LoDo District Honors Champions of Lower Downtown
On December 8, at Water Grill, the LoDo District Inc. announced its 2025 LoDo Champions, the individuals and organizations whose outstanding work elevated the neighborhood this year. As the business-oriented Registered Neighborhood Organization (RNO) for Lower Downtown, LoDo District, Inc. presents these awards in recognition of those who make concerted and significant efforts to improve LoDo’s reputation as a great place to live, work, and play.
At center are Stefanie Jones, of Feed Media, and Walter Isenberg, of Sage Hospitality, flanked by Dick Farley and Marty Steinberg, co-chairs of the LoDo District Inc.
The first of the LoDo Champions were Walter Isenberg & the LoDo Love Campaign. As owner of Sage Hospitality and an influential leader in Denver’s business community, Isenberg has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the vitality and reputation of LoDo for more than four decades. In mid-2024, Isenberg spearheaded the creation of the LoDo Love campaign, bringing together community partners and neighborhood businesses to create and share a unified, positive narrative about LoDo. In its first full year, the LoDo Love campaign, facilitated by local public relations and media agency Feed Media, has generated significant positive local and national media coverage; launched a strategic social media presence; and created a dedicated website, all of which amplify the message of a vibrant, safe LoDo.
At center are LoDo Champions Evan Dreyer, for Civic Collaboration, and Dave Query, for Business Advocacy, flanked by Dick and Marty.
Evan Dreyer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Mike Johnston, has held a significant role in turning the passion, feedback, and ideas of LoDo business owners, workers, and residents into a productive partnership with the City of Denver. Through Dreyer’s leadership and collaboration, LoDo and the City have begun to work more closely on finding solutions to issues and determining opportunities to continue improving the neighborhood.
Dave Query has been a restaurateur and business leader in LoDo since 1994, founding Big Red F Restaurant Group and owning Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar. He elevated his long-standing commitment to the community in 2025 by championing the district’s most pressing challenges and emerging opportunities. Through persistent, solutions-focused advocacy, he ensured that the voices and needs of LoDo were brought to the forefront for policymakers and elected officials, opening a dialogue aimed at a critical moment for LoDo.
Left to right are Gil Vondrasek, Don Ku, David Roberts, and Lisa Pope, of LoDoNA and UpDoNA, and Marty and Dick.
The LoDo Champions of Community Stewardship are two downtown neighborhood associations, Lower Downtown (LoDoNA) & Upper Downtown (UpDoNA). These RNOs demonstrated continued dedication in improving the safety and quality of life downtown throughout 2025, and their ongoing partnership with the LoDo District inc. has amplified all three organizations’ primary goals of making LoDo a great place to live, work, and play.
At center are Cobie Vasquez, Annabelle Payne, Kat Villanueva, Jothselyn Macias, and Sam Menzor of Ent Credit Union, with Dick and Marty at left and right.
The LoDo Champions in Philanthropic Partnership are with Ent Credit Union. Sam Menzor, LoDo Service Center Manager, and her team at the Ent LoDo Service Center have completed multiple neighborhood cleanups, which provide a direct and tangible impact in beautifying LoDo. More than 70 people have volunteered to collect more than one ton of trash; remove graffiti from picnic tables, benches, trash cans, and light posts; and pull weeds in public spaces. Ent Credit Union has also provided financial support in their effort to improve LoDo.
In addition to the LoDo Champions, LoDo District Inc. honored its longtime member Dick Farley for his dedication and service to both organization and neighborhood. Dick has served the LoDo neighborhood for many years, at a civic level and later in private practice. He has always maintained his commitment to improving LoDo, through decades of both challenges and successes. For the past three years Dick has served as co-chair of LoDo District Inc., tirelessly working to lead the district forward after COVID.
For his longtime commitment to and passion for the LoDo neighborhood, Dick received two awards—a custom brick, in gratitude for his countless hours of work and energy as co-chair of the organization; and a Manny, an award created to recognize the tireless and often unsung work of some folks in LoDo and named for Manny Salzman, a unique character who never lost his love for and dedication to making LoDo the best part of downtown. Recipients of this award reflect that determination and identifiable presence of a true LoDo advocate.
Dick Farley has been working to make Denver better for many years. At the City and then in private practice, he is never without his pens and notepad, ready to draw up the solution to a thorny problem of urban design. Most recently, Dick has “tilted at the windmill” of putting string lights over LoDo blocks of 16th Street. He has faced obstacles without once losing his way or motivation. As his co-chair, Marty Steinberg, knows, this position requires hours of work and bottomless dedication, and the award acknowledges all the energy that Dick devoted to it. We thank him for all his effort and are very glad that though he steps down from the co-chair position, Dick will continue to co-chair the Urban Design Committee and serve on the Board.
