PERSONAL

Kristina Gray (ella)

Director Ejecutivo

Kristina se licenció en Ciencias Políticas por la MSU de Denver en 2011. Ha formado parte del sector sin ánimo de lucro durante más de 10 años. Es una ex alumna del programa AmeriCorps VISTA de la Corporación para el Servicio Nacional y Comunitario y del Programa de Aspirantes a Líderes de la Fundación de la Cámara Hispana, Clase de 2017. Kristina pasa su tiempo libre abogando por la justicia y la equidad para todos los jóvenes y familias de Colorado, y yendo de aventuras con su marido y su hija pequeña.

Sean Cortés (él/ella)

Director de Desarrollo

Sean nació y creció en Orlando, Florida, y se licenció en Música y Negocios Familiares en la Universidad de Stetson. Al crecer, Sean visitó Colorado cada invierno y verano y se enamoró de las Montañas Rocosas. Sean llega a ELK con 10 años de experiencia en la gestión de organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro. Ha sido el Director de Gira de la organización internacional sin ánimo de lucro Up with People, y más recientemente el Director de Compromiso con la Comunidad en la Aspen Ridge Preparatory School. A lo largo de su carrera ha ejecutado docenas de actividades de recaudación de fondos y ha ayudado a recaudar más de un millón de dólares para organizaciones benéficas de todo el país. Cuando no está ocupado trabajando, le gusta ser miembro del Denver Gay Men's Chorus y pasar tiempo con su familia de Denver y trabajar en su Master de Administración de Empresas.

Damián García (he/him)

Voluntario y gestor de edificios

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 (ella/él)

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 es un bailarín latino queer, poeta y nerd medioambiental nacido en Idaho, criado tejano y pulido en Denver. Nacido de una familia de inmigrantes, su trabajo le ha situado en museos de ciencia, como maestro de ceremonias de concursos de danza y poesía, conferencias y espacios medioambientales. Un Tedx Mile High intérprete y la naturaleza de las ciudades de residencia su trabajado en todo el suroeste, Perú, Puerto Rico para las universidades y los campamentos de liderazgo ambiental. Su trabajo abarca el amor propio, la inmigración, la cultura, la conservación y mucho más. Franklin siempre pretende abordar la liberación interseccional, confrontando nuestra complicidad con el privilegio y la opresión y la lección de la especificidad sobre la simplicidad.

Veronica Legette (ella/él)

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)

Asistente del Programa de Guardabosques Urbanos

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!