Mountain West Chapter Leadership

Madeline is the Chapter Director of the Breakthrough T1D Rocky Mountain Chapter, having joined the organization in March of 2023. She has a B.A in Organizational Communications and Non Profit Leadership from Western Michigan University. Her career has taken her from Michigan, to Colorado, to rural villages in Cambodia and refugee camps in Burma. Through it all she has been committed to developing intentional relationships with donors, stewardship and leadership. She cares deeply about leading her team into meaningful and productive work. She is deeply passionate about creating a more equitable world for all people, and is honored to utilize her experiences while diving into the Rocky Mountain T1D community.

Madeline is a wife to Samantha, a mom to three incredible (foster) kids ranging from 2 months old to 18 years old, and two dog babies! In her free time, you can find her gardening, trucking her kids around, hiking with her dogs, fly fishing, diving into a great book, or making a big batch of granola.

Aimee is a dynamic strategic development and alliance-building leader with over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She specializes in cultivating high-impact relationships with donors, foundations, and community stakeholders to advance organizational missions and drive sustainable growth. Aimee has successfully led development initiatives at organizations such as People’s Health Clinic, NAMI Utah, and the Center for Interactive Learning & Collaboration, where she rebuilt donor pipelines, launched signature fundraising events, and secured partnerships with major entities including Deer Valley Resort, Gillette Pepsi, and Intermountain Healthcare. Her expertise includes fundraising strategy, grant writing, brand development, marketing, and crisis management, all grounded in a deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and community empowerment.

As the founder of Kids Rock the World, a nonprofit supporting teens with diabetes, Aimee created a program that was later adopted by the National Ability Center in Park City. She has served on numerous boards and committees, including those for the American Diabetes Association, JDRF, and the Utah Diabetes Coalition. Aimee holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Utah, a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from the University of Southern California (USC) and is a graduate of Leadership Park City, a municipal program cultivating new community leaders. She lives in Midway, Utah where she enjoys the beautiful mountains with her husband and children.

Andrea was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2011, just 3 days before her sophomore year of high school, when she also received a Bag of Hope from Breakthrough T1D during her hospital stay. She was not unfamiliar with T1D, as her father was diagnosed when he was just 4 years old.

Andrea’s formal education is in social work and she has always tried to put community engagement at the core of her work. When the Community Engagement Manager position opened up at the Mountain West chapter, she knew she had to apply and she officially joined the team in February of 2022. Growing up, Andrea never had many people in her life also living with T1D. She understands the importance of having people in our corner who understand what living with this disease feels like. She is excited to facilitate such connections for our chapter and beyond, ultimately working together for a world without T1D.

Andrea has lived in Florida and North Carolina, but she is now happy to have the Rocky Mountains in her backyard. In her free time, she enjoys journaling, reading, drinking coffee, and exploring the woods and hills of the Rockies.

Mackenzie is the Development Manager with the Breakthrough T1D Mountain West Chapter. Mackenzie was born and raised in the Park City area of Utah where she grew up skiing, hiking and playing outside. Growing up, she spent copious amounts of time volunteering locally and internationally and participating in peer-to-peer fundraising for many organizations, so the transition to working professionally in fundraising was a no-brainer. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Utah and earned a Masters in Business Administration at the University of Central Florida. Previously, Mackenzie has held fundraising and stewardship positions across several local and national nonprofits, as well as spending several years ‘making magic’ at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

While Mackenzie doesn’t have a direct connection with T1D, she is very passionate about finding a cure. Her stepfather has struggled with Multiple Sclerosis for 15 years, and she has many close family members that have been diagnosed with other autoimmune diseases. She hopes to utilize her skills in fundraising and storytelling to accelerate the mission and increase awareness of Breakthrough T1D so that together, we can end T1D.

Outside of work, you can find Mackenzie in the yoga studio, at a local coffee shop, or continuing to add to her ever-growing to-be-read list at the bookstore.

Dana Baker is a Development Manager for the Breakthrough T1D Mountain West Chapter, having joined the team in November 2024 after a successful tenure with the Northern California Chapter in San Francisco since 2021. With a strong commitment to the cause, Dana has volunteered in various capacities within Breakthrough T1D, including serving as a Chapter Board Member, Gala Committee Member, and Fund A Cure Chair. In her current role, she manages Peer to Peer events such as Walk, Ride, and DIY.

