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Blog Post: Honoring the successes of our former CEO, Dontae Latson

By Mark Marshall, RMC’s Interim CEO

Our former CEO, Dontae Latson, recently left RMC for another opportunity, and we would be remiss if we didn’t shine a light on and honor all that he did to support RMC through the pandemic; how he set the organization up for current and future success; and how he supported our residents with unwavering commitment! 

It has been my absolute pleasure and an honor to serve beside Dontae these past few years. While Dontae continues to expand his reach as a leader in the nonprofit industry, as Interim CEO, I’m proud to carry on the legacy of outstanding work that he put in place at RMC during his tenure at the organization. — READ FULL STORY 

Affordable Housing Nonprofit Rocky Mountain Communities Hires Amritpal Byrd as Vice President of Property Management

Byrd brings 20 years of property management to the organization

Denver, CO, August 24, 2023 – Affordable housing nonprofit Rocky Mountain Communities (RMC), that owns and manages affordable housing communities across the state, has named Amritpal Byrd as vice president of property management. She brings more than 20 years of experience to the organization. 

“Amritpal is a great addition to our leadership team and we look forward to her bringing her years of experience to the role to support our properties and communities,” said Mark Marshall, interim CEO of Rocky Mountain Communities. — READ FULL STORY 

New Permanent Supporting Housing Community ‘The Commons’ Now Open in Colorado Springs (Press Release)

The Commons, a new Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) community for Veterans, families and individuals seeking stable housing, is now open in Colorado Springs. The first phase of The Commons includes 50 one, two, and three-bedroom apartment units for individuals and families experiencing unstable housing and who are in-need of clinical services. Sixteen percent of the units will be reserved for Veterans. The Commons is a partnership between Colorado Springs-based non-profit Homeward Pikes Peak (HPP) and Denver-based affordable housing non-profit Rocky Mountain Communities (RMC) — READ FULL STORY 

RMC Celebrated its 30th Anniversary and Had a Milestone Year in 2022 (Blog)

2022 was a milestone year for Rocky Mountain Communities. We celebrated the organization’s 30th anniversary with a dinner to look back on our accomplishments over the past three decades and to honor Mr. Steve Barbier who helped found the organization. To support our residents, we secured 1,400 laptops and tablets to distribute in 2023 to lessen the impact of digital redlining, an issue I believe is of the utmost importance for our residents and others living in affordable housing communities.  — READ FULL STORY 

Affordable Housing Nonprofit Rocky Mountain Communities Hires Karrie Simmons as Vice President of Finance (Press Release)

Affordable housing nonprofit Rocky Mountain Communities (RMC), that owns and manages affordable housing communities across the state, has named Karrie Simmons as vice president of finance. Simmons has worked in finance for the past nearly 20 years.

“Karrie brings to RMC robust experience in finance in a variety of industries and in multiple roles, and we are excited to have her join our leadership team,” said Dontae Latson, CEO of Rocky Mountain Communities. “Karrie is the last of our executive new hires to round out our team. We look forward to a successful 30^th year this year and many more to follow with all of our leaders now in place.”  — READ FULL STORY 

Rocky Mountain Communities Hires Juanita Rodriguez as Vice President of Resident Services; Adds Five New Board Members (Press Release)

Colorado-based, affordable housing nonprofit Rocky Mountain Communities (RMC), that owns and manages affordable housing communities across the state, has named Juanita Rodriguez MBA, REHS, CRM, as the new vice president of resident services. The organization also added five new board members to support the organization’s growth.

“We are excited to have Juanita join our leadership team to ensure our residents have the support they need while living in our communities,” said Dontae Latson, CEO of Rocky Mountain Communities. “Juanita brings to RMC varied and robust experience in several key areas, and has a deep passion for helping others. As RMC continues to grow, we are also excited to bring new members onto the board to help ensure our success as an organization.”  — READ FULL STORY 

Making Waves in 2021 (Blog Post)

In 2021, we had to continue to adjust to a new way of life and take action to make a positive difference in our communities. The pandemic has caused turbulence, but we maintained a focus on keeping our residents stably housed. As we reconnected with one another, we created a positive force for ripples of change. 

I’m proud of the Rocky Mountain Communities team for the way we collaborated through another difficult year of the pandemic and how we continue to support our residents and communities today. Through precarious currents, 2021 was a year of constant flux, new experiences and resiliency. Continue reading for some of the highlights from the last year:  — READ FULL STORY 

Resident Profile Series: Jesse Lopez

Navy veteran Jesse Lopez has known significant suffering in his life. In 1981, he became confined to a wheelchair and then lost his 23-year-old daughter in 2016. Despite these losses, Jesse finds ways to contribute positively to Rocky Mountain Communities’ Mountain Terrace apartments in northeast Denver, where he lives. 

“Everyone’s my friend. I try to help out where I can,” says Jesse. 

Originally from north Denver near Sloan’s Lake, Jesse has lived at Mountain Terrace for 10 years and says he knows most of the folks there. 

“I’ve watched kids grow up here and come back with kids of their own,” explains Jesse. 

Jesse lives in a two-bedroom apartment that he shared with his daughter until 2016 when she passed away. He says the staff at Mountain Terrace were very understanding about his desire to stay in that apartment despite it just being him. 

“They understood this is where I lived with her,” says Jesse. — READ FULL STORY 

We Must Work Together to Close the Digital Divide, Bylined Article in Grand Junction Sentinel

The pandemic exacerbated a digital divide, a divide between those who have access to technology and Wi-Fi and those who do not. This divide continues more than a year later as we send our kids back to school during the rise of the COVID-19 Delta variant.

While the divide was always there, it became ever apparent during the pandemic and students went from in-person to remote learning. How would our young residents attend remote school without a computer? How would they access their virtual classes without Wi-Fi? How would their parents — many of whom lost their jobs — apply for jobs without a computer or the internet? — READ FULL STORY

A Note of Thanks and Gratitude

We love hearing from our residents! We are grateful for the feedback and appreciate the “thank you” we recently received from a resident at Grand Manor who just moved out. Take a look!

I just wanted to thank you for taking Jake and me into the Grand Manor in November 2003,  when I was broke and in a tough spot in my life.

I really appreciate all your help and how well we were taken care of.  I always felt safe and respected living there, the buildings are always well maintained and look nice.  My maintenance needs were always handled quickly and efficiently. The sliding scale rent is a blessing for those of us who need it. We were very happy in our apartment and with all the managers and staff members throughout the years.  Always reaching out to the tenants during holidays with punch, cookies, and presents for the children, or sometimes school supplies. I very much appreciated our time at Grand Manor.