Our Staff & Board

Staff

Amanda Fitzpatrick

Director of Strategic Advancement

Cipriano Gurrola Navarro

Housing Coalition Facilitator

Mara Gwin

Food Access Lead Facilitator

Amy Hall

Events and Office Coordinator

Keisha Massarotti

Office Manager & Bookkeeper

Luisa Porras

Communication and Evaluation Coordinator

Cruz Ramirez

Child Care Coalition Facilitator

Stephanie Radilla

Youth Coalition Facilitator

Carlye Sayler

Executive Director

Clara Wilson

Director of Community Impact

Director of Strategic Advancement

Amanda Fitzpatrick

As Director of Strategic Advancement, Amanda Fitzpatrick supports the development and advocacy of LCBAG. She has a background in grant writing and fundraising and is excited about contributing to the community change with LCBAG. She is passionate about health equity and ensuring every Lake County resident’s human right to a healthy life. Amanda moved to Leadville after finishing her Master of Public Health in Atlanta. Having grown up in Tennessee, Amanda is learning to enjoy snow winters in Leadville, and she loves spending her summers hiking.

To contact Amanda, email amanda@lcbag.org.

Housing Coalition Facilitator

Cipriano Gurrola Navarro

Cipriano Gurrola, born in Mexico and raised in Leadville; holds a nursing degree and has devoted the past 7 years to public health. He finds joy in reading and listening to true crime podcasts. But nothing compares to his love for the magnificent views Lake County has to offer. As the housing facilitator, he understands how vital it is to keep promoting fair housing practices by ensuring that everyone has equal access to housing opportunities regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

To contact Cirpiano, email cipriano@lcbag.org

Food Access Lead Facilitator

Mara Gwin

Mara is the Food Access Facilitator at Lake County Build a Generation. She facilitates the Lake County Food Access Coalition, a group of community members and organizations that are working together to build a community where every Lake County community member is able to access the food and food resources they are entitled to.

Mara grew up in Berthoud, Colorado, joining Lake County Build a Generation as an AmeriCorps VISTA in 2019, and has found a home in Leadville since then. She is grateful to be part of such a supportive community and to pursue her passion for food justice at Lake County Build a Generation.

To contact Mara, email mara@lcbag.org.

Events and Office Coordinator

Amy Hall

Amy is a native Coloradan. She spent her teen years growing up in Minturn Colorado and has been in Leadville for the last ten years. Amy has two sons who attend Lake County High School. In her free time Amy enjoys hiking, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

To contact Amy, email amy@lcbag.org.

Office Manager & Bookkeeper

Keisha Massarotti

Although Keisha was raised in upstate NY, she has lived in Leadville for 23 years where she has raised her 2 daughters, Allie & Rhegan with her life partner, Jay. She enjoys being on the water, gardening and being outdoors with her dog Luna and enjoying her second chance at life!

4 years ago Keisha was a recipient of a new liver from a living donor right here in Leadville that saved her life!!!

Keisha has worked for and served on many non-profit Boards in Leadville in different capacities over the years and is excited to be working for BAG as the Office Manager and Bookkeeper.

To contact Keisha, email Keisha@lcbag.org

Communication and Evaluation Coordinator

Luisa Porras

Luisa born in Bogotá, Colombia and moved to the United States four years ago. She attended law school in her home country, but her passion for writing led her to live and study creative writing in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. She loves reading, art, and literature. She is passionate about traveling and is a part of our Lake County community along with her husband, Mark. When she’s not working you can find her learning to snowboard in the winter or hitting the trails in the summer, when she is not reading on the couch at her house.

To contact Luisa, email luisa@lcbag.org

Child Care Coalition Facilitator

Cruz Ramirez

Cruz Ramirez is our Community Organizer where she is responsible for supporting the on-the-ground community-led initiatives of the organization. She helps to build capacity with residents of manufactured housing in Lake County. Cruz has built relationships through her time living, working, and attending schools in Lake County and most recently has been a part of the Lake County Food Access Coalition.

Cruz has lived in Leadville since 2001, she graduated from Lake County High School and is now raising a family with her husband and three children. She loves to spend time with her family and is excited to be part of Lake County Build a Generation’s initiatives and learn more about local policy to better serve the residents of manufactured home communities and support the community connector projects.

To contact Cruz, email cruz@lcbag.org.

Youth Coalition Facilitator

Stephanie Radilla

Stephanie is a dedicated community builder and passionate advocate for youth involvement. Growing up in the Lake County School District, she not only graduated from its schools but also spent seven years working within the district, where she fostered a love for helping others. As a busy mom of four, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her family and understands the importance of community and resource gathering. She is committed to motivating the next generation to get involved and make a difference.

In her rare free time, you can find her on the soccer field, crafting creative projects, fishing, or enjoying the tranquility in her hammock.

