Jan Sawyer, Special Events Coordinator

On any given weekend, or even day, in Fort Collins during the summer there is some large event taking place. Those trademark events that put the Choice City on the map.

 If everything goes according to plan, the public rarely knows the extent of what goes into putting on such events. From the preliminary permitting process to the licenses, road closures and sound ordinances there is a bevy of activities that goes into to putting on such large scale events here in Fort Collins.

The clockwork-like precision of such massive events going off without a hitch is, in part, thanks to one of the City’s newest employees.

Meet Special Events Coordinator Jan Sawyer, who, for lack of a better description, juggles all the balls at once when it comes to community events. From a 5K to Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest and everything in between, Sawyer has a big hand in helping make sure that the event is successful for all involved. 

Sawyer, who has been with the City for nearly a year now, defines her mission to encourage the presence and growth of special events, while at the same time ensuring minimal impact on neighborhoods, businesses and the venues where they are held.

“I enjoy helping keep the community vibrant and vital with these events,” Sawyer said. “This is why we live here.”

As Fort Collins grows, so does its reputation as a destination for events. With that brings the challenges that Sawyer is tasked with managing: noise, traffic, permits and codes.

Since the creation of the job by the City, whose leaders saw the need for such a position, the scope has already expanded into new territories, such as films. Sawyer said she is seeing more and more professional film makers wanting to utilize the City’s beauty in their movies.

Spending 17 years working for the City of Loveland on event management and planning, most recently managing the Rialto Theatre, prepared Sawyer well for the role of wrangling a whole City’s events. Currently, Sawyer’s biggest challenge is automating the permit process for events to make it easier for both City staff and event organizers to manage the paperwork side of the event.

When not managing events for Fort Collins, Sawyer enjoys spending as much time outside as possible. Between her cabin and hiking, she loves nature. For theatergoers there is a chance you may catch sight of Sawyer in a local play, as she is a passionate participant in the local theatre community.