Staff and Board of Directors

Chris has been with Via since 2008 and has held various roles, including being a Driver, Operations Specialist, and Call Center Lead before moving into her current position as Call Center and Volunteer Manager. Prior to Via, Chris served as a Casino Manager for 18 years in Blackhawk and Central City.

In her childhood, Chris lived in Santiago, Chile, for nine years, and she went to an all-girls school. Outside of work, Chris enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. One of her greatest pleasures is renting a cabin in Estes Park and relaxing in the fresh mountain air with her husband.

Lisa joined the Via team in 2003. Over her more than two decades with Via, Lisa has served as a Call Center Lead, Call Center Supervisor, Paratransit and Community Manager, and Director of Paratransit and Mobility before moving into the Director of Operations role. This experience enhanced her knowledge to serve Via’s riders and her team better, and her institutional knowledge is a cornerstone of Via’s continued success.

Having worked with many nonprofits, Lisa joined Via because she was looking for a job that helped people and made a difference in their lives. To Lisa, mobility means the freedom and independence to travel where you need to go, safely, affordably, and without limits.

In her free time, Lisa loves spending time with her family, and she enjoys flexing her creative muscles through home decor projects.

Dena joined the Via team in 2018. Before Via, Dena worked at Boulder Valley School District for ten years as a Transportation Supervisor overseeing recruiting, training, drug and alcohol compliance, and special needs transportation. She’s also spent time working for Vail Resorts (formerly Specialty Sports Venture) in Human Resources, higher education compliance/ regulatory affairs, and secondary education.

Serving our community is a priority to Dena, and this commitment influences her work. Under her leadership, Via’s automobile safety incidences decreased 40% in her first year, and she continues to improve safety throughout all facets of the organization.

Via’s mission and reputation, along with her passion for keeping employees, clients, and our community members safe, makes this role a perfect fit for Dena. To Dena, mobility means helping people get places safely by the best means for them. “Via is one of the most supportive and caring organizations I’ve worked for,” Dena shared.

Dena enjoys camping, jogging, hiking, and spending time with her family and friends in her spare time.

Frank began his tenure as Via’s Chief Executive Officer in 2016. Before joining the Via team as an employee, he served for seven years on its Board of Directors. Two of those years he was Board President. Serving in this capacity gave Frank a deep insight into the importance of Via’s work and provided him insight into the areas that the organization could grow.

To Frank, mobility is about dignity and independence. At one point, Frank experienced the need for Via’s services firsthand. After foot surgery, he could not drive for nine weeks, and used Via’s Paratransit service to get to and from work each day.

Frank earned his Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Business from St. John’s University in New York City and his Master of Science in Labor and Industrial Relations and Human Resources Management. Before Via, he served the following roles in Boulder: President and CEO of Western Disposal, City Manager, and Vice Chancellor for the University of Colorado. Before then he was Assistant City Manager for the City of Fort Collins. He began his career in New York City as a project manager and later as Assistant Vice President for the Brooklyn Navy Yard Corporation. 

“I am very honored to lead this organization. After a career spanning more than 40 years, Via is indeed a highlight for me,” Frank said. He is proud to be an integral part of building an exceptional team of employees dedicated to all the people Via serves.

Frank lives in Boulder with his wife, two sons, and three dogs. He is an avid writer of stories, loves to try to play guitar, and is absolutely nuts about dogs.

A Colorado native, Britney joined Via in 2021. She comes to Via from an organization that helped underserved adolescents with severe mental health disorders. There, Britney found herself thrust into the HR world after working as a receptionist for only two months. Over her seven and a half year tenure with that company, she served as a Recruiter, HR Generalist/Manager, and HR Director. Britney brings diverse HR experience to the Via team.

To Britney, mobility means having the independence to move freely and easily from point A to B. She loves Via’s mission and feels philosophically aligned with Via’s work. Britney enjoys being part of a company that is very people forward and provides flexibility to ensure that employees are taken care of because this means that she can also spend more time with her family.

Britney was born and raised on the Western Slope and attended Colorado Mesa University. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration focused on Management and Marketing. Eight years ago, she moved to the Front Range with her husband, and in late 2020, they welcomed their first child, a daughter, into their family. She enjoys the flexibility Via gives her to spend more time with her baby girl.

