Meet Our Staff
Executive Team
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Ian Engle
Executive Director [email protected] Prior to taking his current position at NWCCI in August 2013, Ian was Executive Director at the Center for People with Disabilities (the ILC based in Boulder) and before that he was Executive Director for the SouthWest Center for Independence with a main office in Durango. Ian sustained a spinal cord injury in a 40 foot fall from a tree on October 1, 1994. He was hired as an advocate with Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, defending and enforcing the rights of people with disabilities. This work focused on investigating abuse and neglect in nursing homes as well as state and private institutions. Ian quickly developed a life-long passion for working with people to have more freedom and control over our own lives through exercising our right to choose and direct community-based services. Ian began delivering speeches and facilitating workshops on the conference circuit for human rights and social justice non-profit organizations, with a focus on nursing home transition and person-centered planning. Ian gained experience handling administrative duties, managing organizational budgets, facilitating dialogue-based interactive learning in participatory workshops, and organizing people to effectively address systemic issues in order to affect public policy. He enjoys connecting people with resources to further independence for many who are capable of doing more, in the larger community, for themselves and each other. |
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Montezuma ‘Zuma’ Engle
Service Dog Zuma provides moral support and comic relief for the NWCCI office staff as well as direct service for his owner. After being hit by a car in November 2013, the day before his first birthday, the Steamboat Pilot ran an article about him that has brought widespread community attention to how service animals allow people with disabilities to better reach goals for living well in the setting of our choice. |
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Micheal Bertram
Assistant Director [email protected] Micheal was born and raised in Hayden, CO, as a family member of a person who is blind. He served with the Marine Corps from 2000-2005 where he was an aviation electrician. He earned his BA in Social Services in 2012. In 2013 he started working at NWCCI as an IL Coordinator serving individuals with disabilities. He excels in working with people to access assistive technology and provides training on the use of devices for people who are able to better reach goals for living well in the community through the use of these technological supports. Micheal also provides independent living skills development support which consists of budgeting, navigating services, employment-related training, and effectively choosing and directing the supports needed to reach goals for living well in the community. Micheal works with people to set goals and develop plans with specific action steps that detail who does what, by when, and within a strategic framework. His efforts work to put people with disabilities in control of our own lives through the development of an independent living plan that effectively coordinates services and supports around the individuals with whom he works. |
Community Team
Routt County:
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James Higgins
Independent Living Coordinator
[email protected] James is based out of the Steamboat office. He loves living being in beautiful Colorado with his wife and animals, they are always looking forward to the next mountain adventure! His interests are music, science, meteorology and climate research. He loves technology and is deeply committed to the welfare of both humans and animals alike. |
Moffat/Rio Blanco County:
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Staci Nichols
Independent Living Coordinator
[email protected] Staci Nichols has been with NWCCI since 2016 as an Independent Living Coordinator. She is deaf and originally from Collbran/Grand Junction, graduating from Colorado Mesa University in 2005 with a BA in psychology and just recently finished a Masters in Teaching American Sign Language from University of Northern Colorado in 2019. She specializes in early language intervention with families and their Deaf children when given an opportunity. She has a strong belief of a basic right for people of all disabilities living where they want, knowing how to get resources that they need to thrive. She enjoys learning new things, restoring old vehicle projects, art, ice hockey, hunting, and visiting coffee shops all over the place while cracking terrible puns here and there. |
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Shannon Buchanan
Lead Transition Coordinator
[email protected] Shannon has been with NWCCI since 2019. After many years of serving her community in different ways from law enforcement to caring for the youth. She brings this passion, experience and her M.Ed to NWCCI where she works with our consumers to help them transition back to the community. |
Grand County:
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Joy McCoy
Lead Independent Living Coordinator
[email protected] Joy McCoy is the Independent Living Coordinator (ILC), covering East Grand County (GC). She joined the NorthWest Colorado Center for Independence (NWCCI) team in 2018, becoming Lead ILC in 2024. She works to help people with disabilities empower themselves, supporting them to increase their quality of life, connect with resources, and reach personal goals of independent living. Along with facilitating a summer Life Skills Camp for youth in transition, Joy partners with many local care providers to foster collaborative support and increase disability awareness for all ages and walks of life. These caring partnerships support individuals to become involved in their communities while strengthening their ability to become their own best self-advocate. Also on the Town of Fraser’s Planning Commission since 2022, Joy is gaining ground throughout Grand County promoting disability access, equitability, large system change, and civil rights. |
Summit County:
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Leo Santos
Independent Living Coordinator
[email protected] Hello I'm Leo. I've lived in summit county most of my life and have only been in the IL world for a couple of years. Before I became an amputee I liked to hike, bike, play soccer and anything fun during winter, but my life changed when I turned 26 and I lost my foot. That's when I was introduced to the IL world and I knew I was where I belonged. Since my introduction to independent living I have been to national conferences and even spoken at one. Gotten introduced to YLF which helped me get out of my comfort zone and helped me get back out into the world. I started working with NWCCI and have loved working every minute of it helping anyone with a disability has brought great joy to my life and wouldn't change it for anything. |
