Meet the staff

Our Staff

Carmen Lewis has been the Executive Director of Rise Above Violence since 1998. After receiving her degree in Psychology and Family Studies, she worked with at-risk youth. Time and time again, these troubled teens were victims of abuse. Violence was a theme in their lives. This ignited Carmen's passion for ending family and interpersonal violence. Carmen's other passions - family and FUN!

Annie Gian is our Development and Evaluation Coordinator and received her MPA from the University of Colorado Denver in 2011. She works to manage grant data and program evaluation as well as coordinating fundraising events throughout the year. After spending her childhood visiting Pagosa Springs, she's been a full-time residence for over 10 years now. Annie and her family are big sports fans and spend the weekends at the soccer fields!

Advocacy Staff

Darcy Downing is our Director of Advocacy. With a background in psychology and counseling, she brings warmth, wisdom, and unwavering advocacy to her work. Darcy has spent her life listening deeply and walking beside others through their hardest moments. A resident of Pagosa Springs since 1996, she and her husband of 32 years have raised three children in the heart of the Colorado mountains. When she’s not supporting survivors, she finds peace in the wild—fishing, hiking, camping, and writing poetry inspired by the journey.

Kristen Bair is our Housing Advocate. Raised an Army Brat that moved all over the country, she found her forever home in Pagosa Springs, 4 years ago. A former Memory Care and Life Enrichment Director; she brings her love of people to Rise, where she started out as a volunteer until she was recruited onto the team. Now she works hard to help Survivors obtain or maintain Housing; and more importantly: Independence and Empowerment! In her free time Kristen likes to spend time with her family and enjoy outdoor activities in beautiful SW Colorado.

Laura Davis is our Legal Program Advocate. A former teacher, Laura
has spent Summers in Pagosa Springs for 18 years, and made the move to full time Pagosan in 2020. She started as a volunteer advocate with Rise, and then moved into a staff position when the opportunity arose. The transition from volunteer to advocate gives her the ability to help clients move beyond their
crisis and continue their journey to healing and living a fulfilling life. In her free time she enjoys cooking, traveling, hiking, biking, and spending time in the beautiful San Juan Mountains.

Jennifer Medina is our Court Advocate. Her strong will and dedication to helping others brought her to Rise initially as a volunteer, then as the volunteer and community outreach coordinator, and now as the court advocate. Jennifer ensures clients receive the support and representation they deserve and actively works on state legislation to improve our court systems and laws in favor of victim rights. Jennifer was born and raised in CO and has a passion for enjoying the outdoors with her two children. Hunting, fishing, hiking and camping has taught her and her family patience, discipline, ethics, appreciation, confidence, perseverance and hard work.

Kaylie Jackson is our Treatment Victim Advocate. She brings a unique blend of expertise to her role at Rise, with several years’ experience in Human Resources complementing her victim advocacy skills. Kaylie’s dedication to people is evident in every case she handles, ensuring that clients receive the support and services they deserve.

Youth Program Advocates

Marissa Talamante Marquez is our Youth Advocate Supervisor. She was born and raised 30 miles south of Pagosa. She has coached middle and high school girls in Volleyball and has a passion for youth since they are the future of everything. Rise helps fuel her passion for helping people. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, fishing, hunting, gardening, and kayaking.

Kristen Albers is our Youth Advocate. She has over 20 years of experience working with youth of all ages. She holds a Master’s degree in Teaching Diverse Learners and has dedicated her career to supporting students and families from a wide range of backgrounds. Kristen continues to champion empowerment for young people in a variety of settings.