Denver, CO (June 24, 2021)—Denver-based literary arts organization, Lighthouse Writers Workshop, has announced the following new hires and appointments as of June 2021 to support and elevate the mission of Lighthouse:
Rebecca Arno, has been appointed as the Chair of the Board of Directors to govern and support the work of the organization.
“Over the years, I’ve seen Lighthouse unlock the power of writing in our community, developing and promoting the voices and stories of people who have been unheard and unrecognized.” said new Board Chair, Rebecca Arno. “I’m honored to be called on to foster board leadership for this important mission.”
Rebecca is currently Chief Operating Officer for the Barton Institute for Community Action, and has over 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, strategic planning, and community building. She’s been an active member of the Lighthouse community since 2008.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to work with someone like Rebecca,” says Michael Henry, Lighthouse Executive Director and co-founder. “She brings a passion and dedication to the work that’s deeply inspiring, and she has such an understanding and compassionate heart as well.”
The Board has also appointed the following officers
Vice Chairs: Rudy Melena and Randy Sylvan
Treasurer: Gary Dudley
Secretary: Deanne Gertner
Chair, Nominating and Governance (and) Chair, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access (EDIA): Juliette LaChapelle
Chair, Development: Rick Bailey
Chair, Real Estate and Chair, Capital Campaign Council: Rich Devlin
Chair, Beacon Award Committee: Rudy Melena
Lighthouse also celebrates the following new staff members
Jasmine Griffin has been hired as the new Administrative Associate to support administrative duties and provide customer service support. She moved to Denver from Cincinnati, Ohio, where she recently received her MA from the Maslow Family Graduate Creative Writing Program at Wilkes University. She has been awarded an author fellowship to attend the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing Summer Conference.
Originally hired as the Administrative Associate, Natalie Gonzalez has recently been promoted to Operations Coordinator to support operations management of the organization.
Therese Gardner, hired as the Assistant Programming and Communications Coordinator, was promoted to Marketing and Communications Coordinator and is responsible for overseeing all communications and marketing operations.
“This is easily the best staff we’ve ever had—so many dedicated, brilliant, ambitious people. It’s an honor to work with them,” says Executive Director Michael Henry.
FOR THE MEDIA: Contact Therese Gardner at [email protected] or call 303-297-1185 for more information.
About Lighthouse Writers Workshop
Lighthouse Writers Workshop is Colorado’s nonprofit literary arts center. Our mission is to ensure literature maintains its proper prominence in culture and individuals achieve their fullest potential as artists and human beings. For over 20 years, we’ve offered award-winning writing workshops, author events, and community engagement programs to people of all ages and backgrounds in Denver and beyond. For more information, visit lighthousewriters.org.
