Mayor Mike Johnston appointed Dr. Jamie Rife as the Executive Director of the Department of Housing Stability (HOST), and she joined HOST Jan. 2, 2024.
Dr. Rife previously served as the Executive Director of the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI), where she was instrumental in leading collaborative efforts to end homelessness in the metro Denver region. Her leadership garnered national recognition for Denver's achievements in achieving quality data for those experiencing homelessness and reducing veteran homelessness. Dr. Rife was a member of the collaborative that launched the statewide Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) in 2018 throughout Colorado.
Prior to joining MDHI, Dr. Rife spent nearly 15 years in public education as a teacher and district administrator, dedicated to serving marginalized students in metro Atlanta.
She moved to Colorado in 2016 and served as the State Coordinator for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth at the Colorado Department of Education where she oversaw the state's educational response to students experiencing homelessness.
She holds bachelor's degrees in Spanish and Sociology from the State University of New York College at Cortland, a master's degree from the University of Georgia in Educational Administration and Policy, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Liberty University.