About the Alliance
Formed in late 2017 as an initiative of the Denver South Economic Development Partnership and established as a standalone nonprofit organization in 2018; the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance is the first state-wide alliance of government, business and allied organizations dedicated to advancing smarter communities in the United States.
VISION
A statewide digital and collaborative ecosystem that improves quality of life for all Coloradans
MISSION
Create technology partnerships that develop and prove next-generation solutions to the challenges shared across Colorado communities
VALUES
Sustainability | Mitigate the environmental, social, and economic impacts of human activity
Equity | Address disparities in qualify of life outcomes associated with race, income, and inclusion
Resilience | Absorb shocks to community systems and infrastructure to maintain qualify of life
Humanism | Ensure the needs of people inform technology – not the other way around
Staff
Tyler Svitak has built his career solving problems at the intersection of technology and urbanism. Tyler has held strategic roles advancing connected, automated, and electric mobility initiatives at the City and County of Denver, Colorado Department of Transportation, and American Lung Association in Colorado, where he led or contributed to some of the most innovative smart mobility projects and policies in the country.
Tyler became the Executive Director of the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance in 2019, which is the first and only statewide coalition of public, private, academic and research organizations committed to advancing smart cities initiatives across sectors and jurisdictions. Tyler leads the membership-based organization as it develops a new model for project identification, replication, and scale.
Chelsea Barrett is passionate about communities and has taken a path of professional and volunteer opportunities that make an impact. Chelsea has past experience in marketing, communications, and business development for organizations such as the Downtown Boulder Partnership, Stantec, and Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. She understands what it takes to ensure big ideas are actionable and has a track record of crafting goal-based communications strategies aimed at developing relationships with a variety of audiences and stakeholders.
Chelsea joined the team at the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance in 2021. Her role is focused on expanding the Alliance’s reach and impact through different communications channels, programs, events, and the pursuit of new engagement mechanisms.
Board Members
As the manager of the City of Colorado Springs’ Office of Innovation & Sustainability, Ryan Trujillo leads the smart cities program, SmartCOS, among various projects and programs. Ryan is responsible for developing and implementing SmartCOS in close partnership with regional stakeholders, state & national non-profits, industry partners, city staff and the citizens of Colorado Springs. Prior to working for the city, he worked in the private sector for eight years with a focus in energy, contracting, commodities and project management.
Ryan holds a BA in Economics from Colorado College, an MBA from Regis University, and sits on the Board of Directors for the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance.
Michael Lawson is the Assistant Town Manager for the Town of Parker. Prior to arriving in Parker, Michael was the City Manager for Woodland Park and, before that, spent 12 years with the City of Aurora, Colorado, serving in the City Manager’s Office and Budget Office as well as stints as interim City Clerk and interim Community Development Manager. Michael has also worked in the City of San Diego, California’s Financial Management Department. One of Michael’s greatest professional privileges was acting as Aurora's donations coordinator following the July 20, 2012 Century 16 theater shooting.
Michael earned his Masters of Public Administration from the University of Colorado, Denver and a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego. He has written several articles and presented to national audiences on the topics of employee retention and the role of empathy in local government.
In 2020, Michael helped Aurora craft its first ever smart city strategic plan, the Smart City Playbook. He has worked extensively on laying groundwork for cities in Colorado to acquire streetlights from utilities to better prepare for a smart city future. Michael’s interest in smart city technology lies in giving local governments better tools to love and serve their residents. Improved governance, resident engagement, and electric vehicle infrastructure are Michael’s specific areas of interest.
Michael is married with two young children and a dog.
Rebecca Tate serves as the Research and Innovation Manager for the Denver International Airport (DEN) where she helps employees find innovative solutions to aviation’s greatest challenges. Rebecca uses human centered design principles to create an entire organization of problem solvers and foster a culture of innovation.
Prior to DEN, Rebecca served as the Continuous Improvement Manager for the Regional Transportation District (RTD) where she took pride in supporting an organization that improves access and creates opportunity for all.
Rebecca holds Masters degrees in Business Administration and Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Colorado, Denver, and a Bachelor’s in Economics from McGill University. Having worked extensively in the transportation industry, Rebecca is completely fascinated with the systems that move people around the region, state, and the world.
Oli Sanidas is the Executive Director of Arapahoe Libraries, overseeing services for a community of over 250,000 patrons. His leadership has launched pivotal initiatives such as the ``Library as Showroom`` project, which exposes patrons to emerging technologies like virtual reality devices and 3D printers, fostering interactive learning and digital literacy. Under his direction, the expansion of the library’s electronic media platforms has significantly increased circulation by introducing a range of downloadable and streaming media services.