To contact Stephanie, email: Stephanie@lcbag.org

Executive Director

Carlye Sayler

Carlye is the Executive Director at Lake County Build a Generation. She is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of Lake County residents and is proud to contribute to the mission of LCBAG. Carlye has a Master’s degree in Education Policy and Management from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and is a DONA certified labor and birth doula. An emergent strategist, she is passionate about working alongside community to co-create a radically different future. Carlye grew up in Colorado and has a deep appreciation for beautiful, unique places like Leadville. When she moved here in 2020, she felt right at home thanks to the incredibly supportive community and the access to the outdoors. She loves mountain biking, hosting big dinner parties, and playing her banjo.

To contact Carlye, email: carlye@lcbag.org.

Director of Community Impact

Clara Wilson

Serving as the Director of Community Impact, Clara works to support the coalition facilitators at LCBAG. Her work history in non-profits and working with vulnerable populations has nurtured a passion for community-driven efforts to create real and sustainable systems change. She studied management and leadership education for her undergraduate degree and is currently a remote student with New York University earning her Masters of Public Health. Her family moved to Leadville after many visits over recent years and are happily enjoying the snowy white winters on the mountains and the sunny summers on the river. Clara and her husband have two kiddos, two dogs, a cat and six chickens of which they endearingly refer to as the Wilson Family Zoo. They spend their time finding new waters to explore, playing board games, and anything else that wears out their busy toddler. Clara and her family are enjoying rooting themselves in Leadville, and she is motivated to work with the LCBAG team to serve the community.

To contact Clara: clara@lcbag.org

LCBAG Team

Thanks to our LCABAG team, our work is possible. We are grateful to each one for their hard work and for being a part of our BAG family.

Board

Grayson Cooper

Board Member

Vanessa De Lira

Board Vice President

Barrett Donovan

Board Secretary

Jill Gardiner

Board Member

Dana Greene

Board Member

Bob Homiak

Board President

Margarita Perea

Board Member

Grayson Cooper

Grayson Cooper joined the Leadville community in 2021. Grayson grew up in North Carolina, attending the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While teaching high school math in Eastern North Carolina through Teach for America, he received masters degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and East Carolina University. There, he also co-founded a summer program that still serves students across the eastern part of the state in collaboration with NCSSM and the Boys and Girls Club of the Coastal Plain. From there, Grayson worked as an educational consultant helping schools across the country to implement innovative staffing models before shifting to focus efforts at home in Leadville, starting with the Housing Coalition!

Currently, he also serves on the Lake County School District Board of Education and on Copper Mountain Ski Patrol and is way too ambitious about backcountry cooking. Grayson is grateful for the opportunity to serve on LCBAG’s board and to support the intentional efforts and engagement of community members collectively growing Lake County into a healthier and happier place to live for all.

Board Vice President

Vanessa De Lira

Vanessa De Lira has a 10 year old son named Eden and a husband named Jorge. She has lived in Leadville since 2001 and graduated from Lake County High School in 2009. While in high school, she joined many clubs, including Full Circle, Leadership Crew, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), and Future Business Leaders of America. These experiences taught her so much about barriers and resources in Leadville and gave her a passion for helping her community. Vanessa loves everything Leadville has to offer, including nature, people, food, culture, diversity–but most of all, she loves how peaceful it makes her feel to live in a small historic town. Vanessa’s favorite hobby is hiking because being outdoors is super therapeutic for her.

Before joining the Lake County Food Access Coalition as a community connector, Vanessa was working at the laundromat in town. Many locals would go there and talk to her about their struggles with food. Listening to community members’ barriers to food access made her even more passionate about helping to remove those barriers and ensuring all community members have equal access to healthy and affordable food. After hearing about the Lake County Food Access Coalition and Health and Happiness community connector projects, Vanessa decided to join both of them. Both projects gave Vanessa the opportunity to play a bigger role in our community and have led to other professional opportunities–including her new job as a part-time library aide at Colorado Mountain College. This new role is a great fit for her love of reading, for her passion for helping both students and community members navigate community resources, and for her dream of getting more education.

Vanessa brings her a confidence and passion for making changes in our community–developed during her previous work with Lake County Build a Generation–to her work on the Board of Directors. She wants everyone in Lake County to feel welcome and to understand that so many projects have gotten off the ground because of community input. She is really proud and honored to be part of many teams at Lake County Build a Generation because she knows that together, we can make a difference and impact people’s lives.

Board Secretary

Barrett Donovan

Barrett Donovan moved to Leadville in the fall of 2016 to work as a science teaching apprentice for the High Mountain Institute (HMI), a local non-profit semester school. Now, she works full-time at HMI as the Director of Communication and Engagement and as a wilderness instructor. Prior to working full-time at HMI, Barrett worked in the Lake County School District as an afterschool program leader for Project Dream, and as a substitute teacher. Barrett is originally from Louisville, KY and first came to Leadville as an HMI student in 2011. She then went on to study environmental science and environmental education at Colorado College (CC) in Colorado Springs. She graduated from CC in 2016.

