The 2023-2024 Leadership Fort Collins class will receive their diplomas on May 9 at the Rio Grande Agave Room. Leadership Fort Collins, a program of the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce, is designed to educate and motivate leaders who are committed to shaping the future of our community while encouraging inspired and active involvement that contributes to the betterment of the community.
Thirty-two current and emerging leaders from throughout the Fort Collins area were selected to participate in the 2023-2024 program, which began in September 2023 and will conclude on May 9. Participants came together on the second Thursday of the month for a day-long session to learn more about Team Building, Government and Transportation, Economy and the Environment, Education and our Community, Social Capital, State Government, Health and Emergency Service Providers and Social Infrastructure. The graduating class is a diverse mix of professions with representatives from education, large and small business, not for profit and government.
In addition to attending nine all day educational sessions, members of the class were also challenged to complete a service-learning project in the community. The 2023-2024 Leadership Fort Collins Class has planned and produced five different class projects benefiting the Fort Collins area.
“The Chamber is thrilled to be able to produce this important program for our area. The individuals graduating this year are second to none and will be impacting our community in very mighty ways. They are leadership personified,” said Hutchison.
The Leadership Fort Collins graduation will include recognition of individual class members and a keynote address by Fort Collins City Manager Kelly DiMartino. The graduation event, sponsored by UCHealth, Northern Engineering and Paul Woods Florist, will be held May 9.
Graduating members of the class include:
- Josh Alcantar, Waypoint Bank
- Marissa Allen, FirstBank
- Imran Bhimani, LC Real Estate Group, LLC
- Kaitlin Bjork, Respite Care, Inc.
- Jordan Diede, City of Fort Collins – Golf
- Angie Dixon, Colorado State University, University Advancement
- Emily Felton, Kimley-Horn
- Gary Floyd, Lamp Rynearson
- Gregory Forte II, Barr Engineering
- Nicole Goehring, UCHealth
- Aaron Goodman, Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather
- Adam Hickerson, Flood & Peterson
- Amy Hoeven, Hoeven, Inc.
- Sierra Hopkins, City of Fort Collins
- Charles Howes, KimberDigital
- Tessa Jakobsson, Fort Collins Police Services
- Dan Kapustka, Alpine Bank
- Lori Kempter, Crossroads Safehouse
- Abby Krstulic, Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity
- Christine Luckasen, Larimer County/ Hello Brew Co.
- Daniel Michalski, ImmunityBio Inc.
- Lucy Nuremberg, The OtterCares Foundation
- Doug Patmore, Colorado State University/ Real Estate Broker
- Scott Phelps, City of Fort Collins
- Michael Putlack, nok Recommerce
- Lauren Rhoades, Hope*writers
- Serena Thomas, Homeward Alliance
- Todd Turney, Terracon
- Peter Vlcek, Peter Vlcek Agency – Farmers Insurance
- Lee Vuu, Pergamena Fine Art
- Heather Young, City of Fort Collins Utilities
- Aspen Zabel, VFLA Architecture + Interiors
The program was produced by the Fort Collins Area Chamber with assistance from a steering committee and The Place Setting Company:
- Paul Baker, 970 Services
- Emily Birdsall, Jolly Events
- Heather Brick, Sage and Oak Massage
- Heather Buoniconti, Food Bank for Larimer County
- Tatum Cochran, Horse & Dragon Brewing Company
- Jen Cooper, SummitStone Health Partners
- Mark Culloton, Banner Health
- Laurel Donahue, Colorado State University
- Jess Dyrdahl, Colorado State University
- Maryann Fillingim, City of Fort Collins
- Jerick Flores, Colorado State University
- Jill Foster, The Place Setting Company
- Gretchen Gramling, City of Fort Collins
- Charles Grant, First National Bank
- Huston Hoffman, RPT Realty
- Ann Hutchison, Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce
- Jeff Jarchow, Stratus Marketing, LLC
- Mara Johnson, Habitat for Humanity
- Tracy Katz, First Western Trust
- Brad Laurvick, First United Methodist Church
- Carley McAbee, Be Kind
- Jennifer McLain, Alpha Center
- Annalise Mecham, Boys and Girls Club of Larimer County
- Erika Michalski, Strategically Authentic
- Amanda Miller, The Place Setting Company
- Ali Raza, CSU
- Colan Scheidenhelm, Schure Consulting
- Lauren Smiley, G.H. Phipps
- Nick Smiley, City of Fort Collins
- Gretchen Stanford, City of Fort Collins
- Heidi Stevenson, UCHealth
- Zachary Sumner, Kuka
- Abe Theiss, Baker Construction
- Michelle Theiss, Westfield Insurance
- Brad Ward, Connexion
- Meghan Willis, UCHealth
Applications for the 2024-2025 Leadership Fort Collins program will be available in July. Anyone interested in learning more about the program or applying should contact Ann Hutchison at (970) 482-3746 or [email protected].
About the Fort Collins Area Chamber
The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce is the trusted business champion, catalyst and convener creating shared economic prosperity for Northern Colorado. Investing in the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce puts members in contact with more than 1,100 business owners and managers in the market. For more than 100 years, the Fort Collins Area Chamber has helped shape the Fort Collins region. For more information about the Chamber, call (970) 482-3746 or visit www.FortCollinsChamber.com.