Laura Rosseisen

Executive Director

Laura Rosseisen, Executive Director for JDRF, Rocky Mountain Chapter, has spent 33 years working in the metro Denver non-profit and education community. She served 10 years teaching and working in Catholic high schools; 10 years on the staffs of the Children’s Museum of Denver and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science; and 12 years in various local, regional and national leadership roles with the Arthritis Foundation.

A published author, she wrote Storybooks for Tough Times (Fulcrum Publishing, 1999), a resource for adults helping children deal with difficult issues.

After growing up in the Washington, D.C. area, Laura spent seven years on the staff at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico and five years on the staff association’s board of directors.

Laura earned a B.A. in journalism from Arizona State University and has a master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Colorado. She joined JDRF in October, 2017.

Mike Somers

Market Director

Prior to serving as Mountain West’s Market Director, Mike led the Mountain Valley Chapter (Utah and Idaho) as the Executive Director since 2014.

Prior to joining JDRF as a staff member, Mike volunteered for JDRF as a Utah Board member and a JDRF SLC Walk team captain since 2004. Along with volunteering for JDRF and Susan G Komen for the Cure, Mike was the Director of Human Resources for Companion Systems, a manufacturer of products for the banking industry, for 25 years.

Mike is a Utah native and grew up in Woods Cross. Mike married his wife Michelle in 1995 and has two adult children. He enjoys the outdoors, traveling, and camping with family and friends.

Hannah Hoogenboom

Donor Relations Officer

Hannah Hoogenboom serves as the Donor Relations Officer for the JDRF Mountain West Chapter supporting Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, and joined the team in April 2018. She leads development efforts in the areas of Major Gifts and Corporate Development and oversees the Team responsible for peer-to-peer programs, including the Colorado and Utah JDRF One Walk and JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes, and the JDRF Dream Gala. Her overall objective alongside her talented colleagues is simple – raise critical funds to advance type 1 diabetes research.

Hannah has been a Champion of the type 1 diabetes (T1D) community her whole life – both her uncles have lived with T1D as well as second cousins and other family members. But it wasn’t until her younger brother was diagnosed in 2007 that she decided to be more actively involved and make it her job to let others in this community know they are not alone.

As an experienced nonprofit professional, she has committed her career to supporting all people living with diabetes with a focus on growing revenue and working in partnership with volunteers to increase the impact of the organization’s mission. She is inspired by the empowering connections made with individuals and families and feels fortunate to work every day towards a world without T1D.

As an almost-native-Coloradoan, in her free time you’ll find Hannah hanging with her “pandemic puppy,” a black lab named Henry, and enjoying all that Colorado has to offer.

You can reach Hannah at hhoogenboom@jdrf.org or 720-413-1523.

Dana Slack

Development Manager

Dana’s first experience with JDRF came when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 22 and received a T1D Care Kit from the local JDRF Chapter. When a position opened up in the Rocky Mountain office, it was an opportunity Dana couldn’t pass up.  She officially joined the team in February of 2017. Working at JDRF combines Dana’s love of connecting people and supporting the T1D community with nonprofit work. A Chicago native, Dana has been living in Colorado since 2013. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband and dogs, fostering kittens, reading, and travel.

Mikayla Llanos

Development Manager

Mikayla joined the JDRF Mountain West staff as Development Manager in March of 2022. She is based in Denver.

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.

Andrea Santoyo

Community Engagement Manager

Andrea was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2011, just 3 days before her sophomore year of high school, when she also received a Bag of Hope from JDRF during her hospital stay. She was not unfamiliar with T1D, as her father was diagnosed when he was just 4 years old.

Andrea’s formal education is in social work and she has always tried to put community engagement at the core of her work. When the Community Engagement Manager position opened up at the Mountain West chapter, she knew she had to apply and she officially joined the team in February of 2022. Growing up, Andrea never had many people in her life also living with T1D. She understands the importance of having people in our corner who understand what living with this disease feels like. She is excited to facilitate such connections for our chapter and beyond, ultimately working together for a world without T1D.

Andrea has lived in Florida and North Carolina, but she is now happy to have the Rocky Mountains in her backyard. In her free time, she enjoys journaling, reading, drinking coffee, and exploring the woods and hills of the Rockies.

Mackenzie Turner

Senior Development Coordinator

Mackenzie is the Senior Development Coordinator with the JDRF Mountain West Chapter. Mackenzie was born and raised in the Park City area of Utah where she grew up skiing, hiking and playing outside. Growing up, she spent copious amounts of time volunteering locally and internationally and participating in peer-to-peer fundraising for many organizations, so the transition to working professionally in fundraising was a no-brainer. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Utah and earned a Masters in Business Administration at the University of Central Florida. Previously, Mackenzie has held fundraising and stewardship positions across several local and national nonprofits, as well as spending several years ‘making magic’ at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

While Mackenzie doesn’t have a direct connection with T1D, she is very passionate about finding a cure. Her stepfather has struggled with Multiple Sclerosis for 15 years, and she has many close family members that have been diagnosed with other autoimmune diseases. She hopes to utilize her skills in fundraising and storytelling to accelerate the mission and increase awareness of JDRF so that together, we can end T1D.

Outside of work, you can find Mackenzie in the yoga studio, at a local coffee shop, or continuing to add to her ever-growing to-be-read list at the bookstore.