Vice Chair

Vashti's upbringing in the Huerfano Valley was shaped by the communal spirit of the Red Rockers, with her parents being early members of the community, arriving around 1975. From this unique background, Vashti has emerged as a dedicated educator, advocate, and small business owner, driven by a profound commitment to empowering others.

Her passion for experiential learning, outdoor recreation, and promoting health equity is evident in everything she does. As a small business owner, Vashti channels her energy into creating opportunities for growth and exploration, among children of all ages. Her leadership within our organization is characterized by vision, compassion, and a deep love for community.

Vashti firmly believes in the transformative power of health equity, education, and outdoor experiences. These guiding principles inform our mission to cultivate a more vibrant and inclusive community for all. With Vashti at the helm, we are inspired to continue our journey toward a brighter and more equitable future for everyone in our valley.

Interim Treasurer

Lana's journey to the Huerfano Valley began in 1977 when she made the pivotal decision to transplant herself to this vibrant community. From the moment she arrived, Lana's passion for service and financial stewardship became evident.

As a board member and integral part of a few community nonprofits, Lana played a vital role in shaping our community’s nonprofit sector. Her leadership and dedication laid the groundwork for the impactful work that continues to this day.

Throughout her career as a nonprofit leader, Lana demonstrated an unwavering commitment to financial integrity and transparency. Her meticulous attention to detail and creative approach to problem-solving ensured that every dollar was used effectively to benefit the community.

In retirement, Lana's love for cooking shows and crime dramas may provide moments of relaxation, but her dedication to financial stewardship remains steadfast. Her continued involvement ensures that our organization can make a lasting and meaningful impact in the Huerfano Valley community.

Named after three of her grandmothers with strong matrilineal roots, Alece is hardwired to advance a more just, creative, and abundant future for everyone, especially communities that have been minoritized and whose voices have been ignored or silenced. As a teen mom who dropped out of high school, she went on to be the first in her family to complete college with a master’s degree. She has served many communities throughout her career in city and county planning, Air Force planning, family engagement for a school district, and her pivotal work with Community Heart & Soul. 

She holds a bachelor’s degree from CU Boulder in Environmental Design, Urban Planning with two minors, Sustainable Environments and Human Geography and a master’s from CU Denver in Public Administration with an emphasis on Environmental Policy, Management, and Law.

She deeply understands the power in community and has amplified systemically undervalued voices on various boards and committees she’s served on, including The Funders Network, PLACES Fellowship, Philanthropy Colorado, Colorado Funders for Inclusiveness and Equity (COFIE), Colorado Housing Accelerator Initiative (CHAI), and more. Alece is honored to bring her life experiences and professional skills to efforts of the esteemed Huerfano Community Corporation and phenomenal communities of southern Colorado.

Judy has a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in School Counseling, and is recently retired from La Veta High School. She has been a part of the La Veta community since 1983, and moved to La Veta full time in 2011 after retiring from the Denver Public Schools and the Denver School for Science and Technology.

Prior to her career in education, she owned a successful business distributing national and international newspapers, including The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.  She served as Secretary/Treasurer and Vice President on the board of the American Association of Independent News Distributors from 1992-1999, when, after 27 years, she sold the business.  Judy is a founding member of Citizens for Huerfano County and serves on the CHC board as Secretary/Treasurer. She has a strong interest in the history and ecology of Southern Colorado, and has hiked and walked extensively in the area. She is also a gardener, home cook, and avid reader, and participates in a variety of community volunteer activities. Serving on the La Veta Trails board provides an opportunity to develop all of her interests, most especially building opportunities for community youth to become involved in physical and environmental activities in our community.

Treasurer

Kim is currently the VP of Finance and Administration for PBS12. She oversees the financial and accounting matters of Colorado Public Television, Inc.  This includes the monthly accounting, budget preparation and monitoring, cash flow management and investments, payroll and benefit administration, and providing board committees with the relevant financial information.  Kim has over 30 years of non-profit accounting experience.

Kim and her family moved from Tucson, Arizona to Colorado in 2008.  She has been married to her husband for 36 years and they have three grown children, three grandchildren, and two Saint Bernards.  When she isn’t working, she loves reading, gardening, puzzles, doting on her two fur babies since her grandchildren live out of state.

“My passion is the non-profit sector and contributing to a mission of an organization”.  “I am looking forward to supporting the mission of HCC! “