Colorado Springs, Colo. – During Thursday's seventh annual Mayor's Young Leader Awards, Mayor John Suthers recognized six individuals for making extraordinary efforts in their field while having a positive impact in the Colorado Springs community. Launched in 2015 to celebrate the outstanding achievements of young professionals age 40 and under, the 2020 winners were selected from 30 finalists across six categories. A record number of nominations were received.

"The quality of work presented by this year's Mayor's Young Leader Award finalists was exceptional," said Mayor Suthers. "I am consistently pleased with the young professionals who are serving Colorado Springs across all industries and am grateful for their contributions to strengthening our community. The 2020 winners are fantastic representatives of Olympic City USA, and I look forward to following their future success."

The 2020 winners are as follows:

Community & Economic Impact: David Siegel | Bee Vradenburg Foundation
As CEO of the Bee Vradenburg Foundation, Siegel works to advance the relevance, resilience, and greatness of the arts in the Pikes Peak region. He's part of several boards and commissions, including the Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Advisory Board, the statewide Arts and Culture Funders Group, Lodgers and Automobile Rental Tax board, the Colorado Springs Public Art Commission, and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. Siegel also serves as a music advisor for the Green Box Arts Festival.

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Creative Industry: David Jackson | CaveSim

As the inventor and CEO of CaveSim LLC, Jackson travels the country educating and training everyone from elementary students to first responders with his confined-space rescue training devices that include a permanent installation at CityRock and a mobile version that operates out of a large trailer. Since 2010, the mobile version of CaveSim has conducted programs in 17 states.

Education: Dr. Carole Frye | Colorado Springs School District 11

Since 2017, Dr. Frye has served as the principal of Monroe Elementary in Colorado Springs School District 11. Under her leadership, the school has transformed into a high-performing community school that has received the highest academic rating in Colorado the past two years, offers free before- and after-school programming, and an expanded meal program that provides dinner. Additionally, Monroe was recognized nationally as a Capturing Kids' Hearts National Showcase School in 2019.

Military Leader: Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Parks | Peterson Air Force Base

Tech. Sgt. Parks serves as the Peterson Air Force Base Installation Emergency Manager, where he helps ensure the bases' population is fully trained and prepared for all hazards in the local area and deployments around the world. Parks is also a member of the Local Emergency Management Planning Committee and the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency ManagementThe City and County are consolidating their Offices of Emergency Management in an effort to optimize staff resources, establish a single point of contact during major incidences and enhance communication both during and after an event. The new office, the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management (PPR-OEM) will support operations during a disaster or emergency in El Paso County and Colorado Springs.Because disaster knows no jurisdictional boundaries, we can most efficiently prepare for an emergency and respond to one by coordinating our efforts on a regional basis. The establishment of the PPR-OEM will allow the county and the city to more effectively coordinate and assist first responders in an emergency as well as preparing the government and the community for a disaster. Collaboration team and serves as the lead military liaison in the El Paso County Emergency Coordination Center

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Sports & Wellness: Timothy Corner Jr. | Man 2 Machine

As a licensed massage therapist, certified personal trainer and owner of Man2Machine, Corner wears many hats in the community. He works with groups ranging from youth sports to the military in creating exercise, nutritional, and mental health programs to help people attain wellness and achieve their goals. He is also part of the Lululemon Sweat Collective and volunteers as a coach for youth wrestling and softball.

Technology & Sustainability: Rodney Gullatte Jr. | Firma IT Solutions & Services

Gullatte owns Firma IT Solutions & Services, where he provides IT support, computer services and cybersecurity expertise to businesses and organizations. He's president of the Colorado Springs Rotary, founder of the Colorado Springs Black Business Network, a board member of the Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado, and the Southern Colorado Business Partnership. Gullatte also serves as a consultant for the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center

More information about the Mayor's Young Leader Awards, including a list of all 2020 finalists and past award recipients, is available at ColoradoSprings.gov/MYLA.

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