2026 Speakers
Kamel Haddad
Interim President, University of Northern Colorado
Dr. Kamel N. Haddad, Ph.D. serves as Interim President of the University of Northern Colorado, bringing more than three decades of experience in public higher education and a deep commitment to shared governance, academic excellence, and student success. A respected scholar and senior academic leader, Dr. Haddad has built his career on the belief that strong universities are sustained through trust, transparency, and meaningful collaboration among faculty, staff, students, administrators, and governing boards. His leadership reflects a steady focus on UNC’s mission as a regional, public-serving institution with a profound impact on Colorado and beyond. Prior to becoming Interim President, Dr. Haddad served as Dean of UNC’s College of Natural and Health Sciences, where he led the university’s largest academic college and guided significant academic, organizational, and budgetary initiatives. His work at UNC has included launching new academic programs in health sciences, public health, computer science, and statistics; expanding industry-aligned credentials and experiential learning opportunities; and strengthening student success efforts with an explicit focus on equity, persistence, and completion.
Ann Hutchison
President & CEO, Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce
Ann Hutchison, CAE, became President & CEO of the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce on January 1, 2021. She started with the Chamber in 2003 as Policy Committee Coordinator and was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2005. Before moving into the CEO role, Hutchison directly managed the communications and event departments, assisted in the day-to-day operation of the Chamber and managed issues and political advocacy as well as the Chamber’s Leadership Fort Collins and Leadership Northern Colorado programs. Most recently, she has been a key leader in the community pandemic economic Response, Recovery and Reignite efforts.
Rose Nash
Founder & CEO, Biota
Rose Nash, PhD, is the founder and CEO of Biota, a Colorado-based environmental diagnostics company developing rapid testing technologies for PFAS and other contaminants in water. She holds a PhD in microbiology and is passionate about translating advanced diagnostic technologies into practical tools for environmental and public health.
Larry Pakowski
Vice President for Student Affairs, Aims Community College
Dr. Larry Pakowski serves as the vice president for student affairs and chief student affairs officer at Aims Community College. In this role, he strategically leads a comprehensive Student Affairs division encompassing five key units: Dean of Students, Enrollment Management, Student Accessibility and Well-Being, Student Success, and All-In Programs and Services. Prior to his arrival at Aims in July 2023, he established a reputation for innovation at Polk State College in Lakeland, Florida, where he served as the Associate Vice President for Student Services. He was instrumental in conceiving and implementing forward-thinking initiatives such as guided pathways, a novel appreciative advising model, onboarding coaching, and the College’s strategic enrollment management plan. These strategic moves resulted in significant improvements across key institutional metrics, including enrollment, retention, and completion, with a notable impact on underserved student populations.
Amy Parsons
President, Colorado State University
Amy Parsons is the 16th president of Colorado State University. Prior to being named CSU President in 2023, Parsons served for 17 years in senior executive leadership roles at CSU and the CSU System. She combines her higher education background with private sector leadership experience, as well as a background in law. Under Parsons’ administration, CSU launched Spur Start and the Ram Transfer Academy, novel programs that enhance access and student success for Denver metro and transfer students. She established the Executive in Residence program, engaging renowned experts in advisory roles for the university. Parsons facilitated CSU’s transition to the Pac-12, elevating the university on a national stage and strengthening CSU’s reputation for academic and research excellence.
Ken Reardon
Associate Dean for Research, Colorado State University
Dr. Reardon joined the department in 1988 after a year of postdoctoral research at the Universität Hannover as an Alexander Von Humboldt Fellow. He is Professor and Jud and Pat Harper Chair of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and holds joint appointments in several other science and engineering programs at CSU, including Cell and Molecular Biology, Ecology, and Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Reardon received his BS degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his PhD from the California Institute of Technology, both in chemical engineering. He is the Director of the Sustainable Bioenergy Development Center and a co-Director of the Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels. Dr. Reardon is also the founder and Chief Technology Officer of OptiEnz Sensors, which is based on research from his laboratory. Dr. Reardon received the Faculty Excellence Award from the College of Engineering at CSU in 2009.
Phyllis Resnick
Executive Director & Lead Economist, Colorado Futures Center
Phyllis Resnick is the executive director and lead economist at the Colorado Futures Center at Colorado State University. The Colorado Futures Center is a CSU affiliated 501c3 organization dedicated to informing about economic, fiscal and public policy issues impacting community economic health and quality of life. Phyllis leads the center’s work on macro/fiscal forecasting, the fiscal sustainability of state and local government, and the impacts of tax and expenditure limitations. She also supports the center’s expanded research portfolio focusing on all aspects of family economic security and community economic health.
Justin Schwartz
Chancellor, University of Colorado Boulder
As the 12th chancellor of the University of Colorado Boulder, Dr. Justin Schwartz is committed to transforming lives through the mission of Colorado’s public flagship university. Schwartz joined the campus July 1, 2024, from The Pennsylvania State University, where he most recently served as executive vice president and provost. He previously served as Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Penn State’s College of Engineering from 2017 to 2022 and has spent his career as a researcher, educator, entrepreneur and academic leader in large state universities. Schwartz holds a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a doctorate in nuclear engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and ASM International. Schwartz holds seven patents.
Colleen Simpson
President, Front Range Community College
Dr. Colleen Simpson is the ninth president of Front Range Community College. During her tenure at FRCC, she has led efforts to reimagine the college for the future—with a focus on boosting educational excellence and removing barriers to student success. In her time at the college, FRCC has launched 5 bachelor’s degree programs, created transformational new transfer partnerships with four-year universities and seen a significant increase in fundraising success for student scholarships and program support. Dr. Simpson has served as FRCC’s president since 2022. She represents the college on the boards of directors for UCHealth, the Boulder Chamber, the Colorado Community College System Foundation and Colorado’s Elevate Quantum consortium.
Rich Werner
President & CEO, Upstate Colorado Economic Development
Rich Werner joined Upstate Colorado Economic Development in his current role as president & CEO in 2015. Upstate Colorado operates in Weld County in Northern Colorado where they have partnered with local communities to support the unprecedented growth making Northern Colorado one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. Prior to joining Upstate, Rich worked in Southern Colorado for six years. Rich has previously served as the Associate Director for the State of Colorado Small Business Development Centers for Former Governor Bill Owens and Bill Ritter. Prior to his appointment by the State, he acted as the Director of Marketing and Community Affairs for the Boulder Technology Incubator (CTEK). Rich spent his early career in the private sector in Washington DC after receiving degrees in Political Science and Communications from The American University.