Staff

Director of Marketing and Communication

For the past 16 years, Kristy has dedicated her career to fundraising and communication for nonprofit organizations.  Most recently, she has served as the vice president of communication for the Denver Public Schools Foundation and the senior director of philanthropy and communication for the national organization Book Trust.

Among other things, Kristy brings a wealth of experience in strategic communication, community outreach, media, special events, and advocacy.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature with a minor in writing and is working toward a master’s in communication.

Kristy is active in her community, serving as the board chair for Mile High Early Learning. She also works with UCHealth’s palliative care program.

For better or worse, merriam-webster.com is one of her favorite websites and she loves the AP Style blog. She also loves to travel at any opportunity, hike, read and spend time with family and friends. She has a golden retriever, Finney, who allows Kristy to live with her.

Email: kadams@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x419

Development Assistant

Qiana was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. She joined Project Angel Heart in 2022. Previously, she worked for a nuclear pharmacy for twelve years as a pharmacy technician. She has her associate’s degree in business and her bachelor’s degree in business marketing.

Qiana has three children, Danielle (21), James (16) and Julian (14). This means her house is very busy all the time, but she loves it! She wants to have a kitty join her household soon.

In her free time, she loves, loves, loves to travel. Visiting at least one new state every year until she hits them all is the goal. At home, she enjoys doing diamond puzzles (she’s done hundreds of them), binge-watching Netflix and Hulu series and cuddling up with a good book.

Email: qaragon@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x417

Colorado Springs Community Outreach Coordinator

Email: mbolado@projectangelheart.org

Senior Director of Programs

Brandy joined the Project Angel Heart team in December 2002. She has worked in every department at Project Angel Heart but made her final move to client services in 2007. Brandy studied at New Mexico Highlands University School of Social Work and Luna Vocational Technical Institute. She loves BJJ, hiking, painting, fishing, and watching her two sons compete in various sporting events.

Email: brogan@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x410

Dishwasher & Kitchen Assistant

Email: cbuchanan@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

Food Service Manager

Mitch joined Project Angel Heart in July of 2020. Spending the first 18 years of his life in the northern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, Mitch spent most of his time playing drums, piano, or video games and discovered a passion for cooking. Starting his culinary career at the young age of 15, he attended a 2-year culinary program offered at the local community college. Mitch then proceeded to further his education at the Culinary Institute of Michigan (CIM) in Muskegon, Michigan.

At CIM, Mitch spent a lot of time honing his skills in the culinary arts, as a team member of the American Culinary Federation’s Hot Food Competition Team. He spent his off-hours volunteering at beer & wine expos and helped with many other local charities in Michigan. After completing his degree at CIM, Mitch was sick of the Midwestern winters and decided to move out west. Seven years later, he has been calling Colorado his home.

Those seven years have been a wild rollercoaster ride in the industry. Starting at the Hilton Inverness working banquet functions for over 5,000+ people, then working for Del Frisco’s Steakhouse where he was Sous Chef, soon after he began working for The Post Chicken & Beer as Sous Chef. Moving on to the Marriot Hotels as Sous Chef, Mitch was furloughed due to the pandemic. Through all of what seemed like fate, he was able to come work for the BEST organization, Project Angel Heart! Not only does he enjoy cooking, but in his spare time loves going to live shows and traveling as much as possible. He also touts having BUCKETS of useful, useless knowledge. 😉

Email: mconley@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 X438

Operations & Sustainability Manager

After 10 years as a kitchen and events volunteer, Kyle joined the Project Angel Heart staff in 2016. As a native of Denver, Kyle enjoys the outdoors and most outdoor activities including hiking, biking, and occasionally running. His passions include sharing his enthusiasm for recycling and working in his garden.

Email: kcopp@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x429

Events Specialist

Jacqueline was born and raised in Colorado. She has nearly eight years of event planning experience and is thrilled to be back in the non-profit sector. She spent her undergrad years at the University of Colorado Boulder and received her master’s degree from Miami University.

You can most often find Jacqueline playing Lego and coloring with her son and daughter. When she gets time to herself, she enjoys yoga, crafting and exploring new restaurants with her husband.

Email: jcrowley@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.407.9420

Production Coordinator

Email: jcummins@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

Database Administrator

Jessica came to Project Angel Heart in May 2019, first as a part-time assistant in the development office and eventually filling the role of database administrator. Jessica has spent her entire career in nonprofits and a variety of development roles, first at Denver Zoo, then at Dumb Friends League. She was born and raised in Fort Collins and lives there now in her ever-evolving fixer upper. She enjoys time with friends, movies, outdoor activities, HGTV-inspired projects, and learning new things.

