Like many other organizations assessing their needs and future at this stage of the pandemic, JDRF continues to rebuild its staff team through thoughtful and intentional allocation of resources. Doing so in ways that maximize opportunities to advance our mission and ensure we are best serving the T1D community leads all of our decisions.

To that end, the Mountain West Chapter welcomed three new staff members to the team this month, including two positions that are new to our chapter.

Serving in the newly conceived position of Community Engagement Manager and based in Denver is Andrea Santoyo. Andrea comes to us from Destinations Career Academy of Colorado, a full-time online public school serving 6th-12th grades where she oversaw engagement and socialization opportunities for the student body, including face-to-face events, virtual gatherings, competitions and clubs. She also managed internal and external communications, and provided support to students at various stages of their DCA journey. At JDRF, Andrea is tasked with organizing, developing, implementing and expanding the Community Engagement Program for the whole of our chapter (Colorado, Utah and Wyoming), including our core programs, such as Bag of Hope, TypeOneNation Summit, Youth Ambassadors and relationships with healthcare providers. Additionally, Andrea has been living with T1D for just over 10 years, so she understands the challenges facing those who live with this disease and just how important community is for those with T1D.

Mackenzie Turner joined us March 14 as the Senior Development Coordinator. Prior to joining JDRF, Mackenzie was with Chi Phi Educational Trust where she coordinated all aspects of the Trust’s grants and scholarship program, including the application process; marketing and recruiting; and training volunteers. She also wrote and edited external communications through solicitation letters, social media and other projects as needed. Mackenzie’s background also includes working for The Walt Disney Company while she was pursuing her MBA at the University of Central Florida and as a development assistant for Utah’s Hogle Zoo. Based in Salt Lake City, Mackenzie’s responsibilities will include supporting team captains and fundraisers through the Walk, Ride and JDRF Your Way programs; and managing key event activities.

Also joining the team is Mikayla Llanos, who will serve as a Development Manager. Mikayla brings 18 years of experience in the Colorado nonprofit community, having served in roles ranging from Development Associate to Executive Director for local chapters of the March of Dimes, Florence Crittenton Services, the Autism Society and other health- and wellness-focused organizations throughout her career. She studied Law & Society at the University of Denver and is passionate about her role as an advocate for equal access to healthcare for all. Mikayla will ensure the success of the JDRF Dream Gala and support mid-level donor programs, and is based in Denver.

Together with the rest of the chapter team (Hannah Hoogenboom, Laura Rosseisen, Dana Slack and Mike Somers) the Mountain West Chapter is eager and excited to serve the T1D community in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.

Please reach out to any of us if we can be of service!