Meet Our Team#
Need business support or help navigating the City organization? The City is committed to a healthy economy that is vibrant, resilient and integrated with the community's social and environmental fabric.
How can we help? We collaborate. We convene. We are a funding agency. We can help build relationships.
The Economic Health Office exists to connect your business with:
- Business retention/expansion expertise
- Partner organizations
- Targeted industry clusters
- Construction projects business support
- Multicultural Business & Entrepreneurship Center
- Talent sector partnerships
- Business data analytics
- Small business support
SeonAh Kendall, Economic Health Director#
Focus Areas
- Business retention and expansion expertise
- Innovation and business support
- Workforce and talent initiatives
- Regional partnerships
- Targeted industry clusters
- Business and data analytics
SeonAh Kendall, CPA is the City of Fort Collins Director of Economic Health. During SeonAh’s tenure at the City, she has assisted in the development of the City’s business assistance policy framework, Broadband business plan and Connexion branding, industry cluster competitive process and more. SeonAh serves on the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Board of Directors, IEDC Economic Development Research Partnership (EDRP), co-chair of Metro Denver Economic Development Council’s Front Range Economic Collaborative, and Innosphere Executive Board Member.
Shannon Hein, Economic Health Manager#
Focus Areas
- Entrepreneur and small business support
- Multicultural Business and Entrepreneur Center
- For Fort Collins
- Partner organizations
Shannon is the Small Business Program Manager, overseeing small business engagement and the Multicultural Business and Entrepreneur Center. She currently supports committee work for the Economic Development Council of Colorado (EDCC). Shannon proudly supports small businesses regularly, but especially on Thursdays which she has self-declared, Merch Day Thursdays, donning small business t-shirts and sharing about it on Instagram.
Jillian Fresa, Economic Health Manager#
Focus Areas
- Business retention and expansion expertise
- Site selection and attraction
- Workforce and talent initiatives
- Industry sector partnerships
Jillian Fresa is originally from Virginia, where she began her career in economic development. She’s been with the City of Fort Collins since 2019 and supports the Economic Health Office’s business retention, expansion, and attraction efforts. Jillian participates in workforce and talent initiatives, serving on the Larimer County Workforce Development Board and the NoCo Works Steering Committee.
Pronouns: She/Her
Michael Bussmann, Lead Business Specialist#
Focus Areas
- Business support during City construction
- Development Review support
- Downtown General Improvement District (GID)
Michael is the Business Liaison for Capital Projects and focuses on pre-project engagement and driving the mutual understanding of City infrastructure requirements, and the operational needs of the business community. Before joining the city, Michael built his career in retail management and operations for multiple national and international companies.
Edgar Ramos, Sr. Bilingual Business Connector#
Focus Areas
- Multicultural Business and Entrepreneur Center (MBEC) consultant
- English and Spanish
Edgar specializes in helping businesses navigate government processes and find resources for entrepreneurs to overcome barriers. In addition, Edgar supports the initiative of the NoCo Latino Chamber of Commerce as an advisor. As business owner himself, Edgar understands the hard work that is entrepreneurship.
Katie Geiger, Sr. Economic Specialist#
Focus Areas
- Business retention and expansion
- Site selection and attraction
- Business data analytics and requests
Katie is originally from Tennessee where she graduated with her degree in Social Work and worked in refugee and immigration services. Since joining the Economic Health Office, she has supported small business programs, business retention and expansion work, and economic data analytics and research.
Pronouns: She/Her
Tommy Meritt, Bilingual Business Connector#
Focus Areas
- Multicultural Business and Entrepreneur Center (MBEC) consultant
- MBEC marketing and outreach
- Spanish, English, Portuguese
Tommy specializes in helping entrepreneurs establish, grow, and launch their business. Originally from Buenos Aires Argentina, his international background and experience in sales and digital marketing, allows him to assist small businesses in growing their brand and also navigating government processes.
Ashley Kailburn, Sr. Economic Specialist#
Focus Areas
- Business retention and expansion
- Site selection and attraction
- Business data requests
Ashley has an extensive 15-year background in customer service, has a holistic view of our business community’s customer experience, and is passionate about collaborating in a meaningful way to build trusted partnerships. She assists in projects and programs related to oversight and development of business retention, expansion, small business, and primary employer programs across the City.
Leisha Talley, Business Connector#
Focus Areas
- Multicultural Business and Entrepreneur Center (MBEC) consultant
- Small business grant administration
- Operational efficiency and loss prevention
- Innovation, maker, and creative sectors
Leisha facilitates access to resources and empowers a diverse range of entrepreneurs, enabling them to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to actualize business ideation, thrive through volatility, and strategize for resilience. With a background in natural resource science education, carbon management, and sustainability accounting, she can help businesses identify areas for optimization, navigate applicable environmental policies, realize cost savings through mitigating externalities, and enhance brand value through responsible corporate practices.
Erin Sporer, Business Support III#
Focus Areas
- Administrative Support
- Customer Service
- Department Efficiency
Erin was born and raised in the Northern Colorado region, where she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality. Erin has been employed with locally owned businesses since the start of her professional career and has a wealth of experience in customer service.
Focus Areas
- Customer Support
- Data Management
- Administrative Assistance
Reiki provides support to the Economic Health Office in addition to the Environmental Services Department. Prior to her work with the city, Reiki worked for a consulting organization where she assisted on three separate equity rooted programs.