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.
Lori Call Bio
As Senior Director of Policy Programs, Lori Call leads the Boulder Chamber’s policy team in providing strategic direction on a broad range of local and regional policy interests. This includes key pieces of the Chamber’s Boulder Together program, the proactive initiative to help Boulder’s businesses continue to access high quality workforce talent and address mobility and housing pressures. Prior to joining the Boulder Chamber, Call was employed at Kaiser Permanente for fifteen years in a number of strategic roles, leading its stakeholder operations, community relations and brand and external communications teams. She has been significantly involved with the Boulder Chamber during the past seven years, serving on its Board of Directors and as a Board officer. Before Kaiser Permanente, Call served as Director of Communications at University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and her MBA from the University of Colorado Denver.
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.Â
Maye Cordero Bio
Maye is an Events and Marketing Senior Manager 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.
Cate Cook Bio
Cate is Boulder born and raised. After 10 years split between coasts working in community and civic organizations, she is back building community in Colorado. She brings a love of all humans to her work in the Membership Department and takes great joy in helping members make new friendships and business partnerships. Aside from onboarding new members, Cate’s objective is for everyone to feel engaged and gain the highest possible value from their membership. With a degree in Community Health she sees every connection made as an opportunity to affect positive change in the lives of all community members. Bet you didn’t know! She has biked across the country, loves to sing and facilitates a women’s group for post-relationship healing!
Morgan Bierbaum Bio
Morgan is a Colorado State University alumnus with a Bachelor's degree in Art & Art History. After leaving Fort Collins, she worked as a merchandising manager for a national retailer and as an operations assistant for a local manufacturing company before coming to the Chamber. As the Marketing Coordinator, Morgan designs and distributes many of the Chamber's print and digital communications and is thrilled to support the Chamber's efforts in promoting Boulder's economic vitality and community engagement. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in Strategic Communication at the University of Iowa online. In her very limited free time, you'll find her outdoors with her dogs or browsing local flea markets and used bookstores.