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Northeast Regional Council

Focus Area

The Northeast Regional Council is focused on addressing youth mental health but has added an emerging need component to their grant recommendations. Most recently, the Council recommended funding for the Sunshine Childcare Center, Baby Bear Hugs, and family resource centers in Yuma, Logan, and Morgan counties. Additionally, the Council has recommended funding to Kit Carson Rural Development, Break the Silence, Sterling High School, and Cheyenne Wells School. While pursuing organizations that address the youth mental health challenges in the region, the Council wants to meet emergent needs as they arise. The Council is also exploring how best to respond to the growing need for childcare in the region.
Serving Cheyenne, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Yuma Counties

Click to enlarge the map.

Region Facts
Population
86,757
Major Cities
Burlington, Fort Morgan, Limon, Sterling, Julesburg
Median Household Income
$56,939
Unemployment Rate
3%
High School Graduation Rate
88.2%
Industries
Agriculture, energy including oil, natural gas, and wind

Data is sourced from the KidsCount! Database and the US Census Bureau.

Meet Our Regional Council Members

Along with council members, regional councils are supported by El Pomar Trustees, staff, and Fellows

Matt Carpenter Chief Operating Officer, El Pomar Foundation
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Matt Carpenter is Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Secretary for El Pomar Foundation. He joined El Pomar in 1999 as a participant in the Fellowship program and now oversees grant and program operations. He currently serves on the boards of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs Sports Corporation and Empty Stocking Fund Advisory Board. Matt is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy with a bachelor's degree in political science, and earned a master's degree in public administration from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, with an emphasis on nonprofit management.

“Including my time at the Air Force Academy, I have been in Colorado for more than 25 years. I appreciate the outdoors and as a member of a soccer family, the variety of soccer fields and parks around the state of Colorado.”

Jon Becker County Commissioner, Morgan County; President, Industrial Tower West
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Jon Becker is Morgan County Commissioner for District 2. Jon previously served in the Colorado House of Representatives, representing House District 63. Jon is a native of Morgan County where he worked as Executive Director for the Morgan County Economic Development Corporation as an adjuster for Farmers Insurance Group. Jon formerly worked as the Vice President of Business and Government for Viaero Wireless and currently serves as President of Industrial Tower West.

Justin Coughlin Seward Farms Seward Cattle Company
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Born and raised in Northeast Colorado, Justin Coughlin spent the majority of his childhood in Yuma. He attended the University of Denver where he received a degree in finance and played basketball all four years. After graduating from DU, Justin joined the El Pomar Fellowship in Colorado Springs for two years. He married his high school sweetheart during the Fellowship and returned to Northeast Colorado in 2014 to be an agricultural lender at Bank of Colorado. In March of 2018, Justin and his family moved back home to Yuma where he now works for Seward Farms Seward Cattle Company in a finance and accounting role. Justin and his wife, Katherine, enjoy being back in Yuma with their three sons ages six, four and one.

Jean Johnson Owner, Flying Diamond Ranch
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Jean Johnson and her husband Scott own and operate The Flying Diamond Ranch near Kit Carson. This commercial cow-calf/stocker operation has been in the family over 100 years and Jean and Scott have expanded the business which now operates in Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska. They raised four, fifth generation children in Kit Carson who are all involved with the business at some level.

Jean currently serves on the Colorado State University Dean's AgIndustry Leadership Council and is an officer for the Cheyenne County Cattlewomen. She served 14 years on the Kit Carson School Board and two years on the Cheyenne County Hospital Board.

Karen Loyd Retired Registered Nurse
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Karen Loyd is a registered nurse, and has served the Wray community in a variety of ways over the past 32 years. Karen’s husband, Dr. Robert Loyd, is a third-generation native of Wray. She is a founding Board Member of the Wray Community Learning Center. The Loyds act as Trustees of the Kitzmiller/Bales Trust and the Powell Trust, philanthropic trusts serving Eastern Yuma County.

