Celebrating Southern Colorado’s Workforce Achievements!
Andrea Zepeda has joined the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum as chief financial officer. Zepeda, most recently CFO for John 3:16 Mission in Tulsa, holds an MBA in finance from Oklahoma Wesleyan University and a bachelor of science in business management from the University of Phoenix. She began her job on Feb. 10, succeeding Linda Harl, who retired after serving as CFO since 2022.
Mike Steppenbacker has been named Colorado market president and head of Colorado lending at Kirkpatrick Bank. He previously served as director/vice president of corporate banking at Ent Credit Union for almost 15 years, vice president of business banking at ANB Bank for more than four years and as a bank examiner in Cleveland, Ohio, for more than four years.
Joe Garcia, Colorado Community College System chancellor, has announced his retirement effective June 30, 2025. Garcia served as Pikes Peak State College president from 2001 to 2006. He later led Colorado State University Pueblo, served as Colorado’s lieutenant governor and became executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education, advocating for college affordability and student success at the state level.
Lindy Dahl has joined Integrity Bank & Trust as its vice president and community development officer. Dahl has more than 13 years of banking experience at banks in Colorado, Illinois and Missouri, along with time at a credit union in Stuttgart, Germany. Her role will include leading the bank’s treasury management initiatives, community outreach and other growth strategies.
Zach Bunney, executive vice president at FirstBank in Colorado Springs, has received the Colorado Bankers Association’s 2025 Bankers of Distinction Award for leadership in commercial lending and dedication to community development. Bunney joined FirstBank in 2009 and specializes in providing financing to developers, investors and small-business owners. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a graduate degree in banking.
TechWise has appointed Brig. Gen. Kristin Goodwin (Ret.) as chief operations officer. The Colorado Springs-based defense consulting firm continues to expand its global footprint in defense training and systems integration. Goodwin will guide TechWise’s operational strategy across defense, space and emerging technology programs, drawing from her experience as chief of staff for Space Operations Command and founder of The Delta-v, a strategic advisory firm.
Credit Union Promotes Retail Delivery Team Members
Ent Credit Union has promoted three outstanding leaders in its retail delivery team. They are:
Mike Grady, now senior VP of retail, is overseeing operations at all 59 service centers in the state. He also supervises business banking, business development and operations administration to enhance service and expansion efforts.
Amber Lundy, now VP of retail delivery, started working for Ent in 2009; her dedication and leadership has propelled her through the ranks ever since.
Kerry Westlund, now VP of retail delivery, has spent more than 27 years in the financial services field. She began her Ent career in 2021 as a service center manager.
Swigert Award Goes to Polaris Team
Colorado Springs-based Space Foundation has awarded the 2025 John L. “Jack” Swigert Jr. Award for Space Exploration to the Polaris Dawn Mission Team. Mission commander Jared Isaacman, former Air Force pilot Scott Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon spent five days in space in September 2024 and achieved several major milestones. They reached the highest Earth orbit ever flown, with a peak apogee of 1,408.1 kilometers above the planet; completed the first-ever commercial extravehicular activity (EVA) with SpaceX-designed EVA spacesuits; conducted scientific research designed to advance both human health on Earth and our understanding of human health during future long-duration spaceflights; and tested laser-based communications in space with Starlink. Gillis and Menon became the first women to carry out such a mission. The award will be presented at the 40th annual Space Symposium, taking place April 7-10 at The Broadmoor.
Hispanic Chamber Adds Members to Board
The Colorado Springs Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has appointed two new members to its Hispanic Chamber and Education Foundation Board. They are Cathy Michopoulus, chief administrative officer at Diversus Health, and Tania Baxter, founder of Baxter Enterprises in Denver. Michopoulus’ experience includes Health Colorado, where she was the COO and CEO, and San Luis Valley Behavioral Health Group, where she was the CFO. Baxter was COO at Bondadosa, a food justice enterprise, and was senior solutions director and deputy director at The Senior Hub, which provides programs for aging adults.
