Latino Commission

Bio coming soon

Claudia Cecilia Duran is a licensed Real Estate broker in Colorado with Brokers Guild and is also a full-time student pursuing a Criminal Justice Degree through Arizona State University. 

Claudia joined the Denver Latino Commission because of her passion for helping the Latino/Hispanic community in her native home of Denver, Colorado. She hopes to contribute Real Estate knowledge to the commission with regards to trends existing in the Hispanic community. She also hopes to bring fresh points of view and a voice to the commission as a young Latina female living in the city of Denver. Claudia feels passionately about improving the community and partakes in various leadership-oriented roles. Her focus is to contribute to the Hispanic/Latino community in Colorado while continuing her education.

Outside of work and community involvement, Claudia loves to play with her Blueheelers and spend time with her partner. She enjoys snowboarding and the winter season. She feels strongly about sharing time with friends and family. Her all-time favorite thing to do is make a positive impact on the community and traveling.”

Tony Encinias has more than 25 years of experience in public relations and video production, the majority of which focused on health care communications at Denver Health, an integrated health care system.  Encinias was responsible for public relations planning for Denver Public Health, Behavioral Health Services, and Community Health Services, including special events.

During his tenure, Encinias was also responsible for employee communications, writing Annual Reports, fact sheets, media, and public relations materials. He also wrote and edited a monthly employee newsletter, expanding circulation from 2,700 to 4,500. His writing expertise resulted in a Bronze Quill Award for writing excellence from the International Association of Business Communicators. Encinias also served as director/technical director and commercial videographer for small market television stations.

Encinias also represented Denver Health on city-wide disaster planning organizations. As part of the City of Denver team, he participated in Public Information Officer training in advance of the 2008 Democratic National Convention, he is a FEMA-certified Public Information Officer.

In addition to serving as a member of the Denver Latino Commission, Encinias is a member of the Denver Health Medical Plan/Elevate Health Plan Advisory Committee.

Encinias has an undergraduate degree in Journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a master’s degree in Applied Communication from the University of Denver.

Desmond Fulton is the Division Chief of Safety and Training at the Denver Fire Department. He’s been with DFD for 20 years. Denver Firefighter Wellness, Firefighter Safety, New Hire training, Incumbent training, New Hire recruitment and Community Outreach encompass are his day to day duties.

Desmond joined the Denver Latino Commission to continue his involvement with the community, and to specifically focus on the needs of the Latino community in Denver. He hopes to assist with mentoring and be a voice and ears for the Latino community.

Outside of work he loves spending time with his wife, son, and daughter, doing anything active outdoors in our beautiful state, and working on projects at home.

Arrah Gallaher, M.A., currently serves as a GoodGuides Mentoring Manager with Goodwill Industries of Denver in their Youth Career Development Services department. Gallaher oversees one of the largest mentoring grants Goodwill Denver has ever received, through U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and Goodwill International. She has worked for Goodwill Industries of Denver for over 10 years supporting the effort to increase the enrollment and retention of underrepresented students into college. Arrah obtained her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Colorado-Boulder in political science and educational practices and policies, respectively, finishing graduate school with highest distinctions. She is a Colorado native, and a first-generation college student and is a graduate of Northglenn High School located in Northglenn, Colorado.

She is currently the board president for Low Income Family Empowerment Center (LIFE). LIFE was created through a partnership with Adams County Housing Authority in 2007 to address low-income individuals' and families' unmet basic needs. In addition, Gallaher is on the board of directors for the Denver Hispanic Chamber’s Foundation as well a committee member for the Denver Foundation’s Philanthropic Leadership Committee, and a member of LatinasGive!, Denver’s 1st Latina giving circle.

Arrah has found all her experiences volunteering to be extremely rewarding, humbling, and valuable. As an individual whose current job relies heavily on the support of volunteers, she is constantly motivated to find ways that she can support her community in meaningful ways.

