's amazing. So born here, raised here, then where like, what's the school journey like for you? Where did you go to school? I mean, we're sitting in the Scott Hall right now.
Your office is just down. It was in a beautiful, on campus doing this interview. Your house is just a handful of blocks. Where where would that have landed you for? Like, elementary, middle high, things like that?
Wade Troxell: You bet. So, elementary school, Dunn Elementary was built 1949. So it was a new elementary school, and it was one block from my house growing up. I was two houses away from campus. Yep.
And so the CSU campus was my playground as a as a kid, and and Fort Collins was about 20,000 people at that time.
Jeff Faust: 20,000. A lot's changed.
Wade Troxell: A lot has changed.
Wade Troxell: So Dunn Elementary, Lincoln Junior High, and Poudre High School.
Jeff Faust: Awesome.
Wade Troxell: So So an Impala. You bet. So my my Poudre opened in 1964, and my oldest brother, that was his senior year. So that was the opening of Poudre, my oldest brother was a valedictorian for so the first graduate of Poudre High School in in its existence.
And and my mom was involved at the time in a lot of things, and and she was an amazing woman. She helped start the scholar athlete award at the high schools, and and there's an award rec that recognizes her, the Eleanor Troxell Award top. And it really integrates and it tells, I think, a story that, you know, that is really part of me is, it really recognizes not only athletics but citizenship and scholarship in terms of, what you do as, in your community and she established along with Gladys Eddy, Willard Eddie, the Eddy Building. Gladys Eddy was a stalwart person in this community. She established this award after my mom passed away.
Jeff Faust: Oh that's amazing. And I know you enough way to know that those characteristics are like ingrained in you too because there was the scholarship, there was the athletics. I I just fast forward just a little bit. I know you ended up playing football at CSU. Mhmm.
So you be you went from an Impala to a Ram. There's something about the hooved animals that you that's just drawing you in, but you came and you played football at CSU, studied here. Tell us a little bit about that journey.
Wade Troxell: You bet. So I was recruited for football. You know, I had trips, and I was actively recruiting with BYU at the time Right. Air Force Academy, and got a scholarship at CSU, athletic scholarship under Sark Arzlanian, Coach Arzlanian. And and and so, know, in high school, we won conference my sophomore, junior, senior year.
So we're a good football team and and number of recruits. And and I was recruited to and came to CSU. My freshman year, I was a long snapper, so I did all the long snapping. Yep. My freshman year and then my sophomore, junior, senior year, I was regular center as well as long snapper.
Jeff Faust: Okay.
Wade Troxell: So I started for three years as regular center.
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: I was a co captain my senior year. Yep. We had good seasons during that time and great experience and a lot of you know, that's the neat thing about college or people that you meet or lifelong friends.
Jeff Faust: Oh, man. So amazing. And like, I mean, even thinking about not only how the city has changed, but even how the sport of football is a playing center, you know, now has become like a famous position because of Jason Kelsey. And then the Kelsey brothers and everything like that, he's made that position so so famous. But, man, that's incredible.
So when you were here then playing ball and long snapper playing center, You started studying, I would imagine engineering just knowing your background. Did you start with engineering or how did you find your way into that field of study?
Wade Troxell: Yeah. Literally fifty years ago was when I was a freshman
Jeff Faust: And I won't tell you how old I am.
Wade Troxell: So I was a freshman and I, actually took summer school because to actually get ahead on some of my classes. And I that's one thing I always did was also take summer school as a part of my education because, you know, engineering and and athletics always viewed both of them as two full time jobs. Yep. And and and so, you know, I from the beginning, I my first degree was in engineering science. Which was an interdisciplinary kind of engineering.
