Colorado’s Clean Air Champions Recognized at Fourth Annual Event

Every year, the Regional Air Quality Council recognizes the exceptional efforts of a handful of individuals and organizations in our community working toward cleaner air for all. On Sept. 15, 2026, the RAQC presented awards to 15 Colorado Clean Air Champions at its fourth annual clean air happy hour. These former RAQC board members, community members, businesses, and local governments were recognized for their efforts to ensure a healthy environment and clean air for the Front Range region and all Coloradans.

This was the second year that the event took place at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, which is down the street from the RAQC’s office in downtown Denver. The RAQC would like to thank its partners, board members, and all those who attended to celebrate and support efforts to improve air quality in the Colorado Front Range. Thank you also to event sponsor Rocky Mountain ACE Hardware for their generous support of this event for another year!

The evening began with an on-screen welcome from Scout the Pika, a cheerful pika puppet developed by Rocky Mountain PBS for use in educational partnerships. The RAQC’s outreach and awareness program Simple Steps. Better Air. featured Scout in newly developed educational videos this year as part of its annual summer advertising campaign. Scout (and his puppet handlers) later joined the celebration in person for photos with Clean Air Champions attendees.

Featured guest speaker and RAQC Board Member Will Toor was introduced by RAQC Board Chair Dan Kramer. Toor is currently the executive director of the Colorado Energy Office, a position he has held since being appointed by Governor Jared Polis at the start of 2019. In his remarks, Toor reviewed the ways the state of Colorado has grown and led the way nationally in reducing greenhouse emissions and ozone precursors by increasing electrification, implementing new technologies, and investing in infrastructure during his time leading the Colorado Energy Office. Despite current federal headwinds, he said that Colorado remains on track to cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.

“If a state like Colorado in the middle of the country can do it… anyone can do it,” Toor said.

Prior to his state leadership role these past 8 years — which he described as “the best job I’ve ever done” — Toor served as former director of the transportation program at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, on the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission, as Boulder County Commissioner, Mayor of Boulder, and on the board of the Denver Regional Council of Governments, including as board chair. His extensive career in public service, transportation, and energy has given him the perspective that over the past decade, Colorado has been “a rare bright spot when it comes to the transition to clean energy,” he said.

“I think it really does show that it is possible to meet ambitious pollution reduction and climate goals while maintaining a great quality of life, maintaining a healthy economy … while maintaining the third-lowest household energy costs in the nation,” Toor said.

The awards were then presented to loud applause from a high-energy crowd by RAQC Executive Director Mike Silverstein, Programs Director Jacob LaBure, Communications and Programs Manager Kelsey Simpkins, Programs Coordinator Jane Allen, and Programs Assistant Keenan Powell. Congratulations to all of our 2026 Clean Air Champions!

All photos are credited to: Nisha Shrestha. To request high-quality photos for personal or professional use, please contact RAQC Program Coordinator Haley Mendoza.

Legislative Champions

Clean Air Legislative Champions are elected leaders who have made great strides to improve air quality through state legislation.

Kyle Brown, Colorado House of Representatives District 12 (representing southeastern Boulder County), was recognized for his work leading legislation to extend clean-energy incentives, including Colorado’s electric lawn equipment tax credit through 2029, while strengthening incentives for cleaner vehicles, energy storage, and other technologies that reduce emissions.

Public Service Champions

Clean Air Public Service Champions dedicate their time and expertise to improving air quality in their communities.

Cindy Copeland, Air and Climate Policy Advisor with Boulder County, is recognized for her many years of regulatory and legislative work, as well as her involvement in RAQC air quality planning committees, and leadership roles with many local governments, local government organizations such as Colorado Communities for Climate Action (CC4CA), NGOs, and community groups on air quality and climate policies.

Sheryl Magzamen, a respiratory epidemiologist and researcher, is recognized for her role as co-author of the RAQC’s recent Health Impact Assessment, and her numerous efforts to study and improve air quality in Colorado, including the impacts of wildfire smoke, air pollution, chronic respiratory disease and the risks facing children. Most recently a professor in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences at Colorado State University and in the Department of Epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health, Magzamen was unable to accept the award in person as she has recently relocated to Université de Montréal as Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair, where she will continue her work on environmental threats to health.

Jonathan M. Samet, Professor of Epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health, is recognized for his role as co-author of the RAQC’s recent Health Impact Assessment, and his accomplished career investigating the health effects of air pollution, including his previous role as Dean at the Colorado School of Public Health, as well as serving on numerous committees related to air pollution control for the EPA, chairing the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, for the National Academies, and the World Health Organization.

Kevin Smith is recognized for his 10 years with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) Mobile Sources Unit, serving for the past three years as supervisor of the Aurora Emissions Technical Center and High Altitude Emissions Laboratory. As part of the longstanding collaboration with the RAQC’s Clean Air Auto Repair program, Kevin oversees critical in-use vehicle testing, and leads a team whose data directly shapes environmental policy and empowers staff to assist local motorists with essential emissions repairs.

