Board Members

Heather Otter is a Project Manager at Region 9 Economic Development District of Southwest Colorado, where she works on regional initiatives. Heather has a BA in Psychology and a Master’s in Education with a concentration on technology. She has professional experience as an educator, small business owner, corporate training manager, school board governance consultant and economic development planner. Heather is also a facilitator for the Southwest Opioid Response District (SWORD), a regional group that aims to address opioid and other substance misuse strategies in the region.

Heather is passionate about improving the economic prosperity and quality of life of the communities she serves. She believes that education is the key to empowering people to have more agency and opportunities in their lives. She enjoys learning new things and sharing her knowledge with others, especially in the areas of leadership, technology, and process improvement. Heather is a proud alumni of Fort Lewis College.

Shara Brice has three decades of community building experience, in the States and in the United Kingdom. Her community development work earned her the title of MBE (Member of the British Empire) in 2005, when she was just 36 years old. This honor from Her Majesty the Queen is rarely bestowed upon non-Nationals, and certainly not before their 40th birthdays. Shara was named 2009 “Citizen of the Year” by the London Borough of Newham, and the 2010 “Woman of the Year” for the United Kingdom. She was selected as an Olympic Torch Bearer for the London 2012 Games.

She currently serves as the Senior Director of Partnerships and Regional Learning for the Chapman Foundation for Caring Communities (CFCC). She enjoys leading transformational learning experiences that strengthen relationships, align teams and build stronger communities. CFCC is fostering a society where care and compassion rise above indifference and prejudice, person by person, community by community.

Shara earned her undergraduate degrees from William Jewell College in Public Relations and Psychology. She earned her Master of Public Administration, with an emphasis in Gerontology at University of Missouri, Kansas City.

Stephanie is the owner of A Wild Hope Counseling in Durango, CO. She is a licensed clinical social worker and a licensed addiction counselor. She has a BS in Business Administration and a Master's Degree in Clinical Social Work.

She has been working with young people and families for over 15 years. She started her social work journey in wilderness therapy and then transitioned to a local youth services agency. She is currently in private practice, supporting both adolescents and adults. She works collaboratively and creatively with her clients to explore opportunities for growth and understanding so they may (re)discover their sense of well-being.

Outside of her work, she loves adventuring in the natural world, it has a way of reflecting what she needs in the moment. She has an amazing dog; Luna aka looney tunes aka Schmoops aka peanut; who accompanies her on all her adventures. She is creative at heart and loves painting in the wild as a way to express her experiences.

Della co-facilitates a La Plata County coalition, ROAR (Recognizing Opportunities Around Resilience) that promotes social connectedness in our community and empowering youth as a means for substance use prevention. ⁠

Prior to her current role, Della worked in regional opioid misuse and overdose prevention education with San Juan Basin Public Health. Della is passionate about community-led solutions, harm reduction, substance use education, policy reform and health equity. ⁠

In her spare time, she loves exploring the outdoors, connecting with friends, and probably consuming too much news.