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Excellence in Leadership Luncheon [1]

The Excellence in Leadership Luncheon is dedicated to celebrating leadership, marking the completion of the ELP fellows’ journey, and welcoming them into the ELP alumni group. 

Attended by over 150 alumni and executive leaders from each campus and System Administration, the ELP Luncheon celebrates the leadership achievements of our ELP community and cultivates a community of leaders throughout CU. The event features a keynote address on a relevant leadership topic and the presentation of the Excellence in Leadership Award, recognizing one ELP alumni for their impact as a leader within the University of Colorado community. The luncheon will also be the culminating event for the current cohort as they graduate and are welcomed into the alumni community.

 

Past award recipients

2025 Winner

Cathy Bradley

Cathy Bradley
Anschutz Medical Campus

  • CU Connections award presentation coverage [2]
  • 2025 Nominee List (PDF) [3]

 

 

2023 Winner

Ruth Ellen Kocher
University of Colorado Boulder

  • CU Connections award presentation coverage [4]
  • CU Connections spotlight [5]

 

2021 Winner

Sharon Matusik

Sharon Matusik
University of Colorado Boulder

  • CU Connections award presentation coverage [6]
  • CU Connections spotlight [7]

 

 

 

2019 Winners

Regina Kilkenny
University of Colorado Denver

  • CU Connections award presentation coverage [8]
  • CU Connections spotlight [9]

 

 

Kelly Fox
University of Colorado Boulder

  • CU Connections award presentation coverage [8]

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018 Winner

Megan Bell

Megan Bell
University of Colorado Colorado Springs

  • CU Connections award presentation coverage [10]
  • CU Connections spotlight [11]

2017 Winners

Brenda Allen

Brenda J. Allen
University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus 

  • CU Connections award presentation coverage [12]
  • CU Connections spotlight [13]

Penina Axelrad

Penina Axelrad
University of Colorado Boulder 

  • CU Connections award presentation coverage [12]
  • CU Connections spotlight [14]

2016 Winner

Sand Hicks

Sandy Hicks
University of Colorado System Administration

  • CU Connections award presentation coverage [15]
  • CU Connections spotlight [16]

2015 Winner

Thomas Christensen

Thomas Christensen
University of Colorado Colorado Springs

  • CU Connections award presentation coverage [17] 
  • CU Connections spotlight [18]

2014 Winner

Patricia Rankin

Patricia Rankin
University of Colorado Boulder

  • CU Connections award presentation coverage [19]
  • CU Connections spotlight [20]

2013 Winner

Diane Sieber

Diane Sieber
University of Colorado Boulder

  • CU Connections award presentation coverage [21]

2012 Winner

Steve Zweck-Bronner

Steve Zweck-Bronner
University of Colorado Sytsem Administration

  • CU Connections award presentation coverage [22]
  • CU Connections spotlight [23]

2011 Winner

Garrison Roots

Garrison Roots
University of Colorado Boulder

  • View the presentation (PDF) [24] of site-specific art created by Professor Roots.
  • Professor Roots passed away in December 2011 [25], shortly after receiving the award.

 


2010 Winner

Laura Argys

Laura M. Argys
University of Colorado Denver

  • CU Connections spotlight [26]

2009 Winner

Barbara Gaddis

Barbara A. Gaddis
University of Colorado Colorado Springs

  • CU Connections spotlight [27]

