Denver Peak Academy

Fellow City and County of Denver employees, lend me your ears! I’ve waited a long time to say that, and it just feels so right. As a resident of Denver for the past sixteen years, I am a big fan of yours. You keep the place I love to call home running. You pick up my trash, recycling and compost. You pave my streets. You keep my parks beautiful. You make sure the places I take my family to are safe. You hire the people who do all of that, you make sure they get paid, the list goes on and on and on!

I became a local government superfan while working for the Town of Frederick for the past nine years. While I built out community outreach efforts as their first ever Community Relations Manager, I got an upfront look at just how incredible civil servants are and how much they affect the everyday life of their community. I will always have a special place in my heart for the people who serve the Town of Frederick on staff and as volunteers because they are the reason I fell in love with public service. And now I am dancing-on-the-ceiling excited to get to help City and County of Denver employees reach their Wildly Important Goals as part of the Peak Academy team!

I have loved Peak Academy and sang their praises for many years – see this blog I wrote back in 2016. To finally be a part of the team is a dream come true. With that said, here are some fun facts so you can get to know me before we work together!

1. I love showtunes. My life philosophy can be summed up by the Wicked (now playing at DCPA through June 9, go see it!) song, Defying Gravity:

“I’m through accepting limits, ‘cause someone says they’re so.
Some things I cannot change, but til I try, I’ll never know.”

2. I believe Parks & Rec is the greatest sitcom ever created. After working for a small town, I can confirm its freakish accuracy. We even had our own Lil’ Sebastian – Goliath the Minihorse.

3. My husband and I are what you might call Rockies Enthusiasts, because I am not sure fan is a strong enough word. Our one-year-old daughter’s nursery looks like Dinger threw up in there.

4. I am a jingle machine. Little ditties flow out of me at an alarming rate, and I have finally found an audience that appreciates them in my daughter, Leona. Her current favorites are “Let’s Change that Diaper, Girl” and “Who’s the Smartest Baby Around?”.

5. German culture is my jam. I have been to Oktoberfest in Munich in 2005, 2010, 2015 and am planning the 2020 trip now – you should come!

6. I am originally from Burlington, Colorado, thirteen miles from the Kansas border. As a Pizza Hut waitress, I spent a lot of time explaining to tourists that mountain views were still about two hours away. But ask me about our incredible Kit Carson County Carousel – it was the original from Elitch Gardens!

7. When I’m not hanging with my family, my favorite way to spend my free time is changing things I think could be better. I spent last year planning the first ever Colorado Women Leading Government conference with others who also think we should move the needle on the low number (16% nationwide) of women in top local government positions. I can’t wait to help you change the things you think could be better about your job. Get ready, Denver. We’re about to have some fun.