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Evan Shockley
Independent Living Coordinator
[email protected] Evan Shockley is a 29 year old multicultural male who is a native of Colorado and has lived with epilepsy since he was 15 years old. He previously worked at another Colorado Center for Independent Living as a Loan Closet Technician, Youth Program Coordinator and Independent Living Coordinator over the span of 5 years. At a national level, Evan is on his second term for the board of Directors of APRIL (Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living) as the youth seat where he has helped plan the youth side of the annual national conference. Evan was just recently elected as the Co-Chair of the Colorado Statewide Independent Living Council and will assume the role of the chair position in August of 2023. In concurrence with his council membership, he holds high involvement in planning the state’s Youth Leadership Forum as a staff member as he was also a delegate of the inaugural forum for Colorado in 2018. Through all of his work, Evan exemplifies charity, justice, brotherly love and fidelity from being a 4 year member, and an officer at his local Elks Lodge. |
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Wendy Taylor Independent Living Coordinator
[email protected] Wendy began adult life in the Denver Metro area, moving to Craig with her family in 2001. Wendy has worked for humane societies and animal shelters on the Front Range, as well as six years as an Animal Control and Code Enforcement Officer and some time as a 911 Dispatcher in Weld County. In Craig, she worked at Moffat County High School, in the Special Education Department for a large portion of her 18 years there, with some time running classrooms such as In- School Detention and Guided Study Hall where she facilitated active communication and guided success strategies for students, families and teachers. She learned about trauma and resiliency through the Youth Resiliency Team at Northwest Colorado Health, teaching small and large groups at schools and the Boys & Girls Club for a couple years just prior to starting her work at Northwest Colorado Center for Independence in 2024. Wendy feels very fortunate to have loved every job she has had and feels that all the experience gained over the years has given her a well-rounded basis from which to begin as an Independent Living Coordinator, as well as a Transition Coordinator. A lifelong learner, she is ready for the challenge. In her spare time, Wendy enjoys spending time with her dogs, a Golden Retriever and a Rottweiler, her four cats and two miniature goats. Her adult son is living at home currently and has a German Shepherd that she spends a lot of time with as well. She and her husband Ted, an Army Veteran having served in Iraq, enjoy taking care of her 35-acre farm and gardening. Her hobbies include cooking, reading, dog training, beginning horse training and travel when possible. |
Transportation Team
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Hope Hunt
Transportation Coordinator [email protected] Hope has lived in Baggs Wyoming almost all her life. Growing up in a small town with an indivisible disability came with challenges especially as a teenager. Hope is dedicated to help people with disabilities be more independent. On Hope’s off time you will find her spending time with her family outdoors. |
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Laurie Hammel
Driver
[email protected] I'm Laurie, I've been driving for years all around Colorado since around '94. I currently live with my dog, cat granddaughter, and her dog. I enjoy driving and visiting with people, and I love being able to do both with NWCCI. |
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Ronica MoralesDriver
[email protected] Ronica has been with NWCCI since 2024. She takes pleasure in aiding fellow humans and all living beings. Has served in the United States Air Force and taken on several volunteer opportunities in her many travels since then. Now, settling down in Craig Colorado, she aids us as a driver with a smile. |
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Matt Winey
Driver [email protected] Matt has lived in the Craig area since 1987, and is a retired coal miner who enjoys helping others work thru trials and troubles in life. |
Support Team
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Rachelle Adrian-DicksonDevelopment Coordinator
[email protected] Rachelle first joined NWCCI in 2016 as our Operations Manager. Since 2019 she has been our Development Coordinator, writing grants and working with foundations who partner with NWCCI, so that we may reach all individuals with disabilities who are on their quest for living independently. Rachelle's background in business operations, accounting, software training, project management and banking makes for a threateningly long resume, but allows Rachelle to bring all her experiences along with her passion to NWCCI so that she can work with people who have disabilities to live their best life possible, and this helps her to live her best life possible as well. She has raised two children in Steamboat Springs and they are now off in the world fulfilling their dreams. Rachelle spends every minute of her free time with her loved ones, including her cat Dandelion. |
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Jessica Bertram
Operations Manager
[email protected] She has a BA in Business Management, HR as well has a background in working with county, state, and federal programs. She bring a lot of experience with helping people from all walks of life as well as all ability types. |
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Ian ‘Glitch’ WhiteData Specialist
[email protected] Ian has lived in Steamboat nearly all of his life. A High Functioning Autistic with a knack for working with technology, he prefers to go by his online handle of ‘Glitch’, this is both to make him feel more at home and to avoid confusion with his boss also named Ian. His duties are to manage the website and organize data for the rest of the staff and other tasks that need doing. He’s quite happy to be here and looking forward to the long haul! |
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Beverly CharlesworthOffice Assistant
Beverly joined the NWCCI team in January 2014 with extensive experience providing clerical support. Her primary duties, tasks and responsibilities revolve around our organization’s goal to be environmentally conscious. This includes, but is not limited to, shredding, recycling, and working to assure that NWCCI is a clean and healthy work environment. |
