“Nothing About Us Without Us - Ever”

Featuring Julie Resikin

Co-Executive Director of Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition

Julie Resikin is the Co-Executive Director of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC), a leading disability rights organization who advocates for social justice for Coloradans with all types of disabilities. CCDC leads the way in citizen engagement by training advocates who permeate the Colorado public policy arena and assist other organizations with assuring real and meaningful participation at all levels, always with the motto: “Nothing About Us Without Us - Ever.”

Julie became disabled in her early 20s, encouraging a lifelong passion about healthcare to include disability rights. After graduate school, Julie advocated for Medicaid rights and the passage of the ADA, before moving to Colorado. In Colorado, Julie worked as a community organizer and community educator, and had a therapy practice. She joined the CCDC as a policy analyst, then later a director in 1997. Julie served in this capacity as a volunteer until the passage of the Medicaid Buy-In for Working Adults with Disabilities in Colorado in 2015 when CCDC transitioned from an all volunteer team to one with paid staff. In 2022, Hillary Jorgensen was recruited as co-director.

With a BS and MSW from the University of Connecticut, Julie is an Adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver at the Graduate School of Social Work active as a field liaison and teaching macro practice social work. In 2010, Julie was appointed by President Obama to serve on the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation as the client representative. In 2018, she was elected to serve on the Board of the ACLU of Colorado and is currently Chair of the Board. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Denver Foundation and Treasurer of the National Pain Advocacy Center.

As a leader, Julie is passionate about supporting and mentoring younger leaders. “We can get to know younger leaders and be there to share what mistakes we made and share what we have learned over decades of this work. We can help them pace themselves. We can be their cheerleaders. We can continue to pave the way as we have by demanding that our community have a seat at the table and support them when they get jobs in the system whether in government or nonprofits.”

Measuring the Impact of Long Term Change

Featuring David Rout

Executive Director of Homeward Alliance

David Rout worked for several years as a journalist after graduating with his Bachelor’s degree but soon became involved in social work through volunteering at the Sexual Assault Victim Advocates (SAVA) center in Fort Collins. This volunteer work was the driving force behind David’s decision to pursue a Masters of Social Work from Colorado State University. As a part of the degree program, David completed internships with Hand Up and Homeless Gear, programs that later developed into pieces of Homeward Alliance.

As Homeward Alliance was founded, David joined the team in 2012 as one of the organization’s first employees, becoming Executive Director in 2014. The Homeward Alliance exists to empower individuals and families who face homelessness to survive, move forward and thrive. They operate a continuum of programs and initiatives for families, adults, and seniors in the community, such as basic needs, housing-focused case management, behavioral health and employment services. Programs include Resource Navigation, Family Services, Distribution, Parole Re-Entry, Employment Services, Bike Repair, Mobile Laundry, the Homeless Management Information System, and the Housing 1st Initiative. Homeward Alliance operates the Murphy Center and Mason Place, locations for core human services, day shelters, health clinics, partner agencies, on-site case management, and residential services.

As the Executive Director of Homeward Alliance, David has led the organization to grow from a small grassroots organization to Northern Colorado’s leading agency addressing homelessness. David is a visionary leader dedicated to transforming bold ideas into impactful realities, driving innovation, and inspiring change. In addition to overseeing the organization’s programs and services, David works to advance best practices and systemic strategies aimed at making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.

David’s words of wisdom to other nonprofit leaders? “It takes a long time but I’ve seen system-level change happen, and that’s where my passion comes from - this cumulative effect of the work we’ve done as a community in the last 10 years, and I am able to look back and see where we are today.”