STAFF + BOARD

The Team That Makes It Possible

Jennifer Bruen

Executive Director
director@unitedwayyv.org

Jen is a native Michigander. With an education in cultural anthropology, regional planning, and historic preservation, she’s built a 20-year career heavily focused on equitable, inclusive, and sustainable community and economic development. She’s worked with communities nationally and internationally on innovative projects in collaboration with universities, regional planning organizations, non-profits, businesses, and local governments. She loves the outdoors, traveling, volunteering and spending time with her family.

Erin Walker

Routt County Community Impact Manager
rccommunity@unitedwayyv.org

Erin lives with her family in North Routt County and enjoys all of the beauty and outdoor fun that Clark offers. She has a background in education and community non-profit program advocacy and implementation.

When she is not working, you can find her at the lake paddle boarding or greeting any doggo that is nearby or even far away.

Monique Macchia

Administrative Assistant
mo@unitedwayyv.org

After growing up in Colorado Springs, and after 6 years in the Air Force, Monique moved to Routt County. She’s held administrative and managerial positions in Steamboat Spring for years. Like most of us, she loves the great outdoors in the Yampa Valley. She also loves her 3rd generation Routt County husband and their amazing son.

Jamie Miller

Office Assistant
mccommunity@unitedwayyv.org

I’m Jamie Miller, an Office Assistant with a passion for helping others and making a difference in my community. I thrive on assisting team members and ensuring everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. Whether it’s organizing, supporting, or simply lending a helping hand, I’m always ready to pitch in.

When I’m not working, I’m a proud parent to two wonderful children and a large dog who certainly knows how to keep me on my toes! Between caring for my family and indulging in my love for anime and video games, life is never dull. I’m always up for a good discussion about the latest series or a new game release.

I believe in the power of community, and I’m excited to keep learning, growing, and supporting others wherever I can.

Our Board of Directors

We are governed by a Board of Directors, whose responsibilities include: reviewing and guiding organizational direction, ensuring effective management and financial stewardship, representing UWYV in the community, bringing the community’s voice to our decision-making, and maintaining the community’s trust in the organization.

Andrew Czysz

Chief Operating Officer at Alpine Insurance Brokers and Partner at AIB

Andrew brings his contagious excitement to Steamboat as the new face of Alpine Insurance. As Chief Operating Officer and Partner, he is tasked with community outreach, building relationships within the community, assisting agents with exceptional client service, and creatively progressing our agency to the next level. A lifelong Chicago native, he has embraced all things Steamboat – from hiking and golfing to catching a soak after a morning workout at OTHS. Next on his list: learning the slopes. Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, as an agent, manager, recruiter, and owner. He also sits on both the finance committee and donor relations committee as a board member of United Way of the Yampa Valley.

Angelica Salinas

Steamboat Chamber Director of Membership & Engagement

Angelica grew up in San Antonio, Texas and earned a B.S. in Marketing and a B.A. in English Literature from Santa Clara University. She is passionate about youth development and works as Executive Director for local nonprofit Whiteout Volleyball Club. She also serves as the President of the Young Professionals Network board of directors and on the board of directors for the Steamboat Sports Barn and Seminars at Steamboat. When she’s not working, some of her favorite activities include running, mountain biking, skiing, and backpacking with her husband Adam and their crazy pup Bowie.

Chick Corrado

One of the founders of Applied Physical Sciences

Chick Corrado grew up in Connecticut and has been an active supporter of the United Way for many years.  Chick received his Ph.D. in Acoustics from MIT.  He is one of the founders of Applied Physical Sciences, an undersea and maritime technology development company supporting the US Navy and the Oil and Gas industry.  He served as the President of the company for 20 years.  A strong believer in the mission of the United Way, he made it the designated non-profit organization supported by the company.  Chick also served on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Southeastern Connecticut before moving to Steamboat in 2022.

Chick joined the United Way of Yampa Valley Board to give back to the community he now calls home. Chick and his wife Sandy have two daughters that live in the Boston area. Chick is semi-retired and is a fanatical fly fisherman and skier.

