Girl Scouts announces 2024 Denver Metro Women of Distinction
April 10, 2024
Each year, Girl Scouts of Colorado honors 11 exceptional women as Women of Distinction; one of these remarkable women is named the Woman of Distinction Gold, in recognition of a lifetime of achievement that has made a significant, lasting impact on our community. This year’s honorees were selected by a committee of previous Women of Distinction honorees and chosen based on their contributions to the community, both professionally and personally. These women join a network of more than 500 WoD alums. They are shining examples of corporate, civic, and philanthropic leaders, who serve as role models for our female leaders of tomorrow.
“I am honored to welcome this year’s class of Women of Distinction. They are strong, bold, empowered women who represent the leadership and excellence that powers today’s world, and they are outstanding role models for our girls,” said former Woman of Distinction Leanna Clark, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Colorado.
2024 Woman of Distinction Gold
- Dana Crawford, president, Urban Neighborhoods, Inc. – Award-winning preservationist, Dana Crawford, initiated a concept of urban renewal that was a first of its kind in the United States. She pioneered the redevelopment of Denver’s historic Larimer Square in the mid 1960s. She has gone on to redevelop more than a million square feet of historic property in the city of Denver. In July 2014, Union Station Alliance opened the 125,000-square-foot, $54 million revitalization of the Denver Union Station transit hub, including the 112-room Crawford Hotel. That same year, she received the Urban Land Institute’s first Legacy Award for initiating Union Station’s reclamation as well as decades of development that have redefined Denver. Recently, she has turned her attention to communities across the state, including Trinidad, Pueblo, and Idaho Springs. In 2018, she received the state’s highest award – the Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Medal – honoring recipients for their contributions to the strength and vitality of the state. She is often called upon to assist others in their own revitalization efforts and has served as a consultant for more than 50 communities to help preserve the historic character of neglected main streets and neighborhoods nationwide.
Class of 2024, Women of Distinction
- Ale Spray, chief executive officer & president, Hispanic Contractors of Colorado – Ale Spray is responsible for the overall management, strategic direction, and successful achievement of the organization's mission and objectives. Born and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and a resident of Colorado since 1999, Ale has 20+ years of construction experience. Ale has been extremely involved in the community, serving on the boards of Centura Avista Adventist Hospital, Bellco Credit Union, Mile High Youth Corps, STEMblazers, Colorado Succeeds organizations and as vice chairwoman of the board of the Construction Education Foundation (the first woman and Latina to serve in this role). Hispanic Lifestyle included her in the Latinas of Influence list, and recently, she was named to the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business and Ally of the Year by the Colorado LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce.
- Andrea Fulton, deputy director and chief strategy officer, Denver Art Museum – Andrea Kalivas Fulton is deputy director and chief strategy officer for the Denver Art Museum (DAM) where she connects to everything from partnerships to processes to community programs. She recently led a $150 million renovation and expansion project, which opened in 2021. In her more than two decades at the DAM, Andrea has been an integral part of the museum's growth physically and in reputation. Andrea volunteers on several boards and committees, including Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, The Colorado Gives Foundation, and the advisory board for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. She was a 2016 Livingston Fellow and was recognized in 2019 as one of the Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business by Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce and an Outstanding Woman in Business by the Denver Business Journal.
- Karen McNeil-Miller, president and chief executive officer, The Colorado Health Foundation – Karen McNeil-Miller describes social and human impact as the center of her life’s work. Karen helps guide the foundation to determine the most impactful investment of human, financial, and influence capital on behalf of Coloradans who need it the most. Karen joined the foundation after serving for more than 10 years as the president of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust. Under her leadership, the trust evolved into a strategic, impact-driven foundation with a national presence on issues ranging from rural health to access to care. Karen is active within the nonprofit community as well as national and regional philanthropic and rural health organizations. She serves as board chair for the Association of Black Foundation Executives, and is a board member of Campbell University, Center for Creative Leadership, Denver Academy, and Healthier Generation.
- Marcia Romero, vice president | community development/relations corporate social responsibility, Colorado | New Mexico, U.S Bank – Marcia Romero oversees a multi-million-dollar community investment and social impact portfolio supporting the Colorado and New Mexico markets. With more than 20 years of experience in corporate social responsibility, financial services, marketing and communications, she is fueled by a personal commitment to serving the community as both mentor and leader. A proud Denver native, Marcia serves on the boards of some of Colorado's top Latino-serving organizations and U.S. Bank's Nosotros Latinos BRG. She is a trained dancer who has performed at NFL stadiums and performing arts theaters throughout the Southwest and Sydney, Australia. For the past 20 years, she has balanced a professional career, motherhood, and an extensive dance career where she is one of the few Latina alumnae of the Denver Broncos Cheerleaders. Marcia is a staunch advocate for education, mentorship, and women's empowerment as a first-generation graduate with a degree from the University of Denver.
- Michelle Sie-Whitten, president, chief executive officer and co-founder, GLOBAL Down Syndrome Foundation – Michelle Sie-Whitten co-founded the organization in 2009, after giving birth to her daughter Sophia, who has Down syndrome. GLOBAL has become the largest non-profit in the United States working to save lives and dramatically improve health outcomes for people with Down syndrome. GLOBAL also organizes the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show, the largest Down syndrome fundraiser in the world, having raised more than $22 million to date. Working closely with Congress and the National Institutes of Health, GLOBAL is the lead advocacy organization in the United States for Down syndrome research and medical care. GLOBAL’s hard work has resulted in a quadrupling of the Down syndrome research budget at the NIH, from $27 million in 2016 to $115 million in FY2022. Prior to her career in the non-profit sector, Michelle was a cable TV pioneer in East Asia working for Liberty Media Corporation and Starz Encore.
