Home / Our Purpose

Architects. Guides. Facilitators. As a comprehensive and passionate team of thinkers and doers. We’re an essential, value-added consortium of public health experts for anyone and everyone connected to today’s public wellness sector.

At Trailhead, we are a sustaining force behind the “boots on the ground” for public health. Among our main priorities is helping to make “it” possible for our partners to achieve their significant and public health initiatives. We work with key organizations, communities and their leaders to augment their services while identifying critical health needs and meeting them head-on. We are the supportive administrators, the reliable facilitators and the organizational cement that bonds it all together.

Powered with invaluable expertise, critical resources and caring personnel, Trailhead serves as the stimulus, the hub and the facilitator that helps ensure greater success of every public health expedition.

The Trailhead Difference

Many voices. Infinite ideas. One goal. Trailhead is the leading, supportive and empowering catalyst that enables communities to make important decisions and enact critical initiatives aimed at delivering healthier futures and more positive environments. As a strategic partner, Trailhead allows users to leverage and to take full advantage of our personnel, our services and the full depth of our broad expertise while maintaining full control over their projects. Through fund management, program development and strategic support, we help people and organizations work together as a unified collective with the focused objective of realizing better public health for all.

Trailhead can mean something different for every partner. For some we are the fiscal sponsor and administrative partner helping develop internal fiscal capabilities. For others we’re the project manager that brings them in as a part of a larger collaboration. Some turn to us to find like-minded thinkers and others willing to share ideas and experiences. For all, one thing is constant: we are a starting point where they can map out a route to success.

The Work We Do

Thoughtful. Meaningful. Impactful. Through community engagement programs, active administrative partnerships, youth sexual health and education services, and food access and security initiatives like the Collaborative Leadership Initiatives, Trailhead enables us to realize the true and purpose-driven potential of public health in Colorado. Through a culture of conscious collaboration—a think tank of the possible—Trailhead provides the essential tools, platforms and the necessary personnel for realizing the complete and full potential of what public health in Colorado is truly meant to achieve.

Our Mission: Trailhead Institute advances innovation and collaboration in public and environmental health.

Our Vision: Everyone has the opportunity to be healthy and live in a healthy environment.

Our Drivers: Collaboration | Justice | Capacity

Our Values: Accountability | Leadership | Responsiveness | Openness | Teamwork

Join the conversation! Check out our 2020-2023 Strategic Plan for more detail and let us know what you think.

Explore Our Projects

Our People

Advisors. Navigators. Partners. Trailhead’s team of dedicated, hardworking and resourceful professionals truly is our greatest asset. We are passionately committed to every journey’s sustainable success. That’s why we work so hard each day—as your ally and strategic partner—putting our vast and varied collective of public health expertise to work collaborating, assisting and guiding diverse public health organizations toward a vibrant and healthy Colorado.

Our Staff & Interns

Adrienne Gomez

Senior Program Manager

Adrienne manages and maintains the progress and development of the Youth Sexual Health work, including all projects and initiatives (WISE, Youth Sexual Health Alliance and Mapping Resource), in addition to being responsive to gaps identified by partners and how to coordinate the work on a statewide level. Prior to joining Trailhead, Adrienne worked as a Health Educator at Denver Health in a School-Based Health Center. She provided direct reproductive health counseling and supported young people to make informed decisions about their sexual health, including how to navigate the services at the School-Based Health Center. She has a Master of Public Health degree. Adrienne enjoys hiking, biking, camping and kayaking in the summer and snowboarding in the winter.

Andrew Stricker

Finance Manager

Andrew has filled a variety of roles here at Trailhead. Presently he is managing finances for Trailhead proper along with the finances of several smaller programs and projects. He spent three years in Morocco – two with the Peace Corps and one with the High Atlas Foundation, a Moroccan/American NGO focused on rural communities. He has a Bachelor’s of Arts in English from St. Olaf College. Outside of work, Andrew enjoys traveling, reading, and playing with his son.

Benjamin Robb

Director of Projects & Partnerships

Ben oversees the Administrative Partnership Program, supporting our various projects’ and programs’ development and operations. Additionally, Ben supports the Colorado Clinical Translational Sciences Institute’s Community Engagement Pilot Grants Program by providing technical assistance and administrative support. Before he joined the Trailhead team, Ben worked at Mile High United Way managing and writing grants for their internal programs. He has a Master of Social Work. In his free time, Ben likes to snowboard, rock climb, solve puzzles, and run.

