Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs

Urban Planner
Alexis is an urban planner who is passionate about the intersection of arts and planning. Alexis is active in planning and implementation efforts for the 40 West Arts District and ArtLine project in Lakewood, CO and serves on the Board of Director’s for 40 West Arts.

Arts Journalism, Film & Theatre
Longtime journalist, Lisa writes on popular culture, race and gender among other topics. The former Denver Post film and theater critic returned to Denver from New York City by way of Phoenix in 2003. Before returning, she held high-level editor posts at Out, Us and the Village Voice. A member of the National Society of Film Critics and the African American Film Critics Association, she has been a juror for the American Film Institute’s Top Movies, Film Independent’s Spirit Awards and the Gotham Awards. She has also been a juror for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism. She has taught adult enrichment courses in criticism at the University of Denver and teaches writing at Lighthouse Writers Workshop

Newman Center for the Performing Arts
Aisha is the Executive Director of the Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver. Previously, she was the inaugural Director of the Ent Center for the Arts at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Producer of Public Programs for The New York Public Library. Prior to her transition to the nonprofit sector, she held positions at Columbia Artists Management and Barrett Vantage Artists.

Manos Sagrados
Alicia "Bruce" Trujillo is a music professional from Denver, CO. Known professionally as Bruce, she has been working in music and arts organizations since 2006, with a mission to collaborate with communities who are systematically excluded, and a focus on independent and locally made music and art. She's the founder of Manos Sagrados, supporting BIPOC, femme, 2SLGBTQ+, and disabled artists.

Colorado Public Radio's Indie 102.3
Alisha Sweeney is a host and Local Music Director for Indie 102.3 from Colorado Public Radio. She's earned awards over the years including multiple "Denver's Best Radio DJ" from Westword. You can hear her weekdays on the radio and she also curates all the Colorado music on the station with her initiative Local 303. Sweeney is well-respected in public radio across the country as a tastemaker and has contributed both print journalism and audio commentary to NPR programs. Over the years she was host of a local music show for Colorado Public Television, as well as a recurring guest to various local news television programs to speak on the arts. As a journalist, Sweeney is especially drawn to storytelling and how music and geography informs an artist to gain a better understanding of their world view. Celebrating community and music discovery has always been paramount to why Sweeney has dedicated her career to public radio and the arts with a focus on giving a voice and platform to underserved artists.

Think 360 Arts for Learning
Daisy Fodness-McGowan (she/her) is a practicing visual artist who has over twenty-five years of experience in arts administration and education, passionately advocating for artists and equitable access to the arts across Colorado. She brings an extensive background in public art programs, contemporary art curation, arts education and capital projects. Her international and multicultural upbringing and perspective inform a dedication to supporting artists and arts learners, making Daisy a key advocate for the transformative power of the arts.

Access Gallery
Leader in Accessible Arts
Damon is working at the intersection of art, ability and creativity. He is a speaker, trainer, activist, consultant, coach, mentor and community artist.

Literary Arts Entrepreneur
Dan is an award-winning literary arts advocate who holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Western Colorado University. He's a founding board member of Sidewalk Poets; an advisory board member of Rocky Mountain Reader; and co-founder of Story Quest, a creative business teaching aspiring authors how to use the power of storytelling to unlock their imaginations. Dan served as Chair for the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs during the 2023-2024 term.

Auraria Higher Education Center
Bio coming soon!

MSU Denver
Liz is an Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology at Metropolitan State University of Denver and Faculty Fellow in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. In her role at MSU Denver, she developed and oversees a Visiting Artist Series on Music, Race, and Social Justice highlighting the work of BIPOC musicians, performers, and scholars (https://www.msudenver.edu/music/events/music-race-social-justice/). Liz teaches courses on music and culture, global popular musics, and Black music in the United States, performs with Denver community ensemble Gamelan Tunas Mekar, and loves time on the trails with her dog, Fritza. 

