Staff
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| Pete Maysmith, Executive Director, began doing organizing work immediately after graduating from Duke University in 1991. Over the course of the last 20 years Pete has done on-the-ground organizing, run state and national field campaigns, lobbied at the city, state, and national level, done extensive earned media work, directed statewide candidate and ballot campaigns, run a statewide non-profit, and served as senior leadership staff of national organizations. More recently, Pete was making a difference in key Colorado issues as a partner with Confluence Strategies.Pete brings energy, passion, hard work, and creativity to the non-profit work he does. He moved back to his home state of Colorado in 1996 and lives with his wife and two red-haired daughters in Denver. He completed an evening law degree from the University of Denver in December of 2008, graduating with honors. In whatever spare time he can find he trains for marathons, bikes, reads, and cooks. Pete’s two favorite Colorado places are Rocky Mountain National Park and the San Juan Mountains. |
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| Chris Arend, Strategic Communications Director, brings over 15 years of experience working on conservation issues, politics and communications in the grassroots, through our legal system, to advocating and being involved with legislation at both the State Legislature and U.S. Congress.
Chris has worked as a community organizer in Western Colorado, a research associate for Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, and a 10 year staff member for U.S. Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO-1) where he served as natural resources and environment aide, Colorado based press secretary and District Director. Chris has lived off and on in Colorado for over 29 years leaving for a short time after graduating from Colorado College to live in Washington D.C. and to obtain a Masters in Environmental Policy at the University of Michigan. He lives in Denver with his wife, son and daughter. He enjoys spending time in Colorado’s great outdoors hiking, road and mountain biking and telemark skiing. His favorite places are the red rock canyon country of Western Colorado and Lost Creek Wilderness in the foothills of Colorado’s Front Range. |
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Brian Graves, Online and Field Organizer, brings a tireless attitude and campaign organizing experience to CCV. He was the field organizer defeating both “personhood” initiatives. He also completed voter outreach projects on behalf of numerous candidates. With a background in sales he found that advocating for causes rather than products was much more enjoyable and rewarding, and being an Eagle Scout he has found a home with environmentally focused CCV. You can find him hiking Mount Evans and camping out near Goose Creek. |
| Ben Gregory, Deputy Director, brings thirteen years of non-profit experience to CCV. His past experience includes fundraising for the Science Museum of Virginia, Averett University and the Robert E. Loup Jewish Community Center. He holds a B.S. in Business Management from Averett University. A native of rural Virginia, Ben has been proud to call Colorado home for over ten years. Ben’s two favorite places in Colorado are the Pawnee Buttes (and not just because of all the windmills) and Colorado National Monument. |
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Monika Heinbaugh, Administrator, comes to CCV with the experience of working on campaigns and organizing for Montana Conservation Voters over several election cycles. She also spent time in Washington, DC working for Co-op America and Save America’s Forests, as well as in Boulder working in the natural products industry. When not doing advocacy work, Monika practices massage therapy. She grew up in North Dakota and holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of North Dakota, and is a graduate of the Boulder College of Massage Therapy. Monika’s two favorite places in Colorado are Arapahoe Basin and Independence Pass. |
| Travis Leiker is Development Director at CCV. In this role, Travis is responsible for all aspects of the organization’s resource development, including cultivating and stewarding relationships with various community partners including corporations and foundations. Travis is a Kansas native and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Prior to joining CCV, Travis was director of philanthropic partnerships at Community Shares—a Colorado nonprofit dedicated to connecting Coloradans to the charities and causes they care about most through workplace giving initiatives. Travis also served as National Development Director at the White House Project, a national, nonprofit organization dedicated advancing women’s leadership in all communities and sectors.
Travis is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at the University of Colorado at Denver. Outside his professional and academic endeavors, he enjoys many civic and volunteer activities including service on the board of directors for the NARAL/Pro-Choice Colorado foundation, as a Commissioner on the University of Colorado’s Presidential Blue Ribbon Commission on Diversity, delivering meals to individuals with life threatening illness at Project Angel Heart, and volunteering for other civic engagement organizations. Travis’s favorite places in Colorado are Breckenridge and the Denver Park system. |
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| Faith Winter is currently a Westminster City Councilor and Program Director for Colorado Conservation Voters. Faith has spent her entire career inspiring people to action whether it is the thousands of women she trained to run for office at The White House Project, the young voters she turned out in 2004 or engaging her constituents on important issues facing Westminster. In 2004 Winter was named one of 30 people under 30 showing political leadership by the Youth Vote Coalition, in 2008 Winter was named one of the top ten most influential women in Denver by the Denver Examiner and in 2010 she was named Woman of the year by Colorado Business and Professional Women, northwest chapter. Winter loves organizing because she believes the best way to create change is by building power through people. She has fun doing it, because a job isn’t worth doing unless you laugh once in a while. Faith’s two favorite places in Colorado are Rocky Mountain National Park and the Roaring Fork Valley. |
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Colorado Conservation Voters • (303) 333-7846 • 1536 Wynkoop St., Ste. 4C, Denver, CO 80202 •
