We are some of the people who bring Capabilities to life. You are the others! When Pam and Kathryn dreamed of Capabilities, the inspirations were clear. We saw the "go-to" place for ideas and resources, for appropriate solutions to the dilemmas and challenges that life presents, for choice and value. We saw an adventure and the chance of a lifetime. We saw people like you and like us feeling satisfied to find a place like Capabilities.

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Capabilities was born in 2004 and we opened the new store in Westminster, Colorado, in September 2005. It was started by two talented passionate women with a wealth of experience whose whole lives had led up to the creation of the Capabilities concept. And they weren't born yesterday.

Pam Pressel, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Capabilities, has developed her expertise in management and business over the course of 30 years in health and homecare services. Her experiences as an entrepreneur began as a founding partner in a certified homecare agency. She started Partners in Colorado, expanded to Tennessee, and eventually sold the business to the founders of Hospital Corp. of America. She most recently held the role of General Manager of Pathways Homecare in Aurora, having shepherded the concept of a retail store for the disabled through its development and construction of the 12,000 sq. ft. location. She provided leadership of the retail, inventory and service teams through five successful years. It is this rich background and recent experience that fuels the concept for Capabilities. Pam holds a B.S. in Business. Pam serves as the vice president of the board for Washington Park Cares, and is a board member of the Rocky Mountain Stroke Association, the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the Colorado Talking Book Library. When she has a minute, Pam weaves on a four harness loom, creating fabric of all types. She has a lot of practice with baby blankets... for those five grandchildren! See a sampling of Pam's work.

Kathryn Arbour, President and Founder, held executive positions at several Fortune 500 corporations in the U.S., including Travelers Insurance, Smith Barney, and the largest not-for-profit HMO in the country, Kaiser Permanente. Before founding Capabilities, she served as Vice President at Group Voyagers, Inc., a privately held business specializing in the creation, sale and operation of travel experiences. This broad range of knowledge from various industries gives Kathryn an exceptional understanding of how business and organizations work, what makes for their successes, and the traditional pitfalls that, if not managed properly, can be the undoing of companies. Her expertise resides in organizational design, business strategy, training and development, management succession as well as human resources. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Kathryn also serves on the Board of Directors for Easter Seals Colorado and served as Vice President of the Board for the National Organization of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). Whenever there is a free moment, Kathryn writes…Poetry, short stories, essays, articles, and blogs. Kathryn has won literary awards for her writing, including one from the Denver Women’s Press Club. Read her winning poem and a couple of other favorites.

Gilles Arnaud, our Chief Financial Officer, has twenty-two years of experience in the financial industry, fifteen of which were in the Corporate Finance & Investment Banking at Credit Lyonnais. Gilles has experience with start-ups as well as expanding operations and most recently served as the CFO of the Codestream Group which has multinational operations and was recently acquired by Blue Phoenix. See Gilles here hard at work.

Jim James looks after our IT strategy, Web site, and Internet marketing. Founder of p.latyp.us and MyTripScrapbook, and web portal designer, Jim was the former CIO at the Globus Family of Travel Products, a worldwide travel organization. Jim is also an accomplished trapeze artist. See him here (coming soon) swinging from the rafters during one of his performances.

Dale Dodds comes to Capabilities after a rich career in vocational counseling and guidance. Dale worked for Vocational Rehab in the states of Oregon and California before coming to Colorado where he continued his work with the State of Colorado. He stays in motion, having worked also for United Airlines and Lowe’s . His years of working with people to find solutions to life’s challenges fit well with the Capabilities mission. Dale also knows sign language. You’ll recognize him by his courteous and easy going approach.

Lisa Timmerman runs our Warehouse and Shipping Operations. She can as easily handle a pallet jack as she can a tough customer request. With nearly twenty years of warehouse and shipping experience, Lisa knows her way around inventory. Lisa also brings compassion and a big desire to solve problems to Capabilities. She spends a lot of time interacting with our customers so as not to lose touch with the real needs for our products. So don't be surprised to see Lisa putting together power chairs one minute and making well-informed, practical product suggestions the next. When she has some time to herself, Lisa loves reading, camping and photography. She has studied French and sign language, while mastering the comings and goings of UPS and boxes big enough to hide in. See if you can find Lisa here.

Dave Hornback leads our service team as Service Manager with the credentials and experience we love to boast about. He has been around the block and knows how to find practical solutions to mobility problems of all types. Better still, not only can he turn a wrench with great aplomb, he has a soft and pleasant way that inspires confidence with our customers. When he is not busy installing stair lifts, repairing wheelchairs and working with customers, Dave spends time outdoors with his family and three dogs.

