Denver Health Foundation Announces New Leadership
April 26, 2022
Crystal Potter Rivera is the new executive director; Colin Barclay and Kwame Spearman join the board of directors
Crystal Potter Rivera is the new executive director of the Denver Health Foundation. Rivera succeeds Linda Ford, who resigned the position after nearly three years to pursue part-time consulting work and ease into retirement. Ford’s last day with the organization was April 1.
“I have the utmost gratitude for Linda,” says Rivera. “Under her leadership, the Denver Health Foundation is on a trajectory to achieve tremendous success in supporting Denver Health’s crucial work as an anchor institution and safety net for the Denver community. I look forward to building upon the strong foundation she set with our donors, our board, our executive leaders and other staff at the Denver Health and Hospital Authority.”
Rivera joined the Denver Health Foundation in 2012 and has served as associate executive director for the past two years. She has more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, and communications, and has generated significant funds from foundations, corporations, and individual donors for a range of Colorado nonprofits diverse in size and scope. A Denver native, Rivera earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Columbia University.
“Crystal has demonstrated phenomenal leadership throughout her tenure at the Denver Health Foundation and has been a key player in reaching the organization’s fundraising goals,” says Josh Hanfling, chair of the Denver Health Foundation Board of Directors. “When it came time to identify a new executive director, Crystal was the obvious—and best—choice. I look forward to partnering with her to take the Foundation to the next level.”
Denver Health Foundation also welcomes two new members to its board of directors.
Colin Barclay is a Partner at Delta-v Capital and has been with the firm since 2015. He leads investments in the application software and information services markets. Barclay received his M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and his A.B. in psychology from Harvard University.
Kwame Spearman is co-owner and CEO of Tattered Cover Bookstore. He is a management, operations and strategy professional who previously served in global expansion leadership positions at B.Good and Knotel; as a management consultant at Bain & Company; and as deputy press secretary for former U.S. Sen. Mark Udall’s 2008 campaign. Spearman is a graduate of Columbia University, Yale Law School, and Harvard Business School. He also serves on the board of directors for Citywide Banks, the Denver Public Schools Foundation, the Downtown Denver Partnership, and the Colorado Education Initiative.
“Adding Colin and Kwame—two accomplished and astute members of the Denver business community—to the board is another exciting step forward for the Denver Health Foundation,” says Hanfling. “They will both be fantastic champions of Denver Health’s mission.”