STEAMBOAT SPRINS — Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports, STARS, has promoted Ron Southworth to the position of program director.  

Southworth started his career in adaptive recreation in 1996 at the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park. He moved to Steamboat in 2010 to join the team at STARS where he has held a variety of programming and volunteer manager roles. 

“Ron’s years of adaptive expertise and passion will help the STARS staff and volunteers grow personally and professionally to help our program become a leader in the adaptive recreational industry,” said STARS Executive Director Gardner Flanigan in a news release. “Ron is beloved by participants, parents, volunteers and colleagues.”

“I can honestly say that there is nothing else in the world that I would rather do,” Southworth said in the release. “There are ups and downs, but at the end of the day, we made a difference in someone’s life. STARS isn’t my job; it’s my passion.”

STARS is a Steamboat-based nonprofit whose mission is to empower and enrich lives through adaptive recreational activities. STARS provides adaptive recreation programming for youth, adults and veterans with cognitive and physical disabilities.