MEET THE SIMPLE LIFE COMMUNITY

Originally from Denver, Parnell’s family started vacationing in Grand County in the early 1970s. Up for a Christmas vacation in 1979 — or so the kids thought — on Christmas morning, Parnell's parents asked them if they liked the house they were staying in. The four of them said “yes,” and the next thing Parnell knew, the moving truck pulled into the driveway. They were home!

Parnell attended Middle Park High School and wasn’t far from home when he went to college in Durango. But shortly after graduation, he headed to Japan. After a year there, he returned to Fraser and started working with his dad at his dad's real estate office.
In 1994, Parnell strapped on his backpack once again, this time heading to Australia. He got word that his older brother was getting married, so Parnell came back for the wedding. Driving over the pass and seeing the Fraser Valley, he knew he was home — this time for good.

Parnell jokes, “When we were kids, we used to say that the Fraser Valley was like the song Hotel California. ‘You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.'”

Parnell has raised his three children here in Fraser Valley. He chose to get involved with the Fraser town government because after living here for all but 10 years of his life, he felt a calling to help guide the community’s future so that his children — and their children — will continue to call Fraser their home.

Marc was “all corporate” before moving from the Denver Tech Center area of Denver to Grand County. The reasons for the move were many; he says, "There’s no 9-5 mentality here; traffic and commuting isn't a problem, and everything is just…simpler!"

After growing up in the mountains, everywhere else felt dull and monotonous to him. "Around here, there’s something to do every day and every weekend, all year round. " The temptation to return was just too much for him. "When I need to be alone for peace and solitude, there’s that, too!" He says, “Grand County is one of a kind, the locals are one of a kind, and I'm proud to be a part of such an amazing community.”⁠

Shari grew up in a small town in Southern Illinois just across the river from St. Louis, Missouri. She attended Southern Illinois University and studied political science and history. After vacationing in Colorado, she fell in love with the beauty and the people of Fraser Valley; she relocated shortly thereafter.

She loves cross-country skiing, hiking, and golfing at Pole Creek Golf Course (she’s a Pole Creek Snob). As a part of THE SIMPLE LIFE’s back-end administrative operation, she enjoys assisting clients with their real estate journey.