The Speakers

Dr. Landon Mascareñaz is the founding Executive Director of Courageous Colorado and Courageous Colorado Action, an initiative building a more representative and courageous civic future for the state. A lifelong coalition-builder, he has advanced efforts across education, democracy, and economic development, including launching rural economic mobility initiatives and is working to bring ranked choice voting to Denver. He serves as Chair of the Colorado State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education and the Reisher Scholarship Committee, and co-founded The Open System Institute, focused on the intersection of democracy and education. Landon is the author of The Open System (Harvard Education Press), a guide for leaders navigating community redesign and institutional renewal. He lives in Denver, offices in Trinidad, and believes Colorado can be a national beacon for civic renewal.

Mary Ann Villarreal, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, & Student Success, is a dynamic leader and historian whose work is deeply rooted in understanding and amplifying the stories of marginalized communities. As a historian, Villarreal’s research has centered on cultural narratives, with a particular focus on the intersections of race, gender, and class in U.S. history. She has explored the ways in which historical narratives can be used to challenge power structures, while also illuminating the resilience and agency of historically disenfranchised communities. Her scholarly background informs her leadership in profound ways, allowing her to approach equity and inclusion not only as leadership goals but as critical parts of the historical and social fabric of the institution. Villarreal has spearheaded numerous initiatives aimed at creating equitable access to resources and opportunities for all students, faculty, and staff. She builds pathways for future generations through education, strategic bridge building, and community engagement.

Villarreal most recently served as the inaugural Vice President, for the division of Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion at the University of Utah. She earned a Ph.D. in History at Arizona State University and an AB in Women’s Studies at Mount Holyoke College.

Dr. Mara Nohemi Lopez is the Inaugural Director of the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Research Center at the University of Arizona. For more than 17 years, she has led research initiatives that amplify student voices, advance equity, and create inclusive environments where historically marginalized students can thrive. Her work bridges rigorous scholarship with community needs, advocating for equity-centered, conscious, and culturally responsive approaches to data collection and use.

Dr. Lopez’s research spans curriculum redesign, career decision-making self-efficacy, and student-conscious pedagogical practices, with a particular focus on improving STEM pathways from K–12 through higher education. She has contributed to projects funded by the NIH, NSF, DoD, and DoE, and works closely with institutions to design intentional, student-centered strategies for STEM success.

She earned her B.A. in Psychology from San Diego State University, an M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Point Loma Nazarene University, and an Ed.D. in Leadership and Innovation from Arizona State University. Through her leadership, mentorship, and research, Dr. Lopez strives to be an agent of change, transforming systems to better serve the diverse communities they were created to support.

As a First-Generation Latina alumna of Colorado Mountain College (CMC), Kristina Brooks-Olk, MBA, CPA, intentionally returned to this pivotal Hispanic Serving Institution to give back to her community and foster growth across Colorado’s western mountain region.

Kristina earned her MBA with an emphasis in Accounting and Finance from Regis University and immediately began serving as an adjunct instructor at CMC while advancing her professional career in accounting and finance for small to medium-sized businesses. In 2017, she joined CMC’s Business Department as a full-time Accounting Faculty member, achieving the rank of Full Professor in 2023. Along the way, she was recognized with the Faculty of the Year Award (2022) for her commitment to student success and her ability to bring real-world relevance into the classroom.

Deeply committed to increasing belonging for Latinx and nontraditional students, Kristina draws on her own lived experiences to advocate for equity and access in higher education. She has partnered with local nonprofits to expand bilingual entrepreneurial education and, as Accounting Program Chair, redesigned the curriculum to include stackable credentials that create clearer career pathways for students.

Dr. Amy Fulton is an Assistant Professor, Career Line, in the College of Education at the University of Utah and Senior Faculty Fellow with the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)’s New Leadership Academy. NLA at AAC&U seeks to change leaders, leadership, and leadership development in higher education. Through innovative leadership development programs, services, and research, the New Leadership Academy reframes historical practices and notions about who leads, how they lead, and how they are prepared to lead in higher education, organizations, and beyond. Amy earned her PhD from the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan and holds a BFA, Honors BA, and MEd from the University of Utah. From 2008 through 2015 Amy held various leadership positions at the rapidly growing Western Governors University (WGU), an online non-profit and competency-based institution. Her research and expertise includes organizational leadership, organizational theory, student social movements, and issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion in higher education.