Bio coming soon

Kathryne Grove is a graduate of University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law. She has held positions with the University of Denver, Mountains States Employers Council, the Supreme Court of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.  Currently, she works at Level 3 Communications, LLC as Corporate Counsel.  Kathryne also holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University y of Northern Colorado and was a social worker prior to attending law school.

Victoria E. Lovato, Esq. is a Director at Silver & DeBoskey. Lovato is a graduate of Colorado College (B.A. Mathematics, 1990) and the Arizona State University College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1997), where she served as Managing Editor of the Arizona State Law Journal. Throughout her legal career, Victoria has provided a broad range of legal services to individuals, institutions and business clients in both Colorado and Arizona. Her practice at Silver & DeBoskey focuses on representation of health care professionals and legal professionals in complex civil litigation and health care matters, including regulatory and disciplinary matters.

Joe Montoya was raised in the Harvey Park Neighborhood of Southwest Denver.

He graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1981 and continued his education at Whittier College in Southern California. In 1985 Joe found his calling and left school to pursue a career in law enforcement.

Joe currently works for the Denver Police Department as the Commander of the Internal Affairs Division.

Chy Montoya is the Chief of Staff for Councilman Albus Brooks in Denver City Council, District 9. She has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice & Criminology from Metropolitan State University of Denver and a Master’s in Public Administration with a Local Government Concentration from the University of Colorado Denver.

In her current position, she provides an array of services and assistance to Councilman Brooks for the successful operation of the Council office in District 9. This includes managing scheduling requests related to the Councilmember's priorities and district needs, responding to constituent inquiries/cases on behalf of the Councilmember, conducting research to collect relevant information for the Councilmember and preparing the Councilmember for meetings by drafting documents and briefing Councilmember on relevant information.

Along with the above duties, Chy coordinates specific functions within the district including scheduling and/or attending events and working with the community to achieve the Councilmember's goals. She also manages the office's budget and expenditures, including procurement and travel card reconciliation and provides justification for budget requests.

She works with many different agencies to assist the constituents within District 9. One of her many passions is helping young adults get back on track to become contributing members of the community.

Tariana Navas-Nieves is the Director of Cultural Affairs for Denver Arts & Venues. Arts & Venues is the City and County of Denver agency responsible for the city’s cultural affairs and publicly owned venues. The agency operates some of the region’s most renowned facilities, including Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, the Denver Performing Arts Complex, Colorado Convention Center, Denver Coliseum, and McNichols Civic Center Building. 

Navas-Nieves has over 23 years of experience in non-profit and project management, museum work and communications, most recently as Public Information Manager for the Gold Line commuter rail transit line, which along with the line to Denver International Airport, is part of the largest transportation project in the United States. She also served as Curator of Hispanic and Native American Art at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center during their 25-million-dollar expansion project. Navas-Nieves’ experience spans into television, translation, and lecturing, as well as extensive curatorial services to art collectors and museums.

Navas-Nieves serves on multiple boards and advisory groups including but not limited to the Mayor’s Latino Commission, DPS Bond and Mill Oversight Committee, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Leadership Team working on building diverse audience engagement, the Denver Art Museum’s Latino Audience Alliance, and Denver Shared Spaces City Strategy Advisory group. She is also a graduate of Leadership Denver (class of 2015). She was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Yolanda Ortega has been a Denver resident since 1972, the same year she began working at Metro State University of Denver. Since her retirement from Metropolitan State University of Denver as Vice President of Student Affairs, Yolanda has remained active in the community and at MSU.  She serves on the MSU President’s Community Cabinet.

She serves on the Board of Directors for Escuela Tlatelolco, a Latino Montessori K – 12 private school. Yolanda is the Governor’s appointee to the Auraria Higher Education Center Board of Directors.  She also served as an appointee for the Denver Mayor’s Commission on Cultural Affairs and currently on the Denver Latino Commission.