It was in bioengineering and great experience there. And then and then when I got to be when I graduated, you know, I actually did one summer with the Denver Broncos that was with Red Miller as a coach, and and I I did this long snapping and regular snapping to, you know, a number of folks, including Jim Turner as kicker and and Luke Prestridge as a punter, and and and then Craig Morton as a quarterback and Norris Weese as a quarterback. And I I remember, you know, I would line up, and it was just a drill, but the the they would have the linebackers and defensive backs, and that was the “Orange Crush” defense. And so, you know, there'd be I'd look up and there'd be, you know, Randy Gradishar and and Tom Jackson and and Bob Swenson and Joe Rizzo as, you know That is incredible. Pretty cool.
Jeff Faust: Yeah. Very cool. Yep. So did you go bachelor's and then that was it or did you continue education and and and where was that was it continued at CSU as well?
Wade Troxell: Yep. So, you know, I I graduated nineteen with my bachelor's, and and I was working on a project that was part of my senior project here at CSU. It was funded. Had a chance to go on for my master's right away.
I enjoyed that because I just wanted to be a student. It was after my playing days.
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: And, so I was just a student in engineering working on my master's, and it was on a project that is called the “Troxellciser.” So it was an interactive exercise machine that actually had a microprocessor that controlled the system and that was part of the bioengineering part of my education was I build this piece of equipment that, you know, was pretty interesting at the time.
Jeff Faust: Oh, that's awesome. And then you started teaching as well at CSU. I mean, is why I affectionately, this is why when I'm talking to other people, I'm gonna try this nickname on for you. Tell me if you like it or not. I affectionately refer to you as mister Fort Collins.
Wade Troxell: Okay. Yeah.
Jeff Faust: Because like every time I sit down with you, I just learn more about how your history and your life is ingrained in the city, how you've helped advance this city and and done amazing things, and then and then helped other people do the same things. I mean, just empowering people all around you. So you you you were born here, you were raised here, you grew up an Impala, then you became a ram, then you came to master. And now, I think even still to this day, you were a professor here at CSU and so the legacy is just continuing to build and grow. How long have you been a professor here?
Wade Troxell: A long time. So, you know, when I came back my PhD, I spent a couple years working in Kodak in Windsor. Okay. And then came back my PhD in 1984. So I've
Jeff Faust: Wait, hold on. Because I'm not sure everybody realizes this because it's not current, like Kodak, in Windsor was a huge part of of Northern Colorado. Had to been a huge part of Northern Colorado.
Wade Troxell: So in about 1970, Kodak located a big facility in Windsor. It's about 3,500 employees at Kodak in Windsor. So it really built and and Kodak really built a lot of the infrastructure that Windsor has today, high schools, other schools, roads, and and utilities, and so forth. So, I mean, still see naming the streets and that sort of thing.
Yeah. And now it's just a shadow of of its what it was back then.
Jeff Faust: But it's amazing to think like a plant that employs, you said 3,500 people, the impact that can have on an entire region.
Wade Troxell: Yeah.
Jeff Faust: You know an entire area of of Colorado that because that's impacting a lot of families like you said a lot of infrastructure and and and commerce and all kinds of different things.
Wade Troxell: Yeah. So when you think about it, so Kodak had a large presence here beginning in the nineteen seventies. So did Hewlett Packard. Yeah. Hewlett Packard in the nineteen sixties located the first facility outside of California, and that was in Loveland.
Jeff Faust: Yes.
Wade Troxell: And, there's, HP there, but then code, HP, that was in the seventies and eighties had a large facility here in Fort Collins. They also had large one in Greeley, you know, here in Fort Collins, along Harmony Road. Yep. And and so HP and then Anheuser Bush Yeah. Was a that was a
Jeff Faust: I mean, are some major employers.
Wade Troxell: Right. And before that, you know, we didn't have those kind of large employers.
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: We had Woodward, has been here for since the fifties, I believe, nineteen fifties. And and their world headquarters was moved here when I was on council. So that was a big, you know, part of our economic future when Woodward committed and and built this, the campus. They have the Drake campus, but they also have the one on Lincoln.