Heather Goeddel fulfills many roles at Capabilities. As a part-time member of our team, she brings great levels of customer caring to everything she does, including her work with Medicare with our complementary billing process. With her background in teaching, and retail management, Heather knows all about patience, listening, and finding relevant and interesting solutions to all kinds of problems. You see her here trying out the Segue, the transport vehicle with a gyroscopic navigational system on board, last year at our sixth-month anniversary celebration at the store.

Mark Peterson is one of our Sales Associates. He comes to Capabilities with plenty of experiences listening to people. With a Master of Divinity, Mark has spent the past number of years serving as a chaplain and bereavement counselor. He enjoys working with people to solve problems, explore options and address life’s challenges. That’s also the mission of Capabilities! You’ll always recognize Mark. He’s the tall one among us. You won’t forget his kind ways, winning smile, and that very big laugh.

Not only do we have some of the finest people working with us on staff, we are lucky enough to have found a superbly talented team to rely on for specialized services and advice we cannot live without. We are proud to introduce you to our professional team.

Thom Hanson, CPA, is a graduate of New Mexico State University with a Bachelor of Accountancy degree and is a licensed CPA in the State of Colorado. Prior to forming his own tax and consulting practice in April of 1983, he served as the tax manager for the Denver office of a national public accounting firm. He specializes in small businesses with assets and revenues of less than $15 million. His clients come from a variety of specialty areas, including legal, medical, engineering, retail, and service industries. Thom can be reached at (303) 322-5005 or by .

Phil Keenan, J.D., CPA, CFP, is a partner in the law firm of Ambler & Keenan, LLC. Phil received his J.D. with honors from the University of Denver College of Law. Prior to practicing law, Phil worked as a CPA performing tax and accounting work for individuals and small businesses. Phil's law practice focuses on estate planning, business succession planning, probate and trust law. He is a frequent speaker on various estate planning and business planning topics, and is a member of both the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. A proponent of charitable giving, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable. The emphasis of his practice is to assist clients as they accumulate, preserve, and transfer their wealth. He can be reached at Ambler & Keenan, LLC (303) 407-1099 or by .

Esther Kettering is a licensed real estate broker with a specialty in commercial real estate. She holds an Executive MBA from the University of Denver. Esther has served on several Boards and Economic Development Councils throughout greater Denver, most recently as Chair of the Jefferson County Economic Development Council. Among her many accomplishments, Esther served as a development consultant for Denver Water's 160-acre Fehringer Ranch. She can be reached at (303) 312-4278 or by .

If you are interested in working with us, we currently have positions open at our store in Denver. Please us with some details about you. Only local residents, please.

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Of course, Capabilities is just an idea without YOU. We love that Capabilities has introduced us to thousands of people we would have not otherwise met. Our customers, suppliers and partners in the community are simply the best! We are deeply grateful for all the business and support we have received since we opened our doors in September 2005. So, we created this section to highlight all of you. As you can see from those who have already submitted photos and ideas, we are open to just about anything - your comments about your experience with us, how you used some of our products, what other ideas for products or services you think would help you or others, or your musings about health, comfort and independence.

New! We added some of your Rants and Raves below.

If you would like your story to appear on our website, please shoot us an . We especially love photos and videos, so please send those along, too. If you only have a printed photo, you can send us copy through U.S. Mail and we will scan it onto the site. We'll post your submission within a day or two.

Thanks so much for making Capabilities a reality!

Meet Janice Heath. Janice was our first customer as we opened our doors in August 2005 to test the waters before our official launch in September. Janice saw all the activity and came by to check us out. She’s been a faithful supporter ever since. She provides excellent customer service as the hostess at Black Eyed Pea on 88th Avenue in Westminster, CO. Through her loyalty to Capabilities, we have gained many new customers. The other day Janice was in again and said, “You give me hope. I know I can cope with anything as long as you are here.” Thanks to you, Janice, for your support and appreciation. And as long as you are here Capabilities has a reason for being! One of Janice’s favorite purchases is the cane holder clip.

Meet Ken Giese, nationally known bagpiper from Arvada, CO. Ken uniquely uses the 6" sterile cotton tipped applicator we sell at Capabilities to clean the chanter of his bagpipe. He highly recommends this excellent approach for keeping the chanter clean. Ken plays at all types of events, including divorce parties, having recently had that first experience! Call Ken at (303) 424-2571 to speak with him about playing for you. And call us with more unique ways to use cotton-tipped applicators or any other product for that matter!

Oh, to go camping and fishing again! Roy Patrick's knees have been giving out for a while now, and it finally got to him. He got sick and tired of staying at home while the family took off every summer for the mountains. With his history of camping and fishing, it drove him crazy not to be able to pack up and go with them. The summer of 2006 would not end, he vowed, without finding a solution. He came to Capabilities. We all put our heads together and came up with a way that Roy could not only get out and about for vacation, but found a solution that would help him when he goes shopping in town.
Roy loves his red scooter. It's hearty enough to make it around mountain paths and campsites. He says he plans on adding flames to his vehicle for next summer.

