Since 2018, Illuminate Colorado has annually honored the contributions of exceptional individuals, groups of individuals, and organizations who have furthered our collective mission to strengthen families, organizations and communities to prevent child maltreatment.
On April 13th, the Illuminating Leadership Awards were held for the 6th year in a row at the celebratory Pinwheel Breakfast. This year, Illuminate staff had the opportunity to nominate those they’ve worked with who deserve recognition. This year, six recipients received awards for their work spanning the spectrum of prevention. Check them out below!
Beverley Toliver, Founder & CEO of the Safe Haven Family Network, LLC provides opening remarks.
The Community Leadership Award was presented to the Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families (CPTF) Family & Caregiver Space.
The Community Leadership Award recognizes an individual or group who have dedicated an extraordinary amount of their time and openly share their experiences to further systemic change and strengthen families in Colorado. The Family & Caregiver Space is a lived experience expert-led group within the CPTF, led by Fikile Ryder, Heather Hanson, Kaylie Weese, Kelly Valdez, and Mathilde Dunbar.
Hattie Landry, Senior Community Initiatives Manager at Illuminate Colorado, nominated the Family & Caregiver Space for their collaborative work with the CPTF, providing insight into various types of lived experiences from across Colorado, helping to create the conditions for strong families and communities where children are healthy, valued, and thriving.
Members of the CPTF Family & Caregiver Space. Left to right: Fikile Ryder, Heather Hanson, Kelly Valdez, Kaylie Weese. Not pictured – Mathilde Dunbar.
The Dynamic Leadership Award was presented to Mile High Behavioral Healthcare.
The Dynamic Leadership Award recognizes an individual, group, or organization who has dedicated time, expertise, and experiences to collaboratively implement programs and partner on initiatives with Illuminate and their communities to strengthen families in Colorado. Jessica Courtney and Rewa Bailey represented Mile High Behavioral Healthcare at the award ceremony.
Joan Holtz, Director of Family Support at Illuminate Colorado, nominated Mile High Behavioral Healthcare for their partnership with Illuminate on many different projects, including Illuminating Child Care, Circle of Parents, and Bloom Yoga.
Illuminate Colorado Executive Director Jade Woodard, Jessica Courtney and Rewa Bailey of Mile High Behavioral Healthcare, and Illuminate Colorado Director of Family Support Joan Holtz.
The Courageous Leadership Award was presented to Margaret Ochoa, a Child Abuse Prevention Specialist at the Colorado School Safety Resource Center.
The Courageous Leadership Award recognizes an individual or group in elected office or public employment for distinguished service prioritizing the prevention of child maltreatment and strengthening families.
Anne Auld, Deputy Director at Illuminate Colorado, nominated Margaret Ochoa, a Child Abuse Prevention Specialist at the Colorado School Safety Resource Center for her many partnerships with Illuminate, and through her own work, to support and strengthen families and communities through systems-level work with incredible integrity and dedication. Through her time as Co-Chair of the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Coalition, and an active member of the Strengthening Colorado Families and Communities Conference Planning Committee, Ochoa has gone above and beyond in supporting professionals, communities and families in Colorado.
Illuminate Colorado Executive Director Jade Woodard, Margarget Ochoa, and Illuminate Colorado Deputy Director Anne Auld.
The Catalytic Leadership Award was presented to the Caring for Colorado Foundation.
The Catalytic Leadership Award honors an individual, group, or organization who has invested or inspired philanthropic investment to accelerate the prevention of child maltreatment and strengthen families in Colorado.
Jillian Fabricius, Deputy Director at Illuminate Colorado, nominated the Caring for Colorado Foundation for placing family well-being, with an emphasis on equity, at the center of their philanthropic efforts. Caring for Colorado brings a long-term perspective to their philanthropic work, through which they seek to address root causes, promote prevention, improve systems, and advance policy change.
Illuminate Colorado Executive Director Jade Woodard, Linda Reiner and Emma Carpenter of Caring for Colorado, and Illuminate Colorado Deputy Director Jillian Fabricius.
The Innovative Leadership Award was presented to Daphne McCabe, a Family Health Division Manager at Boulder County Public Health.
The Innovative Leadership Award recognizes an individual, group, or organization who has made significant contributions to the field of child maltreatment prevention.
Angelica Fox, Director of Home Visitation at Illuminate Colorado, nominated Daphne McCabe for the demonstration of Illuminate’s values through her work implementing Family Connects in Boulder County. Through her leadership, Boulder has a diverse and inclusive Family Connects implementation team, which launched in Boulder County in October 2022 after just seven months of dedication and perseverance.
Illuminate Colorado Executive Director Jade Woodard, Daphne McCabe of Boulder County Public Health, and Illuminate Colorado Director of Home Visitation Angelica Fox.
The Lori Moriarty Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Deb Daro, a Senior Research Fellow at Chapin Hall and one of the nation’s leading experts in child abuse prevention policy and early home visiting research.
The Lori Moriarty Leadership Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated lifetime achievements in their career that exemplify the dedication and character displayed by the late Commander Lori Moriarty.
Jade Woodard, Executive Director at Illuminate Colorado, nominated Dr. Daro for her work on Colorado’s Home Visiting Investment Task Force, specifically advocating strongly for the adoption of mechanisms that provide all new parents opportunities to discuss their concerns and learn about the resources available in their communities. This research-informed recommendation was very supportive of the launch of Family Connects in Colorado.
Illuminate Colorado Executive Director Jade Woodard and Dr. Deb Daro.
We are honored to do this work with such passionate leaders!
We can’t do this work alone. It takes all of us to strengthen families and prevent child maltreatment.
Donate to Illuminate Colorado today and make an investment in programs that build healthier, happier, and more resilient families and communities.
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