Candice Bannister, executive director of the Tread of Pioneers Museum in Steamboat Springs, has been elected to the Colorado Humanities Board of Directors effective Sept. 20, according to a Monday news release. 

With more than 20 years of leadership experience at the helm of the museum, Bannister has championed local history and the preservation of cultural heritage, such as spearheading initiatives like an annual Ute and Inter-tribal Pow-wow and a cultural exchange that connects Native American families to their ancestral roots and the Steamboat community.

Beyond her museum work, Bannister is active in cultural and historic preservation boards, including Steamboat Creates and the Routt County Historic Preservation Board. She is a founding affiliate member of History Colorado and has contributed heritage articles to the Steamboat Pilot & Today for over a decade.

Bannister, who holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Regis University and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and psychology from Tulane University, is also a Certified Change Leader through the state of Colorado. 

As a board member at Colorado Humanities, Bannister intends to advocate for the humanities in Northwest Colorado by leveraging her nonprofit expertise to foster partnerships among museums, libraries and schools, aiming to ensure that humanities programming remains meaningful and accessible throughout the state.