Trae Miller Executive Director, Logan County Economic Development Corporation
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Trae is the 5th generation of a local farming and ranching family. After graduating from Merino High School, he received a Business Marketing degree from Colorado State University. He returned to Northeast CO with his family in 2015 for his current role and now lives in Sterling with his wife, Allie, and their son Layton and daughter Lilly. Prior to entering the field of economic development, he worked in business development and feed formulation for J.D. Heiskell & Co in Windsor, CO, and several years for Cargill Food Distribution as an account manager and head buyer in both Utah and Denver locations.

Anna Scott Executive Director, Ernest & Lillian E. Campbell Foundation
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Anna Scott is from Julesburg, Colorado. She is the Executive Director of the Ernest and Lillian E. Campbell Foundation, the Director of the "South Platte River Trail" a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway and a member of the Hippodrome Arts Centre Board of Directors. In 2004 Anna was awarded the statewide Colorado Nonprofit Association William Funk Award. Anna and her husband, Randy, raise Black Simmental Cattle and grow corn, wheat and alfalfa.

Mike Buth Vice President & Director of Historic Properties, El Pomar Foundation
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Mike Buth began working at El Pomar Foundation in 1999. He currently serves as Vice President and Director of Historic Properties and also serves as El Pomar’s senior staff member for the San Juan and Northeast regions.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Mike served in the United States Coast Guard. He currently serves on the Board of the Colorado Springs Youth Sports Park.

Mike earned his bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from Regis University and his master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Boe Gold Senior Program Associate, El Pomar Foundation
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Boe Gold joined El Pomar Foundation as a member of the 2022 class. As a 2nd year fellow, Boe serves as a senior program associate on Communications, Fellowship Round Up, Investment Challenge, National Recreation Foundation, Police Foundation of Colorado Springs, and Western Legislative Academy. In addition, Boe supports the Northeast and High Country Regions.

Boe grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and later moved to Colorado Springs to attend Colorado College where he attained a bachelor’s degree in Economics. During undergraduate, Boe was a member of the Men’s Lacrosse Team and was named a captain during his senior year. Boe was also a member of the team’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee, and a member of the Colorado College Investment Club. Boe also had the opportunity during undergraduate to volunteer at the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, as well as being selected to give a speech at the site of the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. In his free time Boe enjoys spending time with family and friends, golf and being outdoors.

Seth Lindsey Program Associate, El Pomar Foundation
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Seth Lindsey joined El Pomar Foundation as a member of the 2023 Fellowship Class. As a 1st Year Fellow, Seth serves as a Program Associate for American Council of Young Political leaders, Communications, Investment Challenge, and Regional Partnerships. Additionally, Seth supports the Northeast region.

Originally from Santa Rosa, California, Seth grew up in Lone Tree, Colorado, from the age of two and graduated from the University of Colorado—Colorado Springs in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) and a minor in Leadership Studies. At UCCS, Seth spread his time between performing and designing for the theater; volunteering with the Chancellor’s Leadership Class; working as the School Group Coordinator for the Office of Admissions; and taking on roles in student organizations around campus. Seth served two years on the VAPA Chair’s Council and three years on the Theatreworks Advisory Board, facilitating paths for fellow student artists to display their work and gain experience with professional development in their areas of focus. Seth was honored to have been a part of 18 productions during his time at UCCS and remembers those projects fondly. As a survivor of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Seth’s highest achievement in college was organizing the first Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Light the Night walk on-campus at UCCS during the Fall of 2022.

Whenever possible, Seth loosens up with mountain biking through Austin Bluffs Open Space, skateboarding at Memorial Skatepark, listening to true crime podcasts, and taking care of his beloved plants.

More on grant making

Grant Making

Beyond Regional Partnerships, El Pomar contributes over $25 million to nonprofits and government equivalents across Colorado through our grant making efforts each year. We have a broad grant making scope with greatest focus in the areas of arts & culture, civic and community initiatives, education, health, and human services.

Regional Partnerships

More than 70 leaders from across Colorado serve on El Pomar’s 11 regional councils, which identify and address local needs in their communities. Since 2003, the councils have recommended grants totaling more than $25 million.