North Regional Council

Erik Estrada serves as Senior Associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and resides in Boulder, Colorado. Mr. Estrada practices corporate and securities law with a focus on corporate governance, public company representation, public offerings, and mergers and acquisitions. He has extensive in-house counsel and senior leadership experience with Nasdaq-listed and Fortune 500 companies and in private law firm practice. Prior to law school, he served as a Program Officer for Boettcher Foundation and as a Fellow with El Pomar Foundation. Mr. Estrada serves or has served on numerous community, civic and state boards. He earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Colorado Boulder, where he was named a Presidents Leadership Class (PLC) Scholar, and a Master of Public Administration from University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs, where he received the Outstanding Student Award. He earned a Juris Doctor from University of Denver College of Law, where he was named a Chancellor’s Scholar, and a Master of Laws from the Boston University School of Law, where he graduated with honors.

Mike Bond is the Chief Operating Officer of the Weld Trust, overseeing grantmaking activities and development at the organization. Mike has more than 30 years of banking experience in Greeley and has served on several local boards including the Weld Trust and United Way of Weld County.

Kathay Rennels is Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Rural-Urban Initiatives at the Colorado State University System. As a former county commissioner and state board representative, she has significant experience fostering public and private partnerships in regional and workforce development. Kathay is currently a member of the Northern Colorado Economic Development Council. She also works closely with the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade on the Governors’ Blueprint and is the co-lead for the Food and Agriculture Industry Concentration.

Adam Shake is the former President/CEO of the Estes Park Economic Development Corporation, a role he held since 2020. Adam served nearly 15 years in the U.S. Army, completing tours in Desert Storm, Desert Shield, CONUS, Panama, Somalia, Bosnia and Europe. Prior to his role at the EDC, he served as the Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Agency Program Director. He has also founded environmental media and news websites including Simple Earth Media and Twilight Earth. Since his arrival in Estes Park, Adam has served on the boards of Visit Estes Park, Estes Valley Partners for Commerce, the Rocky Mountain Performing Arts Center and Flinch Forward.

An award winning and published leader with over 27 years of experience in jail, criminal justice services and behavioral health. Laurie brings a passion for innovative and strategic initiatives that increase awareness and access to equitable, affordable and quality behavioral health services across the country. She has expertise in correctional and behavioral health programming, training, facility design, pretrial services, risk assessment, pre-release planning, re-entry initiatives, sequential intercept mapping, community engagement, multi-million dollar grant program development, co-responder program development, MAT and community consensus building.

Laurie was Larimer County, CO’s first Certified Jail Manager, a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and a Certified Pretrial Services Professional, providing cross system consulting, community asset mapping and master plan development. She is an accomplished and published author, a Colorado State University guest lecturer and seasoned leader in the public/private partnership arena. Laurie led a successful countywide ballot initiative to increase revenues dedicated to behavioral health.

Her work includes leading the development and management of 2 new county departments, skills in organizational development, strategic planning and system transformation. She has created advisory councils, steering committees and consumer driven committees to oversee performance metrics and program quality goals.

Her commitment to improving the lives of others has been recognized through numerous local and national awards and accolades.

In addition to her expertise in criminal justice, community initiatives and programming, Laurie also has a deep understanding of jail staff wellness, inmate programming and the behavioral health needs of inmate populations. She has been involved in the design planning and opening both correctional and behavioral health buildings, ensuring that they are designed to meet the unique needs of the individuals they serve. By combining her knowledge of staffing, programming, community input and facility design, she strives to create environments that promote efficiency, effective treatment, safety and well-being.

Laurie obtained her undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State University, including an internship at John’s Hopkins Childrens Hospital in Baltimore, MD. She completed her master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling with a concentration on Vocational Evaluation at University of Northern Colorado.

Jeannine Truswell has over 40 years’ experience in non-profit management. She was the President & CEO of United Way of Weld County from 1986 to 2022. Prior, Ms. Truswell was the Executive Director for Weld County Partners and owned and operated a private child care business for children 3 – 12 years old. She has a bachelor’s degree in both elementary education and special education. She has hundreds of hours of course work and training in business and nonprofit management. She was responsible for overall supervision including resource development, resource investment, financial management, volunteer management, marketing and communications, program development and community building.