Gabe Rodriguez

Senior Project Manager

Holding a Master of Public Health in Community Health Education, Gabe joins Trailhead as a member of the Administrative Partnership Program team supporting community partners with project development, administrative support, and programmatic technical assistance. Prior to joining Trailhead, Gabe founded La Conextion, a program co-creating (sober) spaces for the individual and collective healing of Queer, Trans, Intersex, Black, Indigenous, People of Color. Outside of work, Gabe co-hosts a podcast with her bestie and has an excellent sense of work/life balance. She is often exploring near and far places for coffee shops, food, activities, and meeting new people with fresh perspectives.

Gillian Grant

Senior Program Manager

Gillian manages the Regional Health Connectors (RHC) and Community Research Liaisons (CRL) programs at Trailhead. Working with a variety of partners across public health she contributes to the implementation, coordination and evaluation of these programs. Prior to joining Trailhead, Gillian worked at Caring for Colorado Foundation supporting the implementation of a statewide initiative focused on reproductive health equity. She has held a variety of roles throughout her career at nonprofits and the state health department. She values the building of connections and relationships in public health across organizations and individuals. When Gillian isn’t at Trailhead, you can find her enjoying the 300+ days of Colorado sunshine hiking with her golden retriever or at happy hour with friends. She also loves her family, coffee, French fries, hugs, and texting with emoji or gifs.

Hannah Groves

Program Manager

Hannah supports the overall implementation of Trailhead’s Regional Health Connector program. Prior to joining Trailhead, Hannah worked in public health in Montana as both a Registered Sanitarian (health inspector) and in community health improvement. Her favorite part of working for a community health coalition was using participatory processes to strengthen neighborhoods by connecting local artists with opportunities to highlight community assets and encourage people to explore their own community. In her free time, Hannah can be found adventuring outside with her partner, rollerblading, playing volleyball, and attempting to find the best brunch spot.

Holly Coleman

Director of Community Engagement and Philanthropy

Holly advises on community engagement best practices within programs across the organization and maintains high-level oversight of the Youth Sexual Health Program. Prior to joining Trailhead, Holly served as the Director of Community Programs at Colorado Youth Matter. Holly earned her Masters in Social Work from the University of Denver and a Bachelor’s degree in International Business from James Madison University. She completed a capstone project and a fellowship related to global development and equity in Washington, DC and in Davos, Switzerland. When Holly isn’t overseeing programs at Trailhead, she enjoys cross-country skiing, hiking, and playing tennis.

Ida Nelson

Finance Manager

Ida joins our Finance team as manager of Trailhead’s finances along with half our portfolio of projects and partnerships. Prior to joining Trailhead, Ida worked with American Indian organizations and local entrepreneurs to build financial capacities. She also owns her own small business beautifying Coloradoans. From paintbrushes to power tools, Ida loves learning and trying out new skills and crafts. When she’s not working on something, Ida can be found spending time with her big family.

Kristy Beachy-Quick

Senior Project & Strategies Manager

Kristy implements and articulates the strategic vision of the Strategic Programs Team, working across partnerships and acting as a nimble project manager for new and innovative projects of Trailhead Institute. Prior to joining Trailhead Kristy was a researcher and program evaluator at Colorado State University, the OMNI Institute, the Erikson Institute, and Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. She has also served on nonprofit boards, committees, and community coalitions, primarily in Larimer County and Fort Collins. Kristy loves to camp and travel with her partner and daughters, walk with her dog Carlo, make pottery, attend poetry readings, dinner parties, concerts, plays, workshops, and activities that build inclusive and diverse spaces of authentic connection and genuine community.

