Larimer County employees leave lasting positive impressions on their co-workers and community members every day. The Ranger Brendan Unitt Community Service Award, an annual public service award that began in 2021, honors the commitment to the community that embodies the spirit of Ranger Unitt.

The Ranger Unitt Award is open to any current Larimer County employee who demonstrates their passion to serve the community above anything else. The employee’s passion is exhibited through selfless acts of exceptional community service displayed through quality community or County interactions or initiatives. If you know a Larimer County employee who has demonstrated this same spirit or spark, we encourage you to nominate them!

Nominations for the Ranger Unitt Award will be accepted June 1 through July 31, 2023. The recipient of the award will be announced in the Fall with an event following in November 2023. Applications will be accepted through an online form at Ranger Brendan Unitt Community Service Award.

About the Ranger Brendan Unitt Community Service Award 2022 Recipients

The Ranger Brendan Unitt Community Service Award was presented to Carolina and Tomas Quinonez of the Human Services Department in 2022. Both Carolina and Tomas serve our community in countless ways by getting information and resources to reach and strengthen families who might have language barriers or not have the necessary access to these resources. Carolina is a Case Manager at the Larimer County Office on Aging, and Tomas is a Community Navigator in the Children, Youth, and Family Division. 

Carolina finds every opportunity both during her job and outside work to ensure that those in the Spanish-speaking community understand and have access to resources available to them. She also connects immigrant families who are being deported with agencies, churches, and nonprofits with needed resources. During the Cameron Peak Fire and East Troublesome Fires, Tomas was on the scene reaching out to families who use Spanish as their primary language, sharing the resources and information to access the resources available to them during and when in recovery from both fires. Tomas also works in the Fatherhood Initiative so that engaging fathers are present in families. As community navigator with the Supported Families, Stronger Community grant, Tomas focuses on the prevention of child maltreatment and early intervention. Carolina and Tomas’s commitment to our community is the same that Ranger Brendan Unitt brought to his service and role in the community.

Learn more about Carolina and Tomas Quinonez, the 2022 recipients of the Ranger Brendan Unitt Community Service Award by visiting our website at https://www.larimer.gov/guiding-principles/ranger-brendan-unitt-community-service-award.

About the Ranger Brendan Unitt Community Service Award 2021 Recipient

The 2021 Ranger Brendan Unitt Community Service Award was presented to Bill Wilson of the Natural Resources Department in 2021. Bill's community service spans over 25 years in Larimer County. He has a long history of serving Larimer County through his work with the county and with the City of Fort Collins for 14 years, as a small business owner, and through raising his family in the area.

Bill's impressive community service history includes more than 11,000 hours of volunteerism outside of his working hours. He has volunteered for many local organizations including the Veteran's Day Breakfast (City of Fort Collins event), Larimer County's Catch A Special Thrill (CAST), and the Centennial Bass Club (in multiple positions), as Santa at The Farm and many more. His commitment and service to Larimer County are the embodiment of this award and what Ranger Brendan Unitt brought with him to his service and volunteer roles in the community.

Ranger Brendan Unitt Community Service Award recipient by visiting our website at https://www.larimer.org/ranger-brendan-unitt-community-service-award.

About the Ranger Brendan Unitt Community Service Award

Brendan Unitt grew up in Windsor, CO, and was a 2011 graduate of Windsor High School. He served his country in the United States Marine Corps from 2011 to 2015, which included a tour in Afghanistan as a Military Police Officer. Following his military service, Brendan returned to Larimer County.

Unitt graduated from Colorado State University in May of 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a concentration in addiction and substance abuse counseling. Brendan interned as a Deputy Probation Officer with Larimer County Probation Office where he received the Deputy Probation Officer of the Year Award in 2019. Brendan began to serve as a Larimer County Natural Resources Boat Ranger at Horsetooth Reservoir in 2020.

He committed himself wholeheartedly to providing safety assistance and emergency response to visitors at Horsetooth Reservoir. On August 20, 2020, Brendan Unitt died while rescuing distressed swimmers during a sudden severe storm on Horsetooth Reservoir. Brendan was only days away from starting at the police academy at Aims Community College. He was 27 years old. After his death, there was an outpouring of support from the community for his passion to serve through his numerous interactions with community members and County employees.

Ranger Unitt’s service and sacrifice to Larimer County and the citizens of Larimer County will be honored annually through the Ranger Unitt Award.