For 15 years, Jason McKain has been developing outreach tools, processes, communications and organizing actions for a variety of social, environmental, and independent media initiatives. He has organized more than 500 activist-based, community-focused (urban and rural) projects involving more than 10,000 people. In doing so, it has been and will always be his ultimate goal to connect people with critical community work that needs to be done and to make this connection stronger. Jason has spent an equal amount of time creating and implementing fundraising strategies to fund countless projects. Along the way, Jason has developed a comprehensive and effective knowledge base around grassroots organizing, fundraising, logistics, and publicity. In his free time Jason can be found scaling the sides of mountains.
Staff
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Miriam joined CPC in 2005 as our grassroots fundraising coordinator and grew into the Development Director position. In December 2010, Miriam was selected to transition into the Co-Executive Director position. A 2007 graduate of the University of Denver, she majored in Public Policy and Communication. Miriam was born in Cd. Juarez, Mexico, coming to the U.S. when she was 6 months old. A graduate of Denver’s West H.S., Miriam has been a part of immigrant justice efforts, including CPC’s language disparities work where she focused on mono-lingual Spanish speaking immigrant communities. She is also a Board Member for Rights for all people, and Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, both immigrant rights organizations.
Sarah joined the CPC in January of 2011. She is a Colorado native and
earned a B.A. from the University of Colorado in Political Science and
English (Writing). She has a background in fundraising, event
planning, nonprofit management, and multimedia. She worked as an
Editorial Director for a Colorado based magazine before leaving to
become more active in the community and explore working for a variety
of nonprofits. She worked most recently with Latina Initiative on
fundraising activities and the Tesoro Cultural Center as the Director
of Development & Administration for three years. She enjoys working
with funders and members of the community and is enthusiastic about
using new technologies to enhance grassroots fundraising efforts. She
is also a certified Hot Yoga teacher, and practices yoga in her free
time.
Rachel Paguio joined CPC as an intern in September 2011. She is a native Texan and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelors degree in Social Work. She is currently pursuing her MSW at the University of Denver. She has worked with immigrants and refugees, low-income elementary students, and in the child welfare system. She is still finding her niche as a social worker but has a passion for social change and social justice. Rachel enjoys exploring Colorado, dreaming of exploring the world, and spending time with with family, friends, and her dog Maggie Mayhem.
Ashlee began interning in CPC's Racial Justice department in January 2012. She moved from Wisconsin to Denver for college and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English literature from Colorado Christian University in 2010. In the fall of 2011, she began studying at the University of Denver's Graduate School of Social Work. Since coming to Denver, she has worked with refugees, low-income students, homeless communities, and a local campaign committed to ending malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Although many aspects of social work intrigue her, Ashlee is passionate about restoring and empowering communities through leadership development and social justice. If she isn't at one of Denver's many coffee shops writing a paper, she is spending time with friends, listening to live music, baking fabulous cupcakes, or hiking in the mountains.
Zoë began as a research and organizing intern for the Racial Justice Hotline in the fall of 2011 and has continued on to a RJ Fellowship. Born and raised in Colorado, Zoë has been an activist since Middle School. Her projects have included campaigns for immigrant rights, ending violence against women, anti-oppression education, prisoner support and the Colorado Street Medics. On the rare occasion she has free time, Zoë can be found painting, writing or with her nose in a book.
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Stephanie Tierney has been involved with the Colorado Progressive Coalition since April, 2011. She began heavily volunteering in October, 2011 and joined the staff as the Minster of Information in January, 2012. Stephanie obtained her Bachelor's degree in communications with certificates in mediation and public relations from the University of Colorado, Denver in 2006. Stephanie also sits on the Colorado chapter Board of Directors of the 9to5 Colorado National Association of Working Women. She is stoked to bring her background in non-profit work and communications to CPC. Stephanie provides database management and analysis skills that help inform and drive CPC's work while assisting with events and general office management. She loves live music, good food, friends and family -- and reading. As an avid 'bookie,' Stephanie is open to good suggestions, or, if you need need one, stop by her office!
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Katrina Hoelting recently completed a Masters in Global Citizenship, Identities and Human Rights, with a focus in Trafficking in Persons from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. With a broad range of previous experience, including a degree in secondary education and extensive work in international business analysis, her passion for social justice has brought her to CPC where she is working to amplify the voice of the oppressed to bring about change across the state and globe. Katrina is a Communications Fellow at CPC and is looking forward to making a lasting contributions to economic, political and social development around the globe.