Lisa Olcese

Director of People & Strategic Initiatives

Lisa supports Trailhead’s mission through coaching, training and maximizing the best assets of Trailhead – its employees and partnerships. She brings nearly 30 years in the nonprofit sector to inform Trailhead’s organizational and leadership development. She has served as the executive director at Colorado Youth Matter and has worked in intimate partner violence prevention. In addition to her work with Trailhead, Lisa is an executive coach, consultant and trainer who supports teams and individuals in creativity, mindfulness and burnout prevention and recovery. She holds an MS in Organizational Leadership and is a Master Practitioner of NLP, an expressive writing instructor and a Co-Active Coach. In her free time, she enjoys City Park, public art, studying astrology, being anywhere in the Rockies, and her tiny bob cat, Pixie Bee.

Lyndie Kenlon

AmeriCorps Senior Program Manager

Lyndie serves as Trailhead’s AmeriCorps Senior Program Manager where she is collaboratively leading efforts to evolve Colorado’s public health workforce through the integration of AmeriCorps and public health apprenticeship programs. Prior to joining Trailhead Institute as the AmeriCorps Senior Program Manager, Lyndie served as the Program Director for Mountain Roots and the Healthy Futures Program where she served as the main point of contact for AmeriCorps Supervisors, Members, and affiliate partners for communication, position development, impact reporting, and human resource management.  With a BA in Psychology, Lyndie has worked in program development and marketing for community education since 2007.  Her work experience varies from private youth counseling to public outdoor education experiences, including leading various workshops and trainings on community outreach and public speaking for REI and the California State Park Trails and Greenways Conference.

Natalie Finke

Bookkeeper

Natalie’s responsibilities include managing all credit card transactions for Trailhead Staff and Administrative Partners, as well as doing Accounts Payable and Receivable, cash receipts and disbursements, and developing training sessions for Finance-related topics for Trailhead staff and Administrative Partners. Prior to joining Trailhead, she worked as an in-house accountant for several small, family-owned businesses. Natalie holds a BS in Accounting. In her free time, she likes to visit beaches, attend jazz concerts, and do volunteer work.

Sara Scarim

Operations Manager

Playing a central role in Trailhead’s evolution towards a primarily remote work environment, Sara manages daily operations for Trailhead both in-person and virtually through her hybrid role. She currently is focused on transitioning Trailhead’s physical work environment to a shared office space with Colorado Health Institute. Sara’s keen attention to detail was nurtured while working in pharmaceutical and food laboratories in Illinois before moving to Colorado in 2013 where she has honed her operational prowess managing grocery store departments and a coworking space, and handling day-to-day operations for a small furniture store. In her free time, Sara can be found exploring the High Line Canal and South Platte River Trails with her dog; reading a book or watching a University of Illinois basketball game with her cat; spending time with family and friends; and getting out to experience all the exciting places and activities that Colorado has to offer.

Sarah Lampe

President & Executive Director

Sarah oversees the strategic direction of the organization and directs the operations for the organization and leads the all of the existing and new work including the Administrative Partnership, Youth Sexual Health and Community Engagement lines of work at Trailhead. Prior to serving as the President and Executive Director, Sarah also served as the Chief Operating Officer and Program Director. Before joining Trailhead, she worked as the Program Manager for the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials where she managed Public Health Services and Systems Research projects and evaluated work of the Public Health Alliance of Colorado. In her free time, Sarah likes to spend time with her son and husband playing the Matching Game, going for long runs and getting lost in a fabric store before sitting down and sewing something fun.

Tess Burick

Communications Manager

Tess shares the work that Trailhead and our partners do to advance innovation and collaboration in public and environmental health through strategic communications and purposeful storytelling. She brings over six years of copywriting, brand marketing and digital communications experience from the corporate sector to her role at Trailhead, along with a deep appreciation for mission-driven brands and building human connection. Outside of her work at Trailhead, Tess spends her time soaking up all of the sunshine that the Mountain West has to offer, moving in the outdoors and traveling to be with the people she loves.

Tyler Shirey

Director of Finance

Tyler is responsible for comprehensive financial management, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting for Trailhead’s complex financial systems. These systems include but are not limited to the provision of administrative support and fiscal sponsorship of organizations, projects and partnerships receiving any combination of local, state, federal, foundation, private and/or other funding. He studied at The Ohio State University and earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration. In his free time, Tyler likes to play music with his friends, go hiking and play sand volleyball.

