The Colorado Trust Appoints Ty Coleman And Donald Nease As 2024 Trustees

The Colorado Trust, a private, statewide philanthropic foundation dedicated to ensuring all Coloradans have the opportunity to thrive, has appointed Alamosa Mayor Ty Coleman and Donald Nease, MD to its board of trustees. The appointments take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

“I am absolutely thrilled to have Mayor Coleman and Dr. Nease joining us as trustees,” said Rev. Louise Westfall, 2023 board chair of The Colorado Trust. “We strive to have our board represent the amazing diversity of lived experiences our state offers, and these new board members promise to bolster our mission to advance the health and well-being of the people of Colorado.”

Ty Coleman and Donald Nease

Coleman is the mayor of Alamosa, Colo., serving in that role since the end of 2017. He is also Director of Corporate Relations, Mutual Self-Help Housing Development, and Lending Solutions at Community Resources and Housing Development Corporation. A licensed mortgage broker, he currently serves on the boards of Early Childhood Council San Luis Valley, First Southwest Community Fund (a past Colorado Trust grantee), Kiwanis Club of Alamosa and Alamosa Parks & Recreation.
 
“Mayor Coleman brings with him valuable perspectives as a rural community leader,” said Betty Velasquez, incoming 2024 board chair at The Colorado Trust. “His incredible dedication to Alamosa and his longstanding work to improve housing stability there will serve us well in our endeavors statewide.”

Dr. Nease is a professor of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where he is the Green-Edelman Chair for Practice-Based Research; director of Community Engagement and Health Equity for the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute; and director of the State Networks of Ambulatory Practices and Partners (SNOCAP) Practice-Based Research Network Collaborative.
 
“Dr. Nease’s passion for advancing health equity was evident in all of our conversations with him,” said Westfall. “He focuses on partnerships at the community level to move the needle on health outcomes in Colorado, and his vast experience with population-based health initiatives will be essential to our future efforts.”

“Both Mayor Coleman and Dr. Nease are excited and committed to helping us realize our vision for health equity in Colorado,” said Don Mares, president & chief executive officer of The Colorado Trust. “As we chart the foundation’s future work and funding initiatives, their perspectives will be essential to helping us determine impactful, meaningful ways to reduce health disparities in our state.”
 
Nease will replace Warren Johnson, MD as the medical provider on the board of trustees. Johnson will conclude a decade of distinguished service on the board at the end of 2023. Mayor Coleman fills the board seat left vacant by the appointment of Mares, previously a trustee, as Colorado Trust president & chief executive officer in 2022.

About The Colorado Trust 
The Colorado Trust is a foundation dedicated to ensuring all Coloradans have the opportunity to thrive. We partner with organizations across Colorado that are working to make positive changes for people and communities. We provide funding and other resources to help every person living in Colorado have the opportunity to live a long and healthy life. Our grants support organizations and efforts focused on policy advocacy, community building, direct services, public education and more. We work side-by-side with grantees and community members to ensure grants are solution-based and effective. For more information, visit www.coloradotrust.org.