Our Leadership Team

Committee Leaders

Tara Kiene, Co-President

Tara Kiene, MTS started at Community Connections in 2001, shortly after moving to Durango to live in her great-grandmother’s home. She served in the case management department and as the Director of Case Management before becoming the President/CEO in 2016. Over the past few years, she has been leading her organization through major transitions, including an organizational redesign that involves divesting programs into a new 501(c)(3). In her spare time, she writes, plays ukulele, and harasses her pet rabbits. Her goals in life are to publish a truly awful novel that no one reads during her lifetime but becomes a posthumous cult classic and to create a world where people with disabilities fully belong, contribute, and thrive.

Tara has been actively involved with the Leadership La Plata program since 2007 and is currently serving on the Diversity Committee for LLP. In addition to League of Women Voters, she also currently serves on the Board of Directors for Alliance Colorado, the Early Childhood Council of La Plata County, United Way of Southwest Colorado, and iAM MUSIC.

Liz Mora, Co-President

Liz Mora, The Executive Director The Arc of Colorado, and a local Durangoan since 1987, has worked in the non-profit sector in the five county region for over twenty years.  Before coming to The Arc of Southwest Colorado, Liz was the Executive Director for The Women’s Resource Center in Durango for seven years.  Liz is thrilled to be a co-President for the League of Women voters and excited for the opportunity.  

Adrea Bogle, Secretary

Adrea brings over 20 years of dedicated experience in collaborative leadership, strategic planning, inclusive facilitation, and project management.  Adrea is passionate about building empowering voices in and advocating for the needs in rural regions. Adrea feels privileged to serve in Southwest Colorado, where communities engage authentically in meaningful partnerships to create positive regional change. When not facilitating inclusive collaborations, she embraces rural living in southwest Colorado – exploring mountains and canyons, rock climbing, tending to her garden, volunteering and sharing adventures with her husband.

Madeline “Mady” Miraglia, Treasurer

Madeline Miraglia is excited to be a part of the LWV-La Plata County Board. She began volunteering with LWV as soon as she moved to Durango in Spring of ‘22 by tabling at the farmer’s market, participating in several Climate Group activities and assisting with the city council candidate forum in March, ‘23.

Her background is in political activism and teaching high school social studies, so it is a fun new challenge to be learning the role of treasurer.

Nicole Garland

Nicole has a BA in Mass Communications and an MA in Journalism; she was PTSA president at Lincoln Elementary in Denver 2013-2015, and oversaw a board and 100+ volunteers. She has also previously run a successful small business. In addition to volunteering with the local League, Nicole has been serving on the LWV CO Grants Committee for the past two years.

Nicole recently brought back an Observer Corps for the League and is delighted that we have observers in public meetings across the county. Nicole is also an election judge for La Plata County and is extremely passionate about democracy, its preservation, and the crucial role voting plays in ensuring its survival.

Jan Phillips, Chair Healthcare Committee

Jan Phillips is a longtime resident of La Plata County, and mother of three adult children who grew up in beautiful Durango. She has over 40 years of experience as a health educator and is a retired small business owner. For the past decade she has continued to be involved in advocating for healthcare reform and improvements.

She is the chair of the LWV healthcare committee and vice chair of the LWV initiative, La Plata Healthcare Improvement Coalition (LPHIC), collaborating with local stakeholders working toward improving healthcare delivery in La Plata County.

Wendy Pollak

Wendy is a longtime resident of Durango, and a retired physical therapist. She’s involved with several environmental advocacy groups both locally and nationally, and serves on the League’s Voter Services Committee.

Martha Mason, Chair Communications

Martha is the board secretary, the chair of the committee for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and a member of the League’s Observer Corps. She spent the last 40 years as a disability rights activist. She has lived in La Plata County since 1986. She lives in Hesperus with her husband, Tim, and their dogs.

Martha is also involved with the Governor’s Statewide Independent Living Council, the Lieutenant Governor’s Disability Funding Committee, and the 6th Judicial District’s Access to Justice Committee.