Yuliza Hernandez

Projects Manager

Yuliza manages partnerships and project operations for Trailhead’s community engagement research projects supporting their start-up, development, and ongoing sustained structures. Growing up in Northern Colorado, Yuliza volunteered with local organizations that addressed social determinants of health. Working with underserved populations, she developed a passion for making a difference in the lives of others. After graduating from the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Science in Human Services, she worked with North Colorado Health Alliance before moving to the Denver area and joining the Trailhead team. In her free time, Yuliza enjoys traveling – especially to places with a a warm sandy beach – and spending time with her family.

Our Affiliate Staff

Christi Cahill

Executive Director, Colorado Cancer Coalition

Christi Cahill has dedicated her professional career to working with cancer related nonprofits and organizations. Christi has been involved with the Colorado Cancer Coalition in a variety of capacities since 2009 and is now the Executive Director.  Prior to becoming the Executive Director she was the Cancer Outreach Specialist at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and before that the Director of Program Services at MyLifeLine.org. Christi received a B.A. in Kinesiology from Rice University in Houston, TX and a Nonprofit Management Certificate from the Center for Nonprofit Management in Dallas, TX. In her free time, she likes to play volleyball and spend time with her family including her husband and 3 small children (and read a lot about how to parent 3 small children). 

Dana Wood

Grant Manager, Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger

Dana administers the Food Pantry Assistance Grant and works closely with the Blueprint team to ensure the fund’s process is equitable and meets community needs. She implements the grantee selection process, tracks changes over time, and provides technical assistance to grantees to leverage the Blueprint network. Previously, she worked at Garfield County Public Health managing a variety of grant funded programs and projects focusing on community engagement, health equity, food access, the built environment, and COVID-19 vaccine equity. Prior to working in local government, Dana worked for several nonprofit organizations throughout the mountains of Colorado. Dana is a registered Yoga Alliance teacher and did her first teacher training in Cusco, Peru. In her free time, Dana enjoys reading, mountain biking, yoga/meditation, traveling the world, hiking, spending time with friends, and playing with her 14-year-old dog, Abby.

Dolores Ramirez

Community Partnerships Manager, Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger

Dolores is charged with developing, engaging and cultivating new and existing partnerships with communities across the state to deepen the impact and goals associated with the Blueprint’s efforts. Prior to joining the Blueprint, Dolores served as the Chief Program and Impact Officer for Growing Home, a local nonprofit organization serving families in North Metro Denver. In her role Dolores developed and implemented the organization’s programmatic strategy and provided leadership and oversight to all programs and programmatic staff. During her free time Dolores enjoys performing with an all-female band, as well as Mariachi, to promote classic Mexican songs while eliminating cultural, racial, linguistic, and political borders through musical performance.

Elaine Horton

High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) Facilitator, Morgan County Interagency Oversight Group

As an HFW facilitator, Elaine has the primary responsibility of ensuring that the HFW process is implemented with fidelity. Elaine works with the support partners to engage the youth and family in the process and to help them identify and articulate their primary needs. As an HFW facilitator, Elaine is responsible for ensuring the engagement with the youth and family occurs successfully. Prior to joining Trailhead, Elaine worked at a school district for five years during which time she served as the secretary of the transportation department as well as a trainer and bus driver. Previous to working in the education sector she worked in the prison system for 4 years. In her free time Elaine can be found spending time with her family, playing with her horses and creating through crochet. As a hunter, fisher and camping enthusiast, Elaine finds joy in being able to get lost in the woods without technology.

Erin Ulric

Implementation Director, Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger

Erin works with communities and stakeholders across Colorado to lift up their work, identify gaps and strategies to fill these gaps, and facilitate new partnerships. Previously, she worked at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in a number of roles, including leading the Prevention Services Division. Prior to state government, Erin worked in international public health managing programs in a variety of technical areas and as an actuarial analyst for a large insurance company. She speaks 3 languages and has lived and/or worked in 8 countries. Erin has two kids and an awesome husband, and in her free time plays soccer and travels as much as possible.