Jeff Faust: Right. Yeah. I mean, you're talking major employers, you're talking stimulating the economy in incredible ways, building the city up. I mean, you your family came here in the late forties and you've touched on the eighties and you're still a professor at you've seen this city change so much over the over the decades. What what's I'd just be curious, what's something maybe that you miss? Because I talk with folks who maybe been here for fifty plus years and and they always say they remember when, you know, this entire section of town was a field or whatever. Is there something progress is beautiful and we all we all love the amenities and the excellence comes with living in Fort Collins, I'm sure there were a few things that maybe you miss too. Is there something you look back and you're like, oh, that was a really sweet time to live here?
Wade Troxell: Well, it's always been a great time. I mean, even back when it was smaller, 20000, Prospect was Prospect Road. And these are called roads because they were out in the country. Prospect Road, Drake, Horsetooth, Harmony, all those are all roads, and they were essentially out in in in the country. Yeah.
And so and watching that grow over time. Now that's one of the things I love about Fort Collins is is really the planning, the intentionality, and the leadership Yeah. That went into it went into the growth of Fort Collins. It it isn't by accident that Fort Collins is one of the finest place to live.
Jeff Faust: You can't build this city with a two year plan
Wade Troxell: Yeah.
Jeff Faust: Or a five year plan. I mean, have to have really forward thinking long term planning leaders.
Wade Troxell: Invested in a great community. It was then known as the Choice City Of Colorado and it still is. Yeah. And the point is is
Jeff Faust: We don't need to tell anybody that. We can just keep that. Everyone's writing blogs about it. We can just bury those leads though.
Wade Troxell: Well, but it's always been like that. And so it it's it's interesting that that people come here, then five, ten years later, they wanna sometimes close the door.
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: And the point is is is it's really been designed to build out to about 250,000 people. Okay. And the the plans are in place for that future.
Jeff Faust: Now if we had a crystal ball, we don't have one right now, but if we had a crystal ball right in front of us, how how how long do you see that take like
Wade Troxell: Thirty years.
Jeff Faust: Thirty years from
Wade Troxell: now. Right. So and it's it's not an art. It's a science with the land planning, the land use, and and and where things are. Our our growth area management areas is fixed.
Mhmm. And so our boundaries are fixed along, you know, with the communities around us. There are community separators that will always keep Fort Collins its own identity.
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: And and with that
Jeff Faust: A dedicated green space.
Wade Troxell: Right. Trails and and and things that make Fort Collins the thing that people just love. And and what I what I love about Fort Collins is that kind of intentionality and planning. It's it's it's not, you know, some folks move here and think that it became great right when they arrived. And and you really have to look back to the founding of Fort Collins and and the decisions that were made over many years that why Fort Collins has remained a great place to live, work, play, and raise a family.
Jeff Faust: Well, it's it's an incredible place. And I I haven't lived all over the nation, but I moved from the Midwest. I grew up in Iowa. I spent a lot of time in Kansas City. And and my wife and I loved Kansas City, started our family in Kansas City.
But when we moved here, we said early and often, as far as it's up to us, this is the place we wanna stay. I mean, it's incredible.
Wade Troxell: Yeah.
Jeff Faust: And the more, like you said, the more I get to know the city, the more I get to know the leaders and and and think about the city planning and the and the excellence behind all these things, I continue to be impressed more and more. It's really is an incredible place to live.
Wade Troxell: You know, you look to a lot of things. Why is Fort Collins have wide streets? Well, in when it was a grid and it was mainly what we can now call Old Town. And Avery was the initial planner of of the city of Fort Collins. You know, the wide streets were so wagons could be turned around within the within the street.
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: Well, now, you know, we have dedicated bike lanes and and and and so we have complete street infrastructure.
Jeff Faust: Right.
Wade Troxell: If you go to Denver, if you go in those neighborhoods, can barely get one car down with two parked cars on either side. And so you just think about things that and and it might be serendipity, but it was really intentional about the purpose of the community and and with its agricultural roots fundamentally in Colorado State University being here from the very beginning.
