Who is Gretchen Faber

I was born in Ohio and grew up in California. My parents taught my brother, sister and me to respect others, help people in need and assert ourselves when necessary. My mother owned her own business in Riverside, California and my father was a well-respected local physician.

I remember my mother taking me to volunteer at a local women's opportunity center. She was teaching the women to sew on sewing machines so that they could make clothes for their families or build a tailoring business. I was sent out onto the playground to play with their children while they took their lessons. It was a lesson for me as well.

Our parents supported us in whatever we wanted to try, dance, music, theater, sports. One thing we never got was a puppy, but they've now adopted two Golden Retrievers since we've all been out of the house. They've replaced their children with their dogs. Good thing, because the grandchildren love Annie!

After graduating from Riverside Poly High School, I moved to Germany for one year as an exchange student. I lived outside of Hamburg and enjoyed learning another culture and another language. Traveling around Europe as a 19 year-old was the most fabulous fun and totally life-changing. This was before the Berlin Wall came down, and I saw firsthand how the people in East Germany lived and what it was like to have a massive wall divide your city.

At the University of Denver, I studied Public Affairs and International Studies and graduated with a dual major in 1986. I met some lifelong friends at DU and at my sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. Many of us still keep in touch, although I am one of the few still living in Denver.

Working in hotel marketing for Embassy Suites, general marketing for Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District and in Hospital Administration in Patient Education led me to graduate school where I earned an MBA in Marketing, again from the University of Denver.

After several years working with my first husband and his family at the family Advertising and Marketing Agency (specializing in Bank Advertising), I decided that my love of design, architecture and putting deals together would be a perfect fit for a career in real estate. I've been in residential real estate sales since early 1996 and have never looked back.

My family is busy, funny, crazy, all boys (nearly men), even the dog is a boy (sort of), karate buffs, comedians and they make sure I forget about work when I get home at night.

My dog, Duke, who we adopted during Hurricane Ike is the cutest dog in the world. He minds better than any dog I've ever had, never runs away, walks off leash like a champ, loves tummy rubs and peanut butter and his unconditional love makes us all forget the stress in the outside world.

Grande half-calf sugar free vanilla soy lattes get me through the week. Sometimes sugar free Red Bull does too.

My husband and I love Italian Red Wines, particularly Rosso di Montalcino. Yum!

Chocolate is my addiction and I stay away.

Spinning, Pilates, walking Duke, skiing, riding my pink cruiser bike, planting flowers.

Donations we make: American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Food Bank of the Rockies, Women for Women International, Denver Dumb Friends League, Max Fund.

Technology - when used for good can be a very powerful thing. Learning the new language of social networking, blogging and finding information online has been interesting.

Public Schools - our boys have been educated in Denver Public Schools and we feel strongly that the teachers, staff and administration have been instrumental in preparing our children for their future.

... you'll automatically be making a donation to The Acumen Fund, working to solve global poverty.

Doesn't that feel good?