Oli’s career began in Hollywood, blending creativity with a strong background in technology management. He earned a Master’s in Technology Management from the University of Denver. His experience includes significant roles in digital service leadership and improving technology infrastructure. Previously, Oli served on the boards of the Early Excellence Program of Denver and the Technology Partnership in Kenya, focusing on educational and technological access initiatives. His dedication to leveraging technology for community empowerment has been recognized with several national awards and highlighted through his impactful publications.
Martin L. Dunn is a professor and dean of the College of Engineering, Design and Computing at the University of Colorado Denver. He joined CU Denver in 2018 after serving as the founding associate provost for research at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) where he oversaw the design and operation of the research and innovation enterprise. He was also a professor at SUTD and the founding director of the National Research Foundation-supported Digital Manufacturing and Design Center. Prior to joining SUTD, he served as a program director (mechanics of materials) in the Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation Division at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), where he was also the founding program director for the Design of Engineering Materials Systems program. He served the NSF while on leave from the University of Colorado Boulder where he was the associate dean of research in the College of Engineering, Design and Computing, chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and a professor of mechanical engineering, holding the Victor Schelke Endowed Chair.
Amy Ford serves as the Executive Director for the City and County of Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI). In this role, Amy prioritizes increasing mobility and safety while reducing congestion and fighting climate change, and leads the teams that plan, design, build and maintain the city's infrastructure.
Prior to working for the City and County of Denver, Amy served as the Vice President of Public Policy and Mobility on Demand with ITS America, and before that she was the Chief of Advanced Mobility for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
Johanna Jamison, MPA, is a program manager in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. She is currently leading lab-to-market programs including the Shell GameChanger Accelerator™ Powered by NREL (GCxN), which spurs promising cleantech start-ups through financial, facility, and research resources. Johanna is also collaborating to design and launch new tech incubation programs that support the IEC’s mission of building a cleantech ecosystem to empower market solutions that transform communities around the world.
Prior to joining NREL Johanna managed a range of programs, projects, and policies in government, private, and nonprofit settings spanning smart cities, economic development, mobility and transportation, environmental quality, affordable housing, and placemaking and revitalization. Among these were an innovation challenge that attracted solutions from across the globe for deployment in Colorado, the local presence of an international mobility services joint venture, and state programs totaling $1M+ in financial and technical assistance to catalyze community economic development.
Johanna holds a Masters in Public Administration with a concentration in Environmental Policy, Management, and Law from the University of Colorado Denver and a Bachelors in City and Metropolitan Planning from the University of Utah. While away from the office, Johanna enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, spoiling her dog, and adventuring outdoors.
Will Jones is a forward-thinking leader with a proven history of improving operations in both the public and private sectors. As Deputy Public Works Director for the City of Greeley, he supports the Mobility Services, Infrastructure Services, and Fleet Services teams, advancing efficiency, safety, and sustainability.
He is a strong advocate for Smart City initiatives, utilizing technology and data-driven strategies to enhance decision-making, streamline operations, and elevate service delivery for Greeley’s residents and visitors. Through innovation and collaboration, the teams he supports continuously improve mobility, infrastructure, and public works services, driving long-term community benefits.
He is a strong advocate for Smart City initiatives, utilizing technology and data-driven strategies to enhance decision-making, streamline operations, and elevate service delivery for Greeley’s residents and visitors. Through innovation and collaboration, the teams he supports continuously improve mobility, infrastructure, and public works services, driving long-term community benefits.
Todd is the Central Regional Manager and has over 28 years of local government experience working for cities, counties, regional governments throughout Colorado, New Mexico and California. Prior to coming to the Department of Local Affairs in 2022, Todd served as a County Manager in California and Colorado. He has also served in various administrative and finance roles throughout the Denver metropolitan area throughout his professional public service career. Todd obtained his Bachelor’s of Science degree from Eastern New Mexico University and a Master’s of Public Administration degree from the University of Colorado at Denver.
David Worley became President/CEO at Denver South in February 2024. He joined the organization as Senior Vice President February 2023. Prior to Denver South, Worley led a variety of business units in higher education; most recently he was the Executive Director of Executive Education at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver (DU). In that role he contributed to helping address the most pressing learning and development needs of businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies across the region. Prior to working at DU, he directed the enrollment and fundraising units of the Iliff School of Theology. Worley also worked as a consulting civil engineer in New York where he was the lead designer on a variety of land development projects in the north central suburban NYC metroplex.
Worley holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering (South Dakota Mines), a M.A. in Transformational Leadership (Bethel University), and a multi-disciplinary PhD (University of Denver) where he focused on monetary economics, cultural studies, and leadership. He is well regarded for his research and teaching on organizational development and sense making in complex environments.
Worley was raised on a farm in southeastern Colorado. He enjoys the outdoors, tennis, gravel cycling, and spending time with his family and friends.
