2008 Board of Directors & Committee Chairs:

Colorado Healthcare Communicators 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.
President: Tracy Weise, Weise Communications
Past President: Kelly Robbins, A Marketing Connection
Vice President: Tammy Stratton, The Bawmann Group
Secretary: Julie Scott, Bonfils Blood Center
Treasurer: Tonya Ewers, CU-Denver and Health Sciences Center
Gold Leaf Co-Chairs: Michelle Marks and Tasha Patterson, AORN
Marketing Co-Chairs: Molly Pereira, Colorado Dental Association & Tammy Stratton, The Bawmann Group
Membership Committee Chair: Jessica Wood, O'Brien Adv
Programs Committee Chair: Craig Chambers, RM/PBS
Board Liaison: Rick Haugh, Colorado Health and Hospital Association
Administrator (hired position): Lisa Bacchus, Weise Communications

2008 Board Bios:

President - Tracy Weise
Tracy Weise is a principal owner of Weise Communications, Inc., an integrated advertising and public relations agency that services companies in healthcare, manufacturing, financial, non-profit and other industries throughout the United States. Before owning the agency, Tracy's experience included both the corporate and agency worlds, providing account support and client communication. In addition to running the agency, she provides account support, hands-on implementation and public relations, internal communications and marketing programs. Additionally, she is an award winning speechwriter and her communications work has been recognized by organizations including the Public Relations Society of America, Colorado Healthcare Communicators, The Astor Awards, Healthcare Marketing and Advertising Review and many others. In addition to the CHC board, Tracy is an inaugural board member for the James Madison University School of Communications Alumni Advisory Committee as well as the Public Relations Advisory Board.

Vice President and Marketing Co-Chair – Tammy Stratton
Tammy Stratton is the vice president of client services for The Bawmann Group, an integrated communication firm. The Bawmann Group is known for its healthcare, bioscience and scientific expertise as well as its integrated approach to marketing, advertising and public relations. A senior member of The Bawmann Group for nearly 10 years, Tammy formulates strategic direction and implements marketing, PR and advertising activities for those they serve. Through the years, she has been involved in virtually every aspect of The Bawmann Group’s work from high-level strategic planning and crisis management to the detailed implementation of complex, multi-faceted integrated campaigns including marketing, advertising, media relations, community relations and Web development. She works regularly with CEOs and senior level managers to provide strategic counsel and manage a broad range of communication activities. Tammy is an active participant with the Colorado Healthcare Communicators having served on the board for a total of five years.


Secretary - Julie Scott
Julie Scott begins serving her second year as CHC’s secretary in 2008. Julie began her career in healthcare communications nearly four years ago as the public relations specialist for Bonfils Blood Center, Colorado’s largest community blood center. In addition to managing media relations for the blood center and its subsidiaries, Julie is responsible for a wide array of external communications reaching blood and financial donors as well as healthcare and community partners. She is also an active member of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) holding a seat on the Colorado chapter's board of directors. Juile's work has been recognized by both PRSA and Colorado Healthcare Communicators and was named PRSA Colorado's Rookie of the Year in 2003.

Treasurer - Tonya Ewers
Serving the third year of her term as treasurer for CHC is Tonya Ewers, senior news media specialist for the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center and University of Colorado Hospital. With more than six years experience in public relations, she has worked in the non-profit, agency, corporate and public/state arenas. Her experience includes healthcare and education, tourism, child care, the arts and financial services. She is an active member of CHC, PRSA and the Emergency Services Public Information Officers of Colorado (ESPIOC). In addition, Tonya is a graduate of Leadership Aurora, a program of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce.

Gold Leaf Co-Chair – Michelle Marks
Michelle W. Marks has spent close to fifteen years in business-to-business and consumer marketing, product management and sales. Michelle’s extensive healthcare experience dates back to 1994 when she sold medical diagnostic devices in Atlanta and Phoenix for BioStar. Pursuing her lifelong passion for marketing, Michelle enjoyed the next eight years in product management roles for BioStar and COBE Cardiovascular representing medical device and capital equipment product lines sold into the surgical, critical care, and ambulatory arenas. Choosing to spend more time on the ground in Denver, CO with her family than on an airplane, Michelle is currently the director of marketing and sales for AORN, the national association committed to advancing perioperative nursing and improving patient safety in the surgical setting.

Gold Leaf Co-Chair – Tasha Patterson
Tasha Patterson has spent several years working in marketing and development for several non-profit and business-to-consumer companies developing marketing, public relations, and fundraising campaigns. Having just completed her MBA in marketing and international business, Tasha is excited about her first foray into the healthcare arena working in marketing at AORN, the national association committed to advancing perioperative nursing and improving patient safety in the surgical setting.

Marketing Committee Co-Chair – Molly Pereira
Molly Pereira is associate executive director of the Colorado Dental Association. She produces the organization's publications, manages media inquiries, is responsible for all communications and PR efforts and oversees the association's operations. She has been with the CDA for five years. Prior to her current job, Molly was a communications specialist for the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations. She possesses a journalism background and has dedicated her communications career thus far to nonprofit public relations.

Membership Committee Chair – Jessica Wood
Jessica Wood mangages several healthcare clients in her role at O'Brien Advertising. Previous to heading up CHC's membership committee, Jessica co-chaired the successful 2007 Gold Leaf awards banquet and has served on numerous committees.

Programs Committee Co-Chair - Craig Chambers
Craig Chambers is director of corporate business development at Rocky Mountain PBS, Channel 6 in Denver. He is responsible for development of local, statewide and national corporate underwriting business for the four PBS stations in the Rocky Mountain broadcast network. Prior to his move to RMPBS, Craig was vice president new business development for Healthy Solutions, a healthcare marketing communications company based in Pompano Beach, Fla. Craig holds a bachelor of science degree in journalism from the University of Oregon and masters of business administration from the University of Portland.

Programs Committee Co-Chair – Rachel Kilian
Rachel Kilian is the marketing manager for Radiology Imaging Associates, a company of 60-plus subspecialty radiologists in Denver. She is responsible for marketing and PR campaigns to increase awareness both to the general public and physicians about interventional radiology procedures, which utilize non-invasive, new technology to treat strokes and aneurysms as well as spinal fractures and varicose veins. Rachel has prior experience in biotech and media sales. She started her career as a radiology oncology researcher and holds a bachelor of science degree in molecular biology. In her free time, she enjoys teaching pilates, yoga and weight lifting.

Liaison from Colorado Health and Hospital Association – Rick Haugh
Richard Haugh, who joined CHC’s board of directors as the Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) liaison in 2007, is the director of communications for the CHA. He provides communications support for the association, serves as the primary media relations contact, and works closely with hospital public information officers. He also is part of the CHA legislative and advocacy team. Rick is a veteran healthcare journalist, with an extensive and varied background in communications. Before joining CHA he spent 10 years as a senior writer for Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.

Past President – Kelly Robbins
Kelly Robbins is a healthcare copywriter and marketing consultant who has worked in the marketing industry for more than 18 years. Kelly was the recipient of the 2004 “40 under 40” award given annually by the Denver Business Journal which recognized her as a leader in the business community. Kelly also publishes The Healthcare Marketing Connection, an internationally read newsletter that covers healthcare and nonprofit marketing topics. Kelly is the author of Healthcare Copywriting Secrets Revealed and The Healthcare Copywriters Toolkit.

Administrator – Lisa Bacchus
Lisa Bacchus, a transplant from Los Angeles, brings a wide variety of background to Colorado Healthcare Communicators. She has 10 years of working in the entertainment industry that has 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, website updates, mailings, general communications, event registrations, customer relations and board member support.