Craig joined the Via team in 2014 after retiring from a successful career in education. He was introduced to Via when he signed his father up for Via’s paratransit service. Via helped Craig’s father regain his independence, and, in turn, Craig wanted to give back to Via.

He started his Via career as a driver and has had the invaluable experience of holding several positions during his tenure. Craig has been a Receptionist, HR Assistant, Trainer, and Training Coordinator before moving into his current role as Manager of our Professional Development and Training Department.

To Craig, mobility is the ability to move from one place to another. It’s about being independent and self-sufficient.

Craig loves all that Boulder and Colorado have to offer and regularly takes advantage of living in a beautiful place.

Denise started at Via as a driver in 1999. Over the years, she moved into the role of Operations Specialist and eventually took over as the Founding Mission Services Manager. She attended University in Northern Colorado with a major in Elementary Education. Before Via, Denise was a teacher for a Head Start school.

Denise is a compassionate and caring person; helping others in need has always been one of her goals. Working for Via helps Denise give back to the community.

To Denise, mobility means the ability to move or be moved freely and easily. “This is what we give our passengers,” Denise shared.

In her free time, Denise loves to be outdoors. She enjoys hiking and spending time in her garden.

España joined the Via team in 2019. As part of Via’s Mobility Team, España serves as the first point of contact for new clients – a job she greatly enjoys. Being bilingual and having the ability to help new riders in her native language is very important work to España. 

Knowing that she personally contributes to helping our community is a great accomplishment for España. She has really connected with Via’s vision and culture and feels this is the right place to be.

To España, mobility is the ability to be able to move around easily and independently.

Outside of work, España enjoys traveling, gardening, and spending as much time as possible with her family.

Martha originally joined the Via team in 2015. After a few years pursuing other opportunities, Martha returned to join Via’s Mobility Team in 2021. 

Martha is passionate about helping underserved communities, and mobility is second nature to Martha. She is bilingual and has worked with underserved communities for the last ten years, and she is passionate about this work. This experience has given Martha a deep knowledge about resources that support underserved populations.

To Martha, mobility is the freedom of movement. She believes that this is a basic human need in our society. 

Martha enjoys dancing, helping others, and cheering on the Denver Broncos.

Leslie joined the Via team in 2019. Leslie enjoys the feeling of community and acceptance at Via. She loves Via’s social enterprise business model that uses earned income contracts to support Via’s missions services. 

Before Via, Leslie spent 20 years in public accounting, supporting and consulting with businesses and individuals to help them grow and meet their financial goals.

To Leslie, mobility is being able to make choices on where we go in life. 

Outside of work, Leslie enjoys hiking, biking, camping, reading, pilates, quiet time, and most importantly, laughing!

Bret joined the Via team in 2019. Before moving into the HOP Supervisor role, Bret was a driver, fixed-route scheduler.

To Bret, public transportation plays a crucial role in mobility. Since joining Via, he has come to understand the social equity that public transportation creates.

Bret volunteers as the Four Mile Fire Chief, a full-time hobby and interest.

Elizabeth joined the Via team in 2018 as a driver after retiring from a career in education. She sought out her second career with Via because a good friend had been a Via driver for 34 years, and she saw how much joy and purpose his job brought him. 

Elizabeth is a teacher to her core. Every job she has ever held has resulted in her moving into a teaching or training role. She loves learning and conveying that love to others. 

To Elizabeth, mobility means seeing oneself as a member of our community because you can be in it and connect with the people, places, and organizations that matter to you. It also means getting into the world safely and with as much independence as one’s situation allows.

In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys growing plants, training for strength and mobility, improving her cooking skills, and finding dark skies for star and galaxy gazing. Recently, she has been exploring the social ecology of trees and forests and how trade routes have shaped agriculture, communities, and cuisines across time and place.

Ashley joined the Via team in 2016 as a reservationist. Before moving into her current role as Safety Specialist, she served as a Dispatcher, Call Center Lead, Trainer, and Safety and Training Assistant. She is always looking for ways to grow professionally.

Ashley was drawn to Via’s mission and vision and knew that Via would be an excellent fit for her.

To Ashley, mobility means independence. It’s the ability to go where you want when you want.

Bill joined the Via team in 2015. Before Via, Bill built a company from start-up to success to acquisition and learned a lot along the way. He has participated on nonprofit boards for over 30 years and has seen firsthand how a strong board of directors teamed with good management can succeed.