Hallie Nelson

Director, Jefferson County Food Policy Council

Hallie leads a diverse stakeholder collaborative dedicated to creating a food-secure Jefferson County with healthy food access for all residents; a vibrant and equitable farming infrastructure; a healthy ecosystem; and a thriving local food economy. Hallie works alongside local governments, nonprofit organizations, food and farm businesses, residents, and policymakers to foster conversation, coordination, and capacity building with a focus on equity and public health. Prior to joining the Food Policy Council, Hallie worked for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to analyze and develop national eligibility policy for special populations, including college students, older adults, and individuals with disabilities. She also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay where she worked alongside community members to develop an agricultural extension youth group. In her free time, Hallie enjoys gardening, knitting, sewing, and weekend road trips to explore nearby parks and food.

Joël McClurg

Policy & Communication Manager, Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger

Joël manages all policy and communication efforts for the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, including but not limited to overseeing the legislative agenda by coordinating with lobbyists and stakeholders to support our policy priorities and managing various work groups and project teams from the Blueprint. Prior to joining the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, Joël was the SNAP Compliance Officer at the Colorado Department of Human Services. He holds an MS in Food Security from Colorado State University. For fun Joël likes to hike, snowboard, and spend time with his family (including his dogs!).

Leticia Macias

Executive Assistant, Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger

Leticia provides administrative support to the entire Blueprint to End Hunger including  organizing logistics and meetings for over 15 different teams. Prior to joining the Blueprint, she worked in Denver Public Schools for 24 years as a school secretary and also as a parent liaison for nearly 15 years. In addition, Leticia serves on the board of directors for Horizons. Leticia is a native Spanish speaker who has lived in Colorado for over 40 years. She is a grandmother and has two amazing children. Her love of her family, her community and her strong ability to build relationships are just a few of the reasons she is so passionate about the work.

Michelle Deland

Executive Director, North Central Regional Healthcare Coalition

Michelle is an affiliate employee who works directly with the North Central Regional Healthcare Coalition. In her role, she coordinates all-hazards emergency preparedness planning and projects. Prior to joining NCR HCC, Michelle was the Environmental Health and Safety Manager for the state’s largest substance use disorder treatment provider, focusing primarily on the development of a comprehensive safety program. Michelle earned her Master’s in Forensic Psychology from the University of Denver.

Melissa Smith

Coordinator / FACT Facilitator / High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) Supervisor, Morgan County Interagency Oversight Group

Melissa is responsible for the overall planning and operation of the Morgan County Interagency Oversight Group (MC IOG). Through her role, Melissa assesses and processes all referrals received from multiple community systems. As a FACT (Family and Community Team) Facilitator, Melissa facilitates a multi-disciplinary team process of assessment and treatment of goals with clients and youth targeted through HB 1451 and Crossover Youth Practice Model which takes place during FACT conference, Strategic Planning or Family Engagement Meetings. She also provides case management and care coordination with providers of service and supervises the High-Fidelity Wraparound process to ensure agency mandates are met. Prior to joining MC IOG, Melissa served as the executive director for a Boys & Girls Club in Lebanon, Indiana for several years where she exercised her passion for working with at-risk youth and families. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children in the outdoors, traveling and watching movies.

Roger Low

CEO & Founder, Colorado Equitable Economic Mobility Initiative (CEEMI)

As CEO & Founder of CEEMI, Roger leads the initiative’s advocacy and public sector engagement; oversees efforts to grow effective economic mobility pathways and programs in Colorado; manages CEEMI’s growing team; raises growth capital; and sets goals and priorities. Prior to joining Trailhead, Roger spent over a decade in the public sector specializing in evidence-based policy, workforce development, economic mobility, and outcomes-based payments. As a policy advisor to U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), Roger helped create the first federal outcomes fund, and new pay-for-performance authorities in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. At Colorado’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting, he led the launch of Colorado’s first three state-level Pay for Success projects. As Policy Director for America Forward, the policy arm of the national venture philanthropy New Profit, Roger collaborated with some of America’s most effective proven postsecondary and training programs. Roger was born and raised in Colorado, and lives in Lakewood with his partner Michael. He likes runs, hikes, beaches, most board and card games, and catching up with old friends. He’s usually affable, once he’s had his morning coffee.

Vaishnavi Hariprasad

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager, Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger

Vaishnavi is responsible for identifying and implementing strategies to ensure that communities disproportionately impacted by hunger are partners in Blueprint decision making. She is also responsible for ensuring that the Blueprint is adhering to the operationalization of diversity, equity and inclusion. Prior to joining the Blueprint, Vaishnavi worked in the Office of Health Equity at CDPHE where she provided coaching and technical assistance around embedding equity and community power into decision making. She enjoys exploring the outdoors with her son and husband, dancing (Indian classical), and reading a gripping mystery or thriller.