Before her journey with Breakthrough T1D, Dana was the Director of Sales at UpSpring Baby, a startup dedicated to creating innovative, clinically supported products for new mothers, and held significant sales and management positions at TAP Pharmaceuticals. She earned her B.A. in Business Administration and Management from Whittier College.

Dana’s personal connection to Type 1 Diabetes is profound, as her daughter Madeline was diagnosed in 2014 at the age of 11. Driven by her experiences, Dana is committed to making a positive impact on the lives of those affected by T1D. Outside of her professional endeavors, she cherishes quality time spent with her family and enjoys traveling.

Emily is the Senior Development Coordinator with the Breakthrough T1D Mountain West Chapter. Emily was born and raised in a small town in Iowa. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Northern Iowa and earned a Masters in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University. Previously, Emily held various roles with Ronald McDonald House in Colorado Springs and Kansas City.

While Emily doesn’t have a direct connection to T1D, she is passionate about finding a cure. She is excited to meet and learn from those who have Type 1 and bring awareness to the mission of Breakthrough T1D!

Outside of work, you can find Emily somewhere outdoors, soaking up the sunshine or cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Isabelle is the Operations Assistant with the Breakthrough T1D Mountain West Chapter, having previously interned with the organization in May 2023 and joining full time in July 2024. She graduated with a B.B.A in International Business from Loyola University Chicago, hoping to work within the nonprofit sector post-grad.

She has a few family members and friends with type 1 and has continued to expand her knowledge in all things type 1 and Breakthrough T1D related. She is excited to contribute to the meaningful work done in the organization and is optimistic in Breakthrough T1D eventually finding a cure.

In her free time, Isabelle enjoys making milk teas with extra boba, reading new books, baking sweet treats, spending time with her grandparents, watching Broncos and Nuggets games, finding new shows to binge watch, and weightlifting.

Blake Bennett moved to Colorado in April 2017 and has made a home here in Denver.  Previously Blake and his wife Candice lived in New York City and they are both originally from Arkansas.  Blake works in private equity at Revelstoke Capital Partners located in Cherry Creek.  He has been active with the Breakthrough T1D Colorado Board, Gala, Golf, and Walk since moving to Colorado.

Cory’s T1D connection is through his wife and daughter, who were diagnosed at ages 12 and 1, respectively. Cory got involved with Breakthrough T1D when his daughter was diagnosed in the fall of 2019, and he joined the board shortly thereafter.

In his professional career, Cory is a partner at Deloitte with more than eighteen years of diversified public accounting and advisory experience.  He lives in Denver with his wife, two kids, and German Shepherd Frank, and enjoys an active lifestyle with his family.

Darrel’s T1D connection is personal, as he has T1D. Thomas, his son, was also diagnosed with T1D at the age of 3. He has extensive accounting and financial experience and is currently a partner at Bennett Thrasher. He and his family have supported our organization for many years, serving previously on the board as President-Elect, President, and on the Executive Council. In addition, Darrel and his family have participated in our Walk, Ride and Gala events.

David’s T1D connection is through his daughter Jessie, who was diagnosed in 2018 when she was 9 years old. Jessie is doing great, in large part due to advances made possible by Breakthrough T1D’s work. David has held senior legal roles at private and public tech companies for more than 20 years. He currently serves as SVP & General Counsel for Housecall Pro. An east coast transplant, David has called Colorado home for 25 years and lives in Denver with his wife Karyn, son Gabe, daughter Jessie, and golden retriever Zoe. They enjoy hiking, biking, skiing, and exploring this
amazing state.

Dave is a partner with the international law firm of Perkins Coie, LLP, where he manages the firm’s Denver Office. As a registered patent attorney, Dave advises leading technology companies about patent and licensing matters, particularly as related to software, telecommunications, and standard-setting. He lives in Denver with his wife, Celeste, and their three boys, Ian, Shane, and Quinn (who has transformed his T1D diagnosis into a superpower).

Dominick became involved with Breakthrough T1D after his son, Raff, was diagnosed with T1D in May 2020, but he also has several family members with the disease.

As Vice President of Health Research at Insight Policy Research, he has evaluated several government- and private-funded programs, including some for individuals with diabetes. He lives in Highlands Ranch with his wife and 3 kids, and they enjoy hiking, biking and exploring the mountain west.

Doug and his wife Mary moved to Boulder in August of 2021. They have three adult children; two sons (one with type1), and one daughter who also has type 1 DM. Doug and Mary have 7 grandchildren all under the age of 4.

