Director of Strategic Initiatives

Sami is an AmeriCorps alumna who began her career in the classroom in Southern Colorado and has since served Coloradans through responsive workforce development. Her experience in Colorado has spanned the public sector, serving at both the state-level Colorado Workforce Development Council and El Paso County Workforce Services. Most recently, Sami served as the state’s Education and Business Alignment Consultant, advancing postsecondary and workforce readiness for Colorado’s youth at scale.

Sami completed her undergraduate studies at Arizona State University, where she studied Justice Studies, Nonprofit Leadership & Management, and Cross-Sector Leadership. She earned her master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Communication from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Sami is the President-Elect on the board of Colorado’s Work-Based Learning Division, an 82-member state division connected to the national Association for Career and Technical Education. Sami is also engaged locally in civic engagement, connecting neighbors with one another and their elected officials to share their perspectives and build coalitions through Hey Neighbor and Courageous Colorado. 

She was recognized as one of Southern Colorado’s 40 Under 40 in 2025 and recently received an inaugural Alumni Impact Award from Arizona State University. Sami was also a 2025 CiviCO Governor’s Fellow, 2026 graduate of the CU Denver 2026 Education Policy Fellowship, and Colorado’s 2021 delegate to the Western Governors’ Association Leadership Institute.

Sami lives in Southern Colorado in Colorado Springs.

Program Director

Brynne operates at the intersection of entrepreneurship, public service, and community activism. A graduate of BYU-Hawaii, she launched her career in venture capital, where she guided entrepreneurs across the United States in securing capital and scaling their businesses.

Driven by a desire to scale global impact, Brynne earned an MA in Foreign Policy at American University and joined Vital Voices, a Washington, D.C. based venture catalyst, partnered with the U.S. Department of State, dedicated to empowering women leaders worldwide. As a fierce advocate for women’s rights, she helped secure over $20 million in private funding for crisis response, youth empowerment, and social entrepreneurship.

Reaffirming her commitment to grassroots change, Brynne returned to her hometown of Ridgway, Colorado to invest her global experience into local causes. She started volunteering at Ridgway Secondary Schools and was quickly introduced to WSSCC where she now serves as the Program Director.

Brynne has a deep passion for the agriculture industry and environmental conservation. When she is out of the office, she works on her family ranch to preserve the Western Slope for generations to come. She also volunteers as a coach for the Ridgway Girls Basketball Team - Go Demons!

Director of Finance & Operations

Originally from Maryland, Mary relocated to Colorado just over five years ago and quickly fell in love with the Western Slope community. She joined the Collaborative in 2023, drawn by the opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact on her local community and the region as a whole. She is deeply passionate about the mission of the Collaborative and the difference it makes in the lives of students across the region.

Mary serves as the Director of Finance and Operations for the Western Slope Schools Career Collaborative, overseeing financial strategy, budgeting, and operational effectiveness. With over 14 years of experience in the financial industry, including banking, mortgage compliance, and processing, Mary brings extensive expertise in financial management, compliance, and organizational leadership. In her role, Mary works diligently behind the scenes to ensure that resources are directed where they are needed most, supporting students and programming across the Western Slope. When she is not working, Mary enjoys all that the Western Slope has to offer from her home just outside Montrose, Colorado, where she lives with her husband and their dog.

Managing Director

Dylan Howell is an educator, filmmaker, and creative entrepreneur. Dylan earned his Ph.D. in Cinema and Media Studies from the University of Southern California, as well as a Master’s Degree from California Institute of the Arts. His teaching roles at USC, Arizona State University, and Mount Saint Mary’s University have focused on media literacy, writing, and critical thinking—skills he continues to champion through curriculum development and classroom facilitation at Homegrown Pathways. In addition to his academic work, Dylan is the Founder of West Slope Video, a Colorado-based production company that develops short-form video strategy for local businesses and nonprofits. As Managing Director, he facilitates and refines our Spark Lab programming and helps guide the organization’s long-term media strategy.

Originally from Colorado, Dylan is committed to expanding access to high-quality, place-based learning, and to connecting Western Slope communities to opportunities in the creative economy.

President

A graduate of Colorado School of Mines, Taylor began her career in water and wastewater engineering. Her education and initial workforce exposure were in this field, but her true passion lies in the skilled trades. She has experience as a certified Colorado Class A Water and Wastewater Operator and nearly a decade in project design and management. Before joining Homegrown Pathways, Taylor managed five critical community infrastructure facilities, overseeing the contract renewal process for each. During this time, she also conducted education and outreach programs to expose local youth to careers in STEM, including the skilled trades and engineering. Taylor served as the Program Manager for MakerUSA, in partnership with the Western Slope Schools Career Collaborative, during the initial design stage of the Homegrown Pathways model. Taylor brings her industry experience and enthusiasm for workforce development to Homegrown Pathways. She is dedicated to guiding young people towards opportunities for fulfilling careers that allow them to stay in their home region and pursue their passions.

Taylor volunteers with the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership (UWP). She is a contributing scientist in UWP's River Watch program and assists in clean-up and education/outreach events. Taylor is based in Ridgway, CO.

Founder & CEO

Colin has led entrepreneurial efforts at the intersection of education and workforce development for over 15 years. He was the CEO & Co-Founder of MakerUSA, a national nonprofit that partners with communities to build stronger career pathways into “maker industries.” He served as the Executive Director of Makers + Mentors Network and had a founding leadership role in the initiative’s launch in partnership with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. During this time, he led a 30+ member team in the implementation of new models that more than doubled the scale of the initiative to support over 20 regional STEM and maker ecosystems, serving over 200,000 underrepresented youth. This time also included leading the design and implementation of AmeriCorps Maker Fellows. Maker Fellows successfully deployed 25+ service members in 10+ states and continues to drive impact today.

His volunteer leadership roles have included serving as a three-term president of the Ridgway Area Chamber of Commerce and an elected school-board official. Colin graduated from Ridgway High School, completed his undergraduate at the University of Colorado at Boulder and received a Master in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He was recognized as one of 2022’s “Top 100 Entrepreneurs and Innovators” by Top 100 Magazine. Colin lives with his family in Ridgway, CO, where he grew up.