Ciara Bartholomew

Finance/Business Manager, South Routt School District

Ciara Bartholomew is a Colorado native, born in Leadville and raised in Eagle County. Upon graduation from the University of Colorado-Boulder (Go Buffs!), Ciara embarked on an 11-year journey in our Nation’s Capital where she worked for a management consulting firm, McKinsey & Co. and a brief stint for a middle-market investment firm during the 2007-2011 financial crisis. Returning to her roots of Colorado, she now spends her time as the Finance/Business Manager for South Routt School District. Ciara holds a masters in finance from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Colorado. You can find Ciara skiing, mountain biking, rafting and enjoying the fresh air of the Colorado mountains with her husband, their toddler, and the family favorite Homer (the dog).

Cuyler Meade

Director of Communications and Grants at the Moffat County School District

Cuyler Meade is a husband, father of six, and the Director of Communications and Grants at the Moffat County School District. Cuyler came up professionally in the journalism world before transitioning to strategic communications after about a decade in newspapers. He’s passionate about helping people connect and work together toward accomplishing great purposes. Cuyler has six amazing kids and a wonderful wife, Sarah.

Debra Sauermann

Community Member

Debra Sauermann has been behind the scenes for 5 years, since Kate has been working at RCUW. With a BA in math from Austin College in Sherman Texas, and an MA in International Relations from the Fletcher School, she worked 25 years at Exxon (1985-2010). After leaving ExxonMobil, she consulted at SGV International, her husband’s company.

For the past five years she’s worked with RCUW to do donor outreach in and beyond Routt County, and has researched low income populations in Routt to support the collective impact initiative. She and her husband Roland have a son who lives in New York. She lives the majority of the time in Houston, Texas;. her second home is in Steamboat Springs, which she bought in 2007. But because her extended family is from Steamboat (her cousins all graduated from SSHS), she’s been coming to Steamboat for most of her life.

Elsie Wodnik

Community Member

Elsie has been coming to Steamboat Springs for many years. When it came time to for her husband, Rick, to retire they started looking for a place. They bought their house in 2009, but didn’t live in Steamboat permanently until Elsie came in 2010 and Rick followed in 2011 when he retired.

In the years prior to arriving in Steamboat, Elsie was a “Mom” first raising three children volunteering in many fundraisers often in leadership positions. She worked as Software Specialist at a private school in Houston teaching all grade levels. Later she developed the middle school computer lab and taught all the Microsoft platforms. Elsie is an active member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church where she worked as Administrative Assistant for 6 years. Most recently, Elsie was the president of the Colorado Assembly Board of the Daughters of the King and currently serves on the eight state Province Board of the Daughters of the King.

Elsie was raised on a ranch in Montana where she developed her love of the outdoors. Two of their three children with their families live in Steamboat, so they are always involved in their activities. Elsie’s hobbies are snowshoeing, hiking, taking our trailer camping, gravel biking with Rick and family, gardening, reading, and quilting. United Way gives Elsie an opportunity to serve the Steamboat community.

Patty Hourigan

Community Member

Patty has held a variety of sales and sales leadership roles for technology companies including Siemens, IBM, Cisco, and Microsoft. She currently develops and executes Customer Success programs for a global cloud software company, Genesys. Patty earned a B.A. in Economics-Business from UCLA.

Several years ago, Patty and her fiancé, Tom, moved to Steamboat Springs from Southern California as they truly enjoy the community, cycling, skiing, hiking, and the seasons! Patty’s son, Wesley (27), and Tom’s daughters, Steffi (27) and Vasi (28), reside in California and visit often.

Over the years, Patty has contributed to several corporate ERGs aimed at advancing women’s skills, careers, safety, and overall wellness.

While at Cisco, she led Girls Power Tech Day which introduced young girls to careers in STEM via sharing from women technology leaders, interactive games, and speed mentoring. In addition, Patty was selected to Co-Lead the Global Passion Project for Cisco Women of Impact which drove large donations to Kiva, Global Citizen, and Love Never Fails, aiding those experiencing extreme poverty and survivors of human trafficking.

Currently, Patty volunteers as Steering Committee Co-Chair for Women United supporting committee leaders in executing the mission of giving, advocating, and volunteering for the most vulnerable in our community. Key initiatives include delivering financial literacy classes, Dolly Parton Imagination Library books for children, and mental health programs in the Yampa Valley.

Jim Feree

Previous Craig City Manager 

Jim earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Oklahoma.  After holding several positions in local government in Oklahoma, Jim accepted the position of City Manager in Craig in 1998.  Jim retired after serving 18 years as City Manager.

Jim served 9 years on the Moffat County United Way Board of Directors. Jim enjoys volunteer work and in addition to the United Way of the Yampa Valley Board of Directors, Jim serves on the Craig Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and is a member of the Craig Kiwanis Club.

Jim enjoys fly fishing, hiking, golf, and cooking.

Leslie Gibson

Sales & Marketing Special Projects Supervisor, Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation

Leslie has been an integral member of the Steamboat Ski Resort team since 2009 in a variety of roles in both the Mountain Operations and the Brand and Resort Strategy divisions. Before working at the resort, Leslie attended the Art Institute of Colorado and worked as a cabinet designer at Rustic Woodworks. Leslie is a second-generation leader at the resort.

As a Routt County native, Leslie has huge respect and admiration for the history and traditions of the Yampa Valley community and that is what drew her to the United Way Board. She hopes that through her work with United Way, she can make a positive difference in our community and beyond through serving, advocating, and empowering others.

Marci Marumoto

Director of Sales, KRAI and 55 Country

Marci has lived in the Yampa Valley for 44 years and enjoys the great outdoors we are surrounded by.  She is the Sales Director for Steamboat Radio and also holds The Holiday Drive each December in Craig which benefits 4 local non-profit organizations.  The Drive has been held for over 25 years.  She enjoys being involved in her community and being a part of the United Way of the Yampa Valley.

Marci Valicenti

Broker Associate | Partner, The Group Real Estate

Marci is a Broker Associate and Partner at The Group Real Estate. Marci has been fortunate to be part of the Valicenti Team, which her husband established in 1991 and her son, Zach joined in 2018. The family real estate team primarily serves the real estate needs of Routt and Moffatt counties.  Marci has a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Arizona State University. She has practiced real estate since 2002. Her real estate designations include a Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE) and e-PRO which relates to technology. In addition to her real estate experience, Marci’s skills include interior design and staging.

After visiting Ground Zero with her family in 2002, she co-found “Support the Troops” – a local grass-roots effort via the Yampa Valley Community Foundation where thousands and thousands of monetary and tangible donations were raised for care packages that were sent to American military stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq for approximately 10 years. The Valicenti’s have long been supporters of the United Way and for all the good that it does. Marci’s husband Tom served previously on the United Way Board for the term limit of five years including serving as vice president and president. While an active Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs, Marci believes in UW’s mantra of “advancing the common good in the Yampa Valley” and wants to help this non-profit where she can.

Olivia Goldsworthy

Consulting Professional Almora Advisors

Olivia is a consulting professional in the Fundraising and Development field. Her work currently is with a national firm, Almora Advisors, that helps small and mid-size nonprofits achieve their strategic goals in the social sector. As a Colorado Mountain College graduate, Olivia has experience in various sustainability-focused research and planning positions, and her interests emphasize community development, social equity, and trust-based philanthropy. Since moving here in 2012, Olivia has embraced Steamboat’s outdoor lifestyle. Outside of work, she can be found rowing her boat on the Yampa or enjoying an après session with friends after skiing.

PJ Wharton

President & CEO, Yampa Valley Bank

PJ Wharton, arrived in Steamboat via his family covered wagon in 2004 after 3 earlier tries that were thwarted due to…you guessed it, sky high steamboat home prices! He has had the privilege of working with the Yampa Valley Bank Team in Steamboat and Craig for the past 20 years, the last 14 as President. PJ escaped from Wells Fargo in 2004 to join Yampa Valley Bank and he and Amy have been fortunate to have all three sons (PB&J) graduate from Steamboat High School and go on attend the University of Colorado, with John now a banker, Ben a doctor, and Peter an Environmental consultant. PJ is a firm believer in the people and economy of the Yampa Valley. During his tenure, Yampa Valley Bank has grown from $150Million in assets in 2010 to $630Million in 2024 and has been named one of the top 100 community banks in the US. PJ has served on a whole bunch of amazing non-profit boards where he has been taught so much in the past 20 years. PJ’s passions include getting shellacked in a variety of games (backgammon, gin rummy, etc) by his bride of 32 years Amy, and traveling to warm places with Amy, their boys and now their wife, finance’ and girlfriend.

Ham Southworth

Executive Vice President, CBRE

My wife, Mary Kathryn, and I started coming to Steamboat 5 years ago when we became empty nesters.  We live off 33A, 6 miles from town, for half the year, and spend the other half in San Diego. We have four children: Hamilton and his wife, Emma, who live and work in LA; William, a First Lieutenant in the US Army based in the Tacoma area; and Luisa, who also lives and works in LA.  I grew up in New York City and moved to San Diego after graduating from law school in Virginia.  After practicing law for 6 years, I moved to the corporate world. I now work at CBRE, where I represent tech companies and law firms acquiring and disposing of real estate around the world.
Mary Kathryn retired last year after a 30-year career as an attorney and spends her time in Steamboat riding her horse with friends, hiking, and skiing.When not working, I do the usual Steamboat activities (skiing, hiking, biking, fishing, tennis, pickleball, etc.) and enjoy travel, reading, and spending time with friends.

I’ve served on two different non-profit boards for the past 15 years, Francis Parker School (where my children went to school) and Nativity Prep Academy, an all-scholarship middle school and college prep program for young men and women from under- resourced families that represent the first generation to graduate from college.  I’m stepping down from the Nativity board in June and look forward to helping UWYV and getting to know the organization, its staff, constituents, and trustees.

Bailey Craig

Middle/High School Counselor, SOROCO

My name is Bailey Craig. I was born And raised in Evergreen, CO. While growing up my parents gifted me the ability to experience all the outdoor opportunities Colorado has to offer including, hiking, snowboarding and backpacking, etc.. I was also given the chance to see the world from sailing in the Bahamas to exploring the beauty of South Africa. Being able to explore different cultures and spend time in nature gave me the sense that my future would be focused on helping others.

My educational background started when I earned my bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. After graduation I worked at a Sever Special Needs Paraprofessional in a low income school district. After gathering experience working hands on with students in support of there educational needs, I felt the need to do more. Shortly after,I pursued and received my Masters in Counseling from Adams State University. After graduating, I started working for Jefferson County Public School District. I worked at Evergreen Middle
School and West Jeff Middle School as the Gifted and Talented Counselor. Here is where I was able to finally do what I always wanted. Though it was a wonderful job, my Fiancé was given a wonderful opportunity to work for Oak Creek Fire District. The next year we made the big move from Evergreen to Oak Creek. Over the past year and half I have been able to serve South Routt School District as the Middle/High School Counselor. Working for SOROCO has allowed me to create meaningful and helpful connections with the community and students. Working and living in Routt County has also been a wonderful launching point to allow me and my family explore the wonderful outdoors that the Routt County has to offer.

Get Support

If you or someone you know in Routt, Moffat, or Rio Blanco Counties needs support, United Way of the Yampa Valley is here to help.

From housing assistance and food security to mental health services and childcare resources, we connect individuals and families with vital programs that strengthen our community. Whether you’re facing financial hardship, seeking healthcare, or looking for educational opportunities, local resources are available to provide guidance and relief.