Leadership Team

Senior Leadership

Board of Directors

Advancement Board

Area Advisory Boards

NextGen Board

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NextGen Board 

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