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.
Jill Granos Bio
Jill Adler Grano is the Senior Director of Policy Programs for the Boulder Chamber, Colorado’s third largest Chamber of Commerce. Prior to joining the Boulder Chamber, Jill spent three years as the Director of Community Affairs for United States Congressman Joe Neguse. Jill continues to serve with Congressman Neguse as the chairwoman of his Small Business Advisory Council, as a member of his “kitchen cabinet,” and as an advisor on housing policy. In 2017, Jill was elected as Boulder's first ever openly LGBTQ City Council member. Jill served on City Council from 2017 to 2019 and remains active within the city organization and among Boulder’s elected leaders.
Jill is passionate about housing and has fought for access to safe, just, and affordable housing through her work in mobile home communities, on the board of Thistle, as a volunteer at the Boulder Homeless Shelter, and on Boulder’s Board of Zoning Adjustment. During her time on City Council, Jill introduced Boulder's Assault Weapons ban and age increase for firearm ownership, which passed in 2018. The ban was struck down by a judge just days before the tragic King Soopers mass shooting. Jill also played a pivotal role in the campaign to reduce single use bags, which resulted in Boulder's 10 cent bag fee. Prior to serving on City Council, Jill was a board member with New Era Colorado for five years where she sought to engage young people in the political process and advocate for voter rights.
Jill is the proud mother of two sons, ages 17 and 8. Jill received a B.A. from The College of William and Mary, with a major in Government and minors in Fine Art and Art History. In addition to the boards mentioned above, Jill is a former board member of the Boulder Museum of Modern Art and a former member of the Downtown Business Improvement District and the Downtown Boulder Public Policy Committee. Jill was the recipient of BizWest’s 40 Under 40 Award in 2015, Colorado Senior Lobby’s Serving Our Seniors Award in 2017, and the Better Boulder Achievement Award in 2018. In addition to her role at the Boulder Chamber, Jill is currently a mentor to students in the President’s Leadership Class at the University of Colorado and she serves on the Steering Committee for BizWest’s 40 Under 40 Leadership Award Program
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.
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!
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.
Lisa Klemme Bio
Lisa comes from Illinois where she grew-up, went to Bradley University for Public Relations and Marketing and started her career in various sales and marketing roles. She brings experience in tourism with the city of Chicago, hotels, restaurants, associations as well as Membership Director for the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce. Recently relocated to Colorado and Boulder County, Lisa brings passion and desire to build relationships and understand all the wonderful benefits Colorado has to offer. An avid networker, Lisa believes that through great connections, positive and powerful thoughts and actions occur. Still getting to know her new home-state, she and her fiancé are exploring new trails and adventures with their dogs and new friends.