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

Client Services Bilingual Coordinator

Milly joined Project Angel Heart in July 2024. Before that, she worked in injury law as a case manager, specializing in advocating for and supporting clients during difficult times.

She’s excited to work for an organization like Project Angel Heart, whose values align with her own. She hopes her work here will make a meaningful impact on the community.

Outside of work, Milly is a self-proclaimed foodie who loves cooking and trying new restaurants. She also enjoys hiking, paddleboarding, and exploring Colorado with her husband, Rob, and their two Shih Tzus, Marlo and Mocha.

Email: malcala@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

Culinary Apprentice

Sarai, born and raised in Colorado, recently graduated from Westminster High School. She hopes to achieve great things in the future and build a good life for herself. Ambitious and driven, Sarai aspires to continue her culinary journey and one day own her own bakery.

Dreaming big, loving deeply, and having fun are among her most important values. She hopes to travel the world and explore all it has to offer. In her free time, Sarai enjoys watching TV, walking her dogs, spending time with friends, and listening to music.

Email: salmaraz@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

Senior Development Administrator

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, James, and Julian. 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

Phone: 303.830.0202×423

Director of Client Care

Email: lchavez@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202×410

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

Jonathan was born in Dayton, Ohio, but spent most of his time in the cornfields of Illinois. After graduating from high school, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. Following his service, Jon was honorably discharged and returned to Illinois, where he attended Northern Illinois University. He majored in business marketing and graduated in just 3.5 years.

He spent time working for various corporations but soon realized that office life wasn’t for him. Deciding to follow his true passion, Jon returned to school and earned a culinary arts degree from Elgin Community College, beginning his career in the hospitality field. He eventually traded the cornfields for the mountains and moved to Denver.

In Denver, Jon worked in a variety of restaurants and roles. After the pandemic, he considered leaving the industry but kept finding himself drawn back. One day, a friend and Project Angel Heart volunteer told him about an open opportunity at the organization. After meeting the team, Jon knew it was the right move.

He is extremely grateful to be working at Project Angel Heart and loves that he has found a way to do what he loves while helping his community at the same time.

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

Manager, Corporate Partnerships and Individual Philanthropy

Clayton was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ and moved to Colorado in 2017. He graduated with a degree in Business Management from Arizona State University, where he played for the Sun Devils hockey team. Clayton brings with him a strong sales background and experience building meaningful partnerships. Outside of Project Angel Heart, Clayton enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, reading history, cooking, and playing golf and hockey.

Email: cdickson@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202×447

Distribution Coordinator

Email: sdodge@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

Volunteer Resources Coordinator

Alexandra started her journey with Project Angel Heart as a kitchen volunteer and became a full-time team member in 2020. With a strong passion for volunteering, she has experience mentoring students, fostering animals, and engaging in community issues that resonate with her values. A graduate of the University of Florida, she has a diverse professional background in education and healthcare.

In her free time, Alex enjoys attending concerts, cooking, dining out, exercising, unwinding with her dog, and engaging in friendly ping pong matches with her partner and friends.

Email: adougherty@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

Finance Administrator

Lizeth joined Project Angel Heart in February 2023 after spending four years as a compliance analyst. She started at Project Angel Heart as an office assistant and, just a few months later, transitioned into her current role as finance administrator.

Lizeth was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, but grew up in Arizona from the age of two. When she was 12, her family moved to Colorado, and she hasn’t looked back since. She prefers the cold over the scorching sun.

Outside of work, Lizeth enjoys spending time with her son and newborn daughter. She loves crime and horror shows and movies and is always up for trying new activities—skydiving is on her list! Lizeth looks forward to continuing to work with all the kind and supportive volunteers and team members at Project Angel Heart.

Email: lgarcia@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x452

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

Evaluation and Analytics Specialist

Rollie was born and raised in Montana and moved to Denver in 2021 after spending several years on the East Coast. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics and a Master of Science in computer science, and spent seven years working in the tech industry, primarily focusing on data science applications.

Her passion for giving back to the community led her to the nonprofit sector in 2024. She first connected with Project Angel Heart as a volunteer, helping at the front desk and in the kitchen. In January 2025, she officially joined the team in a full-time role and is thrilled to apply her data and analytics skills in support of Project Angel Heart’s mission.

Outside of work, Rollie enjoys live music, cooking, mixology classes, and tackling various craft projects—with varying degrees of success.

Email: rgoodman@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202×9414

Client Services Coordinator

Lena joined the Project Angel Heart team in December 2022. She previously worked with individuals experiencing homelessness at Denver Human Services, providing hygiene items, food, and other emergency services. Lena graduated from MSU Denver in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a minor in gender studies.

Lena was born and raised in Colorado. She has spent a lot of time in kitchens, where she developed a love for sharing food and baking sweet treats. Her dads owned a restaurant in town, where she had her first job as a cook and waitress.

Outside of work, Lena enjoys reading, baking, playing video games, crafting, and watching movies and shows. She lives with her boyfriend, Nick, their dog, Sunny, and two cats, Ollie and Boo. She’s a big fan of Halloween and all things spooky—she even has ghost-hunting equipment! Living with a chronic illness and disability, Lena tends to spend her time relaxing at home, often unwinding in a bubble bath or under a weighted blanket.

