Building on a Dream With Leadership Denver
KieAnn Brownell, President, Metro Denver Sports Commission
Leadership Denver Class of 2001
Thanks to the incredibly diverse nature of her Leadership Denver (LD) class, KieAnn Brownell was able to grow an entrepreneurial opportunity from her LD year.
“My dream upon entering LD was to bring the Winter Olympic Games to Denver,” Brownell [...]
Going beyond expectations to share vision
Joseph Padilla, Captain, Denver Police Department
Leadership Denver Class of 2006
Captain Joe Padilla of the Denver Police Department fits the adage that there is no single Leadership Denver “profile.” Padilla brought a different perspective to his LD class because of his law enforcement experience and his unique view of the needs [...]
Investing To Improve Early Education
Letty Bass, Executive Director, Chambers Family Fund
Leadership Denver Class of 1992
It’s all about women and kids.
From her early professional experience teaching first grade when she was just 21 years old through her work over the past dozen years as executive director of Chambers Family Fund, Letty Bass has dedicated her life [...]
Inspiring Citizens to ‘Step Into the Ring’
Richard Lewis, Owner, RTL Networks, Inc.
Leadership Denver Class of 2006
Richard Lewis has spent his life fighting for his dreams, and he believes Leadership Denver (LD) demonstrates that any individual can do the same.
Lewis, a graduate of the LD class of 2006, has worn many hats during his career, from [...]
A panoramic view of leadership
David Card, President, Escuela de Guadalupe
Leadership Denver Class of 2004
What do a leader and a camera have in common? Focus. David Card, the president of Escuela de Guadalupe, a dual-language school in Denver, knows that maintaining focus while broadening one’s lens ultimately determines success for both individuals and organizations.
“Leadership requires a [...]
LD Helps Shine a Light on Philanthropic Goals
Leanna Clark, Senior VP of Corporate Communications, IMA Financial; Executive Director, IMA Foundation
Leadership Denver Class of 2000
William Butler Yeats famously wrote that “Education is not the filling of a pail. It is the lighting of a fire.” One Leadership Denver (LD) graduate whose LD education turned into a [...]
Group dynamic creates community change
Taryn Edwards, Vice President, Hensel Phelps Construction Company
Leadership Denver Class of 2006
Taryn Edwards, a 2006 graduate of Leadership Denver (LD), still takes inspiration from the relationships she built during the program.
Edwards credits the program with helping her and her classmates to create a real dialogue on change. To help current class [...]
Nancy McCallin, President, Colorado Community College system
Leadership Denver Class of 1990
Nancy McCallin says she might not have found her way to the Denver Metro Chamber Board of Directors without Leadership Denver, because the experience took her beyond her close community of economists and bankers, where she was most comfortable.
Back in 1990, McCallin had no idea [...]
Leadership changed her life’s path
Carey Macdonald Wirtzfeld, Senior Director, Qwest Foundation
Leadership Denver Class of 1999
Carey Macdonald Wirtzfeld says Leadership Denver took her to the “next level.”
The former public relations and legislative affairs director for a major telecommunications company has since changed directions, now managing Qwest’s efforts in giving, volunteerism and community outreach.
She says it was [...]
The Art of Serving a City
Greg Geissler, Director of Development, American Red Cross Mile High Chapter
Leadership Denver Class of 1985
Launching Denver’s public art program was only one masterwork in Greg Geissler’s career portfolio — and Leadership Denver had a role in helping him create a variety of influences on the city’s palette over the last [...]