Doug is a physician who has held leadership positions as Chief Medical Officer and Medical Group President in several large health systems in New Mexico, Wisconsin, and Virginia. He is currently retired.

Doug also served on the Board of the Hampton Roads (Virginia) Chapter of Breakthrough T1D for several years.

Emily became involved with Breakthrough T1D after her son Owen was diagnosed with T1D in January 2020 at the age of 9. Emily has a background in economics and finance, and has worked in the financial services industry for 20+ years, primarily in New York City and London. She currently lives in Evergreen with her husband and two children, and works in risk management for a consumer finance company.  She loves skiing, hiking, running and traveling with her family.

Erica is the Managing Director for the Rocky Mountain Region for Northern Trust. She is a Denver native and went to University of Colorado after which she lived in Chicago for nine years. Her connection to T1D is through her 9-year old niece, Hadley. Erica is extremely close with Hadley’s mom and dad (sister Sylvia and husband Dan) and has experienced first-hand the struggles and incredible advancements in just the short amount of time that Hadley has had T1D. She was the inspiration for Erica to become involved with Breakthrough T1D.

A Consultant Project Manager at Fidelity Investments, Ericka has a background in blending psychology and marketing and has led digital activations for top brands like IBM, American Express, Morgan Stanley and the NFL. Community is one of Ericka’s core values, so when she was diagnosed with T1D in 2023 she made it her mission to seek out fellow T1Ds. Since then, she has built a strong network of 70+ local adults with T1D and leads the E-Team for the Colorado Walk. She serves on the adult sub-committee and helps organize community meetups to foster connection and
support. In her free time, she loves to explore the mountains of Colorado, cheer on her Wyoming Cowboys, and spend time with her family & friends.

Jeff brings strong cross-chapter experience, having been involved with Breakthrough T1D in the DC, Wisconsin, and Rocky Mountain chapters. He has type 1 diabetes and currently serves as Associate Branch Manager at Baird’s Denver office, overseeing the Colorado and Utah markets. Since moving to Denver in 2024, he’s contributed to the Colorado Dream Gala committee and volunteered at the Colorado Cures Classic.

Jennifer’s T1D connection is her brother, Connor, who was diagnosed at age 5 and is now 24. She has been involved with Breakthrough T1D since 2010, attending Breakthrough T1D Government Days in Washington, D.C. for 3 years as the Advocacy Team Chair (ATC) for the Northeastern New York Chapter, and most recently as the new ATC for the Mountain West Chapter.

Jennifer’s favorite thing to do with Breakthrough T1D is Advocacy at Breakthrough T1D One Walks. She loves recruiting new Advocates, hearing all of their T1D stories and getting them excited to be a part of an organization that is truly invested in improving the lives of those living with T1D.

A 14-year Chamber industry veteran, Kami is the President and CEO of the Arvada Chamber of Commerce, where she has been leading the organization since December 2013. She has earned a reputation for developing strategic, innovative business and community growth opportunities. She was recently named an Outstanding Woman in Business by the Denver Business Journal, highlighting her significant contributions to the business community. Kami is a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Talent Pipeline Fellow, the Incoming Chair of the Western Association of Chamber Executives (WACE), and the Association of Colorado Chambers of Commerce, where she is the past chair. Additionally, Kami recently graduated from the Institute for Organization Management (IOM) in January 2025. She continues to be actively involved in community service, sitting on community boards for non-profit organizations focusing on children, education, homelessness, and domestic violence. Kami loves living in Colorado with her husband of 15 years and two children, where they enjoy hiking, skiing, and exploring. Her favorite quote embodies her guiding philosophy: “Be the change you wish to see in the world” – Gandhi.

Lisa is from Cheyenne, WY and the proud mom of a T1D warrior. Her son Tyler was diagnosed at the age of 8 (nearly 8 ½ years ago) and they have been learning about type 1 diabetes ever since. She feels fortunate to be surrounded by family and friends that have helped every step of this journey, providing comfort, support and advice. Lisa became involved with Breakthrough T1D to pay it forward to other families and newly diagnosed T1D kids and adults. She is excited to represent Wyoming as part of the Breakthrough T1D Mountain West Chapter Board.

Margaret was diagnosed with T1D at 10 years old and thanks Breakthrough T1D for supporting her and her T1D journey in the over 3 decades since. Margaret is currently an attorney at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. In addition to serving on the Colorado Community Board, Margaret also serves on the board for Community Table in Arvada. Margaret believes that Breakthrough T1D’s mission, especially in Advocacy, will find cures for T1D. In her free time, Margaret enjoys traveling; reading; and spending time with her husband James and their two dogs.