Exie White found us while on a visit with her friends. They all have some form of low vision and are always on the hunt for practical tools to help them enjoy everyday activities. Exie learned to weave after she retired as a college professor of biology. She has made the fabric for her own clothes for years. In fact, the shawl she is wearing in this photo is a sample of her handiwork. As macular degeneration has compromised her vision over the past few years, Exie's determination to continue weaving and researching has grown even more fierce. She worked with us to find something that could help her focus on the detail of both activities. After several visits, carrying a reed and some yarn, Exie decided on the Apex Aladdin video magnifier with a 20" screen. We also helped her find the right table to put it on in her small apartment. Since then, Exie has come up with other ideas of products that will help. We also do the research and end up all the better for it. We now carry a variety of liquid level indicators, large format sticky letters and numbers, and a voice activated dialer for the telephone because of Exie. She keeps us on our toes and we love her for it! Thank you, Exie.

Amy Kusek wrote to tell us, "Here are some pictures of my dad, Allen Kusek, using his writing appliance (the ErgoWriter pen) from Capabilities and my mom, Adeline Kusek. He wrote with his right hand for the 1st time in over 20 years since his stroke. It even looks like his handwriting from way back when. It is amazing. Thanks so much!"

Meet Sandy Smith and her mom and aunt. Staying at home! Nearly everybody has the wish that as we age we can stay independent enough to be at home with our loved ones. Sandy has worked on her home for a couple of years to make it safe and easy for her mother to maneuver. There are plenty of low-cost, easily done things to ensure independence. Sandy and her mom are at the point now when adding a stair lift, adjustable cabinets and countertops, and a walk-in tub are next on the list. Sandy's mom takes a ride on our display stair lift. Woo-hoo!

Meet Terry. Terry had a bright idea: You know about those colored resistant bands that have become quite a popular way to stay fit, especially while on the road or watching television. Terry surprised us with her story as she pondered the size and color of the pre-cut resistance bands on our shelves. We asked some of our usual questions about specific goals for the product and learned that she was planning a birthday party for her kid and had everything but something to launch the water balloons. Now, that's some mom! Planning the tools for the water balloon fight! We hear it was a success! And, oh, yeah, Terry and the kids can still use the bands for exercising!

Melanie Mulhall sent an email to say that the Chillow is "too cool for words." She bought it to cool down those hotflashes in the middle of summer. It turns out, though, that the next week she got a raging flu bug of some kind and had a fever for a couple of days. The Chillow kept things cool while she rested and slept. Melanie writes for a living. She also is a practicing Shaman. You can contact her by .

Raminah Harbour sports her new cane just recently purchased. She said she felt the difference right away as someone who uses a cane all the time. She and her family enjoy shopping at Capabilities for the selection, she says. "There's always something unique!" And we love seeing them, too!


Note on the cane: This patented design is unique. Its shock-absorbing technology improves comfort and allows traveling further distances, reducing stress on back, shoulder, wrist and elbow. The tip flexes up to 30 degrees for increased surface contact.

Good Morning!
I just wanted to drop you a line about the Thermoskin Gloves you told me about.
I picked up a pair at your store last weekend. I'm really pleased at how well they work. They not only keep my hands warm but they provide a firm, comfortable support as well.
Thanks,
Anne Sample
Community Liaison
Prime Time for Seniors, Colorado.

I just want to send you a compliment! Capabilities has become such an asset to our community with all of your classes, support groups and involvement in the community. You are doing a wonderful job!
Arlene D. Peterson, Respite Care Program Director
The Senior Hub, Denver Colorado

Hi. Please tell Dale that the Easy-Pull Sock Aid that he sold me this afternoon is a dream.
The sox went on smoothly and quickly. It has a couple of advantages over my husband, in that it puts the sox on straight and doesn't try to tickle my feet when it's done. Thanks again for all his help.
Charlene Porter
Parker, Colorado

"Recently my sister-in-law and her partner sent me a pair of the Thermaskin gloves featured at their store Capabilities in Denver.
I have been suffering with the loss of circulation and a great deal of pain in both of my hands. My hands are always so cold and it is so hard to warm them up. Also trying to twist caps etc., or picking up the slightest thing causes a lot of discomfort. Right now I am typing on my computer without the cold and numbness that I always have when I had to do it before. The gloves keep my fingers warm and I am able to move them much better.
I am so grateful to have received the gloves and I am sure that they will get much wear in the coming months especially with the colder weather approaching.
Thank you once again for such a wonderful product!"
Gerri Arbour
Merrimack, New Hampshire

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