Area of Focus
Kathryne is passionate about making the world a better place for all people. As the vice president of equity and culture for WRA, she is poised to address diversity and inclusion within the organization and the conservation movement. She works to build a greater understanding among staff about the systemic inequities that have impacted communities’ land, air, rivers, and drinking water, in order to champion the organization policy efforts and proactively address climate change and advance equity throughout the West with our partners.
Having grown up with limited resources, she developed a strong desire to support others, as well as a dedication to dismantling systemic barriers that can interfere with people living their fullest and healthiest lives. Her commitment to those impacted by economic inequalities resulting from uneven and differing opportunities began in her youth. She served meals in a Colorado Springs homeless shelter starting in the fifth grade and mentored youth through multiple organizations in Greeley during her time in college. It was during these formative years that she discovered her skill for building relationships and interest in work larger than herself.
Kathryne is focused on remedying the systemic and inequitable impacts of climate change, pollution, and other environmental injustices disproportionately impacting communities of color. She believes that environmental justice will play a significant role in the renewed civil rights movement, and through her work at WRA, she will have the opportunity to break down systemic barriers and make lasting change. To Kathryne, equity is about creating meaningful access for communities who are affected at a greater rate and elevating the voices of those who have been most adversely affected — so that we can be partners in changing the world.
Background
Before law school, Kathryne was a social worker helping victims of domestic violence and families experiencing homelessness. She then held several legal roles, including as in-house counsel for a Fortune 500 corporation and as an employment attorney for the Colorado Department of Law and in private practice, as well as served as a staff attorney for the Supreme Court of the Federated States of Micronesia. She found her path to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work while at the University of Denver, where she established the Title IX office, rewrote policies, rebuilt community trust and transparency, and implemented critical training on diversity and inclusion and anti-discrimination laws.
Immediately prior to joining WRA, Kathryne served as the civil rights director and diversity officer for the Regional Transportation District (RTD) in Denver. While at RTD, she developed a first-of-its-kind compliance and diversity awareness training for the entire workforce and inclusivity training for its Board of Directors, established a DEI committee, and leveraged community outreach to promote pathways to employment.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado
- Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law
Favorite thing about the West
I love so many things about the West that it is hard to pick just one, but having grown up in southern New Mexico nothing beats a desert sunset.