Email: jdaggett@projectangelheart.org

Nutrition Services Manager

Astrid grew up in Wisconsin and earned a B.S. in Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For a couple of years after completing this degree, Astrid worked to support the development and operation of programs that promoted sustainability in food supply chains. Her background set her up to pursue a career in nutrition and she received a B.S. in Nutrition & Dietetics from UW-Madison. She moved to Colorado in January of 2020 to complete her dietetic internship at the Tri-County Health Department and in July of 2021, Astrid became certified as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). She is thrilled to be joining the amazing team at Project Angel Heart as Nutrition Services Manager.

Astrid is passionate about serving vulnerable and underrepresented communities by advocating for nutrition education and accessibility to nourishing food. It is her belief that nutritious food is a human right and a powerful tool to prevent and manage chronic disease, while improving quality of life. Her long-term goal is to help build resilient, healthy, and self-sustaining communities by empowering others to live meaningful and wholesome lives, no matter their medical, cultural, or economic background. Her greatest desire is to instill in others a sense of joy and curiosity when it comes to food. Besides cooking and gardening, Astrid also loves reading, painting, hiking, practicing yoga, and playing board games with family and friends.

Email: adelacruz@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202×439

Corporate Partnerships Officer

Email: cdickson@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

Volunteer Resources Coordinator

Alexandra began her Project Angel Heart journey as a volunteer in the kitchen and joined the team full time in 2020.  She has a passion for volunteering with a background in mentoring students, fostering animals, and dedicating her time to issues that are meaningful to her and her community. She lives a green and humane lifestyle, promoting animal rights and environmental sustainability.

Originally from Florida, she traded the beaches for the mountains and has not looked back since. Alexandra graduated from the University of Florida and has a career background in both education and healthcare. Her time away from the office ranges from concerts, biking, pilates, eating, relaxing with her pups and a competitive game of ping pong with her husband!

Email: adougherty@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x427

Prep Cook

Email: dgarcia@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

Executive & Finance Administrator

Email: lgarcia@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x452

Distribution Coordinator

Madison had been volunteering with Project Angel Heart for a few years and was persistent enough to get a job here. She is passionate about helping others in any capacity. She believes that Project Angel Heart gives her the best ability to do so.

She graduated from Indiana University in December of 2019. She drove cross-country the next day, home to the great state of Colorado. She is a nature enthusiast who would rather spend her days in the mountains/trees and climbing the faces of rocks than inside behind a screen. She loves all indoor plants and every dog that has ever existed. She also enjoys live music in all capacities and doesn’t mind one bit breaking it down on the dance floor.

Madison couldn’t be happier with her team at Project Angel Heart and for all the beautiful opportunities coming her way!

Email: mgilstrap@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x407

Director of Institutional Partnerships

Ashley joined the team at Project Angel Heart in January 2020. Prior to joining Project Angel Heart, Ashley spent 10 years working in fund development and communications at SafeHouse Denver and, most recently, worked as an independent contractor with a variety of local organizations. She has a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Regis University and a B.A. in English from the University of New Hampshire. Outside of work, Ashley enjoys jogging, cooking tasty vegetarian food, seeing live music, and exploring Colorado with her husband and two young daughters.

Email: agolder@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x425

Client Services Assistant

Email: lgrout@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 X428

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Zachary grew up in Colorado and spent his school breaks on his grandparent’s poultry farm in North Georgia. He developed a passion for food and nutrition while studying at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, where he earned an A.S. in Culinary Arts and a B.S. in Culinary Nutrition.

After college, Zachary worked for the United States Antarctic Program. He was deployed to McMurdo Station and worked in various roles, including food service.

When he returned to Colorado, Zachary pursued and earned an M.S. in Human Nutrition & Dietetics from MSU Denver. In 2022, he completed a dietetic internship with Sodexo and became a certified Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

Currently, Zachary is continuing his education with Boston University to earn an MLA in Gastronomy/Food Studies and is working towards becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). He is excited to be with Project Angel Heart, where he can combine his passion for food and nutrition to give back to the community and further the mission that “Food Is Medicine.”

Email: zhedden@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x453

Office Assistant

Email: vhernandez@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202×435

Client Services Coordinator

Carrie Ann joined Project Angel Heart in February 2021. Originally from Mississippi, Carrie Ann moved to Colorado in 2016 to get a taste of big city life and enjoy the mountains. Carrie Ann began working in non-profits in 2018, and found her passion lies in advocating for those in under-served communities. Off the clock, Carrie Ann can usually be found hanging out with her two cats, puppy, and guinea pig; practicing yoga, reading a juicy historical fiction novel, and of course watching her beloved San Antonio Spurs.