You can usually find Barrett walking her dog Lajla, skiing on the Lake County golf course, baking cookies, or looking at cool plants! She is very grateful for the opportunity to serve on the LCBAG board and for the opportunity to support Lake County as it continues to grow as a healthier and happier place to live.

Board Member

Jill Gardiner

Jill Gardiner moved to Leadville in the summer of 2021 to work at the High Mountain Institute (HMI), a local non-profit semester school, where she is now Director of Admissions & Financial Aid. While Jill grew up in Connecticut, she has bounced around the northeast and pacific northwest, studying economics at Boston University, and working at nonprofits in Oregon and California. She is thrilled to have made a home for herself in the mountains of Colorado! Jill firmly believes in greeting any body of water she meets (no matter how cold!), is determined to say “yes” to as many adventures as possible, and will happily talk to you about spreadsheets for hours! She is very grateful for the opportunity to serve on the LCBAG board and for the opportunity to support Lake County as it continues to grow as a healthier and happier place to live.

Board Member

Dana Greene

Dana and her husband Ethan moved to Leadville in 2009 from the Front Range seeking a return to the mountain living they enjoyed decades earlier. Dana works as a family physician in rural hospitals around Colorado. In her work, Dana observes firsthand how the conditions under which people live, learn, work, and play impact their health and affect all aspects of their lives. Dana is excited to serve on the Lake County Build a Generation Board of Directors and supports the organization’s vision of achieving health equity.

Dana and Ethan have two children that grew up in Leadville. As a family they enjoy skiing, hiking, and investigating the natural world. Dana previously served on the board of a local charter school and is currently a member of the Leadville City Council.

Board President

Bob Homiak

Bob Homiak and his wife Susan purchased a home in Leadville in 2013, and have been splitting their time between Leadville and Denver ever since. Bob retired from the U.S. Department of Justice in 2010, after practicing environmental law for 25 years, representing EPA and various federal land management agencies in enforcing the nation’s environmental laws. Prior to his employment at DOJ, Bob worked for EPA in Washington DC for eight years where he focused on enforcement matters under the Clean Air Act.

Bob has actively volunteered in a variety of community-based organizations over the years, including two terms as Chair of the Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. and as a reading tutor at Park Hill Elementary School, both in Denver. On Saturdays during the school year Bob judges at high school speech and debate tournaments at various high schools along the Front Range. He looks forward to using his skills to help LCBAG function efficiently in its transition to an independent non-profit entity and achieve its various goals in Lake County.

Bob and Susan enjoy skiing, hiking, snowshoeing and gardening both in Leadville and Denver. They have a son, Michael, who is studying for a Master’s degree at MGIMO University in Moscow, Russia.

Board Member

Margarita Perea

Margarita Perea Escalera, a devoted resident of Leadville for 27 years, arrived in
Colorado from Zacatecas, Mexico, at the age of 3, alongside her parents and two
younger siblings. Overcoming the challenges of being a teen mom, she successfully
graduated from Lake County’s school district. Currently, her children—Maritza, Yahir,
and Kevin—are pursuing their education in high school, intermediate school, and
elementary school, respectively.

As a single mother who has navigated the complexities of commuting to neighboring
counties for work, Margarita is actively involved in the Equity team within the school
district. She is also a proud member of “Líderes Latino Americanos,” a group
envisioning an integrated Lake County where immigrants and Spanish-speaking
residents are fully included in political, social, and cultural spheres, with access to
information and opportunities. Margarita’s professional journey began as a Youth
Programs Assistant, advancing to High School Programs Coordinator, and she currently
holds the position of Youth Development Manager at Full Circle of Lake County.
Passionate about learning and community, Margarita actively contributes to various
initiatives, including programs, data analysis, equity efforts, and community
representation. In her additional role as a Community Organizer with Voces Unidas, she
collaborates closely with marginalized community members, organizing and
empowering their voices to bring about systemic change.

In her capacity as a senior leader, Margarita provides supervision and coaching to a
dynamic youth team, including the Mentoring Program Coordinator, Middle School
Programs Specialist, and High School Programs Specialist. Simultaneously, she
oversees data collection, manages program budgets, collaborates with community
partners, and actively seeks growth opportunities to foster comprehensive
development within the youth team under her expert guidance. Margarita’s
multifaceted approach reflects her unwavering commitment to nurturing holistic growth
within the team.

Our Staff & Board

Staff

Amanda Fitzpatrick

Cipriano Gurrola Navarro

Mara Gwin

Amy Hall

Keisha Massarotti

Luisa Porras

Cruz Ramirez

Stephanie Radilla

Carlye Sayler

Clara Wilson

LCBAG Team

Board

Grayson Cooper

Vanessa De Lira

Barrett Donovan

Jill Gardiner

Dana Greene

Bob Homiak

Margarita Perea

Subscribe to our newsletter.