One of the most brilliant minds when it comes to marketing which in turn brings so much to the table helping various projects in our schools and communities, Heidi Denger is a fixture and God-send for Scotts Valley High School. Her work on almost every project that comes to her attention has been impressive as she has led efforts to help various projects for the Falcon Club, has participated and worked alonside the Scotts Valley Educational Foundation and recently was in charge of making sure the SVHS Seniors got their banners up once again along Scotts Valley Drive. She has also worked alongside community projects outside of school projects and is a constant advisor to many in town that seek advice when it comes to problem solving and strategizing.
A true leader who leads by example, Heidi’s value to our city and schools cannot be overstated. She is indeed a TOP 10 Positive Woman Influencer for 2024.
Before coming to Scotts Valley, where did you live?
I’m originally from the midwest. My family and I were in Colorado for 11 years before moving to the bay area. We have been in Scotts Valley for about 10 years.
What brought you to Scotts Valley and how long have you lived here?
Work brought my family to the area, and we really wanted to live on this side of the hill. Who doesn’t want to live close to the beach? We were looking all over Santa Cruz county when we found Scotts Valley. We did some research and the school district and the low rate of crime is really what sold us and moved our focus to making Scotts Valley our home.
What do you love most about living here?
It was a leap of faith that really paid off. We had no idea how much we would love it here. For me, I really love the sense of small town community that is very rare to find these days. Within five minutes of pulling up to our new house, our neighbors came out to greet us and invited us over for dinner. And that has been how it has been every day since. This community has been an unbelievable village for my children to grow up in, and for me to develop lifelong friendships.
I had never lived in a place where neighbors are constantly there to jump in to help and are happy to do it.
Please describe what drives and motivates you to do more for others and for the people of Scotts Valley.
When I first arrived I saw a need for moms in the area to communicate and collaborate, so I started the Facebook Group Scotts Valley Moms. Currently it has over 4,000 members. I think overall it’s been a really great place for us to stay connected for the kids in our community.
Volunteering within the school district started in my children’s classrooms at Vine Hill. But it really took off when a couple of moms and I thought this town needed a dance to celebrate our local daughters. Natalie Bradley, Marisa Cawley and I worked with the Scotts Valley Educational Foundation to start The Daughter and Me dance, and it was a tremendous success, and a tradition that I hope the community continues to support.
I volunteer a lot within the school district to ensure my kids and all of the Scotts Valley kids have the best all around educational experience possible.
The reason I spend so much time volunteering is simply because I think it’s really important. I really believe you have to jump in to lead and volunteer to create the community you want to live in.