Colorado Mesa University

"I owned the building with my parents and they wanted to get into the business," Tilly said. "I also love Grand Junction and [it was] a perfect way to get back into the community." Tilly and other building industry leaders share their success secrets on The Art of Construction, the number one rated podcast on iTunes for contractors and architects. With over 50,000 downloads and 6,000 subscribers, Tilly and cohost Kevin Keefe take audiences inside the minds of experts discussing current trends, leadership skills and proven business strategies. But despite his accomplishments, Tilly hasn't forgotten where it all began. "Mesa has really given to me," Tilly said. "Now it's time for me to give back." Tilly is currently working with faculty to integrate The Art of Construction into student projects. Projects based on real-life situations were among the most valuable educational experiences for Tilly — like the year he and his classmates presented a marketing plan for Honda's new car to company officials as part of the Honda Element College Program — and he won't hesitate to arm students with the same experiences. • Editor's Note: To listen to The Art of Construction visit theartofconstruction.net. ALUM RECONNECTS Devon Tilly expands business and helps CMU students By Cloie Sandlin Devon Tilly's first entrepreneurial venture began while he was a student at CMU. Now an accomplished business owner, he wants to fuel students with the same knowledge and passion he experienced from CMU's Business Department. While pursuing his bachelor's degree in business administration, Tilly balanced his extracurricular activities and entrepreneurial ventures around his schoolwork. He hired fellow rugby club members to work for his lawnmower business he called "Cuttin' for College," which helped him pay for school. After graduating in 2003, Tilly went to work in the construction supply industry but was never happy working for large corporations. "I worked for the 401K and I worked for the benefits," Tilly said. "But I had enough of the corporate world and I knew was an entrepreneur at heart." Tilly credits CMU's business program and "the school of hard knocks" to his business success as president of Mountain View Window & Door, a growing Denver-based specialty supplier of window, door and hardware for luxury builders, architects and designers. In 2012, Tilly bought Mountain View Window Designs, an established company in Centennial. After modifying the name and moving locations, the company has seen rapid growth in sales and staff. In 2016, it was recognized as Window & Door Magazine's Best Dealer in the Nation. Tilly opened a second location in Grand Junction almost two years ago. Devon Tilly recently visited the CMU-TV studio on the main campus. play ukulele. Emmi is originally from the Four Corners area of New Mexico and moved to Craig, Colo. before transferring from Colorado Northwestern Community College to CMU. Emmi's most joyous Mesa experience resides in the strong graphic design community of her peers. Through this family of accountability, she learned to identify her strengths and weaknesses and was encouraged by like-minded individuals to improve her skills. "To be surrounded by students experiencing the same coursework approached by various walks of life was an amazing learning experience — something I wasn't expecting out of my university education. The discussions and viewpoints of other students allowed me to approach design prompts in ways I never would have thought to otherwise. The lessons learned from the relationships I built at CMU will remain the most valued not only in my career, but in my journey as a person." Jazmin McFarland, '15 Jazmin recently became one of the newest members of the Advanced Title Company team in Grand Junction. She earned a degree in business administration and is excited to learn more about the real estate industry. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her boyfriend and new puppy. Kalvin Fukumoto, '16 After graduating with a computer science degree, Kalvin returned home to Honolulu, Hawaii, and is working in IT support for a company that provides service for air conditioning, plumbing and sheet metal forming. During his days as a student he worked for the IT Help Desk and felt like he was able to help many students with their computer problems, regardless of the scale. He is most proud of being a part of the library renovations in 2015, which transformed Tomlinson Library from an average library to a new aged "Cybrary". He attributes a close relationship he formed with one of his math professors to helping him acclimate to a new place and eventually feel comfortable enough to seek out friends with similar interests. SUBMIT YOUR CLASS NOTE TODAY. Keep your friends, classmates and the CMU Alumni Association up-to- date by submitting a Class Note! Visit SupportingCMU.org/alumni/class-notes to tell us what's new with you! 47 WINTER 2017 • VOLUME 6.2 COLORADO MESA UNIVERSITY David Kendrick, '81; Cash Kiser, '11; Cynthia Koch, '72; Harry Lee, '57; Vicki McKnight, '70; Dick Nobel, '91; Tom Osborn, '65; Ronald Page, '70; Clifford Smith, '86; Robert Stokes, '59; Gary Thomas, '50; Craig Triantos, '97; Michael Valdez, '06; Mary Vaughn, '58; Juan Vertiz, '03 The CMU Alumni Association expresses our deepest condolences to the colleagues, classmates, friends and family of those who now live in our memory. John Amos, '61; Brooke Anderson, '03; Phillip Barker, '53; James Beck, '62; Fred Beyeler, '56; Sharon Blackburn, '98; Terry Brown, '88; Seth Casebolt, '11; Pamela Cole, '92; Thomas Hogge, '76; In Memoriam

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