Leadership Team
Senior Leadership
Board of Directors
Advancement Board
Area Advisory Boards
NextGen Board
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We believe the key to being a successful nonprofit is to remember HopeWest exists because of the communities we are privileged to serve. Every community is unique and we are honored to have dedicated boards that provide vision and help guide our organization.
Cassie Mitchell, MSN, MBA, RN
President and CEO
A Kentucky native, Cassie Mitchell has worked in health care for 27 years as a trained Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Registered Nurse (RN). For 20 of her 27 years in health care, she has compassionately served thousands of patients and their families in some of their greatest times of need through hospice care.
Cassie was drawn to hospice care during her work as an ER nurse because of the additional, special care she was able to give to hospice patients. Her career in hospice began as an admission nurse and nursing supervisor, eventually moving into roles to include inpatient unit management, intake, and admission team leadership, 24/7 call center oversight, clinical operations, and business development.
Before joining HopeWest, she served as the Chief Operating Officer at Bluegrass Care Navigators (BCN) in Lexington, Kentucky. Bluegrass Care Navigators serves a third of the State of Kentucky delivering care to more than 20,000 patients annually, 6,000 of whom receive hospice care.
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Cassie is people-centered, finding joy and fulfillment in relationships and service to others. She deeply understands HopeWest exists to serve our community, enrich lives, and profoundly change the experience of aging, illness, and grief.
Not only does Cassie personify HopeWest’s values of compassion, empathy and generosity, she has the business acumen and experience to guide HopeWest through the challenges facing the healthcare industry today. Regulatory challenges and funding shortfalls are not new to hospice; Like her predecessor, Cassie is committed to continuing the mission-driven work of HopeWest, which exists to enrich the lives of those its serves— its employees, volunteers, donors, and our community— ensuring sustainability to serve the region for the next 30 years and beyond.
In her free time, Cassie likes to read, garden, travel, spend time with her husband Matt and their two grown boys, Cole (20) and Greyson (18). When she’s not at work, you’ll often find her furry sidekick and faithful companion, Emmett, by her side discovering western Colorado’s hiking trails.
Carter Bair, MBA
Chief Financial Officer
Kirstin Guptill, MHRM, SHRM-SCP
Chief People Officer
April Krutka, DO
Hospice & Palliative Care Medical Director
Heidi Marlin, MD
PACE Medical Director
Georgia Rock, MBA
Chief Operating Officer
Terri Walter, RN, MSN
Chief Administrative Officer
Board of Directors
Dee Burke
Retired, Rocky Mountain Health Plans
Barbara Butler
Dufford Waldeck
Mark Francis
President & CEO, Family Health West
Marc Lassaux
Executive Director, Quality Health Network
Allison Nadel
Marketing Operations Manager & Assistant VP, Alpine Bank
Donald Nicolay, MD
Retired Chief Medical Officer, Community Hospital
Carolyn Payne
Community Leader
Jim Pedersen
CEO, Timberline Bank
Monique Serra, Vice Chair
Community Leader
Michelle Shiao
CNO, VP Patient Care Services, St. Mary’s Medical Center
Chris Thomas
President, Community Hospital
Monika Tuell, Chair
Chief Operating Officer, Rocky Mountain Health Plans
S. Todd Young
Bank of the San Juans
Advancement Board
Brandon Alvelais
Brown’s Cremation & Funeral Service
Barbara Butler
Dufford Waldeck
Lori Dean
Rocky Mountain C Stores – Shell/ Wienerschnitzel
Hunter Emerson
Quality Meat Company
Bradley Feldhaus
Crestone Wealth Advisors
Kathy Hall
Community Leader
C. Niki Hunn-Beightel
Thomas Hunn Jewelers
Kathleen Killian
Community Leader
Lucas Marone
FCI Constructors, Inc.
Gaylene Thompson
Community Leader
Advisory Boards
Delta
Advisory Board
Kelly Landen, Chair
Dennis Doerer
Wilma Erven
Patti Hart
Nichole Hollenbeck
Jean Kadkhodaian
Bill McKee
Carolyn Payne
Penny Rubala
Grand Valley
Advisory Board
Carol Acuff
Mandy DeCino
Jim Kaiser
Tamara Krizman
Melissa Latham, RN
Dr. Thomas Motz
Marissa Treto
Meeker Advisory Board
Kent Borchard
Billy Goedert
Christine Halandras
Gus Halandras
Fr. Scott Hollenbeck
Margie Joy
Toby Leavitt
Solveig Olson
Liz Sellers
Laurie Whiteman
Montrose & Ouray Advisory Board
Sandy Head
Ben Jensen
Allison Nadel, Chair
Joan Napolilli
Lisa Rediger
Barb Seelye
Leann Tobin
Steve Woody
Kevin Young
Montrose & Ouray Planned Giving Counsel
Jaimee Carnes
Zach Decker
Jim Elder
Ben Jensen
Mesa Jetton
Ken Konkel
Nathan Manes
Nona Mayberry
Pete Peterson
Carol Viner
Craig Wolverton
Plateau Valley Advisory Board
Nathalie Ames
Julia Cox
Jennifer Crites
Tammy Himes
Russell Klase
Joannie Livingstone
Chloe Marx
Forrest Towns
Katy Watson
Cecil Young
NextGen Board
Sara Carlisle
Anita Castro
Amanda Coltrinari Co-Chair
William Crow
Kimberly Fuoco
Hannah Galindo
Sara Graupner
Chelsee Key
Kali Lockwood
Amanda Miller Co-Chair
Kurtis Murchison
Chris Myers
Lauren O’Dell
Jamie Rickard
Kaitlyn Sacco
Bradley Stovall
Emilie Stickley Co-Chair
Ashley Whitham
HopeWest Staff:
Katie Squier
Olivia Swinger