RMS Executive Council
RMS is a professional section of the Society of Women Engineers, led by an Executive Council and Committees.
RMS is led by eight
Executive Council members.
Rocky Mountain Section members elect 8 leadership positions annually. The election slate is presented by a Nominating Committee. These leaders serve from July 01 to June 30, aligning with SWE’s fiscal year. Executive Council leaders are required to be SWE RMS members in good standing.
Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Council:
Kaitlin Chapman
Kaitlin previously served RMS as Vice President, VP of Professional Excellence, and Secretary. She is actively involved in promoting diversity and inclusion at Medtronic, and formed and led an ERG, called SWEnet Colorado, dedicated to creating a community for female technical talent. Kaitlin is a Sr Test Engineer at Medtronic, a medical technology company, leading strategy and execution of verification testing of clinical software on navigation and robotic systems used to complete brain and spine surgeries. Kaitlin earned BS in Chemical and Biological Engineering and minor in Biomedical Engineering from the CU Boulder and an online MBA at LSU Shreveport. In her free time, Kaitlin enjoys spending time with her dog, Brinkley, going on hikes, and trying new recipes.
Position Description:
Represent the section before the public and preside at meetings of the section and its executive council; coordinate activities and execute the business and policies of the section between meetings; review and approve the year-end section report; provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs, executive council, and membership as necessary; oversee section strategic planning and operational goals in line with SWE mission. Schedule and lead monthly Executive Council meetings.
Heather Munoz
Heather’s involvement with SWE began in 2011 as her office’s representative at the SWE annual conference in Chicago. She previously served RMS as VP of Professional Development, VP of Membership, Section Representative, Local Social Chair, and WE Local Denver 2019 Local Host Committee Volunteer Liaison. Heather is an Engineering Director at Sundt Renewables, leading the engineering team for photovoltaic solar projects. She appreciates the way her position blends team management with engineering details to build renewable energy resources. Heather has a BS in Civil Engineering and MS in Structural Engineering from University of Michigan. She enjoys spending time in the mountains with her husband and two young kids, and Samoyed puppy.
Position Description:
Assume all duties of the President if the President is temporarily unable to serve. Oversees committees focused on marketing and member communications such as the blog, email newsletter, social media platforms, and website. Assists in maintaining section procedures in accordance with the Bylaws and Section Agreement. