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Please join us for the spring alumni panel on Wednesday, April 12 from 6-8 p.m. in Kitt Central! The panel will include a discussion of change and times of transition with panelists and alumni Yazan Fattaleh, Heidi Ruckriegle, Karen Beach, Brad Dempsey and Amanda Novak. From 6-8 p.m., there will be appetizers and time to network with current PLCers and alumni.��

With this edition of the PLC Newsletter, we are adding a personal submission option! Have an event you want to invite other PLC alumni to or you want to give kudos to your fellow alumni? Just use the link below and fill out a google form to get featured in the next edition.

Charles Gilford III is from the cohort of 2005 and is currently the Director of Regional Affairs and Migrant Emergency Services at the Mayor’s office for the City and County of Denver. The mayor’s office acts in the Executive Branch and is charged with serving over 700,000 citizens, managing an annual budget of over two billion dollars, departmental oversight of over 30 departments, and plays a key role in leading both the Denver metro area and the state at large.��

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Though Gilford has always had an interest in politics, his journey into public service was, as he put it, serendipitous. Gilford studied Business Management at CU and served as a tri-exec in CUSG (formerly UCSU). After graduation, he began his career in education and then got an opportunity to work at COMCAST. He had a promising career in the private sector but decided to transition to the public sector after realizing the instability at play. He worked in a faith based non-profit as Chief of Staff and was inspired by the direct impact one could have. A former colleague mentioned there was an Executive Assistant role open for the COO in the Mayor’s office and Gilford was hesitant but interested. Gilford started in November of 2019 as the COO’s executive assistant, often just getting coffee and making calendar appointments. Dedication and ambition led to him being promoted to Senior Advisor within two weeks. Gilford led projects that impacted $3.58B in capital expenditures and served in the Emergency Operations Center at the height of the COVID19 pandemic.��

Gilford mentions a song by Hillsong called "Oceans” that depicts the opportunity we all have to step out on faith and experience that which is miraculous and awe inspiring. Life, when lived, has a way of unfolding and if we are led by a purpose rather than driven by ambition, can take us places we couldn't have even imagined.��Gilford states, “plans are plans but life is bigger than our linear and oversimplified paths.”

PLC gave Gilford a community of people whose drive, sense of duty, and passion inspired him. He’s grateful for the exposure to different types of leaderships and places to make an impact. PLC also helped him see how leadership must transcend the upper echelons of affluent society, board rooms, and the C suite. PLC helped Gilford see the need to demystify the mystique of leadership that some paint it as; his passion is to “help the world see that leadership is a function of willingness to serve, recognizing defining moments, and raising a shaking hand to make change.” That's courage, that's leadership.

As stated by Gilford:��

"I��value the universal nature of leadership and the opportunity it affords us all to enhance lives and change the future. I value the belief that leadership is about service to others and that greatness is measured by what we do for others not what we amass for ourselves. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once sited in his speech "The Drum Major Instinct," a passage from Matthew 23:11 "��The greatest among you will be your servant."��

Catherine Tinucci is from the cohort of 1983 and has retired from a 32-year career in the public school system serving as a teacher, instructional coach, and administrator. Her last assignment was for 11 years as a principle at a large middle school in Colorado Springs, School District #49.��She states that this was probably the most challenging leadership position she has had, for it hosted many��responsibilities, a never-ending amount of work and decision making, but a multitude of fulfilling relationships.��Her training as a coach and mentor set the stage for creating her own leadership style and has remained with her through retirement.��Tinucci is currently supervising student teachers and alternative licensure candidates through Colorado State University, Pueblo.�� As a supervisor, she coaches and mentors pre-service and current new teachers in teaching strategies and curriculum design.��

“I love being able to support new teachers in their craft and guide them in becoming strong classroom leaders.”

Tinucci started her career as an 8th grade math teacher.��She was initially hired because of her willingness and ability to coach middle school athletics, and, in her words “not because I had any special magic as a math teacher (my university degree was in Political Science and my teaching license was in Social Studies - a far cry from the numeracy of Pre-Algebra).”�� She had to learn to make mathematics relevant and interesting to 13-year old’s - what a task!��Thus, began her long and fulfilling career honing a certain voice for supporting efforts, critiquing performance, and guiding youth.��Tinucci continued to develop as a teacher when she moved her leadership to the building level as a middle school Assistant Principal.��This is where the reality of being a school leader began and the many lessons on adult supervision, political decision making, building guidance, and curriculum design.

Due to staffing cuts and an economic crisis in 2008, Tinucci was moved to an Instructional Coaching role at the secondary level.��She initially struggled with the move, but this year ended up being paramount in terms of developing an instructional voice and supporting teachers in their growth while becoming a true servant-leader.��

During her time in PLC, Tinucci served as a CA and was able to take the upper-level courses ("Globalism to Localism"). She attributes this to the beginning of her career as an educator.��She believes PLC afforded her the instruction and opportunities to create a foundation of leadership that allowed her to take on future roles. She cites personal excellence, resilience, self-awareness, and taking action for recognized needs. Tinucci was willing to take the lessons she learned and apply them to real life.

Tinucci gives an anecdote about the basis of her beliefs in leadership training programs: When she was early on in her principalship, she had an assistant principal on her team in which she worked great with. That assistant principle advocated for leadership training, but the district could not afford to send her. Although Tinucci was not able to give her this opportunity, she was able to support her in some significant responsibilities that helped her to grow as a leader.��Tinucci attributes PLC for the seeds of her leadership growth,��

“PLC created the potential��in me for that future leader.”

