12/14/2025
Stay Sober for the holidays ⛳️
✨ Moments of Impact: Rich Montoya ✨
Today, we honor Rich Montoya, CHOW Board Member, whose resilience, compassion, and commitment to advocacy embody the heart of our mission.
Rich is a Colorado native with more than two decades of experience in the service industry. Throughout those years, he faced many of the challenges that hospitality workers know too well. His own journey through alcohol addiction — and his active, sustained recovery — fuels his passion for supporting others walking a similar path.
With a BS/MA in Human Services and an MA in Special Education, Rich now works in the behavioral health field, where he advocates for people battling addiction and helps create pathways toward recovery, dignity, and hope. His lived experience, combined with his professional training, gives him a unique ability to understand, relate, and lead with empathy.
When he’s not serving the community, Rich is no stranger to pushing limits. He has competed in both the Boulder Ironman Triathlon and the Colfax Marathon, channeling the same determination he brings to his recovery and advocacy work. Outside of athletics, he treasures time with his family, his dogs, and the sober community that continues to uplift and inspire him.
CHOW’s mission resonates deeply with his own story. As a Board Member, Rich is dedicated to ensuring that hospitality workers have access to support, understanding, and spaces where they can heal without shame.
Thank you, Rich, for your courage, honesty, and unwavering commitment to others. 🤍