Maya is the Chief People & Culture Officer at ATPCO, where she serves as the global leader of Human Resources and Environment at a Dulles-based travel technology company that supports 440 airlines worldwide. Maya also recently founded Lead With Love Consulting LLC, a human resources and diversity consultancy. Prior to consulting, she served as Chief Human Resources & Communications Officer at Tribune Publishing.

Prior to joining Tribune, Maya held the position of Senior Vice President of People & Culture for Wilton Brands LLC. Maya has previously held HR leadership positions with other reputable brands, including McDonald’s Corporation, NorthShore University HealthSystem and University of Chicago Medical Center. Maya has extensive human resources knowledge, with expertise in strategic leadership; culture transformations and change management; employee engagement; talent management; mergers/acquisitions; diversity, equity and inclusion; and executive coaching.
Maya dedicates a significant amount of her time to public service, serving as a volunteer and Director on two non-profit boards at Breakthrough T1D and UCAN, as well as providing pro bono legal counsel. She is also an accomplished public speaker.

Maya holds the degrees of Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from Loyola University Chicago and a Bachelor of Applied Sciences degree from San Diego State University. She has been licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois since 2005.

Molly’s T1D connection is her husband Eric, former Colorado Community Board Member, who was diagnosed at age 6. She has been involved with the Breakthrough T1D YLC since 2013. Professionally, Molly is a partner at the law firm Husch Blackwell, LLP, where she specializes in employee benefits and compensation. Molly is a 5^th generation Coloradan and enjoys doing all of the Colorado-y things with Eric and their son, Archie.

Peter graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Operations Research in Industrial Engineering in 1999, then remained at Cornell University to earn his master’s degree in 2000. At Cornell, Peter also rowed on the school’s crew team and was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity.

In 2001, Peter began his career with Coors Brewing Company in the packaging department in Elkton, VA. In 2003, Peter moved back to Denver to study brewing at Coors in Golden and received his Diploma in Brewing two years later. Peter’s career with Coors, Miller Coors and now Molson Coors has also taken him to Texas, California and back to Virginia. Over the past 21 years, Peter has filled roles in Brewing, Packaging, Quality and Customer Service.  Currently Peter works in Molson Coors’ Golden brewery leading a major capital project to modernize the brewery.

Outside of work, Peter is married with four young children that keep him quite busy. He enjoys many outdoor activities. He is currently also serving on the Advisory Board for Metro State University’s School of Hospitality, Entertainment, and Tourism and volunteers with many charities around the Denver-metro area.

Taylor was born and raised in Colorado and went to Colorado State University in Fort Collins. He was diagnosed with T1D when he was two years old, with his mom diagnosed shortly after as well. Recently, his brother found out that he has T1D, too. Taylor and his wife have a son, Sam, who is five months old and is doing well.

Taylor’s grandfather founded Wagner Equipment Co. in 1976 as the Caterpillar Tractor Dealership in Colorado, New Mexico and western Texas.

Taylor is happy to say he is following in his father’s footsteps, who served on a Breakthrough T1D Board from the late ’90s to early 2000s. Breakthrough T1D has meant so much to Taylor and his family, and they continue to be involved to help find a cure for everyone living with T1D.

Trisha is a dedicated T1D advocate, caregiver, and nurse, supporting her son Gavin (who lives with T1D) through the Youth Ambassadors Program. Actively involved in the T1D community, she’s worked as an Outreach Ambassador and served as the Executive Chair for multiple Community Walks for several years. She works alongside the Colorado Advocacy Team Chair and participates in the Colorado Dream Gala, Mountain West Ride team, and Third-Party events. Notably, she received the Community Development Award from JDRF for her work with the Chapter. In addition, she and Gavin attended the 2023 Children’s Congress, advocating for the Special Diabetes Program.

Amy Hone is the Deputy CCO & Vice President of Operations at Grandeur Peak Global Advisors; a global equities investment firm. She has spent over 20 years managing Operations & Compliance in the financial services sector.

Amy graduated from the University of Phoenix with a BS in Business Administration. She earned an MBA from the University of Utah, with a focus on Management. Amy, and her husband, Chris have two children. She enjoys fly fishing, mountain bike coaching, golfing, and she particularly loves exploring Yellowstone National Park with her adventurous family.

