Gretchen Hammer ’94 was the recipient of the 2016 Livesay Award for Social Change. She received the award at the annual Public Interest Fellowship Program (PIFP) dinner May 5.

The PIFP board was extremely impressed with Hammer’s dedication, inspiration, and vision for making a difference in Colorado in the years since her graduation from CC. Her work has included, among other things, a strong commitment to mobilizing coalitions, a vital role as a thought leader and advocate for health equity, and a passion for mentoring younger members of the nonprofit sector.

Hammer, who graduated with a biology degree from Colorado College, currently is Colorado’s Medicaid director, overseeing the office which administers public health insurance for more than a million low-income and disabled Coloradans, including Medicaid and the Child Health Plan Plus.  Her career focus has been on leading change for a healthier Colorado.

Before joining the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing in January 2015, Hammer was the executive director of the nonprofit Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved for six years. She also has served as chair and member of the Board of Directors for Connect for Health Colorado, on the Board of Directors for the Colorado Children’s Health Care Access Program and the Anchor Center for Blind Children, and on the Board of Trustees for HealthONE.

Early in her career, Hammer was a private consultant focused on leadership development, complex systems change initiatives, strategic planning, program management, and constituent engagement for numerous public serving organizations. She received a master’s in public health from the University of Washington.

The Livesay Award was created by the PIFP several years ago to honor “a Colorado College alum who is living out the mission, spirit, and goals of PIFP in his or her life and career by contributing to systemic change, by increasing the capacity of the nonprofit sector, and by helping to build a new generation of nonprofit leaders.”