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: Colorado State University was founded in 1870 and and and the city of Fort Collins was incorporated in 1873. Colorado became a state in 1876.
Jeff Faust: Amazing.
Wade Troxell: So it was when it was a territory, Fort Collins, what became Fort Collins and and you know what you know the founding and with CSU here as well.
Jeff Faust: Yeah. Well I just I think every leader that I've ever talked to, they they want vision. They wanna have longevity in mind. They wanna be able to plan for the future. There's some incredible insights.
If you if you just look at Fort Collins, just study the the history and and you project into the future. I mean, that may it be true of all of us who are leaders that we would just have this kind of intentionality and
Wade Troxell: Right.
Jeff Faust: And foresight to to keep planning. I mean…
Wade Troxell: It’s having vibrancy for the businesses. You know, businesses change over you know, markets change and and so forth. But, you know, we've always had, you know, a vibrant, community of businesses. You know, one thing Fort Collins has always been on the on the positive slope of our economic future. And that's due to, I think, good decisions made by city leaders and so forth that, you know, that we we don't get overextended.
And and it always is a a great place to live for whomever lives here.
Jeff Faust: Yep. Well, you had mentioned because I wanna circle back to this for a little bit because I I told you I affectionately call you Mister Fort Collins and you had you had leaked into our conversation that you were on city council. And then I also know that you were you were mayor. So tell us a little bit about how you've served the city in more of those official roles. Of course, you've served it just as a human wanting to be a great neighbor to to everyone who calls this place home.
You've also served it in like a professional capacity. So tell us a little bit about, you know, you being on the council and then being the mayor and and fill us in on a little little bit of the life of of what that was like.
Wade Troxell: You know, and you're really honored to serve, as, Fort Collins fifty-sixth mayor Wow. At the time. And and and and, you know, I was first elected in 2007
Jeff Faust: Yep.
Wade Troxell: To District 4, which is Southwest Fort Collins. And and I served two terms there. I was term limited. Had a chance to run for mayor. I did and ran and had three terms as mayor.
When were those years? From, 2015 to 2021.
Jeff Faust: Okay.
Wade Troxell: They're four year terms for council and two year terms for mayor. Yes. So elected three terms. So I was, and elected, on council for, fourteen years.
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: And, you know, it was really an honor to serve. And, you know, part of that story is, when I was 14 years old, the mayor at the time, Karl Carson, he is a local dentist, a great man. He I always I often look to him for, you know, being providing great leadership to our community. But Karl Carson was challenged by the ASCSU, the student body president, to a race. It was cool.
Race. Yeah. And it was called the walk for mankind. So it was a it was a fundraiser, a 15 mile race or something like that. And it was through, actually, the south part of what we now know is Fort Collins District 4 that I served.
So when I was 14, mayor Carson said the mayor accepts your challenge to the race to the student body president. Wow. And he made me mayor for a day.
Jeff Faust: No kidding. And
Wade Troxell: I did the race for Mayor Carson as the
Jeff Faust: Wow.
Wade Troxell: As the so-called mayor for a day.
Jeff Faust: Man.
Wade Troxell: And and it was a walker mankind, I ran it at at that time and came in, like, twenty-second. And
Jeff Faust: As a 14 year old.
Wade Troxell: Yeah. As a 14 year old.
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: And, you know, that you know, it was experiences like that that you know, I always had a general awareness of what was going on in our community. Why, you know, water treatment and our electric system and our sign codes and just a lot of things that are behind the scenes that make Fort Collins a wonderful place. And so I always had that community system perspective about Fort Collins. And and, it it it not that I was preordained that I would be mayor, but there was a when in 2007, a number of people me contacted me to consider running for mayor, or running for council at that time. And and I did. I won. And, you know, for the next fourteen years, served on city council.
Jeff Faust: Wow. So did you ever like pull out the picture as a 14 year old like mayor for a day and use that as a as like a campaign slogan like hey this is there's someone had some kind of foresight into my life or who I would become?
