Staff

Adolf lives with his partner Ivy in the City Park neighborhood of Denver. He grew up in Haiti and received a bachelor’s degree in political science from The George Washington University. In his spare time, he loves to read, bike and listen to music. He is an armchair historian and occasionally writes about music and society.

Tirzah has lived in southwest Colorado for the past 20 years and is originally from the Bay Area of California. They hold a B.A in studio arts and southwest studies from Fort Lewis College in Durango. Tirzah has a background in formal fine art making, instruction and curation that is a constant parallel to their other interests: LGBTQIA2S+ advocacy, creating safe spaces for People of Color/community organizing, social justice promotion, and bolstering protective factors for youth.

Lia holds degrees from The Florida State University and Adams State University, and has previously worked in higher education and leadership development. She enjoys spending time with family and dreaming up cool Halloween costumes.

Liberty has been involved with dozens of nonprofits and small community groups throughout the last few decades. She has training in facilitation, consensus-based decision making and Theatre of the Oppressed, and is also a certified permaculture designer. Liberty enjoys being grounded, coming up with a plan, comfy pajamas, and deeply connecting with friends and family.

Rachel is a retired law enforcement executive and criminal justice consultant. She is a veteran of both the U.S. Army and Air Force. As a public speaker, Rachel addresses topics such as LGBTQ+ issues, race and justice. She is an advocate for drastic changes to the criminal justice system and law enforcement practices. Rachel resides near Telluride with her partner Katie and two pups.

Israel was born and raised in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. After earning degrees in ethnic studies, sociology and political science from University of Colorado Boulder, he worked in various state and federal electoral, legislative and candidate campaigns before moving into direct service work. Israel is called to organizing because of his own lived experience with inequity and looks forward to organizing in the place he calls home. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his husband, two dalmatians and two huskies.

Coming!

Martha is Colombian and lived in Spain for 20 years before moving to Colorado. She has now lived here for 6 years working as an early childhood teacher. She specializes in working with Latino and immigrant families. In addition, she has three children and likes hiking, poetry and crafts.

Amanda was born and raised in Pueblo, Colo., where she co-owns a yoga studio (having taught yoga for 10 years) and remains an active community member. She holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Colorado Boulder, and a M.Sc. in Global Energy Management from the University of Colorado Denver School of Business. Amanda previously worked in energy and commodity trading, but left to pursue a life dedicated to community and holding space for others.

Maritza believes in the collective power of community members to create change by supporting them in identifying their voice to become strong advocates around issues that impact their lives. She has been involved in grassroots organizing, specifically within the Latino community for over 15 years. Maritza brings a strong background in community organizing, social justice and community healing and leadership. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, cooking and spending time with family.

Saira brings her background in community organizing, international philanthropy, global education and social justice theatre to The Trust. She is an abolition feminist and passionate agitator committed to racial justice and liberation for all. Creativity and collaboration are among two of her core values on which she builds her life’s work. She enjoys writing, baking with her daughter, learning languages, traveling and connecting with others over food. She also likes experimenting with fermentation—namely, her home-brewed kombucha.

Monica brings a state government and nonprofit lens along with over a decade of experience working with volunteers, youth and marginalized communities. She has coached various community groups and organizations across the state to promote health equity and collaboration on community issues to meet shared goals. Monica is Pueblo proud and in her spare time, she finds self-care by working out, cooking new recipes, going on camping adventures and spending quality time with her family.

Alejandra was born and raised in Denver, and holds a B.A. in feminist and gender studies from Colorado College. Prior to joining The Trust, she interned at The Denver Foundation’s Strengthening Neighborhoods Program. She also works as a plaza activities leader at the Denver Public Library. Alejandra loves dancing, gardening and spending time with her family.

Courtney grew up on the East Coast and earned a bachelor’s degree in human services from Old Dominion University before moving to Colorado. Prior to The Trust, she worked at nonprofit organizations for eight years, most recently as a grants and project manager for a transitional housing program. She lives in Colorado Springs with her two young kids and their cat, Mr. Pickles.

Born and raised in Virginia, Sierra moved to Glenwood Springs, Colo. shortly after receiving a bachelor’s degree from Xavier University in economics, sustainability & society and peace & justice studies. She is an experienced grassroots organizer and people-centered creator, and has many years of experience working directly with communities impacted by inequitable systems. When she isn’t working at The Trust, you can most likely find her hot-springs hunting during the winter months and paddle boarding in the spring and summer.

Max grew up in Silver Spring, Md. before coming to attend Colorado College in 2016, where he majored in political science. Throughout high school and college, he has been active in community organizing efforts on campus and off, and is excited to continue this work with The Colorado Trust. In his free time, he likes to run, cook, play various games, bug his friends and family, and generally engage in silliness whenever possible.

Duane and his family live in Rocky Ford, Colo. He has a passion for helping low-income communities, stemming from first-hand experience growing up facing many of the barriers and inequities that historically disenfranchise low-income populations. He holds a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Metropolitan State University in Denver, and his background in the IT industry have helped him develop a vision of promoting health equity in rural areas by leveraging the same technology that has driven Colorado’s growth along the Front Range.

Jose Luis Chavez has previously worked in the criminal justice system. In his free time he enjoys fishing, hiking and being in the outdoors. Jose resides in Fruita with his spouse.

