
Alisha Brown
Commission Expires 12/31/2025
Alisha Brown is the Senior Vice President at The Foundation for Sustainable Urban Communities and the founder and director of its be well Health and Wellness Initiative. Her career focuses on advancing equity through community-based strategies, ensuring all individuals have the opportunity to lead healthy and prosperous lives.
be well Health & Wellness
In 2003, Alisha established the be well Health and Wellness Initiative, a grassroots movement empowering communities to take control of their health by addressing social determinants. She developed the be well Block Captain community engagement model, an evidence-based approach combining local neighborhood ingenuity with industry expertise. This model has gained national recognition and support from organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As the Principal Investigator of the be well be EPIC Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health project of the CDC, Alisha oversees efforts to increase opportunities for physical activity through community engagement in policies, systems, and environmental changes. Her leadership has been instrumental in raising and leveraging over $30 million to advance equity across Colorado.
Education
Alisha earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism from Langston University, a historically Black university in Langston, Oklahoma. She furthered her education with a Master of Nonprofit Management degree from Regis University, where she was also a Colorado Trust Fellow.
Community Leadership
Beyond her professional roles, Alisha is deeply involved in various boards and commissions, including the State of Colorado’s Health Equity Commission and the City and County of Denver’s Board of Environmental Health, where she serves as vice chair. She is a member of the Denver Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. A devoted Christian, Alisha actively participates in the Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church, contributing to the liturgical dance ministry and the Christian Scroll newsletter.
Alisha's dedication to community health and equity has earned her numerous accolades, including being named one of Colorado’s “Most Influential Young Professionals.” She is a sought-after speaker, sharing her insights on grassroots involvement locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
Other Interests
In her personal time, Alisha enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, shopping, and attending sporting events.

Jessica Brody, Chair
Commission Expires 12/31/2027
Jessica Brody was appointed to the Denver Board of Public Health & Environment by Mayor Michael Hancock in 2023.
Jessica Brody joined Denver Water as General Counsel 2018. Prior to Denver Water, she worked as an associate at Arnold & Porter, LLP, an international law firm, where she specialized in environmental law and complex litigation. Ms. Brody then served as the lead environmental lawyer for the City and County of Denver and then as an Assistant Director within the City Attorney’s Office.
Jessica is also engaged in a variety of civic and volunteer roles. Presently, serves as Denver’s representative on the Colorado Water Conservation Board. She is on the leadership committee of the Western Urban Water Coalition.

Catherine Cooney
Commission Expires 12/31/2027
I have dedicated my life to hospitality. It is something that goes far beyond my education and skill set. Hospitality is in my blood, and it transcends generations in my family. My parents owned 4 restaurants, a toy store, a t-shirt shop, and a ski shop in Breckenridge, Colorado, where I had the fortune of growing up. I was working in restaurants and the stores at age 5, and the passion never subsided.
I received my BSBA from the University of Denver with a Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management focus. I was recruited directly out of college by the Palm Restaurant, where I dedicated 21 years. I was in Dallas, Texas, first, where I was an assistant manager. I quickly started to rise through the ranks and became the youngest GM in a company history dating back to 1926. As the GM, I was responsible for all day to day operations, budgeting, marketing, managing my team, and being the hospitality leader for my guests. I was also selected as the Palm training manager and trained all new managers who came to work for the Palm Restaurant Group.
I then went on to become GM for STK Steakhouse and was quickly chosen as the training manager for the One Group. I was able to help develop and train all new managers that came to work for the One Group. I was then approached about going into Recruiting and opened my Recruiting and, Consulting business. I was still part of the hospitality industry but was able to help many restaurant groups find their next great team member. I learned more about other restaurant groups and found out what they are looking for in new employees. This has helped me with enhancing the industry's training and education, career development, and the overall well-being of the industry and its workforce.
In the 15 years that I have had the honor to be associated with the CRA, I have been a board member, served as President for 3 years, and the treasurer for eight years for the Mile High Chapter. I have successfully executed a multitude of fundraising events for the Mile-High Chapter Hardship Fund and have been a big champion in getting other restauranteurs involved with the CRA. I have sat as a director on the State Board for 8 years and now am the Treasurer on the Executive committee. I attended the National Restaurant Association Public Affairs Conference twice and was a contributor to the CRA's 5-year strategic plan. I am a judge for the State ProStart Competition.

Kelli Curl, Vice Chair
Commission Expires 12/21/2027
I am a public health professional with expertise and experience in policy, strategic communications, reproductive and sexual health, communicable disease, tobacco prevention, emergency preparedness and response (EPR), maternal and infant health, and vaccine-preventable diseases. My current role is with Jefferson County Public Health as the Director of the Office of Policy and Public Affairs where I coordinate department communications and policy initiatives, monitor and proactively engage with decision-makers and media, and develop the department’s communications strategy and policy agenda.
My Master of Public Health coursework focused on Health Communications and Epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health at Colorado State University. I also have a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from Colorado State University.
Born and raised in Texas, I have lived in Colorado since 2009 with a brief stint living and working in Florida in 2016. My hobbies include gardening, sewing and making home-made preserves.