Wade Troxell: You know, I never used it in campaigning really. You know, I think it's an interesting little factoid but, you know, I did, for me it was really how to make Fort Collins a a better place. And, you know, a lot of city leaders, not you know, some people in politics don't view the long game, you know, their heads down. I I really tried to encourage, you know, when I was mayor and our council and so forth to lift our heads up and look to the horizon and where are we going as a community. And this is is that in a direction we wanna go?
Jeff Faust: Well, someone will be mayor after you. Yeah. And someone will sit in that council chair after you and and someone will inherit this beautiful city that so many have helped build. I mean, it it's it's not, lost on me even as we're sitting here in this interview in Scott Hall and and just down from your office that there is a quote over here on the wall from Walter Scott that says, “Be a giver, not a taker.” Yeah.
And as I hear your story, even the way you talk about, you know, growing up here, the foresight and the and the forward thing and being aware of the community, the way that you have taught and led and cared for our city, I hear a lot of servant leadership behind that. Mean, just seems like that's part of where do you think that came from? I mean, who I would imagine family. I would imagine some key leaders and mentors. But where did that kind of, servant hearted, be a giver, not a taker kind of mentality come from?
Wade Troxell: Yeah. I'd say definitely my parents, my mother and father, both amazing folks in their own right and and, and what they've done, but also community leaders at the time and through our churches and and at CSU. You know, I just remember growing up, and I knew the the people that the buildings are now named after. You know? Whether it be Walter Scott or or Willard Eddy, and, you know, just knowing those folks and and really what they stood for.
And and and then also the the Mayor Carsons and and the you know, those that kind of leadership and the decisions that were made. You know, I just think about in in the late sixties, my dad actually served on city council as well.
Jeff Faust: Oh, okay.
Wade Troxell: He was a council member when it was five members. And I remember going to city council meetings
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: About 03:00 on on I believe it was Tuesdays then too, but it was 03:00 in the old City Hall, which is right next to where the City Hall is today. Yeah. And it's it's it's still used in by the city. But, you know, going to those, you know, meetings and being aware of things going on.
Jeff Faust: Just a man of the city. I I love that so much. This is why I wanted you to be our first interview because I just knew there were gonna be so many little backstories. And and truly since the day that we met, I I've seen you all over this town using the bike lanes that you were talking about, drinking in different coffee shops, meeting with people, it seems like you kind of really do embody I mean, I first moved here, I was just in observation mode. Like, what is this city about?
And I learned that if you want to be, if you wanna be loved in this city, you want the city to love you back, if you love bikes, beer, and dogs, you're gonna be, like, pretty high on the list. Right? And and I just I see you on your bike all the time just, you know, biking around the city,
Wade Troxell: enjoying It's amazing city. It's amazing. You know? And, you know, it goes back to, you know, the Avery planning and the wider streets and so forth. And, you know, that's actually been carried through in in so many ways.
And and you can enjoy the city in so many ways and, you know, just just everything. So being around the coffee shops and the coffee culture Yeah. That is here, but also, you know, the breweries and and, you know, every family Yeah. And, you know, having fun not crazy, but just enjoying, things. But also, you know, our personal responsibilities that we have to this community in one way or another.
If it's, within your job or within your going to school or or what is it? It's helping your neighbor. Yeah. And and, you know, the thing that I really enjoy is is and I would do undercover mayor when I was mayor and just I would go places and just sit there and listen. Yeah.
And just have listen to people what they were saying, why they were here in Fort Collins, visiting or whatever.
Jeff Faust: And That's a dangerous game, Wade, because you can hear some things you don't wanna hear too.
Wade Troxell: That's that's all part of it. But Yeah. You know, just hearing why, you know, people like about Fort And it was a time where Fort Collins wasn't a destination. Mhmm. You know, it was a pass through on the way to Rocky Mountain National Park, which is one of our great assets in our backyard here.
