CiviCO recently announced the launch of the CiviCO Leadership Academy, the first cross-sector, cross-region program of its kind in the United States. This program is very focused on bringing together people from the public, private and nonprofit (social) sectors to make a lasting community impact. City managers from Fort Collins and Greeley are joining with business and nonprofit leaders in this inaugural class.
“We believe this program will be transformational,” said Suzanne Peterson, chair of the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado Board of Trustees. “Our excitement not only stems from each participant’s leadership development opportunity, but we also believe this is a program that can help build stronger regional cooperation here in Northern Colorado while also establishing stronger connections between our region and the rest of the state.”
Announcing the 2019-2020 Northern Colorado cohort:
| Name | Title | Org/Affiliation | Sector |
| Darin Atteberry | City Manager | City of Fort Collins | Public |
| Chris Banks | CFO & Co-owner | Odell Brewing Company, Inc. | Business |
| Ray Caraway | President | Community Foundation of Northern Colorado | Social |
| Chase Christensen | Broker | Cushman & Wakefield | Business |
| John Dellenbach | Executive Manager | Dellenbach Motors | Business |
| Jennifer Guerriero | CEO | Light Center Inc. | Business |
| Ann Hutchison | Executive Vice President | Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce | Social |
| Douglas Johnson | Chair | TIGER21 | Business |
| Mindy McCloughan | CEO & President | Loveland Chamber of Commerce | Social |
| Kevin Mullin | Executive Director | Estes Park Health Foundation | Social |
| Roy Otto | City Manager | City of Greeley | Public |
| Brent Porter | Construction Manager | Nutrien Ag Solutions | Business |
| Michelle Provaznik | Executive Director | Gardens on Spring Creek | Public/Social Partnership |
| Kim Tobin | Vice President | Colorado State University | Public |
| Cheryl Zimlich | Executive Director | Bohemian Foundation | Social |
The nine-month program combines world-class digital curriculum in partnership with leading management consultant firm McKinsey and Company, one-on-one executive coaching and personal development planning with BetterUp, and hands-on training led by CiviCO.
After two years with a pilot cohort in the Metro Denver region, CiviCO has partnered with the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado in Fort Collins, the Quad Innovation Partnership in Colorado Springs, and Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction to deliver in-person offerings in each region.
“Across the country, we have never seen a true leadership program to bridge communities across a state,” says co-chair Ryan Heckman. “The CiviCO Leadership Academy will be that first transformational opportunity that includes participants from communities across Colorado. We have incredible partners who have made this vision into a reality.”
The CiviCO Leadership Academy is made possible by generous contributions from the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado, Boettcher Foundation, El Pomar Foundation, the Gates Family Foundation, and anonymous donors.