Acceso ("access" in Spanish) is a committee that assists the Clerk and Recorder and the Director of Elections in their outreach efforts to Denver's limited-English, Spanish-speaking citizens.
Central goals include:
"Provide advice and guidance to the Office of the Clerk and Recorder and its Elections Division to assist in communicating to the Spanish language community for purposes of providing elections information and promoting voting and participation of all citizens in the elections process."
Acceso's History
Today, Acceso has 16 members representing various geographic areas of Denver. The members serve three years and participate in scheduled meetings and educational activities about the electoral process.
The Acceso board meets on a monthly basis. Public meeting invitations will be posted to this webpage.
Meetings are dynamic, and all board members contribute their ideas and updates to the team, the Director of Elections, and the Clerk and Recorder. The board may schedule additional meetings, and provides notices of all meetings in accordance with the Denver open meetings ordinance.
Members of the Denver community with an interest in providing information about, and promoting participation in, the electoral process are encouraged to apply for membership on the Acceso board.
Apply now
Marisa (she/her/hers) currently works as CWEE’s (Center for Work Education and Employment) Manager of Data Analytics and Impact. Marisa brings person-forward data practices. Prior to joining CWEE, Marisa worked in the nonprofit sector focusing on accessible data and projects supporting BIPOC, immigrant, and refugee-serving nonprofit organizations. Marisa is a Colorado native who attended the University of Colorado Denver, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health with a minor in Psychology. She recently earned her master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration on Nonprofit Management. Marisa is active in the community, serving in a leadership role of the LatinasGive! Giving Circle and volunteering for causes throughout the state. Marisa works to create equitable systems statewide through resource procurement, education and outreach efforts, and community building.
Vallerie Bustamante recently graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from New Mexico State University. She attended Denver Public Schools throughout her grade school career and invested her time and dedication in trying to make positive change in the schools she attended. She has worked with several organizations to push events and/or agendas such as removing implicit bias within her school through Student Board of Education, Ban the Box campaign with the Denver Area Labor Federation, and special events with the Congresswoman Veronica Escobar. She is currently a Parent Organizer for a non-profit organization in Colorado.
Hilda Gehrke is a Social Leadership Coach, Facilitator and Interpreter. She migrated from Mexico in 1996 and has been an interpreter for more than 11 years. Hilda graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from Regis University and completed her training as an Ontological Coach from Newfield Network, INC in 2017. She obtained her certification as a Certified Newfield Coach (NCC) and has more than 200 hours of experience as a group and personal coach. Hilda is an active member of the International Coaching Federation Colorado Chapter (ICF).
Hilda has a particular interest in developing voices within the Latinx community. She is a Jefferson County facilitator and has been facilitating with the Family Leadership Training Institute, working to encourage community leaders to use their talents to make their neighborhoods healthier places for their children. She is involved in community work to support leaders and organizations to create inclusive spaces. She is a board member of the Jefferson County Department of Public Health, and her mission is to encourage cooperation and equality.
bio coming soon
Maria is an associate program officer at Rose Community Foundation. She also serves in the steering committee for the Emergent Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) Colorado Chapter, a national network of non-profit and philanthropy professionals focused on equity and social justice.
Maria moved to Colorado from San Luis Potosi, Mexico to pursue her master’s degree in international development from the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies. Before joining Rose Community Foundation, she was the program director for Healthy Learning Paths, a local non-profit focused on health education for children and families, where she coordinated the school and community programs and special events and managed their volunteer program. While in graduate school she also interned for local non-profits in the Denver area, the Mexican Consulate, and the United Nations Development Program for Latin America and the Caribbean. Maria was appointed to the ACCESO board in April of 2020.
Angelica Granados is a graduate of the University of Denver where she graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Spanish with minors in Ethnic Studies and Sociology. As a Denver girl born and raised Angelica is a Denver Public School alumni from Abraham Lincoln High School in Southwest Denver. As an advocate for political engagement within the Latino community, Angelica's experience in DU's Political Science Program exposed her to Policy and Research which later led her to become a Capitol Fellow for the Colorado Latino Leadership Advocacy and Research. Currently, Angelica advocates for her community and Coloradans across the state in numerous ways.
Paul D. LópezClerk and Recorder
Denver Elections Division
Call: 720-913-VOTE (8683) Text: 56003 Hearing Impaired only (TTY): 720-913-8657 200 W. 14th Ave., Denver, CO 80204 elections@denvergov.org Twitter Facebook Instagram
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