But, you know, you know, we talked about, the major employers that, you know, established here. Well, there weren't really hotels here. There was the best western. Now it's gonna be the the refurbished hotel there across from the South College gym. And that was the hotel.
Then there was the Holiday Inn out by I-25. That was it. And then Hammons built what is now the Hilton and then the Marriott and and so forth. And and and now, you know, there's such a culture about, you know, a destination around Fort Collins and, you know, driving and riding a bike and seeing license plates literally from all corners of Yeah. It's pretty cool.
Jeff Faust: No. My family is still back in the Midwest and and they always invite us back and we're like, why would we go? No. You should come here. Come here for the holidays. It's incredible with the lights in Old Town, the hospitality and the charm of Old Town and
Wade Troxell: And there's always something going on. I remember when we would think about leaving Fort Collins, you know, growing up and you go somewhere else for the weekend. Now you think about Fort Collins and what's going on and you come to Fort Collins.
Jeff Faust: That's right.
Wade Troxell: And so there is that shift over the years as well.
Jeff Faust: Yep. Yeah. Yeah. Every time you leave, it's an it's an opportunity lost. I mean, you know, so, I I wanna I wanna ask you a couple questions about because you had mentioned the buildings and you know some of the people who these buildings are are named after.
You know, we first met because, by by trade, my my day job is a I'm a pastor here in town and I've really come to love this city. This podcast is all about kind of celebrating how amazing the city is and the great people like you that make it great. You and Darin Atterbury came to our church, and we just had a kind of a panel interview, and I just I asked you guys a lot of questions about how the faith community could love our city and what that was and where it led as a conversation for another day. But I'll never forget when you were there, you looked out into the congregation and you saw someone that was a mutual acquaintance of both of ours, mine through pastoring and yours through just relationship and growing up here, a man by the name of Hal Kinard. Do you remember that day when you saw Hal Kinard in our church?
Wade Troxell: That's the highlight of that day and Hal and Sandy Kinard. But Hal, was he was, you know, one person in my life that has made a difference. And I can say without any limitation is that he helped an entire generation of primarily young men and boys become better citizens through knowing Hal Kinard.
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: And that's what you know, that's where I just look at certain individuals that have made such an impact through their lives on the lives of others in our community making this a better community.
Jeff Faust: And I think I, so Hal has passed and and it it was one of the biggest memorial services I ever think I went to. Our church couldn't even host it because we weren't big enough. But it was an incredible moment to celebrate a man's life who really gave everything he had to to the people that were around him, empowering, like you said, young men. I still meet, cause Sandy still goes to our church. I still meet young men who know her and will tell me how much Hal meant to them.
And then of course, you know, there's a school named after him. And I just think that's an incredible legacy to live, but again, very intentional, incredibly empowering to the people around him. How specifically did you know how? Did did he coach you or or where did that relationship first kind of come about?
Wade Troxell: Yeah. So I went to Lincoln Junior High so Yep. Coach Kinard was our PE instructor.
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: But he he was more than that. He was a builder of of of people.
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: And when he my my brothers, he also coached my my brothers. And when before Hal was married to Sandy, he tore his Achilles tendon, and they had it repaired. And my mom reached out, and he did his recovery at our home. Really? Yeah.
And I I remember he was on the First Floor bedroom, and and, you know, the window was facing our garage where I had we had a basketball hoop, and and I'd open the the the drapes and and and he would help coach me when I was shooting baskets while he was recovering in our home in the last couple weeks.
Jeff Faust: Well, that's a hard injury to come back from. Yeah. I mean, even now today with all the medical advances and everything, Achilles is a tough one.
Wade Troxell: It is. He he he was he was always incredibly gracious for us, you know, hosting him, and and he would always talk to me about my parents and how wonderful people they were and and then they were. And, you know, that that was a special time that I, you know, had with Hal during
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: During that time. And and, you know, he we always kept in contact. He he would also keep connection with a lot of other folks in the community and and, you know, like T. R. Blevins and and and others. And and I don't know.
