Smith- Tutt Award winner 2025: Dr. Mike Edmonds. The Colorado Springs Leadership Institute (CSLI) is proud to announce that Dr. Mike Edmonds has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Smith-Tutt Positive Impact Award, which honors the leadership legacy of CSLI co-founders Brenda Smith and Thayer Tutt. This prestigious award recognizes individuals whose collaborative leadership has created an extraordinary and lasting benefit for the Pikes Peak region.
Smith-Tutt Positive Impact Award
for Extraordinary Collaboration & Leadership in Creating a Better Region
Created in 2015, this award honors the leadership legacy of CSLI co-founders, Brenda Smith and Thayer Tutt.
Award criteria:
- Award may to be given to 1 or more people
- Recipient(s) will have worked with others or together to collaborate on a specific cause/program/project
- Collaboration will have resulted in creating an extraordinary leadership benefit for the Pikes Peak region
- Recipients will have a demonstrated history in nonprofit leadership for at least 10 years (via board service, committee service, or employment)
- Recipient will have a demonstrated commitment to the cause for which they have been nominated, going beyond simply funding the cause/program/project
- Recipients do not have to be CSLI Alumni
Award Recipients
2015 – Brenda Smith and Thayer Tutt
Founders of CSLI
2016 – BJ Scott and Barbara Yalich
Innovations in Aging Collaborative
2017 – Janet Suthers, Doug Price, Katie Lally
Olympic City USA
2018 – Pam Shockley-Zalabak
UCCS/Ent Center for the Arts
2019 – Jim Johnson, GE Johnson
Lifetime of leadership
2020 – Cathy O. Robbins
Dedicated work in the nonprofit sector
2021 – Michelle Talarico
For her constant collaborative spirit and commitment to our community
2022 – Phil Lane
Passionate about building philanthropic support in our City.
2023 – Stephannie Finley Fortune
Posthumously
Positive Community Impact
2024 – Susan Pattee
For Extraordinary Collaboration & Leadership in Creating a Better Region
2025 – Dr. Mike Edmonds
For contributions that span education, philanthropy, youth development, and community service
Cathy O. Robbins Award
for Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership
Created in 2020, and first awarded in 2021, this award honors the far-reaching, effective, and community-changing work that Cathy O. Robbins has established in our region and throughout the state, in keeping with CSLI’s mission, this award recognizes paid nonprofit leaders in the Pikes Peak region who demonstrate excellence in ingenuity, results, influence, transparency, culture and vision.
Award criteria:
- Capacity and ingenuity in decision-making consistent with organization’s mission, vision, values.
- Ability to achieve mission-consistent results, establishing strategies, investment, community partnerships and collaboration.
- Influence in rallying people to the cause of their organization, resulting in greater recognition and sustainability.
- Accountable and transparent management of resources enabling greater investment, recognition and trust.
- Creating a culture of trust, innovation and motivation to maximize the potential of their staff and volunteers.
- A visionary leader meeting challenges and transforming them into opportunities.
- The nominee’s nonprofit organization should have an annual budget not to exceed $5 million and employ no more than 100 people.
- Recipient does not have to be a CSLI alumni.
- Must be employed by (or formerly employed by) the nonprofit organization at which they did the notable work.
Cathy O Robbins Award winners 2025: Kristy Milligan, Kristy Milligan, Chief Executive Officer of Westside CARES. Under her eight years as CEO, Westside CARES has tripled both its budget and impact, providing care and dignity to more than 10,000 individuals annually who face poverty, homelessness, and housing insecurity.
Award Recipients
2021 – Lori Jarvis-Steinwert – NAMI
National Alliance on Mental Illness – Colorado Springs
2022 – Haley Chapin
Tri-Lakes Cares - Monument
2023 – Karla Grazier
Goodwill Colorado
2024 – BETH ROALSTAD AND CARLOS JIMENEZ
Exceptional leadership in non-profit work
2025 – KRISTY MILLIGAN
Westside CARES
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