~ The Mayor's Office of Colorado Springs has announced the finalists for the highly anticipated annual Mayor's Young Leader Awards. This program recognizes and celebrates the exceptional achievements of young professionals, aged 18 to 40, who are making a positive impact in their community through their professional and volunteer work.

Out of all the nominees, a total of 35 finalists have been selected across seven different categories. The winners for each category will be revealed during an award ceremony on Wednesday, November 6th from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Pinery at the Hill located at 775 W. Bijou St.

The finalists represent a diverse group of individuals who have demonstrated outstanding contributions in their respective fields. In the Community Impact category, Samantha Chapman from Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation, Ryan Darilek from Embrave, Kimberly Gold from Colorado Springs Black Chamber of Commerce, Jandi Keum from 3i Law, and Brent Sabati from ENT Credit Union have emerged as top contenders.

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In the Creative Industry category, Kevin Davis from Guerrilla Media, Preston Goff from The Exodus Road, Chloe Hoeft from Notes Live/VENU, Patrick Nelson from Harrison School District 2, and Jacob Pope from Chamber Orchestra of the Springs have been recognized for their exceptional work.

The Economic Impact category includes Matt Buffington from GE Johnson, Samuel Clark from Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation, Camille Lavon from Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC, Sandra Lopez from b:side fund, and Ryan Rosenhahn from IntraNerve Neuroscience as finalists.

In Education, Keith Bisaillon from Harrison School District 2, Hitcel Hernandez from Pikes Peak State College, Sami Mooney from Colorado Department of Education, Kandy Ruiz also representing Pikes Peak State College and Matthew Stewart representing Academy School District 20 have been acknowledged for their outstanding contributions.

The Military Leaders category includes Capt Jon Borah from United States Space Force, MSG Luis Bustos from United States Army, A1C Michelle Joann Hubbard from United States Air Force, MSgt Connor Olney also from United States Air Force and Capt Naureen Singh from United States Air Force.

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In the Sports, Health & Wellness category, Caitlin Burgess from Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention Partnership, Katrina Diaz from Urban Cirque, James Garofalo from Lokiten Behavioral Health, Thomas Jeffries from Rocky Mountain Vibes and Christina Lorete representing Colorado College and UpaDowna have been recognized for their exceptional work.

The Technology & Sustainability category includes Rachel Gardner from National Cybersecurity Center, Luz Gonzalez from Exponential Impact, Alondra Hauser representing University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Nathan Kozel representing RainTech and Rachael Maxwell also representing Exponential Impact.

The award ceremony will be hosted by Fox21 Chief Meteorologist Matt Meister. Limited tickets will be available for purchase to the public. For updates on ticket sales, follow @MayorofCOS on Facebook.

For more information on the Mayor's Young Leader Awards and to see a list of past recipients and descriptions of each award category, visit ColoradoSprings.gov/MYLA.

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