Resilience & Optimism
Bruce Stahlman has served since 2006 as Chief Financial Officer of ARC Thrift Stores, a Colorado not-for-profit corporation with 1,500 employees and $100 million of annual revenue. He has almost 40 years of experience in domestic and international corporate finance with firms in the energy and telecommunications industries. Mr. Stahlman received a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from Indiana University, a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Management from Albion College in Michigan and is a registered Certified Public Accountant.
Mr. Stahlman and his wife Kelly have been married 35 years and had three children including Jay who with his wife and two sons resides in the Denver area and twins Mark and Eric with cerebral palsy. He was appointed to Littleton City Council to fill a vacancy as the District II representative in 2007 and was elected as an At Large representative in November, 2009 and 2013. He served as Mayor Pro Tem for two years and chose not to run for re-election in 2015.
Bruce’s message is one of resilience and optimism. He and Kelly experienced the twins passing in 2014 and 2015 respectively and he was diagnosed with brain cancer and underwent surgery in 2018. “First and always, it’s about gratitude,” is Bruce’s motto. He says you can’t control what happens to you but you can control how you respond. He passionately believes that a positive attitude, acceptance of what is and faith in God are absolutely essential to a life well lived. Rather than looking at the twins and cancer as calamities, Bruce chooses to see them as blessings and draws energy from the experiences to share a positive real life story that resonates with people across all of life’s situations.
arc Gala Disability Leadership Awarded to Bruce Stahlman