John Tayer Bio
As President and CEO of the Boulder Chamber, John is honored to lead the organization that serves as Boulder’s unified voice for business interests, advances the community’s economic vitality, and provides valuable business support services. It’s his passion for serving the community that led him to this role, beginning with his early years as a US Senate staff aide in Washington, DC (in exciting roles that evolved from running the Xerox machine and reception desk to something more resembling what you see on C-SPAN). After moving to Boulder for law school, John served in policy and public affairs positions with the Boulder City Manager’s Office and the local pharmaceutical company, Roche Colorado (now Corden Pharma). All along the way, John has immersed himself in volunteer and elected positions that reflect his values, from the governing boards for Intercambio, Eco-Cycle, Resource Central and the Community Foundation to six years as Boulder’s representative on the RTD Board of Directors. It’s a busy life, but John still finds the free time to enjoy this wonderful community. Look for John on the disc golf course, out on the running trails, at any Grateful Dead cover band concert... and it’s always most fun for him when he’s getting time with his sweetheart, Ms. Molly T.
Karen Kruse Bio
As Vice President for Finance and Chief Operating Officer at the Boulder Chamber, Karen is primarily responsible for internal operational excellence, but also serves as the Chamber community liaison for programs including the Community Partnership Council, and Leadership Fellows, a program implemented in partnership with The Community Foundation. Previously, Karen served as the President of Akeko, LLC, Chief Operating Officer for the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, and Chief Technology Officer in companies delivering technology solutions to the financial services, telecom and e-commerce industries, both in the U.S. and internationally. Karen currently serves on the Boards of the Boulder Chamber Foundation and Impact on Education, and on the Finance Committee for "I Have A Dream" Foundation of Boulder County. She has also served as the Board Chair for Metro Volunteers, as the Treasurer of Canyon Cares, and participated on the Steering Committees for National Philanthropy Day in Colorado and the FirstBank Scholars Fund. Karen received a dual B.S. degree from the University of Colorado, in Marketing/Finance and Electrical Engineering/Computer Science. Karen is a graduate of Leadership Denver and also a Boettcher Foundation scholar. She enjoys tennis, and traveling, camping and hiking with her husband and daughter.
Scott Sternberg
Executive Director of the Boulder Economic Council and Associate Vice President for Economic Vitality
Scott Sternberg Bio
Scott Sternberg is the Executive Director of the Boulder Economic Council and Associate Vice President for Economic Vitality. Sternberg holds significant leadership experience in international business, entrepreneurial startup ventures, and research technology development. He most recently served as President of Vaisala Inc., a manufacturer of professional weather and industrial environmental sensors, systems and solutions. Prior to his initial employment and escalating roles within Vaisala, Sternberg worked to position the venture capital backed Photometrics for sale to Roper Technologies, where he then worked for a number of years to build their portfolio of digital imaging companies.
Aside from his direct business experience, Sternberg has been actively engaged throughout his career in service to economic development, technology transfer and environmental sustainability goals. He was Chair of the Board of Directors for CO-LABS, helping to position the organization as both a strong advocate for federal research investment and a true partner in the conversion of scientific findings into business enterprise. Sternberg also served on the Board of Trustees for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and currently sits on the External Advisory Board for the School of Global Environmental Sustainability at Colorado State University.
Corine Waldau Bio
Corine joined the Boulder Chamber in June 2014 and continues to love working in a place where she can make a direct impact on the Boulder community, especially through her workforce development endeavors. She brings a background in managing stakeholder-driven organizations and economic development, with over 13 years’ experience in nonprofit organization management, member services, event planning, marketing, research, communications, and association strategic planning. Prior to the Boulder Chamber, Corine was the Alliance Manager for the ten associations under the Public Health Alliance of Colorado, but has also worked for American Water Works Association, Metro Denver Dental Association and the Aurora EDC. She has a Master's of Public Administration from CU Denver and a Bachelor’s in Economics and Political Science from UNC-Chapel Hill. Currently, Corine serves as the Board Chair for Workforce Boulder County.
Maye Cordero Bio
Maye is a Marketing and Communication Specialist with over fifteen years of combined experience in the entertainment industry and the nonprofit world. She is also a graphic designer and professional photographer from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Maye holds a Media Design Master of Fine Arts from Full Sail University in Florida, and currently is part of the Advisory Board for the Personal Investment Enterprise (PIE) program, a collaboration between Mile High United Way and the City of Boulder.
Most recently, Maye has shifted gears from professional photography to work closely with small businesses to help them achieve their marketing and communication goals. She is experienced in developing strategic marketing and communication plan tactics, building brand awareness, increasing online exposure, managing and developing social media campaigns and creating beautiful and meaningful marketing assets for her clients.
When she is not working, Maye enjoys reading, being outdoors, taking care of her plants and practicing conscious meditation.
Scott Firle Bio
As Director of Member Relations, Scott leads the Member Relations department in providing value and support to the 1,300-plus member businesses of the Boulder Chamber, bringing on board new members and securing sponsorships for chamber events and programs. Scott is a graduate of the Boulder County Leadership Fellows program and currently sits on the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee. When not at a chamber event or in the office you can find Scott spending valuable time with his family, camping in the Rockies, on the golf course or in the pit.
