Mike Dino, Board Chair
Principal, Squire Patton Boggs, LLP
Mike Dino is a Colorado native and government affairs specialist and has 25 years of experience advising public sector clients on matters pertaining to local, state and federal governments. He assists clients in developing and implementing strategies that help them achieve their policy objectives with public officials. Mr. Dino focuses primarily on relationship development activities, network building and issues management. He works extensively with local government clients, counseling them on funding and partnering opportunities with federal government agencies.
From 2007 to 2008, Mr. Dino was the CEO of the Denver Convention Host Committee where he headed up a team that raised $55 million, managed 14,000 volunteers, and produced events hosting 50,000 Democratic National Convention guests. He served as a senior aide to Denver Mayor Wellington Webb from 1991 to 1997. He is also a political campaign expert, having been a top executive or advisor in local, state and national campaigns. In 2003, Mr. Dino was the campaign chair for Denver’s mayor, John Hickenlooper. In 2006, he was a campaign advisor to Colorado Governor, Bill Ritter, and participated in the transition team for information technology matters.
Meg Lafave
Senior Vice President of People & Government Affairs, Envision Healthcare
Meg Lafave is the Senior Vice President of People and Government Affairs. Prior to her current role, Meg served as Vice President of Government Affairs at Envision where she spearheaded the organization’s public policy strategy and advocacy at the federal and state levels. Before joining Envision at the beginning of 2020, Meg worked at DaVita, serving as Director of Patient Support and Insurance and then as Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive Officer.
Previously, Meg was Director of Human Capital at DSST Public Schools, a network of high-performing, values-centered STEM charter schools in the Denver metro area. During DDST’s rapid growth, Meg led the development of its human capital practices, including recruitment and hiring processes and talent pipeline and development practices. Meg also spent three years in the classroom with Teach for America as a high school math and science teacher in Denver and Chicago.
Meg earned her bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and her Master of Business Administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder Leeds School of Business. Meg is an active member of the Denver community, and also serves on the board of AdvanceEDU.
Jake Williams, (Ex-Officio Member)
CEO, The Fund for a Healthier Colorado & Healthier Colorado
Jake Williams has led Healthier Colorado from the organization’s founding in 2014. During his tenure, Healthier Colorado has become the state’s largest health advocacy organization, with over 200,000 members. Jake led the founding of Colorado’s Health Capitol, a collaborative workspace that is now home to dozens of mission-aligned nonprofits alongside Healthier Colorado. He also led the development of a non-profit canvassing organization known as Open Answer and the formation of an innovative investment vehicle called Healthier Focus Fund.
Jake brought experience from a variety of advocacy sectors with him to Healthier Colorado’s helm. His work included helping the Gill Foundation in their fight for LGBTQ legal equality, and aiding the Walton Family Foundation’s efforts to preserve the Colorado River. Jake also directed campaigns for the Western Conservation Foundation, where he activated diverse voices, including Latinos, businesses and farmers, to help protect the West’s land, air and water. On behalf of the Service Employees International Union, he led legislative, electoral and health care advocacy campaigns.
As the current host of the Wooden Teeth podcast, Jake engages in discussions centered on the intersection of politics and health. He was also a contributing author to the book Public Health Under Siege (2021). His work and writing have also been featured in forums including Health Affairs, The Hill, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Morning Consult, The Today Show and Medium. In 2021, Jake was appointed by Governor Jared Polis to serve as a Commissioner on the Early Childhood Leadership Commission, Colorado’s federally-authorized state council for early childhood, where he continues to serve.
Jake is a proud citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, and an active Potawatomi language learner. He earned a Master of Science in Comparative Politics and Policy from the London School of Economics, and his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communications from the University of Michigan. Jake is also a current Executive MBA candidate at Brown and IE Universities. He lives with his wife and two children in Lafayette.
Orlando Padilla Jr.
Executive Director of Denver Shelters, Catholic Charities Archdiocese Of Denver
Orlando Padilla, Jr. is the Executive Director of Denver Shelters at Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Denver, where he oversees and directs the operations and programming of Samaritan House Downtown, Samaritan House Women’s Emergency Shelter and Marisol Homes. Samaritan House Downtown is an extended stay bridge to housing sheltering program that provides across the life span community supports and addresses social determinants of health, which include shelter and programs for women, veterans and children and families experiencing homelessness and furthest from opportunity. Services provided are case management, therapeutic/clinical services across the lifespan, independent living, vocational and prevention groups. Samaritan House Women Emergency Services provide operations and programming to women experiencing homelessness within three different programs that include two 24/7 sheltering operations that provide case management, therapeutic/clinical services, vocational and prevention groups. Marisol Homes provides a bridge to housing for single mothers and their children, while also providing clinical case management, therapeutic/clinical services, parenting and psychoeducation groups. Formerly, he was Associate Director of Child and Family Access Services at the Mental Health Center of Denver, where he oversaw the Integrated Care, Child and Family Access and Deaf and Hard of Hearing programs.
Orlando is a Colorado Native and grew up in Trinidad Colorado. He has over 20 years of experience working with underserved and marginalized populations across the lifespan in a variety of clinical settings that include inpatient hospitals, residential facilities, as well as outpatient and community mental health. He graduated from Colorado State University in 2000 with his B.A. in Psychology and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in 2007 with a Master’s in Clinical Counseling. Orlando also holds the professional license of a Licensed Professional Counselor.
Rachel Kaygi
Political Advisor
Rachel Kaygi directs the political operations of a donor invested in Colorado and national politics. Rachel’s responsibilities include campaign development, election research, and the evaluation of political investments. She has 20 years of experience working in politics, including think tanks, the state legislature, and political campaigns. Rachel’s built her expertise in political management, navigating and building complex projects from the ground up.
Having moved to Colorado at the age of 3, Rachel considers herself a native, graduating from CU Boulder with a degree in international affairs. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two children and, in her spare time, enjoys traveling with the family.
Daniel Ramos
Daniel Ramos is the Executive Director of a Colorado-based nonprofit focused on protecting democracy, improving equity and expanding the civic engagement ecosystem in Colorado. Before taking on this role in 2020, he served as the Executive Director for One Colorado – the state’s leading advocacy organization for LGBTQ Coloradans and their families. Ramos is an active member of the Colorado community and has served on the Board of Directors for New Era Colorado, Community Shares and the Equality Federation, and as a Commissioner on the Colorado Supreme Court Nominating Commission. He currently serves on the LGBTQ Victory Fund Campaign Board and as a Trustee for Colorado Mesa University and the Rose Community Foundation.
Ramos is also an adjunct professor at the University of Denver, teaching courses on Public Policy & Advocacy and Community Engagement & Empowerment. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and his Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado School of Public Affairs.