- Ramonna Robinson, founding partner, GFM|CenterTable – Since joining GFM|CenterTable, a socially conscious, independent, and integrated marketing communications agency in 2005, Ramonna Robinson has been instrumental in expanding service lines and garnering awards that recognize the agency’s culture. Her focus is on strategy, messaging, and multicultural marketing for the firm’s clients, as well as culture and innovation in the workplace. As such, she spends significant time growing partnerships and relationships through the Culturally Inclusive Collaborative and through PROI Worldwide, a network of independent marketing communications agencies, for which she serves as vice chair of the Americas region. Her ability to navigate the unexpected has earned Ramonna an unparalleled reputation in the industry among clients and competitors alike. Known for her presence under pressure, she has supported countless high-profile situations, including school shootings, a global pandemic, international sporting events and bids like the Olympic Games and World Cup Soccer, and more.
- Rebecca Chopp, PhD, president, Rebecca Chopp Enterprises – Dr. Rebecca Chopp has held professorships and high-level appointments, including serving as president of Colgate and Swarthmore Colleges and as chancellor of the University of Denver, prior to her retirement in 2019. She is also a widely published author and speaker. Rebecca was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease in 2019. She is now president of Rebecca Chopp Enterprises and works as an Alzheimer's advocate and educator. Her book ‘Still Me: Accepting Alzheimer's Without Losing Yourself’ became an immediate best seller. Rebecca serves on the national boards of the Alzheimer's Association, Voices of Alzheimer's and UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. Rebecca traces her commitment to community and leadership back to Girl Scouts.
- Sen. Janet Buckner, Senate District 29 – Janet Buckner has been a staple of the Aurora community since 1975. She and her late husband, John, moved to Aurora to build a life together and so their family could flourish. She has previously served as the Representative for House District 40 from 2015-2020, and then moved to the State Senate to serve Senate District 29. She is dedicated to legislation that addresses health and education inequities and has proven to be a leader in the state legislature by passing laws to address these issues in a bipartisan manner. She has always believed in giving all individuals a “seat at the table” with regard to policy and legislative issues. She is dedicated to leading by example with grace, inclusivity, and empathy.
- Shannon Sisler, chief people officer, Crocs, Inc. – Shannon Sisler has played a critical leadership role in Crocs since 2017. Notable accomplishments include revenue growth from $1 billion to $4 billion+, employee engagement in the top 10% of global retailers, recent $2.3B acquisition of HEYDUDE, rightsizing the global retail footprint and accelerating digital commerce, designing/opening new distribution centers and global headquarters, advancing environmental, social and governance efforts and implementing globally consistent people practices that have enabled the organization to thrive. Previously, Shannon served as the senior vice president of HR at Western Union and led large-scale business transformation efforts. Shannon was also the vice president of talent and diversity at DaVita and the senior vice president and global head of HR at Janus Capital Group. Shannon is passionate about promoting education and advancing women/girls. For seven years, she served on the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of Colorado (GSCO) as the chair elect and was board governance chair where she led a successful GSCO CEO search/transition.
- Simone Ross, chief executive officer, Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce & executive director, Colorado Women's Chamber Foundation – Simone Ross, a Colorado native and influential leader from Denver's Park Hill neighborhood, is a trailblazer in fostering human thriving and organizational excellence. Her extensive experience in change management and community building underpins her commitment to creating inclusive and equitable systems within organizations. As the CEO of the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce and the executive director of the Colorado Women's Chamber Foundation, Simone has been instrumental in driving initiatives to make Colorado the leading state for women entrepreneurs. She is also the founder of Simone D. Ross, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in change management, and the CEO of SDR Events. Additionally, Simone leads Youth United University, an innovative leadership program for middle school students focused on inclusive practices. Simone's extensive corporate background is marked by significant roles at Kaiser Permanente, Delta Dental of Colorado, SCL Health, and The Riveter. Her contributions in these positions have notably impacted business development, mergers and acquisitions, and market expansion.
Inaugural Girl Scout Champion Award
This year, Girl Scouts of Colorado is also recognizing Joe Bronesky with the very first Girl Scout Champion Award, for his decades of dedication and commitment to Girls Scouts of Colorado and its mission. For more than 30 years, Joe has provided legal guidance to Girl Scouts of Colorado on a pro bono basis, advising the Board of Directors on fiduciary and governance matters. In addition, he provides legal counsel to GSCO staff on numerous topics including contracts, leases, employment issues, risk management and general legal guidance. Joe is the general counsel of Sherman & Howard, a Denver-based law firm with 140 lawyers operating in four states. He started in scouting as a Cub and Boy Scout, served on the board of Campfire Boys and Girls (and chaired its product sale), and has a granddaughter in Girl Scout Troop 62955 in the San Francisco Bay area.
Girl Scouts of Colorado will welcome the Class of 2024 honorees from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Sept. 19, at the Stockyards Event Center at The National Western Center. Event chairs are Denise Burgess (WoD 2013), president and CEO, Burgess Services, and Helen Drexler (WoD 2019 and WoD Network Member), president and CEO of Delta Dental Plan Colorado. Proceeds from the Sept. 19 event will support Girl Scouts of Colorado’s crucial leadership development programs in entrepreneurship, outdoors, STEM, and life skills for more than 16,000 members across Colorado.
For information regarding tickets and sponsorships, visit girlscoutsofcolorado.org or contact Becky Grupe at Becky.Grupe@gscolorado.org.
