Niki (Roby) Gewirtz '94

As you know, we love to hear from undergraduate and graduate alumni. We are interested in everyone's career path and how SLHS/CDSS may have impacted their choices and the services they currently provide. 

We felt fortunate to correspond with Niki (Roby) Gewirtz who graduated from CU-Boulder in December of 1994 with a BA in CDSS (SLHS).  She is currently working on a Master's in Heathcare Administration from University of Phoenix. During our recent contact, Niki she informed us that she has “been in senior healthcare since 1995 and proud to be leading the premier retirement community of Denver - Balfour at Riverfront Park. www.balfouratriverfrontpark.com Niki is currently the Executive Director at Balfour, a new retirement community (Independent Living, Assisted Living, Alzheimer's Care) in downtown Denver. "I am able to use quite a bit of knowledge from my CDSS degree in understanding what some of my residents are going through - people who have had strokes, Parkinson's, and various dementias."

Niki was a full-on student during her years on the CU-Boulder campus, and met her bethrothed there, “I was in the marching band from 1990-94, when we had an amazing football team. My freshman year we went to the Orange Bowl and won the National Championship.  I also met my husband in the band, and in 2000 we got married at the Alumni Center on campus. My husband was a Journalism major at CU and is now the Editor of Sports Travel magazine, a trade magazine that covers the sports/event industry.”  From our vantage point, that makes Niki and her husband true-blue Buffs! Niki has kept her musicianship alive and currently plays with the Castle Rock Community Band, loves playing with her 4 1/2 year old son along with hiking and travel.

As for staying in touch with fellow CU alumni, Niki told us that they “have met up with our marching band friends for games over the years. Most of our wedding party were people we knew from the marching band. We lived in Long Beach, CA from 2000-2011, and we became very good friends with a gal who we found out was a CDSS major at CU as well, Sharon Amster-Brown, who graduated a year after I did!  Sharon is now the head of education at a Synagogue in Long Beach."

Niki added, “I loved my time at CU, and love that I got a solid foundation of knowledge from my CDSS degree!  I have a lot of respect for the speech therapists who come and do swallowing evaluations with my residents who have suffered from strokes or Parkinson's - so helpful!” Her goal, one that is a growing need in all communities, is to “continue to provide exceptional care and service to our growing population of seniors.”

 

Another alum we treasure for her involvement as a CU student and for being an outstanding CDSS (SLHS) alum and role model. Best to you Niki!