He was always so consistent. And he had a rough upbringing in in Denver and and and went to the military and then went to CSU and, you know, great basketball player at CSU. And he he would always be marked by hustle and determination. And and but also, I think his his biggest mark was his his love for Jesus in his life and that permeated in all of his relationships particularly working with kids as he continued working with Poudre School District.
Jeff Faust: Yeah, Well, I mean, you knew him longer than I did. But from the get go, his faith was clearly apparent, and you could see that it had permeated every way that he tried to interact with people. I think Sandy helped him grow quite a bit as well.
Wade Troxell: I believe that's really one of the beauties of marriage is the influence of each other. And it's not that each one of us are perfect, far from it. It's really it's our imperfections coming together trying to make a perfect union. Mhmm. And that's part of the beauty, think, of of a man and a wife and and and and and the raising of kids.
Jeff Faust: And and you know, just really interesting to learn about Hal's background. I I have to think that growing up the way that he did and facing some of the struggles that he did gave him a different kind of set of eyes to see the young people that were all around him. Mhmm. And and the ability where maybe, you know, sometimes folks would maybe be discredited or were pushed to the side. He would always be able to pull the gold out of them, even the gold they didn't know they had.
And of course, this famous phrase, “You can and you will.” Right? “You can and you will.” Just instilling it
Wade Troxell: Instilling that.
Jeff Faust: and and empowering it deeply within within young people all over the city.
Wade Troxell: And, you know, it run into, folks that, I grew up with, you know, whether it be, Ray Martinez or Jerry Cavalone or, and they still talk about coach.
Jeff Faust: Yeah. Yeah. Wouldn't that I mean, that's just prayer for all of us that that long after we live the life that we've been given that people remember the way that we treated them and how they became better after spending time with us. I know it's true of Hal. I'm sure that's quite true of you as well, Wade.
So, yeah, thank you for letting me ask that. I just find myself wondering though too on the like, I know the secondary or tertiary question of that is, how on earth do you get a building named after yourself? I mean, what's the process? Particularly these schools, I would imagine there's like a real process.
Wade Troxell: Yeah. There there is. And and there was a campaign in naming it for coach Kinard. Okay. And Ray Martinez played a key role in that and getting letters, 50 some letters, I think.
I provided a letter Yeah. Of of the impact of of coach Kinard on each of our lives, as an educator, as a lifelong, Poudre School District employee, impacting people's lives forever.
Jeff Faust: Yeah. Well, maybe there'll be a way Troxell maybe a Troxell Trail. We can all take a bike on Troxell Trail someday.
Wade Troxell: For whatever reason, I don't know, why. But in Longmont, there's an intersection of Troxell Avenue and Wade Road. There's an intersection and it's in West Longmont. I did some projects with in with, Longmont early in my career here and, and with the, developers of in the community. I don't know if that had anything, but, you know, I you know anyway I'm not out for those kind of things but you know there is a you know one of those famous intersections.
Jeff Faust: Yeah yeah. Well and that's really interesting too because I feel like again as I get to know the city as I get to know the leaders the Fort Collins leaders aren't trying to hoard all of this knowledge and this this foresight and and excellence for themselves. They're doing a great job of meeting with other municipalities and connecting with other leaders and sharing the knowledge, learning from other cities and sharing what we've learned with them.
Wade Troxell: We're all so blessed. When I was mayor, I was also involved with the Colorado Municipal League, and that's the 272 cities and towns in the state of Colorado. And I was on the executive committee there in one year served as the the president of the Colorado Municipal League. So the opportunity to and I part of the CSU mission working with, communities throughout the state, of Colorado. And I take that seriously.
It's a real, opportunity and a blessing to to see that out. And also other communities when I was mayor, was involved with, mayors, around The United States and and literally the world through Bloomberg Mayors Initiative.
