Partnership of Academicians and Communities for Translation (PACT)

Dr. Don Nease is a Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado – Anschutz Medical Campus, where he serves as the Director of Community Engagement for the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. He completed his undergraduate degree and medical school at the University of Kansas, residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and a Faculty Development Fellowship at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Dr. Nease’s passion is to improve health in partnership with communities, patients, clinicians and healthcare. He works this territory from the level of individual interactions to community and population-based interventions. 

Matthew DeCamp, MD, PhD, is a Professor in the Center for Bioethics and Humanities and Division of General Internal Medicine. A practicing internist, social scientist, and philosopher, Dr. DeCamp employs empirical and conceptual methods to identify and solve cutting edge problems at the interface of health care, policy, and bioethics. Special emphases of his research include ethical issues in artificial intelligence (AI),  engaging patients in health care organizational decision-making, and global health (with a focus on short-term global health ethics).  He serves as Director of Research Ethics and Associate Director of Community Engagement for the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI). 

Montelle Taméz is the Deputy Director of Community Engagement at the University of Colorado’s Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) where she co-leads the CCTSI’s Community Engagement (CE) Core, which aims to build capacity in community-academic research partnerships to improve the translation of scientific discoveries into interventions and programs that improve health in communities. Before joining the CCTSI in 2009, Ms. Tamez worked for the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment’s Prevention Services Division, where she specialized in community-based initiatives to promote chronic disease prevention, screening and treatment. While at the health department, Ms. Taméz co-lead the Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease and Pulmonary Disease Competitive Grants Program. Ms. Tamez began her public health career at the American Cancer Society (ACS) as a Cancer Control Specialist, developing and implementing community-based tobacco control initiatives. Ms. Tamez worked closely with external partners and coalitions to pass legislation that made Colorado smoke free. In this role, Ms. Tamez also worked in the community as a health educator, promoting cancer prevention, screening and treatment. Ms. Tamez co-authored the American Cancer Society’s You Can Quit smoking cessation program, developing a train-the-trainer model, which she implemented in businesses, community-based organizations, primary care clinics and hospitals throughout the state.

Kaylee Rivera Gordon, MPH, CHES, is the Program Manager for the CCTSI Community Engagement Core. She provides oversight and coordination for the implementation of flagship programs, CE core committees, and community research liaisons. Additionally, Kaylee assists in developing and managing new projects. Prior to joining the team, she was the Community Engagement and Trainings manager for the Center for Health, Work & Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health. Kaylee received her Master of Public Health degree from California State University, Long Beach with a focus in community Health Education and Latino Nutrition and Health Promotion. Prior to moving to Denver, she worked at California State University, Monterey Bay where she served as a research analyst for the Dean of Health Sciences and taught courses in health ethics.

Mary Fisher, MPH, CHES, is an Instructor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and a Project Manager with the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) Community Engagement Core. In her role, she supports a wide range of community-engaged research initiatives, including the development and implementation of programs that build capacity for community–academic partnerships and strengthen the impact of translational research across Colorado.

Mary works closely with Community Research Liaisons, researchers, and community and practice partners to facilitate bidirectional engagement, advance Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), and support training programs such as the Colorado Immersion Training in Community Engagement. Her work focuses on fostering trust, improving collaboration, and ensuring that research is responsive to community-identified priorities.

In addition, Mary is a co-program manager for the Colorado Ambulatory Partnership for Health Innovation and Research Excellence (CAMPHIRE); the integrated partnership of Practice-Based Research Network and Practice Innovation in the Department of Family Medicine. Here, she contributes to strengthening partnerships among primary care clinics, patients, researchers, and other partners through practice-based work and research.

Mary earned her Master of Public Health with a concentration in Community and Behavioral Health from the Colorado School of Public Health and is a Certified Health Education Specialist. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics and Child, Adult, and Family Services from Iowa State University. Prior to her work in Colorado, Mary served as an AmeriCorps member with the Des Moines Public School District as an elementary school nutrition educator.

Jen Greig is the Administrative Coordinator for the CCTSI Community Engagement Core. Prior to working at CU, she served in a variety of healthcare roles as a paramedic, medical assistant, and practice coordinator. She holds a BA and MA in Religious Studies from Indiana University. When not working, Jen can be found volunteering at animal rescues, enjoying Colorado’s natural beauty, or spending time with her family (especially her seven nieces and nephews).