Steve Meier Receives Inaugural RE-1 Education Game Changer Award at Sterling Halftime

Steve Meier was presented with the inaugural district community award courtside at halftime of the Sterling High School boys basketball game on Wednesday, Feb. 11, when RE‑1 Valley Superintendent Dustin Hunt and school board members Rita Sonnenberg, Misty Canada and Heather Harris stepped onto the court to recognize his contributions. District-prepared remarks referred to the honor as the RE‑1 Valley game changer award, while the presentation caption identified it as the RE‑1 Education Game Changer Award.

Jacob Reyes, the game announcer, read remarks prepared by Superintendent Hunt to introduce the new recognition: “For the first time we are proud to present the RE‑1 Valley game changer award, an honor grounded in a symbol of powerful belief that our schools are strongest when our community partners with them,” he said from courtside.

District materials state the award was established by Superintendent Dustin Hunt in tandem with the RE‑1 Valley Board of Directors to recognize community partners in education who "consistently step up to support RE‑1 schools and students." Hunt’s prepared text emphasized shared responsibility for district progress, noting that “the current successes and the future progress yet to be made in RE‑1 is not the work of schools alone, it takes teamwork between educators, families, businesses and community leaders who are willing to invest their time, resources and leadership.”

Photographs of the presentation show Meier standing third from right, flanked by Bank of Colorado employees, as Hunt and board members presented the award courtside. The image was shot by Callie Jones and credited as Callie Jones/Journal‑Advocate. Coverage of the halftime presentation characterized the moment as the start of a district practice of publicly honoring local individuals and organizations that support RE‑1 students.

News coverage of the event did not include Meier’s job title, employer or remarks from Meier or Bank of Colorado employees, nor did it detail the award’s nomination or selection process. Those specifics remain unreported publicly following the Feb. 11 presentation; the district’s prepared remarks and the board’s on-court appearances were the primary sources of context for the inaugural recognition.

The halftime setting at Sterling High School placed the award in front of a community audience and linked superintendent and board messaging about partnership directly to a school event. Photographer credit for the on-court images is Callie Jones/Journal‑Advocate.