Jeff Faust: Oh, that's awesome. That's incredible. Well, we've we've talked a lot. Wade, I've got one last question I really wanna ask you. I know we've talked about the origin story which was a lot of fun for me and and I know it will be for our listeners as well.
You had mentioned a number of things that you love about our city and we riffed on that for a while. I think that's really just interesting to hear and it helps us just remember how great of a town we live in. The last thing I would I would love to ask you is your love for this city, the fact that you're planted firmly in this city, how are you demonstrating that love? Like what are you doing to in a way love Fort Collins today? What's that look like in in your day to day life right now?
Wade Troxell: Yeah. You know, and I think this, you know, people throughout our community can relate to this, but it's being engaged with our community in one way or another whether it's through our schools or through our day to day jobs or through our families or through our faith-based community or what have you and I just think it's every day trying to make a difference positively within the community. And to me it's just like opening that door and saying thank you and being on the bike trail and saying I'm on your left and so forth. It's really being human but at a point that you're really reaching out and caring for somebody. You know, this is Mayberry, and and with that there's people who are having struggles as as well as, celebrations and and, with with with those struggles the thing is to really share your heart with each individual and for me meet know with students they are in tough situations sometimes not only in the classroom but you know in their lives and so making you know being open to those kinds of communications with with individuals to me what makes Fort Collins a great place we have so many nice things, amenities, weather, and things that we can celebrate.
But for as as mayor, it was really the people in our community that make Fort Collins a great place. And that's can be as intentional as as, the streets and and, and the amenities and and the culture that we enjoy. You know, it's the people that are really making a difference, whether it be the Hal Kinard or the T. R. Blevins or, know, Sark Kerslanian, my football coach, Ron McClary, or, you know, there or my, you know, professors that I've had over the years are now my colleagues.
You know? And then just people in our community are making a big difference to make it a better place.
Jeff Faust: I I love that. And, you know, every time that we have a conversation with someone, we wanna give them an opportunity to talk about how they're loving our city, whether that's to a nonprofit or a volunteer opportunity or whatever it is. But what you just said really captures the heartbeat of what we're trying to do at Love FoCo and the heartbeat of doing these conversations that we want to love our city one life at a time. And if we can all do that, we can all join in on that, it will be an incredible opportunity to see our neighbors, to love the people we're surrounded by every single day who all have their own stories. Mhmm.
Who all have their own challenges and, you know, we're not unique to that even though this city is incredible.
Wade Troxell: You know, Fort Collins, you know, I mentioned it was 20,000 when I was born here. Now it's a 175,000, so it's grown eight and a half times.
Jeff Faust: Yeah.
Wade Troxell: And to me, you you know, is it losing anything? You know? You know, to me, growth doesn't mean necessarily bad. Right. What we need to be as intentional about, it really's building the good into our community. Yeah. And that's each individual's responsibility for making us a better place.
Jeff Faust: I love that. Yeah. We're not just consumers of this great city. We're we're all at a part owners and and we're we're giving back, which is incredible. Well, Wade, or mister Fort Collins, if I could affectionately call you one last time, thank you so much again for taking the time to share your life and your thoughts and the impact you've had on this community.
I wanna celebrate you and all that you've done. We'll put a bunch of info in the show notes, ways that you can continue to be involved in the Love FoCo community. There'll be a picture of Mr. Wade Troxell there as well. I would love to do this again.
I mean, down the road I'd love to have another conversation with you. This has been a great way to start the podcast. And for all of our listeners, I would love for you to share the episode. Let us know who else we should interview next. And as always, you can go to lovefoco.com to learn about what we're trying to do as an organization to make this community a better place, loving our city one life at a time.
So thanks again, and we'll have another episode soon.
Outro: Thanks for listening to the Love Foco Show. If today's conversation inspired you, share it with a friend who loves Fort Collins as much as you do. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode and leave us a review. It helps more people discover us. To learn more about Love FoCo and find opportunities for loving our city one life at a time, visit lovefoco.com.
For now, keep loving Fort Collins well.
