Girl Scouts announces 2026 Denver Women of Distinction

Amanda Blaurock, CEO and Co-Founder, Village Exchange Center - Amanda Blaurock is an attorney and executive leader with more than 25 years of experience in international law. As co-founder and CEO of the Village Exchange Center, a safe space where people of all backgrounds can connect, she has raised $30 million to empower community through exchange, serving more than 25,000 people. Her legal career includes representing Fortune 500 companies and the federal government. She served as a Supervisory Attorney-Advisor for the U.S. International Trade Commission and held roles at the U.S. Department of Commerce and Finnegan, LLP. She is a dedicated civic leader, serving on the UMB Bank Advisory Board, the Denver Immigrant and Refugee Commission, and Craig’s Hospital Risk and Compliance Committee. She is a 2025 Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business award recipient, a 9News Colorado Leader of the Year finalist, and she holds a juris doctor degree from Temple University and a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers.

Lori Davis, Retired Partner, Grant Thornton Advisors - Lori Davis is a seasoned finance, tax, and accounting leader with 40 years of experience. Recently retired as Colorado Market Managing Principal and Tax Principal at Grant Thornton Advisors, she is recognized for outstanding client service, team leadership, dedication to mentoring women, and active involvement in the community. As a CPA, Davis served clients across many industries, building deep relationships as a trusted advisor. She held numerous leaderships roles, both locally and nationally during her tenure as a principal at Grant Thornton. Davis has held prominent nonprofit board roles and continues to be active on nonprofit and for-profit boards. She holds a bachelor’s degree and master's degree from the University of Oklahoma and remains active as an advisory board member for the Price College of Business. She is an avid golfer and tennis player and loves to follow college football.

Renee Ferufino, President and CEO, The Women's Foundation of Colorado - Renee Ferufino made history in January 2025 as the first Latina to lead The Women’s Foundation of Colorado. Ferrufino previously served as vice president of development, tripling annual contributions and creating the Women & Girls of Color Fund at the organization. She also launched the nation’s first women’s impact investing giving circle, providing low interest loans to women entrepreneurs across Colorado. Her leadership earned her the 2025 Outstanding Women in Business award and the 2024 Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business honor. She serves on Philanthropy Colorado’s board, the Women’s Funding Network Gender & Capital Leverage Strategy Design Council, and is an alumna of the University of Denver’s Institute for Leaders in Development. A proud Coloradan, Ferufino calls the Park Hill neighborhood home, where she lives with her husband, two children, and their dog, Dash. She takes great pride in her family, including her two children who are both pursuing their degrees at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Rebecca Holmes, President and CEO, The Colorado Education Initiative- Rebecca Holmes has led the Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) since 2017 and is frequently consulted for her perspective on current issues in, and the future of, public education. Under her leadership, CEI has partnered with 100 of Colorado’s school districts on major transformation efforts, has joined forces with the Governor’s Office to support rapid COVID-response for schools, kids, and families, and has elevated the voices of Colorado’s most innovative educators on key education issues, most recently on AI. Holmes began her education career as a teacher in Denver and is a proud alumna of Colorado’s public schools, a graduate of Yale University, and holds a master’s in business administration from Harvard Business School. Previously, Holmes served as associate commissioner at the Colorado Department of Education after spending many years leading a system of public schools serving more than 90 percent low-income students. Holmes is active on boards and regularly writes about future-focused parenting and education in local and national outlets.

Shannon Jones, Chief People Officer, FirstBank, now part of PNC - Shannon Jones began her career at FirstBank as an intern in 1997. She previously served as market president for Aurora, leading 130 employees across 10 branches and overseeing relationships, business development, operations, and community engagement. As CPO, she leads compensation, benefits, talent acquisition, learning and development, employee relations, HR operations, risk management, and DEI.
She serves on the Senior Leadership Team and STRIDE (Strength Through Recognition of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity), the Aurora Public Schools Foundation, and CU Denver Business School boards. Her honors include HR Professional of the Year (Mile High SHRM, 2022), Outstanding Woman in Business (Denver Business Journal, 2023), and Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business (Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce, 2024). She earned a bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Colorado Denver, graduated from the Graduate School of Banking in Boulder, and completed Leadership Denver and Leadership Aurora. A Colorado native, she lives with her husband and two daughters.

