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In Remembrance of Brian Vogt

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Brian Vogt, CEO of Denver Botanic Gardens. Brian’s extraordinary leadership of the organization over the past eighteen years elevated the work of the Gardens to new heights, cementing it as one of the nation’s most-visited public gardens and one of our region’s most beloved institutions.

SCFD Board Chair Jacki Cooper Melmed shared, “This is a profound loss to our community. With loving kindness and deep commitment, Brian made all our lives better through his work at the Gardens.”

He served as a thought partner, mentor, and friend to our cultural community, always willing to lend a listening ear or his unfailing optimism to those who needed it. Brian’s years of service on SCFD’s Engage-Empower-Connect Summit planning committee resulted in years of vibrant and inspirational professional development sessions for the benefit of our funded partners – enhancing our cultural sector at large. He has truly left our community better than he found it.

“Brian was one of the true visionary leaders in our community," said Deborah Jordy, SCFD Executive Director. "All that is great about Denver Botanic Gardens owes its origin to his boundless optimism and bottomless kindness. It is hard to come to terms with the loss of someone so fundamental to the fabric of our metro area. But, as was Brian's way, he has quietly but steadfastly left us all a legacy of grace, beauty and connection that will stand for generations."

Photo Credit: Scott Dressel-Martin

Executive Director Transition Update

The SCFD search committee and Kittleman & Associates will work to present a successful executive director candidate to the SCFD board for approval in the summer of 2025.

Please note that the search committee chair has changed from Gino Greco to Tamra Ward. Gino Greco will continue to serve on the search committee.

You can follow this process on our website.

SCFD Staff in the Spotlight: Arlene Hicks

We want to re-introduce the small but mighty team behind the scenes at SCFD starting with Executive Assistant, Arlene Hicks! Arlene joined SCFD in 2021 and has spent much of her career working with nonprofits, from a tenure as Executive Director of Young Voices of Colorado to 12 years using theatre techniques to bring health education to our community with Kaiser Permanente. Here are a few things you may not know about Arlene, in her words:

The best part of Arlene's job:

My colleagues. Our office is big enough to keep projects manageable, small enough to not be siloed and playful enough that being together is a joy and “work” isn’t a four-letter word.

A recent, memorable experience with arts, culture, or science:

My husband's first Colorado Symphony Association (CSA) performance was with RZA from Wu-Tang Clan. The next year we attended the concert with Raekwon. Both were amazingly memorable evenings!

Arlene's current favorite tv show:

Right now I'm really enjoying the TV series, "Shogun". The formality and rituals of historical Japan fascinate me, and I love listening to the language.

If SCFD had an office talent show, Arlene would wow everyone with:

My archery skills. I'm getting pretty good.

A fun fact:

In addition to singing with a disco & 80s cover band for almost 10 years, I'm also a local award-winning actress, having received a Colorado Theatre Guild Henry Award and Westword's Best of Denver honor.

Arlene's connection to Culture For All:

I love introducing people to SCFD - especially families with young children. When I direct new friends to our Free Days webpage, they are always grateful for the horizon-expanding family outings that don't break the bank. Our funded partners warmly welcome everyone in the community and grow cultural supporters in the process.

Want to learn even more about Arlene? Read her bio here.

Don't Forget: Add Your Free Days to the SCFD Website

Please help us share the amazing programming you provide by adding your organization's free days to our 2025 Free Days calendar here. This is one of our most-visited webpages, and we need your help making sure it has the most updated information so district residents can take advantage of free programs.

What you need, when you need it

Just a friendly reminder that we are continuing to add information, tutorials, grant deadlines, and other important details to pages dedicated to your tier of partnership with the district. Please use these resources to help answer your questions. 

Tier I | Tier II | Tier III 

Resources for Good

Roundtables from The Collaborative of the SCFD

The Collaborative of the SCFD hosts roundtables, trainings and networking events, which are open to all SCFD Tiers. Please RSVP to Brianna Firestone (Brianna@CollaborativeSCFD.org) if you would like to attend the events below or if you have any questions.

Virtual Panel: Creative Aging - Building a Strong Foundation for Engagement

Wednesday, April 9, 2025 | 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Zoom

As Colorado’s population ages, organizations have a unique opportunity to adapt, expand, and refine their programs to better serve older adults. This virtual session will explore the nuances of Creative Aging, highlight its importance, and offer insights into how organizations can engage audiences in meaningful ways. Hear from experts working directly with communities and gain valuable insights from a state demographer on Colorado’s shifting demographics—specifically within the seven SCFD counties. Panelists include Nancy Gedeon, Damon McLeese, Emily Herrin, and Danielle Schulz. Bring your lunch and join us on Zoom for an engaging conversation!

Education Roundtable

Thursday, April 10, 2025 | 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Lone Tree Arts Center

10075 Commons St, Lone Tree, CO 80124

Please join us at Lone Tree Arts Center for another Education Roundtable. This is an opportunity for educators and education coordinators to connect and share updates and ideas in person.

Development Roundtable

Friday, June 20, 2025 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.

Colorado Railroad Museum

17155 W 44th Ave, Golden, CO 80403

Please join us for our final Development roundtable of the season.

New Staff? Make Sure They're Signed Up for SCFD Email Communications!

As the 2025 grant cycle continues, please ensure that any new staff at your organization who might be involved with SCFD funds sign up for our email communications. We send regular updates to organizations by Tier regarding grant deadlines, trainings and more.

"Elevating the SCFD" Shout Out

As part of our ongoing work with you to help raise the profile of the SCFD for residents across the metro area, we’ll be giving a hat tip to organizations who have found a way to include SCFD in their outreach. The goal is to highlight all the ways your organization can help. 

We welcome all funded partners to join us in elevating the value of SCFD. Need ideas or content? Check out our Communicator's Toolkit. And don't forget to tag SCFD in your social media shout-outs or make sure there's an SCFD staff member on the distribution list for any email shout-outs for the chance to be featured below.

Hat Tip to A Child's Song

A special thank you to A Child's Song for the Instagram shout-out to SCFD! We are glad we could support Teach Music Week.

News from the Board

April Board Meeting

The next meeting of the SCFD Board of Directors will be held virtually at 1 p.m. on April 24, 2025. Please note that this meeting will also include a panel discussion by previous SCFD board members about challenges and successes of past reauthorization processes. The public is welcome to listen in on this panel. Get information for joining meetings and see the full calendar of 2025 board meetings.

Other News You Can Use

Did you know you can stay up to date on all things SCFD more than just once a month through our newsletter? Check out our News You Can Use webpage!

SCFD | scfd.org