Whit Oyler

Readiness and Response Coordinator, North Central Region Healthcare Coalition

Whit works with the 500+ members of the North Central Region Healthcare Coalition (NCR HCC) to coordinate emergency readiness and response projects. Prior to joining NCR HCC, Whit managed quality improvement projects in rural hospitals with the Colorado Hospital Association. Before that, he was a program manager and strategic planning coordinator with the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, where he worked with partners across the state to address the opioid epidemic. Whit earned his Master’s in Public Health from the University of Colorado. He has a wife, two dogs, and a cat, and in his free time he enjoys cycling, fishing, and learning new skills, like woodworking and welding.

Our Board

Bruno Sobral

Board Member

Bruno Sobral is a Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology at Colorado State University and Professor of Biostatistics and Informatics at the Colorado School of Public Health. Prior to joining the Trailhead Board, Bruno has spent 25 years building research institutes in academic, non-profit and corporate sectors. When not in the classroom and away from research, Bruno enjoys spending his free time body surfing.

Erica Snow, MS, MPA

Board Member

Erica Snow is a portfolio director at the Colorado Health Foundation whose mission is to improve the health of Coloradans with the belief that health is a human right. She leads a team that works to ensure that communities, systems and policies support Coloradans in their pursuit of good health, focusing specifically on access to primary care; early childhood social-emotional development; teen and young adult resiliency; and adult recovery. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2008 and now serving on the Trailhead Board, Erica has held positions in community mental health, hospital, nonprofit and research settings in addition to earning a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Colorado, Denver and a Masters of Science in Community Mental Health from the University of Vermont. In her downtime, Erica loves to be outside hiking, skiing, or paddle boarding with her family and three dogs.

Jana Persky

Board Member

Jana Persky a project manager at ZOMALAB, a private family office where she primarily focuses on rural communities and economic development exploring how to use impact investing and philanthropic support to build resilient communities. Prior to her role at ZOMALAB and joining the Trailhead Board, Jana worked at the Colorado Office of Economic Development of International Trade (OEDIT) where she led the state’s Opportunity Zone program to support community-oriented private capital investments in economic development. Jana holds a degree in Public Policy from Stanford University and enjoys hiking, skiing and coaching soccer in her free time.

Jon Samet, MD, MS

Board Vice Chair

Dr. Jonathan Samet, a pulmonary physician and epidemiologist, is Dean and Professor of Epidemiology and Environmental & Occupational Health at the Colorado School of Public Health.  His career has centered on epidemiologic research on threats to public health and using research findings to support policies that protect population health. His research has addressed indoor and outdoor air pollution, smoking, radiation risks, cancer etiology and outcomes, and sleep-disordered breathing.

Lauren Gearhart, MPH, MCHES

Board Member

Lauren Gearhart is a Community Engagement Manager at Unite Us, and is a current member of the Youth Sexual Health Alliance.  Lauren oversees the tobacco health neighborhood within the community and also interacts with local youth by facilitating UpRISE in Summit County, a youth social justice campaign for tobacco control in addition to managing the comprehensive sexual health education program, Healthy Choices. In her free time, Lauren can be found accessing our public lands here in the state of Colorado and across the globe.  Her outdoor recreation adventures always start and end at a trailhead, whether it be mountain biking, backcountry skiing, climbing, or trail running.

Mary V. Davis, DrPH, MSPH

Board Member

Dr. Mary Davis is principal and owner of Project Y Evaluation Services, LLC which focuses on public health evaluation and applied research consulting, training, and technical assistance services. She has extensive experience leading applied research and evaluation projects in a variety of settings, teaching evaluation methods, and providing capacity building assistance to organizations, such as coalitions, public health departments, foundations, and human service agencies. In her 25 year career, she has worked in a range of settings, including a public health institute at the University of North Carolina, Gillings School of Global Public Health as well as a national member association and a for-profit consulting firm. Dr. Davis’ areas of expertise include preparedness, health department accreditation, quality improvement, and partnerships.