Ms. Truswell is an active volunteer and has served on several local, regional, and statewide community boards and committees including the Colorado Nonprofit Association, Colorado Children’s Campaign, and Colorado Victims Assistance Committee. She currently serves on the Aims Community College Board of Trustees.

Dave Young serves as the Colorado State Treasurer. He previously represented House District 50 in Greeley, Evans and Garden City and was a member of the Colorado General Assembly Joint Budget Committee. Prior to being elected to the Colorado Legislature, Dave was a senior instructor for the information and learning technologies program at the University of Colorado Denver and taught math and technology in the Greeley Weld 6 School District before that.

A lifelong Coloradan, Dave earned his master’s degree in information and learning technologies from the University of Colorado Denver in 2000 and his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Colorado State University in 1975.

Erica Oakley-Courage serves as the Associate Vice President of Grants at El Pomar Foundation, managing the operations of the grants department.

Prior to El Pomar, Erica worked for more than six years as a development officer with the Palmer Land Conservancy and the Colorado Springs office of the American Heart Association. The Seattle-area native earned a Bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University in Journalism/Public Relations and a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Certificate in Nonprofit Management at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She spent six years doing media relations in professional sports before transferring to the non-profit sector.

Erica was a member of the Institute for Leaders in Development’s Class of 2017, participated in the Community Leadership Program in June 2021, and was a member of the Mayor’s Civic Leaders Fellowship Class of 2023. She has served on multiple boards and volunteered for several organizations in the Pikes Peak Region including Peak Vista Community Health Centers, Girl Scouts of Colorado, and the Colorado Springs Osteopathic Foundation. Currently, Erica is on the Board of the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region (COPPer). In 2016, she was recognized as the Association of Fundraising Professionals Southern Colorado Outstanding Emerging Fundraiser, and in 2018 she was named a Rising Star by the Colorado Springs Business Journal.

Hayes Witherow joined El Pomar Foundation as a member of the 2023 Fellowship class. As a 2nd Year Fellow, Hayes serves as Senior Program Associate for Alumni Relations, Communications, the Internship, and Regional Partnerships. He also supports the North Region.

Hayes grew up in Colorado Springs and graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2023 with a degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, with a focus in Public Health. While in Boulder, Hayes worked with the Boulder County Public Health Department and several local non-profits to learn about the unique challenges facing Colorado communities. During this time, he shadowed members of the health department in their efforts to increase youth vaccination rates through free vaccine clinics and education. Hayes also studied a species of virus called bacteriophage and presented his findings of a newly isolated strain at the 2020 CURE Symposium on Boulder’s campus. In the future, Hayes plans to return to school for an M.D./Ph.D. program to contribute to the betterment of Coloradans’ health access and outcomes. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the UC Health Memorial Hospital Foundation. In his free time, Hayes enjoys skiing, rock climbing, camping, or anything else to spend time outdoors.

Gabe Trujillo joined El Pomar Foundation as a member of the 2024 Fellowship Class. As a 1st Year Fellow, Gabe serves as a Program Associate for American Council of Young Political leaders, Elevating Leadership Development, and Fellowship Recruiting. He also supports the North and Southeast Regions.

Gabe has lived in Colorado Springs since the age of one. He attended MSU Denver where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Spanish and a certificate in Community Interpretation. During his time at MSU Denver, Gabe served on student government for three years, holding roles such as Student Trustee and Student Representative to the Auraria Board of Directors. He joined several programs and committees such as the Urban Leadership Program, Honor’s Program, Hispanic Serving Institution Committee, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to name a few. Gabe is also the 2024 Boettcher Foundation Colorado Student Leader of the Year and was the student speaker at his graduation. In the future, Gabe plans to go to graduate school and eventually earn a Ph.D. in higher education leadership, policy, and research with a hope to increase access to postsecondary education.

In his free time, Gabe loves to spend time with his family and engage in hands-on activities and adventures such as cooking, game nights, hiking, and going on late-night drives.