Curious Theatre Company
Jada is an award-winning actor and director, currently serving as the Artistic Director at Curious Theatre Company, where the mission is to engage the community in important contemporary issues through provocative modern theatre. She believes the best art is created through respect, collaboration, a strong desire to play, and an unwavering spirit of curiosity. Named Colorado's “2022 Theatre Person of the Year,” Dixon has performed and/or directed at various local theatre companies. 

Joshua Margolin (he/him/his) is an educational coach and academic advisor with 2U, Inc. He supports graduate students earning degrees in licensed clinical psychology and acts as a liaison with the company’s Diversity & Inclusion Steering Committee (DISC). Josh is also a Restorative Justice facilitator with The Conflict Center. Aside from volunteering, he enjoys reading, podcasts, writing and reciting slam poetry, riding his bicycle, rollerblading (inline), indoor bouldering, video games, Jiu-Jitsu, improv, and ancient mythology. 

Denver Film
Kevin is the CEO of Denver Film. He is passionate about film and its ability to transform perspectives and spark constructive dialogue. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Colorado Dragon Boat. 

Presenting Denver
Marisa is the Executive and Artistic Director of Presenting Denver. She has previously been a part of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and the Hannah Kahn Dance company. She has served as a board member for the Children's Museum of Denver and is currently an advisor for the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) for dance. Marisa is a Detroit native and a wife and a mother of two. 

Nikki Swarn is the former General Manager of 89.3 KUVO Jazz (KUVO) and former General Manager and Station Founder of 1047 THE DROP (KUVO HD2). She is a dynamic media/entertainment executive and award winning on-air personality with over 26 years of experience. As the first African-American woman General Manager in radio in the state of Colorado, Nikki has overseen all strategic programming efforts, including original content production and podcasting, talent coaching and development, creation of large scale events and concerts while leading the cultivation of key partnerships for stations' broadcast channels and digital platforms. She enjoys redefining media's impact by building organizational capacity through innovation, providing experiential learning opportunities and mentorship, developing strategic partnerships and revenue growth, and forming collaborations with community stakeholders in the government, nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Her passion is serving as an advocate for mental health and wellness within BIPOC communities. 

Cultural Arts Specialist
Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver
Paola is a Mexican dreamer and cultural art specialist. She aspires to be an art ambassador who embraces all art and makes it more accessible to everyone. Its her first year as a commissioner and she's very thankful to be apart of DCCA.

Mexican Cultural Center
Rachel Garcia has deep roots and connections in her hometown of Denver. She has a great dedication to the arts and creative communities in Denver. Rachel has gained a sense of belonging within the arts and creative communities and they have endowed upon her the beauty of cultural traditions she is proud to pass along to her daughter, Annalisia. Rachel graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver and has a Certificate in Executive Leadership with an emphasis on the issues and challenges affecting the Latinx Community/Population and a Certificate in Inclusive Leadership/Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility.

Rachel is the Executive Director of the Mexican Cultural Center as well as a founding member and CEO of Colectiva, a collective of creatives that curate culturally inspired experiences that elevate and promote Latino Creatives via culture, art and cuisine. In service to her community, Rachel currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of ArtistiCO, is a member of several municipal LatinX Advisory Councils, is a Covid-19 Vaccine Ambassador and a Mental Health Anti-Stigma Ambassador in partnership with the Metro Denver Partnership for Health focusing on the Latinx community. She is also a member of the Scientific and Cultural District Community Acts Fund Advisory Council.

Philanthropy
After a career in communications and cable programming creation and distribution, Rick turned his attention to our community’s arts and culture life force.  He’s lead several nonprofit organizations as an executive and board member. He pledges to support the Commission and its valuable work.

Barefoot Public Relations
Sarah is Barefoot PR’s resident word nerd and co-founder. Sarah has channeled her lifelong passion for storytelling into a career in PR and community investment. She leads Barefoot PR’s Research-Based Messaging work and contributes to the strategy we build for nonprofits, government agencies and community-minded businesses. When she is not at work, you can find Sarah reading long articles on her iPad, listening to podcasts, championing Denver’s creative community or building Legos with her son Andrew. 

