Board Information
Colorado Healthcare Communicators (CHC) board members are volunteers who work within or provide services to Colorado's healthcare community. Board positions are nominated and voted on annually by the membership. Most position terms are one year, not to exceed two consecutive terms.
2012 Board of Directors & Committee Chairs:
Past President
Jennifer Wills, GroundFloor Media
Jennifer Wills is a senior public relations manager at GroundFloor Media Communications, a Denver-based public relations agency. Since joining GroundFloor Media in 2005, Jennifer has managed a variety of accounts ranging from nonprofit to healthcare to consumer. For her healthcare clients, she provides strategic counsel, local and national media relations, crisis communication and social media. Her healthcare campaigns have been recognized with awards from PRSA Colorado and Colorado Healthcare Communicators. She has been active in CHC since 2008 and served as president in 2011.
President
Jacy Conradt, Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network
Jacy Conradt is the Development and Marketing Manager for Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network (ADMHN), the behavioral health service provider for Arapahoe and Douglas counties (excluding Aurora). Her experience provides for the diversity needed to maintain the agency’s brand and marketing materials and develop corporate philanthropic relationships. Jacy has 17 years experience in the marketing arena as a graphic designer, advertising sales representative and agency account manager. Her passion lies in communicating and promoting mental health services and information. Prior to ADMHN, she was the Community Relations Coordinator for Mental Health America of Colorado (MHAC).
Vice President
Heather Horsey, Weise Communications
Heather Horsey joined the Colorado Healthcare Communicators as Gold Leaf Awards Co-Chair in 2011, after being a Gold Leaf Awards committee member in 2010. Heather is a public relations account manager and director of healthcare strategy at Weise Communications, an integrated marketing, advertising and public relations agency specializing in the health care industry. As a communications professional, Heather has a wide-ranging background in public relations and marketing communications with an emphasis in health care. After starting her career with the Exempla hospital system, she continues to build successful strategic communication efforts for a variety of clients. Specializing in media relations, strategic planning and social media integration, Heather’s efforts have increased visibility for clients in media outlets from television and blogs to newspapers and magazines. Heather earned her bachelor's degree in communication from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Secretary
Sarah Ellis, Porter Adventist Hospital
Sarah Ellis serves as the manager of PR and strategic marketing at Denver’s Porter Adventist Hospital, a tertiary care hospital that is part of Centura Health, the state’s largest health system. She participates in development and management of PR and marketing programs at the hospital, including advertising, website content, service line promotion, community education programs, social media programs and news media planning and response, including crisis communications. She served as director of news media for the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and University of Colorado Hospital in Denver and Aurora for nearly 14 years. Her responsibilities included news media planning and response, issues management and crisis communications for the hospital and the health sciences center, which consisted of schools of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry and a graduate school. She served for two years as assistant director of internal communications at University of Colorado Hospital. A native of Denver, Colo., Sarah has also worked as a general assignment reporter at The Denver Post, a Denver daily newspaper, and at The Capitol Reporter, a weekly legislative newspaper. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Sarah is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, and has served as president of the Colorado Healthcare Communicators, and as vice president of the Emergency Services Public Information Officers of Colorado. She is a member of the Colorado Hospital PIO group. She is a graduate of the Leadership Aurora Program and a volunteer advocate with the Aurora Police Department’s Victim's Services Unit.
Treasurer
Margie McCarthy, McCarthy Communications
Bio coming soon...
Gold Leaf Co-Chair
Kathryn Cicerchi, Donor Alliance
Kathryn “Katie” Cicerchi became Gold Leaf co-chair this year after serving as marketing co-chair in 2011 and Gold Leaf committee member from 2009 through 2011. Kathryn works as community relations coordinator for Donor Alliance, the federally-designated organ procurement organization serving Colorado and most of Wyoming, where she manages community programs including Transplantation Science and Workplace Partnership for Life. Before Donor Alliance, she worked for the Denver-based American Transplant Foundation for nearly four years. Kathryn has valuable experience in PR/communications, writing, editing, social media, website management, event planning, fundraising and volunteer management. Her work for the American Transplant Foundation was recognized with the 2011 Nonprofit Project of the Year Award and three awards in community relations from the Colorado Healthcare Communicators. Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Communications from Franklin College Switzerland. In 2012, she spent two months in Leogane, Haiti as an earthquake relief volunteer with All Hands Volunteers.
Gold Leaf Co-Chair
Melissa Vizcarra, Children's Hospital Colorado
Bio coming soon...
