Leadership Fort Collins Graduates 42nd Class

by Ann Hutchison | May 13, 2025 | From the CEO

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Ann Hutchison

PRESIDENT & CEO

For questions and comments on this blog, please email Ann at [email protected]

Leadership Fort Collins Graduates 42nd Class

by Ann Hutchison | May 13, 2025 | From the CEO

The 2024-2025 Leadership Fort Collins class will receive their diplomas on May 15 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-one current and emerging leaders from throughout the Fort Collins area were selected to participate in the 2024-2025 program, which began in September 2024 and will conclude on May 15. 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-profits 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 2024-2025 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 Ann Hutchison, Fort Collins Area Chamber President & CEO.

The Leadership Fort Collins graduation will include recognition of individual class members and a keynote address by Fort Collins Police Chief Jeff Swoboda. The graduation event, sponsored by UCHealth, EPS Group and Hot Corner Concepts, will be held on May 15.

And the May 15 event includes a special announcement for the current class and all of the more than 1,000 alumni of Leadership Fort Collins. “We are excited to announce a new partnership between the Fort Collins Area Chamber and Colorado State University School of Business to offer tuition benefits to graduates of Leadership Fort Collins. We look forward to expanding the opportunity for our Leadership Fort Collins alumni to continue their learning and leadership quest with a valued partner. We’ll be reaching out directly to alumni to help them utilize this new, valuable benefit,” said Hutchison.

Graduating members of the class include:

Carisa Akrish, SERVPRO of Fort Collins and Loveland

Brian Allen, UCHealth

Stephanie Anderson, Town of Wellington

Karla Baise, Odell Brewing Company/OBC Wine Project

Josh Beard, Liquor Store Services, Inc. (Mulberry Max & Bullfrog Wine/Spirits)

Kiersten Chuven, Alliance for Suicide Prevention of Larimer County

Amanda Clayton (she/her), TGTHR

Brooke Corbel, Food Bank for Larimer County

Holly Coulehan, City of Fort Collins

Amanda Crose, Virtuous Cycle Coaching

Laura Culleton, Larimer County

Kelli Davison, Colorado State University

Sean Duffy, Impact Financial Strategies

Gabriel Dunbar, Saunders Construction

Megan Harvey, Crossroads Safehouse

Chad Hayes, Professional Engineering Consultants

Alan Hirsch, Alan Hirsch, LLC

Michelle Kimble, Hydrate IV Bar

Lindsey Miller, Brinkman Construction Inc.

Paula Ordaz, Fort Collins Rescue Mission

Jesse Patton, Independent Financial

Ashley Ray, UCHealth

Tiffani Sargent, Toll Brothers at Timnath Lakes

Justin Schwendeman-Curtis, Colorado State University

Lindsey Singleton, Otter Products LLC

Danielle Stenger, 3Hopeful Hearts

Alexandra Valenti, Larimer County Human and Economic Health

Tricia Vincent, Boys and Girls Clubs of Larimer County

Joseph Christopher Voss, GHPhipps Construction Company

Zach Ware, Cheba Hut

Joe Wimmer, City of Fort Collins

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

Chad Beane, Clark & Enersen

Imran Bhimani, LC Real Estate Group

Laura-Jo Bhimani, The Group Real Estate

Emily Birdsall, Jolly Events

Heather Buoniconti, Food Bank for Larimer County

John Caesar, IMA Select

Tatum Cochran, Horse & Dragon Brewing Company

Jen Cooper, Colorado State University

Mark Culloton, Banner Health

Laurel Donahue, Colorado State University

Jess Dyrdahl, Colorado State University

Chris Fine

Jerick Flores, Colorado State University

Jill Foster, The Place Setting Company

Ariana Friedlander, Rosabella Consulting, LLC

Gretchen Gramling, City of Fort Collins

Charles Grant, First National Bank

Rebekah Harvey, Resident Realty

Huston Hoffman, Cheba Hut

Ann Hutchison, Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce

Mara Johnson, Habitat for Humanity

SeonAh Kendall, City of Fort Collins

Rev. Brad Laurvick, First United Methodist Church

Carley McAbee, Be Kind

Jennifer McLain, Alpha Center

Erika Michalski, Strategically Authentic

Amanda Miller Nye, The Place Setting Company

Ali Raza, Colorado State University

Diana Rogers Jaeger, Love To Appreciate Consulting

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

Mary Timby

Abe Theiss, Northwest Monitoring

Brad Ward, Connexion

Meghan Willis, UCHealth

Applications for the 2025-2026 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.

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