Such Charles
Music is a universal language, and for SUCH (pronounced ‘such’), it is the language of her soul. Growing up the daughter of Haitian immigrants, her life was centered around faith and family. Singing in her father’s church planted the seeds for a music career that is on the rise and touching the world. Following an appearance on American Idol, which took her to Hollywood, Such wrote and recorded ‘Trial and Error’, spawning a hit single, ‘Sugar Maple.’ Her music found a solid following in the UK, where she spent several consecutive weeks atop the Soul charts, and in Africa where she won the All Africa Music Award, continental Africa’s equivalent of a Grammy. Such also discovered a passion for acting and played Celie, the lead character in the stage adaption of The Color Purple, earning Broadway World Best Actress and Best Acting Debut Awards. Her latest single ‘Before Dark‘, a top 40 Urban Adult Contemporary hit oozes with the growing self-confidence of a woman who knows what she wants, and how and when she wants it. “I’ve been on this road to discovering who I am as a Black woman and someone who is a little more comfortable in her skin.” Such shares this journey with her new album, ‘WIDE NOSE, FULL LIPS. Inspired by challenges such as police brutality and a desire to flip the mainstream standards of beauty, WIDE NOSE, FULL LIPS is an unapologetic love letter to blackness. Such is currently touring and looks forward to creating unforgettable bonds and memories with music lovers everywhere.

As the daughter of working class refugees from Vietnam, a homeless teen, to teen parents, to struggling young parents to a small business owner who paved their own way. I understand the importance and power of community which has led me to where I am today. My lived experiences have given me a unique perspective as I’ve championed diversity and engagement in community building, creating safe spaces and fighting for a more equitable world for all! 

Over the past 20+ years I’ve worked at, managed, and owned several small businesses focused on supporting communities across the city of Denver. This included retail/ restaurant concepts, art galleries, home goods, a national non-toxic nail salon brand called BASE COAT and today as a Senior Community Outreach Manager appointed by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. Working with the community, non-profits, small businesses, activists and creatives has been the unifying red thread across all of my varied endeavors.

Regardless of my job title or position, my focus has always been on making impactful changes for our community, advocating and giving back to the community. From organizing community fridges, vaccine clinics, fighting for reproductive rights, safer work conditions and fair wages for nail salon/beauty industry workers, and organizing fundraisers, to overseeing community projects, building brands, and developing products.

The Word, A Storytelling Sanctuary
Viniyanka is the Executive Director and Founder of The Word, A Storytelling Sanctuary, a nonprofit organization fighting for equity and inclusion in the literary arts. 

Gary Community Ventures
Will C. Holden is a writer, producer and storyteller with more than a decade of experience in the marketing and communications sectors. He currently serves as the director of communications & storytelling at Gary Community Ventures, a philanthropic organization working to increase access to opportunity for Colorado kids and families. Here, he manages an award-winning content generation, distribution and community engagement practice that has contributed to successful public policy campaigns, narrative change efforts and socially conscious business ventures. 

Will also teaches a digital storytelling course at CU-Boulder and serves as a strategic advisor for Truce Studios, an employee-owned film production studio in Denver. Previously, he worked as a newspaper reporter, news anchor, TV producer, creative director and digital content manager. During this time, he was awarded by the Emmys, Telly Awards, Associated Press and Society of Professional Journalists for his writing, reporting, producing and creative work. Above all, Will is a proud father, husband and Colorado native.

Clayton Early Learning
William currently serves as the President and CEO for Clayton Early Learning where he is building new programming for the 500 families served through Clayton’s programming. This includes building access to healthcare, wellness programming, financial literacy, jobs, and the arts – including music, dance, and traditional arts. William has previously served in leadership roles with United Way Worldwide, Mile High United Way, and Ernst & Young.