Yolanda co-hosts Cancion Mexicana on KUVO 89.3 FM on Sunday mornings.

Yolanda has been an actor, director, and musician with Su Teatro, a Chicano theater company based in Denver, for 40 years.

Yolanda graduated from Jonesboro State University with a BA in History and German.  She has a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Colorado Denver.

Abenicio is the Program Director for the CU Pre-Health Scholars Program and Assistant Director in the Office of Inclusion and Outreach at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. He has been a professional with the University of Colorado System for over 12 years. Abenicio has led the program in providing academic services, educational planning, and college access to historically underserved populations.

In 2012, Abenicio was awarded the Chancellor’s Diversity Award for his leadership and dedication to diversity. His expertise lies in strategic planning, academic program development, and fostering community relationships. As a Chicano born and raised in Denver, Abenicio was a non-traditional student and the first person in his family to graduate from college. He has presented at several national conferences and has held positions with organizations that promote educational access and equity.

Bio coming soon

Angelina Sierra-Sandoval is a 5th generation Coloradoan, born and raised in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Northwest Denver. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Denver in Political Science and Public Policy in 2014 and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Local Government at the University of Colorado Denver. Angelina serves as the Legislative Assistant to House Majority Leader Crisanta Duran.

Before serving as a Legislative Aide, she held numerous fellowships including Denver City Council, the Colorado General Assembly, and the U.S. Senate in Washington D.C.  She currently serves as Board Co-Chair for the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights Board of Directors and serves as a board member for the Sunnyside United Neighborhood Inc.

Her expertise includes public policy, state-level legislative process and youth empowerment. Being from a working-class family she understands the needs of her community and hopes to offer her leadership skills to her role on the Denver Latino Commission.

José has been an advocate for youth, education, and the community for over 20 years, serving as a Political and Education Consultant helping to develop curriculum, testifying before congress on College Access in 2003, and as a foot soldier knocking on doors to get those that support the greater good elected.

Throughout his tenure José has pursued Policy and Educational practices that would not only set higher standards for Denver’s minority populations but increase their capacity to be at the forefront of reform and success. José co-wrote the Youth Leadership Development Curriculum (The Piton Foundation) for the Beacons after school program as a sophomore in college which was implemented across the country in 5 states including Denver’s own Rishel, Lake and Cole middle schools.

José’s Denver has given him the national experience and exposure that is needed to lead. José has committed the last 22 years of his life to his community and will continue to do so for decades to come. Jose also hosts a news and public affairs show on KGNU/FM, Boulder/Denver and is currently in his second term, as a Denver Mayoral Appointee to the Denver Latino Commission.

Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Monika Celado-Stenger immigrated to Denver, Colorado in 1990.

She earned her B.A in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Denver.

Today she is a successful business woman working in a male dominated industry. In 2000, she founded Servitech, Inc. an Electrical Contractor and Professional Services company.

She understands and has overcome the obstacles that our Denver community faces, as a woman, immigrant, single parent and business owner; her insight is a valuable contribution to the Denver Latino Commission.

Nicole Taylor is a Student Conduct Officer for the Community College of Denver. In her current position she strives to bring awareness of cultural competencies, social justice, and its impact within the realm of student conduct to faculty, staff, and students. 

As an undergraduate she completed research that explored topics related to access and equity in higher education; teaching and learning in racially diverse college classrooms; and the examination of Inclusive Excellence and Diversity in and out of the classroom. This passion stems from Nicole’s early work at Denver Department of Human Services where she discovered her fervidness for public service. 

Her experience has driven her to serve in many capacities as a change agent, such as a board member of the Montbello Organizing Committee, as a Denver Grand Jury Foreperson, and maintaining active membership in the Aurora Chapter of the NAACP.  Through these community efforts Nicole maintains a proven ability to drive innovation, creativity, thoughtful leadership, and collaboration with all stakeholder groups.