Andrea Meneghel Bio
Andrea is the Director of Public Affairs for the Boulder Chamber, where he focuses on local government decisions, regional initiatives, state laws and federal actions that affect Boulder’s economic vitality and impact Boulder’s businesses. For over a decade, Andrea has worked in Boulder, Colorado designing, managing and facilitating collaborative decision-making processes that include diverse groups seeking to build partnerships to address social, economic or environmental issues. Prior to joining the Chamber in 2016, he worked for a consulting firm in Boulder as a mediator, facilitator, conflict resolution practitioner and stakeholder engagement specialist in both the public and private sectors for over 15 years; the last 10 focused on public policy issues with significant social implications. Andrea has a Master’s of Arts in International Policy, with a focus on international negotiations and conflict resolution from the Monterey Institute of International Studies; he also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Western Michigan University. Andrea is fluent in Italian and can hack his way through French and Spanish with varying degrees of success. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, arrived in Colorado in 1999, and currently resides at the foot of the Flatirons in South Boulder, searching for adventure on a daily basis with his wife Emily and their two little boys.
Amy Barz Bio
Amy Barz is a University of Illinois alum with a degree in Recreation, Sport and Tourism Management. She has held various positions over the years, all revolving around organization, management and multi-tasking. Her goal is to make the Chamber office run as efficiently and eco-friendly as possible. In her spare time, Amy enjoys tending to her vegetable garden, baking and taking bike rides around McIntosh Lake.
Tyler Ekx Bio
Tyler Ekx is a fifth-generation Colorado native who was born in Boulder and grew up in Longmont. After graduating high school as a co-valedictorian, he attended University of Colorado Boulder, where he received a Bachelor of Sciences in Political Science and a Minor in History. Tyler started at the Boulder Chamber in 2012, having held many roles within the organization. Currently, as the Events and Program Specialist, Tyler helps plan and execute hundreds of events per year attended by the Boulder business community. As the staff liaison to the Bolder Young Professionals group, Tyler oversees a volunteer board and helps put on social, service and professional development activities for young professionals to attend. Tyler is a passionate advocate of LGBTQ issues and has volunteered with the Matthew Shephard Foundation and Boulder County AIDS Project. In his free time, he loves attending concerts, watching movies, and spending time with his family and his dog Hank.
Elaine Erb Bio
Elaine joined BTC in 2017 as the Sustainable Transportation Planner. Her work focuses on assisting businesses and individuals with transportation and commuting options.
Originally from Michigan, Elaine moved to Boulder to pursue a degree in Geography at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She went on to receive her Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from University of Colorado, Denver.
Elaine has worked on various transportation projects for the City of Boulder including managing the Love to Ride bike challenges, enhancement of the city transit network, and reviewing crash data for the Safe Streets Report.
Elaine is the Board President for Community Cycles and a volunteer DJ with KGNU where she hosts world music and jazz programming. She also volunteers with Boulder International Film Festival and Chautauqua. In her free time Elaine loves to enjoy Colorado by foot and bike and practicing yoga.
Joan Lyons Bio
Joan Lyons is the Planning and TDM Projects Manager for Boulder Chamber. Her work primarily focuses on Boulder Transportation Connections projects for the organization, including but not limited to developing transportation and mobility programs for Boulder’s workforce and residents.
Prior to her work in Boulder, Joan was a land-use planner in Grand County, Colorado, and previously conducted research in the Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Just City Lab in the Netherlands. Her research focused on mitigation methods for cities to adopt to increase justice through mobility options and public private partnerships.
Joan is an active board member throughout many community organizations, including but not limited to the RTD Citizens Advisory Committee, Boulder B-cycle, the American Planning Association Colorado Chapter, Women in Transportation Seminar’s (WTS) Colorado Chapter, the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT), and Bicycle Colorado. In her spare time, she enjoys giving back to her community through volunteering, running, skiing, and doing yoga.
Amanda Duffy Bio
Amanda grew up on the East Coast and decided to call Colorado home after her college graduation from The University of Vermont. With a graduation date of May 2020, Amanda received her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies and Public Communication.
Prior to her move, she spent her time in Vermont building community, contributing to organizations that prioritize sustainability, and helping expand Vermont’s socially responsible businesses. Most notably, she worked with Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility to pioneer the “Building Better Businesses Toolkit,” a project that outlined a wide range of initiatives for HR specialists across the state to use to better support their employees, communities, and environment. Amanda is excited to continue this work here in Boulder with the Boulder Chamber.
Amanda is a lover of concerts, sunsets, and supporting local and small businesses. Outside of the office, you can find her paddleboarding, searching for the best ice cream cone in town, or planning a trip to somewhere new!
Sam Halls Bio
Sam Hall is a Colorado native who grew up in Aurora. After graduating from the Community College of Aurora where she received her Associates degree in General Studies, she went on to Metropolitan State University where she was Vice President of the Triota Honors society. She was the Event Coordinator for the Gender Institute of Teaching and Advocacy. In 2018 Sam graduated with honors from Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies. Upon graduation, Sam went to work for Arapahoe County in the Human Services department as a Program Specialist for the intake team. In 2019 Sam left Human Services and went on to work for the largest workforce center in the state of Colorado, Arapahoe Douglas Workforce Center as a Business Development Specialist.
In Sam’s role as a Business Development Specialist Sam focused on business recovery grants, specifically federal grants with Cares fund for business PPE/ Infrastructure. The second federal grant Sam worked on was focused on rent assistant, aiming to help businesses to stay in Arapahoe County. After the Cares funds were spent, the state of Colorado had state funding for business grants for the specific industries most impacted by the pandemic. Once these grants ended, Sam’s role focused on sector partnership and workforce programs. Sam sat on the Denver Metro Retail Partnership. She was also a part of the TANF program work base learning team as well as the PTW team, whose focuses was on registered apprenticeships.
Sam recently began a role at the Boulder Chamber as the Economic Vitality Specialist, where she works to support the businesses in Boulder through research, sector partnerships, skills-based hiring in registered apprenticeships, and workforce initiatives around Boulder’s robust economy.
When she is not working you will find Sam enjoying the Denver Botanical Gardens, enjoying a good book, and spending time with her family and her fur baby.