Marketing Co-Chair
Ron Patrick, Robin Bond Media
Ron Patrick is Director of Marketing & Business Development for Robin Bond Media, a fresh/seasoned production company committed to moving hearts and minds through video. Robin Bond Media is a Denver-based video production company that creates B-to-B and B-to-C videos, TV commercials and film documentaries for clients within medical, corporate, nonprofit and ad agency spaces. Ron develops and manages client relationships with companies such as Pacific Gas & Electric, Rodney Strong Vineyards, American Airlines, Medtronic, Cerebral Palsy of Colorado and Western Union. He also manages national corporate sponsorships & partnerships for RBM’s film projects within the branded entertainment space.
Marketing Co-Chair
Rebecca Sunshine, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains
Bio coming soon...
Membership Co-Chair
Melissa Ford, First Choice Services
Melissa Ford joined Colorado Healthcare Communicators as a 2009 Gold Leaf Awards chair. She has professional experience in marketing, with a skill set in sales, promotions and communications. Melissa began her career with an advertising agency in media and public relations at Rick Johnson & Co. She later moved into sales in merchant services with Discover Card. Melissa followed her desire, making the move to the healthcare industry marketing medical devices for Viasys and working for both St. Anthony Hospitals and The Eating Disorder Center of Denver. Melissa now performs marketing/promotions contract work and market the family business, The Gourmet Grind, a coffee vending service but stays actively involved in the healthcare industry through networking with and being a member of Colorado Health Care Communicators. She is also a member of Executive Women's International, Denver chapter and local chambers of commerce.
Membership Co-Chair
Jessica Warren, Bonfils Blood Center
Jessica Warren is the community outreach coordinator for Bonfils Blood Center. In her role, which she's held for more than three years, Warren is responsible for managing Bonfils' educational outreach to schools, corporations and the community-at-large as well as planning community events such as Community Lifelines and Drive for Life. To learn more about Bonfils' educational opportunities, please contact Jessica Warren at Jessica_Warren@bonfils.org or 303.363.2377.
Programs Committee Co-Chair
Laura Giocomo, SE2
Bio coming soon...
Programs Committee Co-Chair
Nikki Burnett, MD News
Bio coming soon...
CHA Board Liaison
Julian Kesner, Colorado Hospital Association
Julian Kesner is Vice President of Communications and Media Relations at the Colorado Hospital Association (CHA), which represents 95 hospitals and health systems throughout the state. Before joining CHA in 2011, Julian served as Public Relations Manager at the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office in Denver. Prior to moving to Colorado at the end of 2008, Julian was Senior Editor at Prevention Magazine, the country’s largest consumer health publication, and also spent three years reporting on health and medicine in the features department of the New York Daily News. Julian grew up in Vermont and graduated from Dartmouth College.
Administrator
Lisa Bacchus, Weise Communications
Lisa Bacchus, a transplant from Los Angeles, brings a wide variety of background to Colorado Healthcare Communicators. She is in her fourth year as Weise Communication's Director of Operations. Her 14 years of experience working in the entertainment industry allowed her to gain invaluable experience in operations, accounting and business management. Lisa was manager of finance and administration of Hammer Creative Advertising in Los Angeles, an agency that specialized in movie marketing through trailers and print. Lisa holds a bachelor of arts in communications from the University of Hawaii. As CHC’s administrator, she handles many of CHC's day-to-day functions, including maintaining the database, Web site updates, mailings, general communications, event registrations, customer relations and board member support.
President: Jennifer Wills, GroundFloor Media
Vice President: Jacy Conradt, Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network
Secretary: Sara Ellis, Porter Adventist Hospital
Treasurer: Elizabeth Whitehead, Children's Hospital Colorado
Gold Leaf Co-Chairs: Heather (Hutchinson) Horsey, Weise Communications & Carie Sherman, Freelancer
Marketing Co-Chairs: Kathryn Cicerchi, Micki Sievwright & Celeste Jackson
Membership Co-Chairs: Jessica Warren, Bonfils Blood Center & Melissa Ford, First Choice Services
Programs Committee Co-Chairs: Paige Thompson, Centura Health at Home & Kindle Fahlenkamp-Morell, The Colorado Health Foundation
Board Liaison: Julian Kesner, Colorado Hospital Association
Administrator (hired position): Lisa Bacchus, Weise Communications
If you are interested in joining the CHC Board of Directors or a committee, please email us at info@healthcarecommunicators.org.