Genene Duran
Commission Expires 12/31/2027
Dr. Genene Duran grew up in northeast Denver in the Montbello community and is an alumna of Montbello High School. She holds a Doctorate in Human Services, Master’s in Healthcare Administration, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. In addition, she is also a certified Mediator and has a certification in Public Relations as well. Dr. Duran has subject matter expertise in the fields of healthcare policy, managing federally qualified health centers, human services, community outreach and engagement, health systems change and cultural competence in health care which includes social determinants of health, health disparities and health equity. Dr. Duran is an Affiliate Professor in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Metropolitan State University working with the Masters of Social Work students to complete their final Capstone thesis projects. In addition, she is the Founder/CEO of her own nonprofit organization Ducks in a Row Human Services Inc.
From 2021-2023, Dr. Duran simultaneously served as the Chair of the Board of the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, the Advisory Board Chair for the City and County of Denver’s Agency on Human Rights and Community Partnerships and as the Co-Chair for the City and County of Denver’s African American Commission. She still serves on the Board of the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment as well as the City and County of Denver’s African American Commission. In addition, she serves on the Colorado Advisory Panel of Local Board of Health Members. Over the past six years she has held memberships on the Family Advisory Council for Every Child Pediatrics, the Board of Directors for Womxn’s March Denver, the Doctoral Advisory Board for the University of Arizona Global campus, as a Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Denver Moves Everyone Steering Committee Advisory Board member, and as the National Association for Career and Technical Education Region Representative. In her spare time she is a mentor to a young lady in her community.
Although she has accomplished a great deal, she remains most proud of her 21-year-old son and 20 year old daughter, who both graduated from Colorado State University in May 2024, and 17-year-old daughter who graduated from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College in May 2024 as well. Dr. Duran’s greatest passions include providing a voice for underserved communities and affecting positive change through leadership, strategic planning, relationship building, effective change management, conflict management, advocacy, social justice, and organizational training.

Jim Garcia
Commission Expires 12/31/2027
Jim García has been actively involved in Denver’s non-profit community for the past 32 years and has worked in leadership capacities for a wide range of health and human service organizations. Early in his career, Jim worked in the political arena in the offices of former US Senator Tim Wirth and former Governor Roy Romer.
In 1994, Jim founded Tepeyac Community Health Center (TCHC), a non-profit healthcare organization that provides medical, behavioral health, dental, pharmacy and health education to Denver’s predominantly uninsured, immigrant community. In his role as TCHC’s Chief Executive Officer, he led a $13M capital campaign to build a new 25,000 sq. ft. community health center that will eventually triple TCHC’s patient capacity. In February of 2023, TCHC opened its state-of-the-art medical facility.
In 1997, Jim cofounded Escuela de Guadalupe, a dual-language elementary school that serves primarily lower-income families throughout Metro Denver. Jim was also a member of the founding Board of Trustees for Arrupe Jesuit High School, a school that fully integrates a corporate work study program as part of its curriculum
Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Jim received his undergraduate degree from Regis University and his Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado at Denver.

Matthew Stratton
Commission Expires 1/31/2029
Dr. Matthew Stratton owns and operates an anesthesiology practice, a medical legal consulting firm, and a real estate investment company in Denver.
A 5th generation Coloradan, he was born and raised in Denver where he and his family have a long history of civic engagement with the city and state.
Dr. Stratton earned a B.S. in Economics from The George Washington University, received his M.D. from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, and completed anesthesiology residency at NYU where he served as Chief Resident of his class.
During that period, he also worked in the United States Senate for Senators Ken Salazar and Micheal Bennet, liaised with the African Union Parliament while employed with Save The Children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, fundraised to help construct several elementary schools across the globe, and traveled to all seven continents.
Following residency, Dr. Stratton stayed on at NYU as an associate professor for two years where he taught students and residents and instituted policies that minimize the hospital’s carbon footprint.
Dr. Stratton returned to Denver in 2022 to where he now lives and works.

Chris J. Wiant
Commission Expires 12/31/2028
Chris J. Wiant retired in 2020 as the Founding President and CEO of the Caring for Colorado Foundation where he served from 2000-2020. The Foundation is a statewide health funder that has granted more than $200 million to community non-profit organizations throughout the State to improve the health of the people of Colorado.
Previously, Wiant served as Executive Director of Tri-County Health Department that served Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties in Colorado. He began his 16-year career at Tri-County as the Director of Environmental Health. Prior to coming to Colorado, Wiant was the Chief of the Environmental Chemistry Section and the Department Emergency Response Coordinator for the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Over his 50 years working in public health Dr. Wiant has been appointed to numerous boards, commissions and advisory committees at the local, state and federal level. He has received state and national recognition for his work in addressing public health and environmental health issues in Illinois, Colorado and at a national level.
He received his B.S. in Chemistry from Illinois State University, M.A. in Health Services Administration and M.P.H., with concentration in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, from the University of Illinois and Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Denver School of Public Affairs with a concentration in Environmental Policy.