Most recently a legislative and investigative reporter for the Colorado Independent, Joseph Boven has worked in media and communications for close to a decade. A former media critic for Colorado Media Matters, director for an early morning news and music video program, editor in chief of cultural arts magazine and travel writer, Boven is now using his experience gleaned through the pressures of a media producer to provide fact-based communications to Colorado and national press. With a strong love for the journalistic endeavor, he encourages journalists to look beyond the headlines and find the facts behind the political rhetoric. Once a commercial fisherman and somelier, Boven spends his free time eating fish, drinking cheap wine and hiking one of the best states in the country. Oh, and despite his best efforts, both his friends and everyone else call him Joe Boven. Boven is the Communications Coordinator for Colorado Progressive Coalition.
Corrine is a seventh generation native of Colorado and has studied and experienced the economic transformations that Colorado has undergone in recent decades and this has steered her commitment to economic justice. Corrine is dedicated to minimizing inequality and supporting public policies that will lessen the disparities for low-income populations and people of color. She has focused on social issues throughout her academic and professional career and is passionate about the need to educate and empower communities in order for them to advocate for policy changes that reflect the needs of all peoples. She has a background in public policy, nonprofit management, development, coalition building, and development. Corrine lives in Denver with her two wonderful boys and a crazy Goldendoodle, who provide her with continuing motivation to ensure that policies in Colorado are supporting all residents in the twenty-first century.
Jenny started working at CPC as an intern in the Racial Justice Program in 2010, helping to pass legislation against racial profiling. After doing grassroots organizing for Denver's rape crisis center, she began her current position as a CPC community organizer in September 2011. She is a recent graduate of the Center for Progressive Leadership’s leadership training program. Before moving to Denver from Berlin in 2008, Jenny, a native German, completed a master’s degree in Political Science with a thesis on racism and the U.S. prison-industrial complex. She is passionate about criminal justice reform and has been volunteering as a tutor at a halfway house.
As a 2nd generation Chicana Greeley native, Angela Sedillos has worked extensively within the community to bring about real and critical changes. A graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, Angela's work and volunteer experiences includes teaching low-income parents basic nutrition through the Colorado State University’s Extension Office, organizing and sponsoring alternative youth in attendance of statewide, high-school-diversity conferences, activating attorneys to provide probono work for clients involved with Weld County Legal Services and educating migrant farm workers on the dangers of pesticides. Angela enjoys spending time with her family (both two-legged and four-legged). Angela is Colorado Progressive Coalition's Community Organizer in Northern Colorado.
Mu Son's family immigrated to the U.S. when he was two years old from Seoul, South Korea. He grew up in the small town of Temple, Texas and has lived in Colorado for the last 20 years. Mu Son has spent the last decade working with grassroots groups to build power in our communities. He draws his inspiration from work with the community at organizations like Centro Humanitario, Let Us Rise, and other grassroots organizing groups. If you see Mu Son around town riding his bicycle, feel free to say Hi!
Theresa is a Pueblo native who returned to Colorado in 2001 after living in Mexico where she worked as Program Director for the Cuernavaca Center for Intercultural Dialogue on Development (CCIDD). There she did "global community-organizing" - building solidarity and inspiring action around the political, social, cultural, and economic realities of Mexico with folks from the U.S. and Canada. She has also been very involved with the Women's Ordination Conference, helped to found the Young Feminist Network, and worked as a freelance English/Spanish translator. Theresa is thrilled to be working in her home community - helping to shape its progressive future - and considers this work her life's vocation.
Daneya Esgar joined the Colorado Progressive Coalition,in March of 2011, thanks to a job-share opportunity with the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition. Daneya is proud to be a Pueblo native. She has a passion for youth organizing and is respected LGBT activist in Southern Colorado. Daneya enjoys writing a monthly LGBTQ column in Pueblo’s independent newspaper, the PULP. She serves as the Vice President for the Southern Colorado Equality Association and also as the Coordinator for the OutFront LGBT youth group in Pueblo. In her free time, she enjoys relaxing on the lake in the summer and is secretly addicted to reality TV, when the weather won’t let her play outside. Daneya graduated from the University of Southern Colorado in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications, and worked as a television news producer for eight years at KOAA-TV, covering Colorado Springs and Pueblo.