STAFF

Kristina Gray (she/her)

Executive Director

Kristina received her Bachelor of Art degree in Political Science from MSU Denver in 2011. She has been a part of the nonprofit sector for over 10 years. She is an alumnus of the Corporation for National and Community Service’s AmeriCorps VISTA program and the Hispanic Chamber Foundation’s Aspiring Leaders Program, Class of 2017. Kristina spends her free time advocating for justice and equity for all of Colorado’s youth & families, and going on adventures with her husband and young daughter.

Sean Cortes (he/him)

Director of Development

Sean was born and raised in Orlando, Florida and earned a Bachelors of Music and Family Business from Stetson University. Growing up Sean visited Colorado every winter and summer and fell in love with the Rocky Mountains. Sean comes to ELK with 10 years of non-profit management experience. He’s been the Tour Manager of international non-profit Up with People, and most recently the Community Engagement Director at Aspen Ridge Preparatory School. Throughout his career he has executed dozens of fundraisers and has helped raised over 1 million dollars for charities across the country. When he’s not busy working he enjoys being a member of the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus and spending time with his Denver family and working on his Masters of Business Administration.

Damián García (he/him)

Volunteer & Building Manager

Hablo Español | Born in Brownsville, Texas, and raised on both sides of the border, Damian grew up immersed in a culturally rich and diverse environment that shaped his values from an early age. He is a naturalist with a strong background in environmental interpretation, public speaking, event coordination, and volunteer engagement.

For the past several years, Damian has worked as an educator connecting communities across Colorado to the outdoors. In his free time, he enjoys meeting new people, caring for animals, and building meaningful connections through nature. He looks forward to continuing to devote his time, energy, and heart to ELK’s mission of serving the Montbello community.

Lauren Keller (she/her)

Impact Communications Manager

Hablo Español | Lauren was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and has been dedicated to cultivating healthy social-ecological systems since she was in elementary school. She holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Colorado College and an MA in Conservation Biology from Miami University’s Global Field Program. Lauren has spent over five years working for Colorado-based environmental nonprofits and is a Certified Environmental Educator with the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education.

Throughout her academic and professional careers, Lauren has focused on connecting diverse groups of learners to nature and inspiring them to feel a sense of reciprocity between themselves and their environments. She is especially passionate about harnessing visual media to share the wonder of the natural world with everyone. In her free time, you can find Lauren reading, playing games, cooking new foods, or searching for wild animals to photograph.

Franklin Cruz (elle/él, they/he)

Education Coordinator – Community Programs

Hablo Español | Franklin Cruz is a queer latin dancer, poet and environmental nerd born in Idaho, raised Texan and polished in Denver. Born from an immigrant family their work has placed them in science museums, as an emcee for dance & poetry competitions, conferences and environmental spaces. A Tedx Mile High performer and Nature of Cities residency his worked throughout the southwest, Peru, Puerto Rico for universities and environmental leadership camps. Their work encompasses self love, immigration, culture, conservation and more. Franklin always aims to address intersectional liberation, confronting our complicity to privilege and oppression and the lesson of specificity over simplicity.

Veronica Legette (she/her)

Education Coordinator – School-Based Programs

Hablo Español | Born and raised in San Antonio, TX, Veronica has always grown up with a love of nature and interest in wildlife. She received her undergraduate degree in Animal Science from Texas State University and has extensive experience in informal education, focusing on STEM and conservation-based programming. After relocating to Colorado, she continued to pursue her passion for environmental education by facilitating and developing programs that inspire awe and empathy for nature. She earned her Master’s in Conservation Biology with a focus on inquiry-based learning through Miami University’s Advanced Inquiry Program. She is excited to bring her skills and passions to the ELK team as we work to provide opportunities for accessible and equitable environmental learning experiences.

Giselle Chávez Puebla (she/her)

Urban Ranger Program Assistant

Hablo Español | Giselle was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, and has lived in Montbello her whole life. She has been part of ELK since she was 10 years old, which is where she found her love for hiking and camping. Fun fact: the first time she ever went fishing was with ELK! Giselle is now a Junior studying Business Marketing at the University of Colorado Boulder (Sko Buffs!), and she plans to minor in Sports Management. Her dream job is to work as a marketing manager for the Denver Nuggets. Giselle has a love for traveling and seeing the world!