Alana Lipscomb is a dedicated leader, mentor, and advocate for women’s empowerment. As the Executive Director of the Women’s Community Leadership Initiative (WCLI), she is committed to creating pathways for women to step into leadership roles, serve on boards, and influence decision-making spaces. Under her leadership, WCLI has expanded its reach, securing vital funding, launching innovative initiatives, and increasing access to leadership development opportunities for women across the Pikes Peak region.
Beyond WCLI, Alana is a champion for community resilience, peer coaching, and equity, ensuring that diverse voices are represented at every level of leadership. Her dedication to uplifting others has earned her numerous accolades, including:
Victoria Lipscomb is a Colorado Springs community leader, musician, and facilitator whose work centers on building healthier, more connected communities through education, dialogue, and collective practice. With nearly 25 years of experience beginning in their teens, Victoria has worked across community health, education, recovery support, workforce development, and nonprofit leadership – bringing a systems-aware and deeply relational approach to community engagement.
Victoria is the co-founder and co-director of Unity Project, where they help lead initiatives focused on connection, collective wellbeing, and addressing patterns of exclusion and systemic harm through shared experience, facilitation, and the arts. Their background includes leadership roles at Community Anchor Academy and Springs Recovery Connection, along with extensive experience in community health coordination and equity-centered facilitation. Victoria also currently serves on the Denver Black Reparations Council, engaging in long-term work around accountability, repair, and community voice.
A lifelong Colorado Springs resident, Victoria believes strong communities are built through honest storytelling, meaningful relationships, and spaces where people feel seen, heard, and connected to one another. In addition to their civic and community work, they are an accomplished musician, conductor, and creative leader whose artistry continues to shape their approach to collaboration and public life.
Shaun Walls served over two decades in the U.S. Army, a combat veteran leading soldiers and learning the value of action over words. He has been deeply embedded in southeast Colorado Springs organizing, and helped build what he calls “the infrastructure that it takes to amplify our voices” through his work with the Chinook Center and as part of the founding members of Men of Influence (MOI). He contributes opinion pieces to the Bulletin for no compensation.
Shawn Watkins, Sr. (Treasurer) is a results-driven leader with a diverse background spanning business management, data systems, military service, and community-based program development. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business (Service Management) from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, where he developed a strong foundation in organizational leadership, operations, and strategic service delivery.
Shawn began his professional career working as a project manager and programmer within the market research industry, where he managed complex data-driven projects, ensured quality control, and supported decision-making through analytics and system optimization. His experience in managing budgets, timelines, and technical processes has equipped him with a detail-oriented and fiscally responsible mindset essential for financial oversight.
As a proud United States Army veteran, Shawn brings discipline, integrity, and accountability to every role he serves. His military background has shaped his leadership style, emphasizing structure, adaptability, and mission-focused execution.
Currently, Shawn serves as the site director of Community Anchor Academy (CAA), where he oversees operations, workforce development programs, and community partnerships aimed at empowering individuals through behavioral health, employment readiness, and economic mobility. In this role, he manages program implementation, resource allocation, and strategic growth initiatives, ensuring both compliance and impact.
Shawn’s combined experience in financial awareness, operational leadership, data management, and community engagement led him to be selected as the Bulletin’s treasurer. He brings a commitment to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and mission alignment, along with the ability to translate financial insights into meaningful organizational outcomes. His passion for service and proven leadership make him well-equipped to support the financial stewardship and long-term sustainability of a nonprofit organization.
Loring Wirbel (Secretary) is chair of Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission, and is on Indivisible’s International Affairs action team. He has a long history of writing about technology, civil liberties, and music, and is the recipient of awards such as Project Censored, and a Pikes Peak Arts Council microgrant. He lives in Monument with his wife and a cat.
Carol Wood (Board Chair) is one of the rare few who has worked on both the content and business sides of the news business. She began her journalism career as a reporter in Denver before transitioning into media business operations and strategy. Through her firm, Emerge Media Group, she provides operational and executive-level consulting services to local and hyperlocal news organizations across the United States. In addition to her role with the Bulletin, she serves on and advises several other media-focused boards and initiatives.
