The Women's Resource Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder recently announced that Beth Smith, chairperson of the University Hill's Responsible Hospitality Group, received one of 12 "Women Who Make a Difference" awards for 2002.
Smith, co-owner of LaIguana Taqueria, was cited for her efforts in organizing, hosting and chairing the Hill's Responsible Hospitality Group. The group is a collaborative effort composed of Hill restaurant and bar owners, CU-Boulder's A Matter of Degree Program (AMOD), the City of Boulder's Police and Environmental Enforcement departments and the Hill Neighborhood Association.
The Women's Resource Center is a service organization at the university that works for women's equity on campus. The center offers a variety of services for women and men in addition to referrals to campus and community resources.
"I'm very honored and a little surprised to be singled out for this award," said Smith. "It's been an enlightening and rewarding experience to be associated with a group that's so dedicated to improving our community, and that includes some of my best competition here on the Hill."
Under Smith's leadership, and with some financial support from AMOD, the Responsible Hospitality Group has been instrumental in establishing and advertising a new cab queue on the Hill, has discouraged graduation day drink promotions and developed a student-directed ad campaign to generate awareness of the risks of date rape drugs, drinking and driving, and fake IDs.Ìý
At the request of the Boulder Licensing Authority, the group also has developed lists of best practices for private parties at restaurants and bars and to deter over-service at those establishments. Seminars also have been offered for bar staff to detect the use of fake IDs. In addition, the collection and documentation of those fake IDs has been coordinated.
In addition to her efforts with the Responsible Hospitality Group and CU's AMOD program, Smith is a member of the newly formed Women and Alcohol Committee, which is a sub-committee of CU-Boulder's Standing Committee on Substance Abuse.
"Her contacts within the community were a vital part of the success of the committee," said Peggy Bonner, CU-Boulder's AMOD director and founder of the Women and Alcohol Committee. "Beth also has volunteered to go to campus organizations, residence halls, and sorority houses to talk to the women about the issues of women and alcohol. That kind of external perspective is of real interest to our students."
Retail members of the Responsible Hospitality Group include the Fox Theatre, Half Fast Subs, La Iguana, The Foundry, The Rack, The Sink and Tulagi. Recent interest in the activities of the Responsible Hospitality Group has prompted the expansion of the program to include some retail merchants from the downtown Pearl Street area.