Email: chunter@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x430

Chief Operating Officer

Kate Johnston fell in love with public health while doing HIV prevention and sexual health education with adolescents, both internationally and in the United States. After moving to Denver, she spent 10 years in health care, building and leading community-based efforts to support children and families in keeping children healthy. This, along with previous roles focused on health inequities, solidified her passion for addressing the social determinants of health so everyone in our community can thrive. She joined Project Angel Heart in 2022 and is excited to move her work upstream.

She is originally from North Carolina and, after stops in the mid-Atlantic and Midwest, landed in Denver with no plans to leave. She has a BA in psychology and an MPH in health behavior, both from the University of North Carolina (go Heels!)

When she’s not at work, she enjoys cooking, reading, hiking, and traveling with her husband, two young children, and their dog.

Email: kjohnston@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 X421

Volunteer Resources Manager

Kamisha was born in Aurora, Colorado, but most of her younger years were lived out in California. She enjoys swimming, math, sign language, volunteering, and reading, and wanted to make a career out of those hobbies. She came to Project Angel Heart as a volunteer in 2018, not knowing she would be staying.

Email: kjones@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x415

Dishwasher

Email: ekenge@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

Client Services Manager

Bridget joined Project Angel Heart’s client services team in 2014. In her free time, Bridget can be found on her bicycle looking for used book stores and awesome food. She loves science fiction, pinball, gardening, and horror movies.

Email: bloeper@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x412

Volunteer Resources Assistant

Email: jmao@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x449

Chief Financial Officer

For the past 24 years, Rich has dedicated his career to promoting youth financial literacy through his work at Young Americans Bank and Young Americans Center for Financial Education.  He served as President and CEO of Young Americans for the last 16 years, but also held roles including Vice President/Young Americans Bank and Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer.  To date over 900,000 youth have benefitted from the programs that Young Americans offers.  Rich is most proud of his efforts to expand Young Ameritowne across Colorado, and into Wyoming and Kansas through licensing agreements.

Prior to Young Americans, Rich began his banking career in Colorado in 1991 as an intern at Norwest Bank of Fort Collins (now Wells Fargo) while pursuing a finance degree from Colorado State University.  Upon graduation from college, he accepted a position at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Denver Branch as a bank examiner.  Rich also holds an MBA from Regis University, with an emphasis in computer information systems.

Rich enjoys giving back to his community by serving on numerous boards.  He currently serves as Treasurer of the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center and was recently elected to the board of the Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges and to the credit committee of Friendship Bridge.  He has been appointed by two governors to serve on the Colorado State Banking Board and a third governor to serve on the Colorado Board of Community Colleges and Occupational Education.  Rich has also served as a board member of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, Colorado Nonprofit Association, Latino Leadership Institute, and CollegeInvest.

Rich loves to play tennis and spend time with family and friends.  He has been married to Staci for 30 years and has two children (Colette, 24 and Auden, 20) and a box-weiler Tucker.

Email: rmartinez@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.407.9446

Executive Chef

Brett was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He started working in restaurants at 16-years-old, washing dishes, picking parsley and doing anything prep and utility related. Later, Brett moved to Columbia, Missouri, for college to study psychology. He had no idea what he wanted to do, or what he was good at.

While attending school, Brett worked as a server, bartender, and prep cook. He loved the hospitality industry and it was clear to him where his focus should be. Brett left college to attend culinary school in St Louis, Missouri, at L’Ecole Culinarie. Meanwhile, he worked in several restaurants and country clubs throughout St. Louis.

In 2014, Brett was hired by Bon Appetit Management at Washington University as a sous chef. Later that year, he was invited to The Chef’s Garden in Ohio where he worked a week-long event alongside accomplished chefs from all over the world. One being his idol, Jose Andres!

In 2015, Brett helped open accounts in Kansas City, Missouri, and Houston, Texas, and later in 2020 at University of Chicago. In 2016, Brett had his first executive chef opportunity with Bon Appetit at Washington University School of Medicine.

In Brett’s free time, he loves doing outdoor stuff: hiking, biking, exploring, and open-fire cooking. He is also really into music and movies, collects records, and culinary books. Brett is also kind of obsessed with pickling or fermentation. His favorite sport is basketball and he is a stats nerd!

