Vital for Women Podcast

Cindy Allen is Director, Regulatory & External Affairs at Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. Cindy provides leadership and guidance to a team responsible for regulatory policy, permitting, compliance, stakeholder relations, local government permitting, and social investment for Anadarko's oil and natural gas operations in the DJ Basin.

Listen as Cindy discusses her background working for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment enforcing the Clean Air Act, why she ultimately chose to work for an oil and gas company, and what surprised her about the industry and how they work to ensure a safe environment for their workers, and a high quality of life for all Coloradans.

Hosted by Lynn Granger
Duration: 8 minutes, 52 seconds

Celeste Archer is the Founding Executive Director, Colorado Student Leaders Institute, an affiliate of the National Conference of Governor's Schools. Colorado Student Leaders Institute is an academic summer residential program for college bound high school students with exceptional intellectual curiosity. We seek to serve a community that is at least 50% eligible for free and reduced lunch and/or first-generation college attendees who meet rigorous collegiate requirements.

Listen as Celeste talks about working with students as they come to understand oil and gas issues through their studies, and the experience she has had taking tours of fracking sites firsthand. You might be surprised to learn what she’s seen.

Hosted by Lynn Granger
Duration: 11 minutes, 40 seconds

Brita Horn is the Treasurer for Routt County, and is also a volunteer Fire Chief. After moving to Colorado in the 1980s, Brita dedicated her life to her family, her ranch, and her community. She served as the president and vice president (twice) of the Routt County CattleWomens. In addition, Brita has served in various capacities with local 4H organizations and on the Routt Co. Planning Commission representing her South Routt neighbors.

Listen as Brita discusses her history of public and volunteer service, what she’s learned about the oil and gas industry, the dangers of Proposition 112, and why it’s important for women to get involved in issues of public importance.

Hosted by Lynn Granger
Duration: 9 minutes, 44 seconds

The Vital for Women Podcast welcomes Patricia Kurgan, a 30-year veteran of the transportation industry. Patti is CEO/founder of Astro Logistics, Inc., an Englewood, CO, consulting and logistics firm. Patricia earned her B.A. from Duke University and M.B.A. from University of Colorado-Denver. She is a graduate of the NREL Energy Executive Program and Leadership Program of the Rockies. Patricia has extensive interaction with businesses, community boards and constituents on policy issues
through grassroots efforts and representing their concerns in state hearings. Patricia serves on the
Leadership Council for the National Federation of Independent Business-Colorado, member of The
TABOR Foundation, and is an advisory member for Vital for Women Coalition (CO).

Listen as Patti describes the impact rules and regulations have on small business, and why she’s chosen to get active in public policy. She also discusses the danger of Proposition 112. Toward the end of this episode, Patti tells a particularly compelling story of knocking on doors for political campaigns and helping learn about issues of importance to them.

Hosted by Lynn Granger
Duration: 10 minutes, 40 seconds

The Vital for Women Podcast welcomes Mayor of Centennial, The Honorable Stephanie Piko. Mayor Piko has been a resident of Centennial since its founding in 2001, and has served in a variety of roles in both government and the private sector before earning election as Mayor in 2017. You can find her complete bio here.

Listen as Mayor Piko discusses why Centennial enacted an official resolution opposition Proposition 112, the dangers she sees with the measure as written, and why it’s important for women to get involved in political issues as well as elected office.

Hosted by Lynn Granger
Duration: 9 minutes, 26 seconds

The Vital for Women Podcast welcomes Heidi Gill, Founder and CEO of Urban Solution Group. Heidi previously helped build Anadarko Petroleum’s mitigation group, and recently branched out on her own and created a turnkey solution for mitigating industrial, urban operations. Urban Solution Group helps companies plan for and navigate compliance, regulatory environments, municipal framework and social challenges.

Listen as Heidi discusses her life on the front lines of industry and community relations, why she believes these two entities can co-exist, and her view of why Proposition 112 would be disastrous for Colorado. 

Hosted by Lynn Granger
Duration: 11 minutes, 23 seconds

The Vital for Women Podcast welcomes Sue Kenfield, Founder of See It Thrive. Sue works with organizations and individuals who want to transform complex human dynamics and increase positive results and success. Working with Sue, organizations can expect increased productivity, improved team performance, enhanced performance of leaders, and alignment of organizational culture with business strategy.

Listen as Sue discusses how she has worked to educate herself on the energy industry and the positive impact its made on our lives and our economy.  She provides insight into how other women can do the same.

Hosted by Lynn Granger
Duration: 8 minutes, 20 seconds

The Vital for Women Podcast welcomes State Representative Polly Lawrence (R-District 39). Polly has served since 2012, and has also served as an officer and board member of Lawrence Construction, an award-winning construction firm that has operated in Colorado since 1924.

Listen as Polly describes what compelled her to run for office, what she’s learned about the oil and natural gas business since becoming an elected official, and the insights she gained from taking a field tour to an active drilling and fracking site.

Hosted by Lynn Granger
Duration: 9 minutes, 35 seconds

The Vital for Women Podcast welcomes Dana Svendsen, an attorney for Sherman & Howard focusing on workplace safety. Dana is a mother of two and works on issues of health, safety and regulation, primarily in the fields of construction, mining, and oil and natural gas.

Listen as Dana describes a recent field visit to an oil and gas site, what she’s learned about safety and regulatory procedures on location, and the potentially damaging economic impacts of increasing oil and gas setbacks via ballot measure. You can also read an op-ed authored by Dana in the Colorado Springs Gazette: “Initiative 97 would cut education funding.”

Hosted by Lynn Granger
Duration: 9 minutes, 44 seconds

Welcome to the first episode of the Vital for Women Podcast featuring Michelle Smith. Michelle is an organic farmer, is a mother and a grandmother, advocates for mineral rights owners in Colorado, and receives royalties from the production of minerals she and her family own. Michelle is also a co-founder of Vital for Women.

Listen as she discusses why she became an organic farmer, how the royalty income from her mineral rights allows her to stay in business, and the potential downfalls of increasing oil and gas setbacks via ballot measure.