Amy’s T1D connection is through her beloved father, who was diagnosed at age 12 and passed away in 2005 at the age of 61. She saw firsthand the risks & struggles of diabetes maintenance and is amazed by the awareness, support, and advancements in technology over the last few decades. She is passionate about supporting families with T1D and funding research to find a cure.

Christina is a special education teacher and small business owner in Layton. Prior to moving west seven years ago, she was a member of the Breakthrough T1D Advocacy team based out of Washington, D.C. where she focused on grassroots advocacy and government relations efforts for the T1D community.

She was diagnosed with T1D at 11 years old and attended her first Breakthrough T1D Walk in 2003 in her home state of Illinois. Prior to joining the Breakthrough T1D Utah Community Board in 2023, she served as Co-Chair of the Youth Ambassador program for the chapter. She is grateful for the Breakthrough T1D community and looks forward to a day (soon) without T1D.

Jyll Waters, CPA, CGMA, CCIFP, is the CFO of Vancon, Inc., where she oversees finance, accounting, risk management, HR, IT, and strategic planning. With over 35 years of experience in construction industry financial management, she serves on the board of Vancon and its group captive insurance companies, Affinity and Well Health. Jyll is an active leader in the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA), currently serving on the Utah Chapter board and the national Heavy Construction committee. She holds a BS from the University of Utah and an MBA from Brigham Young University. Deeply committed to community service, Jyll volunteers in church leadership, refugee sponsorship, and charitable initiatives. An avid outdoor enthusiast, she enjoys biking, hiking, triathlons, and spending time with her seven children and four grandchildren.

Matt was diagnosed with T1D when he was 4 years old and has been involved with Breakthrough T1D ever since. His father is also a T1D and together (along with his mother, grandmother, wife, and brother) have been participating in Breakthrough T1D Ride to Cure Diabetes events for the past 18 years.

Matt and his wife, Laura, live in Millcreek and are avid cyclists, hikers, and wannabe trail runners. Matt does Business Intelligence and Data Analytics for Microsoft and has even been known to create his own apps using data from his CGM.

Matt is new to Utah, but has been involved in Breakthrough T1D for over 20 years. He is looking forward to being involved in the Utah & Mountain West chapter.

Mike is the Vice President of Sales for 9amHealth, an end-to-end virtual specialty clinic for people living with diabetes and related cardiometabolic conditions. Before 9amHealth, Mike led sales teams at Livongo, a consumer digital health company that merged with Teladoc, GE Healthcare, Cardinal Health, and CareFusion. He has served on the Breakthrough T1D Mountain West Board since 2017.

Mike’s passion for curing T1D, and improving lives until we find that cure, started when he fell in love with his wife, Cyd. She was diagnosed with T1D as a child and lives a full and active life. Mike and Cyd have now been happily married for over 26 years and have 4 wonderful daughters.

Mike and his family live in Alpine and enjoy everything the mountains have to offer – running, hiking, mountain biking, golf, tenni, and snow skiing in the winter.

Sonya works as a financial analyst, spending the last 3 years at Goldman Sachs in Salt Lake City. Prior to joining the Breakthrough T1D Utah Community Board in 2024, she served as Volunteer Coordinator of the Walk Committee for the chapter.

A T1D of over 16 years, Breakthrough T1D has always been close to her heart, attending her first ‘Walk to Cure Diabetes’ only a few weeks post-diagnosis. Throughout her years, she’s advocated for T1D by participating in fundraising walks in the US and Canada, been both a camper and counsellor for Type 1 Diabetes summer camps, and used Lola, her diabetic alert service dog, as a fun and effective way to spread awareness.

Through her employer, she got to volunteer at the Breakthrough T1D One Walk Utah, quickly falling in love with the community, leadership, and events.

Outside of work, you’ll find her skiing, playing with her pup, or road-tripping all the sights Utah has to offer!

Sophie is a Registered Dietitian and predoctoral student conducting Type 1 Diabetes research in Dr. Scott Summers and Dr. William Holland’s laboratory. Her dissertation investigates T1D treatment through reprogramming stem cells into functional beta cells. After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Southern California, Sophie transitioned from Wall Street to earn a master’s degree in Nutrition and Integrative Physiology from the University of Utah. She has presented her findings at national conferences and received recognition for her research excellence. Sophie’s dedication to community service, evidence-based nutrition practices, and nutrition education for diverse populations earned her the 2023 Utah Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Outstanding Dietetic Student Award.