Sharon Knight, President & CEO, Hope Communities - Sharon Knight has led significant transformation and growth over the past nine years—tripling staff, expanding programs, and serving 6,200 residents annually. She’s advanced a holistic, equity-centered model focused on housing stability and economic mobility, helping thousands of families break the cycle of poverty and dozens to achieve homeownership. A proven leader in strengthening and scaling nonprofit organizations, Knight previously served as CEO of Warren Village and held senior roles with the Colorado Nonprofit Association and two foundations. Her resilience, innovation, and dedication to lifelong learning drive the way she does her work. Her leadership and resounding impact led her to earn numerous regional and national recognitions. Outside of work, she is an avid hiker who has completed several challenging treks, including the O-Circuit in Patagonia, the Inca Trail, and Camino de Santiago, with plans to hike to Everest Base Camp.

Annie Lee, President & CEO, Colorado Access - Annie Lee is president and CEO of Colorado Access, Colorado’s largest local nonprofit health plan. A collaborative leader in Colorado’s Medicaid landscape, she previously served as executive director of community health and Medicaid strategies at Children’s Hospital Colorado where she built partnerships with schools, public health agencies, and primary care providers on holistic models of care that address social determinants of health. Earlier, as senior director of Medicaid and charitable coverage programs at Kaiser Permanente Colorado, she led payment reform and advanced growth in Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) membership. She also served at the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing in both CHP+ and Medicaid benefits policy. Lee is the Governor’s appointee to the Connect for Health Colorado board and serves on the Early Milestones Colorado and MSU Denver Foundation boards. She received her juris doctor degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

Laura Love, Founder, GroundFloor Media - Laura Love has built her life’s work around helping people navigate what matters most. As founder of GroundFloor Media, she has spent more than 25 years guiding organizations through defining moments, when trust and reputation are on the line. What began in her Boulder basement is now a nationally recognized firm, honored 12 times by Outside Magazine as a Best Place to Work and recognized as a Civic 50 Colorado honoree. A licensed, EMDR-trained therapist, Love is deeply committed to youth mental health and strengthening families. She serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, advocating for children who have experienced abuse and neglect, and on the Mental Health Family Advisory Council at Children’s Hospital Colorado. In 2023, following the loss of her son Sam, Love and her family co-founded The Sam Aden Kindness Fund, turning love into action and expanding access to care so more young people and families feel supported and not alone.

Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Executive Director, David Merage Foundation for Confronting Antisemitism - Dafna Michaelson Jenet is a nonprofit executive, author, and former Colorado legislative leader. Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, she has dedicated her career to strengthening communities, advancing mental health care, and improving outcomes for children and families. Her leadership spans government, nonprofits, and public engagement. She served nearly a decade in the Colorado General Assembly, first in the House and later in the Senate, rising to Senate President Pro Tempore. Widely recognized for leadership in mental and behavioral health, health care access, and youth well-being, she spearheaded Colorado’s I Matter program providing free mental health services statewide. Outside public office, she co-founded the Journey Institute, authored two books including “It Takes a Little Crazy to Make a Difference”, and holds degrees from Yeshiva University and the University of Denver.

Anita Padilla-Fitzgerald, Founder & CEO, MegaStar Financial Corp and Take 3 Technologies - Anita Padilla-Fitzgerald is the Founder and CEO of MegaStar Financial, Take Three Technologies (Take3Tech), and Megastar Holdings. She operates at the intersection of mortgage lending and technology, building and scaling companies by challenging legacy thinking and replacing fragmented systems with unified, data-driven platforms. An Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and Hall of Fame Award recipient, Padilla-Fitzgerald is known for telling hard truths, pushing underwriting intelligence earlier in the loan lifecycle, and designing systems that reduce cost to produce without sacrificing certainty, compliance, or borrower experience. She’s a straight-shooting industry voice, a tech obsessive, a golfer, and a proud grandma.