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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 for 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 service on SCFD’s Engage-Empower-Connect Summit planning committee resulted in years of vibrant and inspirational professional development sessions at the Gardens 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.

Free Days/Events

Organizations from across the metro area provide hundreds of free days and free programs each year, made possible in part, by funding from SCFD. Some organizations are free every day such as Broomfield Veterans Museum, Foothills Art Center, Colorado Music Hall of Fame, Depot Art Gallery, and the Louisville History Museum. Here are a few free days on tap for April:

• Denver Museum of Nature & Science – Apr. 7
• Longmont Museum – Apr. 12
• Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL) – Apr. 18
• Four Mile Historic Park – Apr. 25
• Clyfford Still Museum – Apr. 27
• Denver Art Museum – Apr. 27

SCFD Board of Directors News

A board of directors governs the SCFD with representation from district member counties Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson and four governor's appointees. The board oversees district funding and ensures the district is running the way voters intended. The board meets eight times a year and all meetings are open to the public.

• The next meeting of the SCFD Board of Directors will be held virtually at 1:00 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.

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!

We Fund Culture

Thanks to the voters and residents of the seven-county metro area, SCFD has come a long way in its more than 35 years of existence. SCFD is the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, a tax collected and distributed to more than 300 cultural organizations in our seven-county Denver metro region including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties. Just one penny on every $10 spent in the district creates vibrancy for us individually and collectively.

SCFD | scfd.org