Meghan Guevara, MPH

Board Secretary

Meghan Guevara currently serves as an Executive Partner at the Pretrial Justice Institute, a nonprofit organization working with community advocates and government officials across the country to advance safe, fair, and equitable pretrial practices. Prior to joining the Trailhead Board, Meghan has spent the past twenty years providing training and technical assistance at the federal, state, and local level in support of comprehensive criminal legal system reforms. Meghan began her career as a community health educator, working with families and young adults on environmental health, women’s health, and adolescent health initiatives. She received her Master of Public Health Degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Boston University. In her free time, Meghan enjoys traveling with her family, especially camping across the mountain West.

Melanie Zeitler

Board Member

Melanie Zeitler is the VP of Philanthropy at 9Health where she exercises intense creativity, innovation and thought leadership, and the ability to contribute to large-scale impact on the health and wellness of our communities.  Prior to her current position and joining the Trailhead board, Melanie has worked in the non-profit sector for 25-years in various roles from program development to Executive Director. Her most recent years were spent at the Plains Conservation Center, a non-profit which focuses on environmental education and the restoration of endangered grasslands in Colorado. Melanie’s interest in environmental issues and stewardship has continued in her freelance consulting work and volunteerism, where she has happily donated her services to several organizations bringing the importance of environmental stewardship to the forefront. Outside of her philanthropic work, Melanie is a yoga enthusiast, spin cycling and animal nut, who has also been known to enjoy a whole bag of blue corn chips in one sitting now and then!

Susan Perrigo

Board Treasurer

Susan started her career as an auditor in public accounting and has worked in nonprofit finance and administration in support and leadership roles since 2009. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of Colorado, Boulder and is certified in Federal grants management.Susan enjoys being outdoors in the Colorado sunshine running, hiking, biking, skiing, or just relaxing on a patio with a view and refreshments.

Susan is the owner of Pinpoint Accounting Services, specializing in accounting and administrative consulting and support for small to mid-sized nonprofit organizations. As Board Treasurer, she chairs the Trailhead Board Finance Committee.

Tom Butts, MSc, REHS

Board Chair

Tom is an Environmental Public Health Consultant and principle of Colorado Environmental Public Health Services, LLC. He was appointed to the Colorado State Board of Health in March 2019 and since early 2017, has served in temporary roles in Elbert County and Larimer County public health agencies. Tom spent over 32 years at Tri-County Health Department working in local Environmental Public Health, Emergency Preparedness and Response and agency administration. He played a large role in the agency’s accreditation effort. Tom has served 7+ years in various positions on the Colorado Environmental Health Association Board and received the Milton M. Miller Award in 2018. In his free time, you can find him hiking, bicycling, gardening, hunting, camping, and coaching Special Olympics winter sports and basketball.

Tom Gonzales, MPH, REHS

Board Member

Serves as Public Health Director for Larimer County Department of Health and Environment (LCDHE). Gonzales holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health from Colorado State University and a Master in Public Health from the University of Northern Colorado, and is a Registered Environmental Health Specialist. Prior to joining LCDHE, he was Deputy Public Health Director at El Paso County Public Health overseeing Emergency Preparedness and Response, Environmental Health and the Laboratory. Previously, Tom was Program Manager of Environmental Health at Clark County Public Health (WA) addressing on-site wastewater management and drinking water. He led the environmental health response and recovery activities after four wildfires and two flood events in El Paso County. In 2013, Tom was awarded the Milton M. Miller Award, CEHA’s highest honor for an environmental health professional. Recently, he was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission. Tom and his wife are blessed with two young boys. Together, they enjoy the Colorado outdoors, including hiking, fishing and hunting.

Join Our Board of Directors!

Trailhead Institute is a Colorado-based nonprofit working to advance innovation and collaboration in public and environmental health. Trailhead is recruiting new members who want to join our governing Board on the critical next phase of our organizational growth and development. Whether your expertise is marketing, policy, business development, or accounting, or you’re simply passionate about improving public health in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West, we invite applications from people who are ready to support positive social change and bring innovation to the way that people live, work and play.

Take this brief assessment to see if Board membership with Trailhead Institute is right for you.

Contact us for more information. Thank you for your interest in Trailhead’s Board.

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