Email: bnewman@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x405

Director of Logistics & Delivery

Matt joined the Project Angel Heart team in 2016 after three years with Food Bank of the Rockies in the roles of warehouse lead and program representative. Matt is a Colorado native, but grew up in Massachusetts and received his degree in communications and history from the University of Massachusetts Amherst before returning to Colorado in 2012. In his free time, Matt enjoys painting, reading, hiking, and rooting for the Broncos and Avs.

Email: mnigro@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x413

Chief Development Officer

Andrea has 18 years of nonprofit fundraising experience and rejoined the organization in 2023 as Chief Development Officer, after previously working on the development team for seven years. She is thrilled to return to Project Angel Heart and to a community that she considers family.

Andrea’s previous experience includes serving as Vice President of Fundraising at Conservation Colorado and working in fundraising roles at Colorado College and the University of Colorado Boulder. Andrea is a graduate of Smith College, a board and faculty member with the Institute for Leaders in Development at DU, and a member of Community-Centric Fundraising’s Colorado chapter. Outside of work, Andrea enjoys baking, hiking, and traveling with her wife and young daughter.

Email: apacheco@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202×418

Marketing and Communications Specialist

Email: lpangelinan@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x404

Executive Sous Chef

Summer graduated from Johnson & Wales University in South Carolina with honors in culinary arts and food service management. She moved to Colorado Springs, where she worked at a small restaurant and later at the Denver Country Club before joining the Project Angel Heart team.

Email: spolson@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x406

Sous Chef

Chris graduated from the Le Cordon Blue College of Culinary Arts in Las Vegas and worked as a line cook and sous chef for 12 years prior to joining Project Angel Heart in 2019. In his free time, Chris and his wife, Hannah, enjoy hiking, camping, and taking advantage of all of Colorado’s microbrews.

Email: cpotts@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x408

Food Service & Distribution Coordinator

Email: erichmond@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.407.9409

President & CEO

Owen’s passion for public health was sparked during his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi. In the nearly two decades since, he has worked for a variety of health organizations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. Most recently, he served as the Executive Director of the International AIDS Society (IAS) in Geneva, Switzerland. Owen earned his Master of Public Health degree from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health as well as a Master of International Affairs degree from Columbia University’s School for International and Public Affairs.

Email: oryan@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x401

Volunteer Resources Assistant

Email: ssanders@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202×442

Government Affairs Manager

Nic Soucy (she/her/hers) works in the Client Services department at Project Angel Heart and loves the opportunity to connect with our wonderful clients, volunteers, and referrers. A native New Englander, Nic moved to Denver from Boston, Massachusetts, to pursue her Master’s in Social Work and Master’s in Public Health after spending years working in various positions at a 58-family shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness, and seeing every day the importance of food, health, and well-being. Outside of Project Angel Heart, Nic works part-time on a research team for the Center for Housing and Homelessness Research, trains puppies with Guide Dogs for the Blind, and is otherwise becoming accustomed to the Denver culture of hiking and beer!

Email: nsoucy@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x448

Volunteer Resources Coordinator

Email: astrock@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x408

Human Resources Manager

Kathy joined Project Angel Heart in May of 2019 after a decade working with Denver Public Schools in the Department of Arts & Physical Education as the budget specialist and office manager. Kathy was born and raised in Denver, which is also where she met her husband and raised her two children. Any conversations with Kathy will likely involve her dog May, adventures with antiques, miniseries on Netflix, or her latest attempt at home improvements.

Email: kthomas@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x431

Client Services Coordinator

Michelle joined the Client Services team of Project Angel Heart in March 2021, to follow her passion for helping provide valuable community services to those in need. Originally from New York, Michelle moved to Denver in 1996 and immediately fell in love with the mountains as well as the Colorado lifestyle.

After many years of working in the jewelry industry as a designer and a crafter, Michelle was excited to start a new journey into non-profit administrative support. She began as an office volunteer for the National MS Society and soon thereafter was welcomed as full-time staff member to assist with service delivery, while also participating in the Hike MS fundraising event four years in a row.

These experiences solidified her enthusiasm for the non-profit world and she’s never looked back. Outside of work, Michelle enjoys cooking, making jewelry, hiking, reading, watching movies, and spending time with her husband and daughter.

Email: mtruettner@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

Pueblo Volunteer & Distribution Coordinator

Email: iurioste@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.407.9451

Prep Cook

Email: vvu@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

Delivery Manager

Mike held a variety of jobs before joining Project Angel Heart, including radio technician in the Air Force and a writer and distribution manager for Out Front Colorado. He received a bachelor’s degree in English and a Master of Arts in humanities from CU Denver. Mike’s passions are photography and writing, and he’s frequently seen roaming the streets of Denver with his Nikon camera.

Email: myost@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x440