Email: lgrout@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 X428

Distribution Coordinator

Email: jhammon@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

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

Prep Cook

Email: bjenkins@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

Director of Operations

Mark is a strategic operations executive who believes that a life well lived is all about balance, passion, and a great meal. He has extensive experience driving growth, profitability, and operational excellence across the gourmet grocery, food service, hospitality, and beverage industries. Most recently, he served as Director of Retail Operations for Marczyk Fine Foods in Denver. Throughout his career, he has turned around struggling operations, expanded wine distribution businesses into new markets, launched five successful restaurant concepts, and spent nearly a decade as an adjunct faculty instructor at Metropolitan State University of Denver, teaching hospitality accounting and food and beverage fundamentals.

Outside of work, Mark’s life centers around family, adventure, and great food. He and his wife, Audrey, have three children and seven grandchildren who bring tremendous joy to their lives. An avid cyclist and skier, Mark enjoys exploring Colorado’s trails, roads, and mountains, as well as traveling and experiencing new cultures. His love of travel naturally extends to the kitchen, where he enjoys recreating flavors from his adventures for family gatherings. For Mark, an ideal day combines time outdoors with a great meal shared around a crowded table with the people he loves.

Email: mjohnson@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 X443

Chief Program Strategy 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 Senior 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 Specialist

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

President & CEO

Marti’s thrilled to be part of the team at Project Angel Heart, where she gets to do what she loves most—strategic thinking, dreaming up a bold future, and supporting teams to grow and thrive. She believes there’s nothing more rewarding than watching people step into their potential.

Prior to Project Angel Heart, she served as the Chief Program Strategy Officer at the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD). She oversaw project implementation, quality control, and all things strategy. She worked closely with funders, national partners, and talented teams to drive lasting impact across the country in chronic disease prevention and control. It was an incredible ride with over 7,000 members and a mission that’s close to her heart.

She holds an undergraduate degree in psychology, sociology, and communications (triple major), a Master of Education in Exercise Science, a Master of Public Health, and a Doctorate in Public Health Leadership. Yes, she was that person who never left school. She’s a proud grandma to four amazing grandkids.

Email: mmacchi@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x401

Chief Financial Officer

Prior to joining Project Angel Heart, Rich dedicated his career to promoting youth financial literacy through his work at Young Americans Bank and Young Americans Center for Financial Education.  During his 24-year tenure, he served as president and CEO for 16 years, and held roles including vice president/Young Americans Bank and senior vice president/CFO.  To date, more than 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 chair of the board of the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center; board and finance committee member of the Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges; and a member of 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 31 years and has two children (Colette, 25 and Auden, 21) and a box-weiler, Tucker.

Email: rmartinez@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.407.9446

Distribution/Delivery Assistant

Email: qmaualaivao@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

Client Services Coordinator

Email: emiguel@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

Executive Assistant

Email: lmuhammad@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x441

Volunteer Resources Coordinator

Latasha is a native Colorado professional with a background in emergency medical services, customer support, and serving people during vulnerable moments. Passionate about the mission of Project Angel Heart, she believes deeply in the power of food as medicine and in treating every person with dignity and care. Known for her strong communication skills and ability to connect with people from all walks of life, Latasha is excited to be part of a team dedicated to making a meaningful difference in the community.

Outside of work, Latasha enjoys spending time in nature, traveling, and experiencing new places and perspectives. Family is also deeply important to her, and she hopes to one day build a loving family rooted in compassion, faith, and connection.

Email: lsmuhammad@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x408

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Email: kmurphy@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202×439

Distribution Assistant

Email: enelson@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

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

Northern Colorado and Logistics Specialist

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

Prep Cook

Email: tollivierre@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202

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

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

Senior Production Coordinator

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

Distribution Manager

Email: astrock@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.830.0202 x408

Marketing and Communications Specialist

Email: ctaniguchi@projectangelheart.org

Phone: 303.407.9404

Chief Human Resources Officer

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

Senior 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

Sous Chef

Vinh came to Project Angel Heart from Minnesota, where he was born and raised. After high school, he served in the U.S. Army for eight years and attended St. Cloud State University, studying business and psychology.

He brings 17 years of culinary experience in American, Italian, French, and sushi cuisine. Vinh began his career in bar and grill kitchens, then spent four years at the haunted fine dining restaurant Forepaugh’s. His passion for sushi led him to Kona Grill, where he worked for five years. During that time, he also gained experience with Italian cuisine and brewery-style menus at other establishments.

Before joining Project Angel Heart, Vinh worked at Open Arms of Minnesota—one of our sister organizations—as a prep chef and volunteer ambassador, where he found a strong sense of fulfillment in his work. His love for the outdoors and a spirit of exploration brought him to Colorado.

Vinh also enjoys animals, kids, and staying busy with woodworking projects. His values align closely with Project Angel Heart’s, and he is excited to continue serving the community.

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