2027 Board Nominees

We are pleased to announce the nominees for the 2027 PRSA Colorado Board!

President Elect – Shelby Knafel

Shelby Knafel is an innovative legal marketing and communications professional with nearly a decade of experience excelling in social media management, content creation, email marketing, public relations and crisis communication in agency, law firm and nonprofit settings. Shelby joined PRSA in 2020 and has held various positions on the board including assembly delegate, programs and events volunteer and membership chair. She's a proud Boilermaker, aerialist and cat mom of three. 

Secretary – Julia Cummings, PhD, MBA

Julia Cummings, PhD, is the marketing and communications director for the School of Education & Human Development at the University of Colorado Denver and a lecturer in Strategic Communications for Public Engagement. She holds a PhD in Public Affairs and an MBA in marketing from CU Denver and has led communications and public engagement initiatives for the Smithsonian Institution, National Audubon Society and Denver Museum of Nature & Science. An advocate for ethical communications, civic engagement and professional development, Cummings is committed to strengthening Colorado’s communications community and helping cultivate the next generation of public relations leaders.

Treasurer – Lara Hazenfield, MBA

Lara Hazenfield, MBA, is a strategic communications and public relations professional with more than 30 years of experience in broadcast journalism, healthcare communications, executive messaging and content strategy. She is the founder of Human Thread Strategies, a Colorado-based communications and PR consulting business and previously held leadership roles at InnovAge, The Queen's Health Systems and the Arthritis Foundation. An award-winning journalist and documentary producer, Lara has received the national Edward R. Murrow Award, the Associated Press Mark Twain Award and several regional awards. She has also served as a public affairs moderator and producer for PBS Hawai‘i. Lara holds an MBA in business and healthcare management from the University of Hawai‘i Shidler School of Business and a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Oregon.

Director – Samantha Coulter, MBA

Samantha Coulter, MBA, is a public relations and marketing communications strategist with experience in Colorado and Alaska across a variety of industries, including financial services, luxury retail, manufacturing and nonprofits. Part storyteller, part analyst, she loves the puzzle of turning raw data into creative ideas that work. Samantha holds bachelor’s degrees in journalism with a public relations emphasis and in digital communication and media from Metropolitan State University of Denver and an MBA with a concentration in marketing analytics from the University of North Texas. Committed to advancing professional development for fellow communicators, she has served PRSA Colorado as programs chair, delegate and president and is a recipient of the Ayers Chapter Service Award.

Director – Hannah Busek

Hannah Busek is the Chief of Staff to Vice President of Communications at Lockheed Martin Space. In this capacity, Hannah is responsible for leading executive and employee communications efforts for Space Communications. Previously, Hannah was the Sr. Communications Lead for Operations and Safety & Quality Assurance at Lockheed Martin Space. During her tenure at Lockheed Martin, Hannah has also supported communications for National Security Space, Human Resources, Legal and Ethics. 

 Hannah’s education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Washington and a Master of Arts in Communications from Michigan State University, where she taught public speaking. Hannah has also been the recipient of a Bronze Anvil Award by the Public Relations Society of America, and has been published in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly.

Assembly Delegate – Ryan Louis, PhD

A lifelong learner, Ryan Louis has devoted his career to applying knowledge to real-world situations, creating meaningful and effective communications content and outreach strategies through engaged storytelling, practiced dialogue and performance excellence. He centers civic (and civil) methods of communication in his work. Through writing, public speaking, workshops and community collaborations, he believes cross-cultural deliberation is a key – and often forgotten – method for advancing strategic planning, professional skills and the health of democracy. With more than 15 years of board experience, he has served in diverse roles, including president, professional development coordinator and chapter communications coordinator. As a professor, he led a PRSSA chapter in Kansas and operated a pro bono marketing and public relations firm that helped rural businesses gain a foothold in regional markets. He now works as a consultant at CIG Public Relations.

Assembly Delegate – Renee Robinson, APR

Renee Robinson, APR, is a senior communications executive with more than 25 years of experience advising leaders and shaping internal and external communications strategies across complex organizations. As global director of internal communications at Ball Corporation, she leads a global team responsible for engaging more than 16,000 employees worldwide. Her career spans corporate, agency and consulting roles, with deep experience in employee engagement, executive communications and reputation management. A longtime PRSA leader, Renee is a past president of both PRSA Colorado and PRSA Kansas City and former chair of PRSA’s Midwest District, and has received professional honors from PRSA Colorado, Kansas City and Tulsa. She is the professional advisor for the Colorado State University chapter of PRSSA. She holds bachelor’s degrees in English and journalism and broadcasting, as well as a master’s degree in mass communications and media management from Oklahoma State University.

These nominees will be confirmed by a vote of attestation at the general membership meeting in early December. 

Thank you to all who submitted a nomination or nominated their peers to be future leaders of our organization! We appreciate your ongoing support of PRSA Colorado.