We are thrilled to announce that Kristi Shaffer, JA-Rocky Mountain’s Chief Development Officer is being recognized for her leadership at JA and the broader business community through the Denver Business Journal’s C-Suite Awards.

One of Denver’s most committed education, nonprofit, and business leaders, Kristi serves as a bridge between education and business communities by developing partnerships between schools and corporations to fulfill JA’s mission of inspiring and preparing young people for success in the global economy.

Kristi began her career at JA in 1994 as a program manager, but quickly sought out opportunities to learn and take on more responsibility.  Since then, Kristi has consistently demonstrated the ability to build mutually beneficial partnerships with more than 200 companies, including Charles Schwab, Transamerica, Western Union, Janus Henderson, and Deloitte, which has helped even more students in Colorado and all over the world.

Beyond cultivating relationships, Kristi leverages her strategic vision and goal-driven nature to develop and launch numerous innovative programs. She brought JA Finance Park to Colorado after the Department of Education adopted new state academic standards, realizing that the program could bridge the gap between the need for students to become financially literate and the difficulty of traditional curriculum to teach this vital information.

Most recently, Kristi played an integral role in raising money for an $18.5 million capital campaign to build the JA Free Enterprise Center in Greenwood Village.  This new learning facility is home to the Robert and Judi Newman JA Finance Park presented by Transamerica, as well as the Daniels Fund JA Dream Accelerator.  These inventive, real-world, and inspirational learning experiences will allow JA-Rocky Mountain to reach an additional 25,000 students annually.

During Kristi’s tenure, JA-Rocky Mountain has increased annual revenue from $950,000 to $5 million and student outreach from 20,000 to 76,500 each school year. She played an important role in JA-Rocky Mountain being recognized as a Top Company by ColoradoBiz Magazine as well as receiving multiple MetLife Foundation Entrepreneurial Awards.

Kristi takes great pride in helping others succeed, whether it’s the young people JA serves or the JA staff she’s been honored to work with for more than 29 years.  She is an exceptional community leader whose impact can be witnessed across boardrooms and classrooms alike. Her enthusiasm and can-do attitude are contagious, and she has truly made our community a better place to work and live. Even if she’s hesitant to take credit for herself, she is more than deserving of this honor.

Kristi was formally honored at the C-Suite Awards Dinner on Thursday, September 14, 2023.