Summer Gathercole (she/her/hers) is the Managing Director of SHG Advisors. Summer has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting and is a former CPA. Upon moving to Washington, D.C. in 1998, Summer left her public accounting career and began working directly with homeless and low-income individuals to help prepare them for the workforce and place them in jobs. Summer went on to found and launch a nonprofit workforce intermediary. In 2007, Summer was recruited by the former Mayor of DC, Adrian Fenty, to run the $113M D.C. Department of Labor. Most recently, Summer led Governor Polis’ statewide efforts to reform the behavioral health system – which included bringing together numerous system partners inclusive of providers, hospitals, first responders, law enforcement, local agencies and municipalities, nonprofits, advocates, businesses, educational institutions, and – most importantly – everyday people from across Colorado. The behavioral health system and its partners are intrinsically connected to homelessness, its causes, and possible solutions. Summer has a deep understanding and appreciation for the challenges in addressing behavioral health needs and homelessness, and the multi-faceted actions needed to successfully initiate system reform.
Cassy Westmoreland (she/her/hers) has spent over a decade in homelessness services,
with 8 years of that experience in Colorado. She has worked as frontline staff in shelter and outreach programs, as a community advocate and organizer for homelessness strategic planning, and as a leader in administering over $50 million in state and federal funding for homelessness response, gaining national recognition from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for program efficiency. Cassy’s work has focused on rural Colorado communities, including managing the Fort Lyon Supportive Residential Community, a model that combines behavioral health services with housing programs for individuals struggling with homelessness and addiction in Bent County, CO. There, Cassy spearheaded performance improvement initiatives to prioritize healthcare cost reduction and housing stability for graduates. Her efforts also focused on rural economic resilience, from enhancing local workforce support to catalyzing economic development initiatives centered on the campus. Cassy holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the University of Denver, along with a Bachelor’s in Social Work and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Georgia.
Dan Treglia, PhD, (he/him/his) is Associate Professor of Practice at the University of
Pennsylvania, Instructor in the Center for State Health Policy at Rutgers University and President of Social Policy Analytics. He has spent 17 years in government and academia conducting interdisciplinary and collaborative mixed-methods research focused on bridging clinical and community-based systems to address systemic housing and health inequities facing marginalized communities. Prior to entering academia, Dan was Deputy Director of Research for New York City’s Department of Homeless Services. He has provided research and TA to communities seeking to address homelessness across the US and Canada. Dan has a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School and a PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice.
Jenn Lopez (she/her/hers) held a senior position in the Hickenlooper administration in
Colorado and led regional housing efforts in southwest Colorado for several years. She loves working with local community leaders and excels at both strategy development and implementation work. A Fort Lewis College alumnus, Jenn brings passion and deep knowledge to her work to address the housing crisis in Colorado. Jenn has developed thousands of housing opportunities during her 22-year career and thrives on projects where the public and private sector are aligned for maximum impact. Jenn has a Masters in Community and Regional Planning from the University of New Mexico, and a BA in English Language & Literature from Fort Lewis College. She currently serves as Board President for the Community Economic Defense Project, is a Board member of Impact Development Fund, and was previously a longtime Board member at the Colorado Housing Finance Authority (CHFA). Jenn is currently the CEO of a housing and homelessness consulting firm.