Bill was drawn to Via because he wanted to use his business experience to contribute to a high-performing nonprofit organization. Via’s consistent growth has provided a welcome challenge to Bill, and he enjoys applying his skills and learning even more from his coworkers and associates. He feels lucky to have found his role with Via.

To Bill, mobility is freedom. Humans inherently need to be mobile, and Via makes that possible for many who face limited mobility options.

Outside of work, Bill loves to be outdoors. He enjoys golfing, hiking, bicycling, and traveling the world.

Mark joined the Via team in 2020 when Via took over operations of Seniors’ Resource Center’s transportation division. Mark brings to Via more than 20 years of experience in transportation services, and he is a Certified Community Transit Manager.

To Mark, mobility means freedom.

Outside of work, Mark enjoys spending his time working on woodworking projects.

Brenda joined the Via team in 2017 as a driver. Before moving into the Operations Supervisor role, Brenda also served as a dispatcher and office coordinator. She enjoys working with people with disabilities, and she loves that Via values its employees. 

In late 2021, Brenda received Community Transportation Supervisor certification. Brenda takes pride in her work and is always looking for ways to grow professionally. If she has any free time at work, she’s focused on learning advanced Excel skills.

To Brenda, mobility means freedom and independence.

Outside of work, Brenda enjoys spending time with her family and taking her dogs to the dog park.

Alex has worked for Via since 2004. He attended Northwestern University and Coe College, majoring in Pre-Med and Music, respectively. Prior to Via, he worked for University Hospital for six years in a variety of roles, HR Benefits Representative, HRIS Analyst, IT Analyst, and Database Analyst.

Alex has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Broomfield and assisted with organizing their network and computer refurbishing area. He’s also a huge advocate for organ transplant donations; he was the fortunate recipient of a liver donation in 1998.

To Alex, mobility means having the independence to go out and participate in your community and participate in activities with your friends and family.

Alex brings his innate ability to communicate highly-technical concepts to any staff and audience to Via. Alex currently lives in Broomfield with his wife and has two grown children. In his free time, he enjoys reading, collecting and playing guitars, and jamming out to old-school R&B and Motown music.

Nick joined the Via team in 2014 after reading a Help Wanted sign on the back of an Access-a-Ride bus. He was looking for an encore career and started as a route driver for Access-a-Ride. He quickly moved to the training department to teach behind-the-wheel skills for driving Via vehicles.

After a few years of training drivers at Via’s Denver facility, Nick transferred to the Boulder headquarters. In addition to training drivers in the classroom and on the road, Nick also produces training videos for the Professional Development and Safety Teams. He also produces videos that showcase Via’s drivers and clients.

To Nick, mobility means moving people around safely, no matter their needs and abilities.

Outside of work, Nick loves to road bike, hike, camp, and cook. He’s a proud cat dad to a black-and-white house panther named Buddy.

Doug joined the Via team in 2014 as a driver. In 2021, he moved into the Professional Development department as a Trainer. Via piqued his interest because he was looking for a meaningful career with good benefits, and Via was a perfect fit. 

To Doug, mobility means helping people get around despite barriers they may face. 

Outside of work, Doug enjoys hiking, music, camping, and cooking.

Deinse joined the Via team in 2020 when Via took over operations of Seniors’ Resource Center’s (SRC) transportation division. She was familiar with Via through her role with SRC and was glad to move to Via when the opportunity presented itself. Denise was thrilled to continue her work in nonprofits through this role with Via, and she loves that Via values its employees, has a wonderful work-life balance, and has a great mission.

Before entering the transportation world, Denise worked as Waiting Child Manager in adoption. She spent 15 years working in international adoption, placing children with special needs with loving families. This work gave her great joy to bring families together and even helped her fulfill her dream of becoming a mom (the best job ever!) by adopting four girls from China. 

Outside of work, Denise loves spending time with her family. She enjoys her annual camping and fishing trips with family and friends and traveling, especially road trips with her daughters and parents in tow. Denise’s tight-knit family gets together for weekly happy hours, and they never get bored catching up on the week’s events.

Cecilia joined the Via team in 2019 as a driver. In 2021, she was promoted to be a Trainer in the Professional Development department. Cecilia was drawn to Via because of the essential services that Via provides. She loves Via’s missions and vision and is grateful to be part of such a great company. 

To Cecilia, mobility is the ability to move about from one place to another. 

Cecilia is quite studious and enjoys spending time reading in her free time.