Past keynote speakers

Year Speaker Lecture
2025 Ann Schmiesing, PhD, Interim Vice Chanellor for Strategic Initiatives and Professor of German at CU Boulder Leadership - A Tale of Teams
2023 Dr. Stefanie Johnson, CU Boulder's Center for Leadership Academic Director and Associate Professor of Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics. We See You at CU – How Leaders Can Bolster Belonging
2022 CU Innovations Executive Director Kimberly Muller, Esq, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Innovation and Leadership Lessons That Will Shape the Future
2019 Lauren Casteel, president and CEO, The Women's Foundation of Colorado Reflections
2018 Pam Shockley-Zalabak, Ph.D., president of CommuniCon Inc., UCCS chancellor and professor of Communication Emerita  Building Trust in Turbulent Times
2017 Laura Stack, president and CEO, The Productivity Pro, Inc.  Doing the Right Things Right: How the Effective Leader Spends Time
2016 Paul Gibbons, author, speaker and consultant Complicated or Complex: Two Practical Tools
2015 Roxane White, president and CEO of the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Tough Calls: Making Evidence-Based Decisions
2014 Richard D. Krugman, MD, vice chancellor for Health Affairs for the University of Colorado Denver and dean of the University of Colorado School of Medicine Staying Cool in Jobs Where People Only Turn Up the Heat
2013 Dr. Joseph F. Coughlin, Ph.D., director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab Three Retirement Questions to Plan a New Life Today
2012 Dr. Cynthia Stevenson, superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools Chaos, Ambiguity, Uncertainty ... How Can You Not Love Leadership!
2011 Col. Kathleen Harrington, permanent professor and head of the English and Fine Arts Department, United States Air Force Academy (USAFA)
Leadership in the Military
2010 Dr. Thomas J. Noel, professor of history and director of Public History, Preservation and Colorado Studies at the University of Colorado Denver How Colorado's Movers and Shakers have Faced Leadership Challenges
2009 James S. Voss, University of Colorado Boulder scholar in residence and Roubos chair Leadership in Challenging Environments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Groups audience: 
Employee Services

Source URL:https://www.cu.edu/employee-services/professional-growth-training/excellence-leadership-program/excellence-leadership-0

Links
[1] https://www.cu.edu/employee-services/professional-growth-training/excellence-leadership-program/excellence-leadership-0 [2] https://www.cu.edu/blog/work-life/excellence-leadership-event-examines-teamwork-recognizes-cu-anschutz-dean-award [3] https://www.cu.edu/doc/2025-award-nominees-and-winnerpdf [4] https://connections.cu.edu/stories/excellence-leadership-event-emphasizes-inclusion-recognizes-cu-boulder-professor-award [5] https://www.cu.edu/blog/work-life/excellence-leadership-award-winner-embodies-connected-practical-leadership [6] https://connections.cu.edu/spotlights/excellence-leadership-luncheon-and-lecture-celebration-collaboration [7] https://connections.cu.edu/spotlights/sharon-matusik-recognized-excellence-leadership-award [8] https://connections.cu.edu/spotlights/two-award-recipients-named-excellence-leadership-luncheon-and-lecture [9] https://connections.cu.edu/spotlights/kilkenny-s-four-decade-career-built-service-others [10] https://connections.cu.edu/spotlights/uccs-bell-wins-excellence-leadership-award [11] http://connections.cu.edu/spotlights/megan-bell-blazes-trails-future-higher-education-leaders [12] http://connections.cu.edu/spotlights/two-honored-excellence-leadership-luncheon-and-lecture [13] http://connections.cu.edu/spotlights/allen-builds-roots-sustainable-diversity [14] http://connections.cu.edu/spotlights/axelrad-aims-stars [15] https://connections.cu.edu/stories/cu-system-s-hicks-receives-excellence-leadership-award [16] https://connections.cu.edu/spotlights/hicks-drives-cu-higher-ed-procurement-forward [17] http://connections.cu.edu/stories/uccs-christensen-wins-excellence-leadership-award [18] https://connections.cu.edu/spotlights/christensen-leadership-lifestyle [19] http://connections.cu.edu/stories/cu-boulder%E2%80%99s-rankin-receives-excellence-leadership-award [20] https://connections.cu.edu/stories/elp-award-winner-rankin-uses-data-drive-leadership [21] https://connections.cu.edu/stories/cu-boulder-faculty-member-receives-excellence-leadership-award [22] https://www.cuanschutztoday.org/zweck-bronner-excellence-in-leadership-award/ [23] https://connections.cu.edu/stories/five-questions-steve-zweck-bronner [24] https://www.cu.edu/sites/default/files/visual-arts-complex.pdf [25] https://connections.cu.edu/stories/garrison-roots-lived-taught-full-throttle [26] https://connections.cu.edu/stories/five-questions-laura-argys [27] https://connections.cu.edu/stories/five-questions-barbara-gaddis