Katie previously was executive director of the Rifle Regional Economic Development Corporation, where she founded a coworking space and developed grant programs to assist small-business owners impacted economically by COVID-19. She holds degrees in theatre and English literature from University of Colorado Boulder. Katie is passionate about building community and relationships. She lives in Rifle with her husband, three kids, three dogs and three cats, and enjoys hiking, yoga, SUPing and laughing as much as possible.

Krista has been doing grassroots and community-based work in Colorado since a young age. Her background and expertise are in equity-focused strategic planning, coalition and network building, and individual and community coaching around racial justice, power and equity. Born and raised in Colorado, Krista now resides in Fort Collins with her growing family and chosen family of plants, animals and humans alike.

Tori holds degrees from Arizona State University and Adams State University. She is a social scientist and previously directed the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area. Tori and her sweetheart live in the San Luis Valley and enjoy spending time in nature.

Originally from Rwanda, Françoise holds a master’s degree in gender studies from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s degree from United States International University-Africa in Nairobi, Kenya. She is a passionate human rights activist and community engagement leader with over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, with previous leadership development and management positions at several Colorado policy organizations. Françoise is committed to education equity, economic justice, social justice, poverty reduction, and empowering women and girls. She loves dancing, exercising, hiking, travelling and spending time with family and friends.

Nancy Molina holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in curriculum/instruction. She was a facilitator at Rio Grande Prevention Partners for five years. Nancy has experience in community organizing, teaching and working with youth. She has lived in the San Luis Valley for 20 years and understands how poverty affects people’s minds, bodies and souls. Working together to solve poverty, a result of health inequities, is Nancy’s passion. She enjoys traveling and spending time with family.

Jodeen has held executive roles across the private, nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, and is recognized nationally for building large-scale civic engagement programs, driving public-policy campaigns, and aligning cross-sector infrastructure to advance racial and gender equity. As a philanthropic leader, Jodeen draws on 20 years of applied organizing, grassroots and cross-sector movement-building, legislative campaigning, DEI and change management expertise. See full bio.

Eric and his family live in Colorado Springs. Prior to joining The Trust, he was a practicing attorney, running a nonprofit office representing immigrants seeking asylum, escaping domestic violence, and facing deportation and family separation. Prior to that he was a public defender in Ohio, a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala, and a national park ranger throughout the West. His parents both immigrated to the United States, and he believes, as they did, that everyone deserves a fair opportunity to thrive, no matter their origins.

Kelly worked for over a decade in the nonprofit reproductive-justice community. She managed major transitions that included Medicaid expansion and Affordable Care Act implementation. She has loved having the opportunity to watch her son grow and evolve. In her spare time, she tries to maintain a regular yoga practice and keep her little backyard homestead alive.

Morris was born and raised in Denver, and grew up in a military family, having lived on both coasts of the United States, in the middle and abroad. Prior to his tenure at The Trust, Morris spent 15 years in higher education, 10 years in private philanthropy (Daniels Fund and Gill Foundation), 5 years with the U.S. House of Representatives and 5 years in the nonprofit sector focused on K-12 education. Morris resides in Denver with his dog Teddy and takes advantage of all the cultural benefits of Denver, as well as the many spas and hots springs in mountain communities.

Before working at The Trust, Adriana worked for Poudre School District and various nonprofits with a focus on advocating for and empowering immigrant families. She has been involved with the immigrant community for over 18 years. Adriana brings a strong background in activism, community organizing and social justice. She is originally from Mexico and is the mother of three. In her free time, she enjoys dancing and spending time with her family.

Born and raised in Colorado Springs, Mia has a passion for improving community health. Mia earned a Masters of Public Health degree from Boston University and has over 15 years of community health experience working both nationally and internationally, from the grassroots level to the federal and international health agency level.

Wafa has been working with nonprofits and supporting communities for many years. She has 10 years of event planning experience through her business and other organizations. She enjoys spending time with family, reading, volunteering, traveling and hiking. She is originally from Denver, with a heart of a wanderlust.

Sol has lived in Pueblo for the past 15 years and was born and raised in Los Angeles. She holds two bachelor’s degrees, one in mass communications with a public relations emphasis and the other in Spanish. Sol brings her passion for organizing, social justice and racial equity; she has 10 years of experience in the government sector. Sol enjoys running, gardening, frothy lattes and empowering young women. She has two children and a dog named Esteban.

Born and raised in Colorado, Genina has a variety of work experience in both the nonprofit and private legal sectors. She holds a B.A. in African/African-American History from Earlham College, as well as her paralegal certification. Prior to joining The Trust, she was the administrator for several Denver-area law firms. Drawn to connection and community, Genina returned to the nonprofit arena to support work that aids, heals and serves others in health and wellness.

Arden spent 16 years organizing around low-income youth and families through nonprofits and government in central Colorado. She joined Peace Corps, living in a Peruvian village while developing health curriculum for families, and coaching youth to be peer health teachers. Arden and her sweetheart live in Chaffee County where she enjoys hiking, pursuing Spanish proficiency, and gathering with friends for potlucks, spontaneous porch BBQs and general merrymaking.

Rena recently graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in ethnic studies and a minor in women’s studies. As she navigates post-grad life, she commits to deepening her understanding and responsibility to communities as a grassroots community organizer. Rena believes there is power that lies at the intersection of embodiment, land-based practices, and social and environmental justice. She is a proud plant and puppy companion—and aunt of 10 younger nephews and nieces.