Tehya Stockman, Air Quality Policy and Program Specialist with Adams County, is recognized for significantly expanded the County’s air quality programming, leading educational outreach initiatives, strengthened the County’s air permit and air quality monitoring plan review processes, and contributing to state-level policy development through active participation in numerous Air Quality Control Commission rulemakings. Tehya also secured an Indoor Air Quality grant to deliver direct benefits to residents through low-cost air quality sensor loan programs and the distribution of HEPA air cleaners to households in Disproportionately Impacted Communities.

Local Government Champions

Clean Air Local Government Champions use their position of leadership to benefit their communities by prioritizing air quality improvement.

The City of Longmont is recognized for its City Green Team launching an internal anti-idling campaign, and for Fleet Services transitioning city vehicles to alternative fuels and reduce unnecessary idling. In partnership with Ace Hardware, the City has also offered a lawn mower swap that helped residents replace gas-powered equipment with cleaner, quieter electric alternatives. In addition, the city has collected detailed air quality data in Longmont to help contribute to a larger picture of air quality along the Front Range since 2020. The award was accepted by Zachary Lance, Residential Sustainability Coordinator at City of Longmont.

Board Champions

Clean Air Board Champions are current or former members of the RAQC’s board who have demonstrated a particular dedication to the governance or promotion of the RAQC and its programs.

Michael Leccese is recognized for going above and beyond as a recent RAQC board member, his engagement at Simple Steps. Better Air. events, and demonstrating great initiative to personally impact air quality by biking everywhere he can, riding 5,000+ miles around the region each year! Michael is the former Executive Director of the Urban Land Institute, and remains active in civic affairs.

Community Champions

Clean Air Community Champions are residents and organizations in the ozone nonattainment region who exemplify leadership and/or a strong commitment to improving air quality in their community.

Bicycle Colorado is recognized for its decades-long work to make biking safer and more accessible for every Coloradan. Including: passing 37 bike- and pedestrian-friendly laws since 2018, championing recent e-bike rebates and education programs, and various community partnerships. The award was accepted by Todd Stevenson, membership manager for Bicycle Colorado.

Harmony Cummings is Director of Green House Connection Center, a community space located in North Denver, and is recognized for her hands-on, collaborative community and policy work to host Pollution and Solutions tours, and involving Green House Connection Center as Party to rulemakings such as Air Toxics, GEMM2, Cumulative Impacts and Produced Water. Harmony was joined in accepting her award by her two boys, as she works passionately to protect the future for her children and all the children of Colorado.

Peter Downing is recognized for his role as co-founder of Suffer Better, a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2014, focused on engaging the diverse community of outdoor athletes in the important work to protect and preserve our precious outdoors. And for almost 10 years now, Suffer Better has hosted the Colorado version of the 24-hour Running Up For Air event each February, raising proceeds for Front Range nonprofits to do the work on our area air quality, and providing the RAQC an opportunity to engage with and educate this enthusiastic community of athletes, through our Simple Steps. Better Air. program.

Love My Air Denver and its staff Bill Obermann, Ephraim Milton, Nancy Fitzgerald at the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment are recognized for their leadership and partnership in Denver metro area air quality education, outreach, and monitoring, with the RAQC and its Simple Steps. Better Air. Program, as well as to many Front Range communities through schools, health centers, local governments — and at the national level as well. Most recently, through a grant from Kaiser Permanente, the Love My Air program has partnered with local health clinics like Tepeyac, Inner City Health, and Kaiser to develop and install interactive, educational kiosks, that offer residents a novel and timely tool to address how their health is affected by air quality.

Business Champions

Clean Air Business Champions go above and beyond to partner with nonprofits, donate to causes, or implement and promote programs to make a positive impact on air quality in the Front Range Ozone Nonattainment Region.

Caza Gomis is the founder and CEO of Trek Systems, an engineering firm and technical distributor specializing in hybrid energy, connectivity, and control systems for mobile and remote environments. Beyond systems deployment, Caza and his team have trained hundreds of professionals through Trek’s intensive two-day hands-on training program; equipping technicians, integrators, and field operators with the skills to design, install, and support hybrid energy systems in demanding environments. Caza and his team are recognized for helping pave the way for the transition to electric battery systems, replacing countless gas-powered systems in partnership with the RAQC, food trucks and many other businesses in the non-attainment area.

Sage Marler is recognized for his work as a local Business-to-Business Specialist representing the Elevation Ace Hardware Group, helping local businesses transition from gas-powered equipment to cleaner electric alternatives through education and product procurement. Sage has been a key partner with our Mow Down Pollution and has helped hundreds of people switch to electric lawn and garden equipment.

LaSheita Sayer is the founder and Executive Director of Women Who Charge, a Colorado nonprofit advancing energy literacy, EV education, workforce development, and equitable access to clean transportation. Through Women Who Charge, LaSheita has developed workforce and educational programs introducing students and adults to careers in EV charging, fleet electrification, battery technology, and emerging mobility. The organization’s EV Academy has reached nearly 60 students and works with more than 30 industry partners across Colorado to provide hands-on exposure to the clean transportation industry. She was introduced by RAQC board member Enessa Janes.