Sam Gary founded Gary Community Ventures, an impermanent philanthropic organization committed to transferring all its assets to the community by 2035 to create a lasting impact on Colorado kids and families.

Sam moved to Denver with his wife, Nancy, in the early 1950s to pursue a career in the oil industry. His success began with the discovery of the Bell Creek Oil Field in Montana in 1967.

In 1976, Sam and Nancy created Gary, first known as The Piton Foundation, to support the state’s most vulnerable children and families.

For more than 40 years, he pioneered the idea that business, policy and philanthropy can – and should – work together to create opportunities for those who need it most. Through his business and philanthropic ventures, Sam was committed to helping the Denver community.

About investing in the community, Sam said, “I would like to see business people try to solve social problems with the same imagination and energy they use to finance a factory or make a deal. Don’t call it philanthropy; call it corporate social investment. Make it integral to business.”

Dr. Nancy Gary is a founding director of Gary Community Ventures, an impermanent philanthropic organization committed to transferring all its assets to the community by 2035 to create a lasting impact on Colorado kids and families.

Driven by a deep belief in health care access for all children, Nancy earned a master’s degree at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and later worked for the Child Protection Team at the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect. Recognizing the unmet psychosocial needs of children, she later earned her doctorate in clinical child psychology from the University of Denver and built a Denver-based practice providing both physical and mental health support to children and families.

Nancy sits on a variety of boards including: WellPower (formerly Mental Health Center of Denver), Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, Institute for Children’s Mental Health, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Denver Academy and Denver Health Foundation.

Dave Younggren was senior vice president, board member and partner of Gary-Williams Energy Corporation for 30 years before serving as president and CEO of Gary Community Ventures from 2012-2019. Prior to joining the Gary organizations, Dave’s business and real estate experience included three years as a CPA with KPMG and four years with Cairn Investment Company, a real estate and private equity company.

Dave is a founding board member and vice chair of Gary. He also serves on the boards of Elevation Community Land Trust (chair), Urban Land Conservancy (past chair) and Colorado Forum Fund (chair). He is a graduate of Augustana College and Stanford Graduate School of Business. Dave also served for three years as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy.

Robert Gary joined the Piton Foundation in 2011 and went on to help establish Gary Community Ventures in 2013 as a founding member of its board of directors. Rob held the positions of vice president of communications and subsequently chief strategic officer within the organization. In 2019, he established HayCamp Companies, a company dedicated to sustainable agriculture, social impact investing and community development.

Rob is married and has two daughters, Rose and Stella, and lives in Evergreen, Colorado. He enjoys time with his family hiking, biking, skiing and can also be found on his ranch in Silverthorne, Colorado.

Chris Watney supports individuals, families and organizations in Colorado as a therapist and executive coach through her private practice, People & Possibilities.

Chris previously served as the president and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign, a statewide nonprofit advocacy organization working to increase access to health care, early childhood and K-12 education for the state’s most vulnerable children. Before joining the Children’s Campaign, Chris served in Washington, D.C., as a spokesperson for U.S. Attorneys General Janet Reno and John Ashcroft at the U.S. Department of Justice, including serving as the Department’s spokesperson at the Oklahoma City bombing trials and in the Department’s case against big tobacco.

Chris is chair of the board of Gary Community Ventures and sits on the board of Denver Health. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Northern Colorado.

Tom Gougeon has served as president of the Gates Family Foundation since 2010.

Prior to the Gates Family Foundation, Tom was a principal and chief development officer for Continuum Partners (2000-2010), a developer of mixed-use urban real estate projects. Tom worked extensively on the Belmar redevelopment project in Lakewood, Colorado and the Union Station transit hub in central Denver. Tom also served as the executive director of the W.M.B. Berger Foundation (1997-2000), the CEO of the Stapleton Redevelopment Foundation (1991-1996) and as assistant to the mayor of the City and County of Denver (1983-1991).

Tom also worked as an associate in the Industrial Economics Division of the Denver Research Institute, as a policy analyst at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and on the staff of U.S. Senator Gary Hart.

Tom has a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Denver and a Master of Community and Regional Planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Hollie Velasquez Horvath serves as the regional vice president for Xcel Energy-Colorado and has held numerous leadership positions within the company.

Hollie oversees a team of directors, managers, analysts and lobbyists. Her team is responsible for managing relationships with state, city and county political, business and community stakeholders. This includes coordinating operational efforts with local governments, managing emergency response for wildfires and storm restorations, wildfire mitigation outreach and engagement, driving local economic development initiatives, shaping Colorado’s wholesale energy market strategy and advancing public policies related to energy, business and customers.

Additionally, Hollie leads Xcel Energy’s philanthropic efforts in Colorado, including foundation grants, employee volunteerism and corporate sponsorships. Her responsibilities extend to a team that delivers education and outreach for customer programs and products to Colorado’s most vulnerable communities and customers.

In addition to her role on Gary’s board of directors, Hollie is a board member of the Denver Health, Downtown Denver Partnership, Visit Denver and the Aurora Economic Development Council.

Jim Kelley is a founding partner of Vestar Capital Partners and the Colorado Impact Fund. His community engagement in Colorado and beyond has included Gary Community Ventures, The Denver Foundation, The Clayton Foundation, Colorado Thrives, Great Outdoors Colorado, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Nature Conservancy Argentina. 

Jim’s interests include exploring and supporting pragmatic tools to further economic mobility in Colorado.

Gregory L. Moore is the former editor-in-chief of The Denver Post, where during his 14-year tenure the newspaper won four consecutive Pulitzer Prizes, including one for its coverage of the Aurora theater shooting in 2012.

After retiring from The Post in 2016, Gregory was a partner at Deke Digital, a Colorado-based thought leadership company, which later became the Expert Press, where he was editor-in-chief. In 2023, he co-founded Klowtify, a boutique thought leadership/social media company where he is CEO. He previously worked for 16 years at The Boston Globe, where he was managing editor for eight years.

Gregory is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, where he was a trustee. Besides Gary, he is a trustee at the Boettcher Foundation, the University of Denver and on the Denver Civil Service Commission. In 2025, his 40-year career was recognized with induction into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.