This year’s Community team on Student Staff is driven by “being the spark of PLC” – inspiring��students to create and maintain meaningful connections within the program. Three sub-teams��have been focusing on different avenues for these connections; the Alumni Mentoring��Coordinators plan alumni panels and peer mentoring, TLC for PLC focuses on wellness events��and informational support, and the Class Coordinators focus on event communication and intra-cohort bonding. In an effort to unite the general PLC community, the team has been combining��resources and ideas to create larger, all-PLC events, such as the first-annual Fall Fest, an outdoor��Spikeball tournament and tie-dye afternoon, and an “All-Cohorts Event” at the UMC Connection��with pizza and bowling. The team has also kept up the traditions of a Community Dinner, the��Talent Show, and PLC Prom! While these larger-community events have made strides in
creating new traditions for all-PLC, many PLCers would like to see an increased volume and��consistency of smaller events next year!

Some memorable moments: making homemade pretzels in a dorm kitchen before Fall Fest, all��the hugs and smiles at “Match Night” for PLC^2 Mentoring Program, groggy Rose-Bud-Thorns��for the 8am Wednesday meetings of fall semester!

Buffs for Reproductive Rights is a Planned Parenthood Generation Action chapter dedicated to the advancement of reproductive rights at the 51�Թ���. Helena Neufeld and Simone Adhikari, PLC cohort of 2021 cohort, run the group alongside two other Executive Members. During the fall semester, they hosted a Dignified Menstruation event, featuring guest speakers from the Global South Coalition for Dignified Menstruation and the Responsible Sex Education Institution. They educated attendees on the consequences of menstrual discrimination and promoted sustainable menstruation practices, such as the use of menstrual cups, which were distributed for free at the event. This semester, they organized an elevated sexual education seminar in collaboration with Students Against Campus Sexual Assault (SACSA). This discussion-based event was created to allow individuals to discuss sexual pleasure, mental health issues surrounding sex, and broader issues surrounding consent and sexual violence on campus.

Jordan Lee was the student staff director for the past academic year and we sat down for an interview with her to honor her time at CU.

What was your academic journey?

I am a Senior studying Geography and Linguistics with a minor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. I am passionate about how we talk our world into being, and especially��how we communicate about and adapt to our changing climate.

What are you currently working on?

Currently, I work in the Well-Being, Environment, Livelihoods, and Sustainability (WELS) Lab under Dr. Karen Bailey and in the Suding Lab, under PhD student Sam Ahler. In the WELS Lab, we recently published����about the racialized history of the American conservation movement and its implications on conservation work today. I am also working on a project investigating the effect of sense of place on climate adaptation related to drought and water scarcity along the Colorado River Basin. In the Suding Lab, I am supporting a project investigating best-practices for grasslands restorations of native Colorado flora. Lastly, I am wrapping up an Honors Thesis investigating how LGBTQ+ identifying young adults understand their identities through foodways, and how their understandings of health and morality affect that identity negotiation.

Why did you join PLC and any favorite memories?

I joined PLC because I wanted to meet people from diverse backgrounds, academic and otherwise, who were similarly motivated and passionate about making positive change. Reflecting on the past four years, it has been a really wonderful way to connect with people I wouldn't otherwise meet and learn about the world through the lens of leadership, which has given��me numerous opportunities for experiential leadership and reflection. My favorite PLC memory was the ALWC, which I went on just before starting my freshmen year. It was my first experience back-packing, but certainly wasn't my last! I learned so much from being pushed to my limits in an environment oriented towards growth and being surrounded by supportive friends.��

How else are you involved on campus?

Other than PLC, I have also been part of the Golden Buffalo Marching Band and GlobeMed, which is now CU Heal, where I served as a Campaigns Coordinator and as Co-President. Currently, I am part of CU Engage's Public Achievement, where CU students work with middle school and high school students in Lafayette to generate social change through civic engagement. I have been lucky enough to work with the same high school team for the past two years on an ethnic studies curriculum for BVSD and another high school team focused on immigrant rights. This experience has shown me the importance of empowering others, especially young people, and recognizing that the power that we all hold to recognize problems in our communities and address them with care.��

Any plans for after graduation?

After graduation, I will be working as a Plant Ecology Volunteer Coordinator this summer season with 51�Թ��� County, where I will lead volunteer groups on seed harvesting and vegetation restoration throughout the 51�Թ��� County Area. I am so excited to combine my love of working with people with my love of taking care of the planet, and learning a lot in the process. In the winter, I will hopefully be joining a wildlands fire crew, so fingers crossed!��

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We want to take this section to honor our graduating students.

Cohort of 2019

Abigail Brown��
Abigale Foster
Alden Soto
Anushka Kathait
Caitlyn Mendik
Chloe Applegate
Etash Kalra
Jo Robbins
Johanna Landmark
Jordan Lee
June Yuan
Krystal Horton
Lauren Hanley
Matthew McCoy
MJ Riley
Nicholas Galambos
Paola Ortiz Venzor
Sam Hahn
Sharon Battula
Solana Teitler
Tris Ikeda
Wilmsen Craig
Zoe Drigot

Cohort of 2020

Ethan Meyer
Jessica Emmons
Joe Moser
Joelle McDonald
John Douthit
Kate McCarthy
Shane Ball
Zoe Drigot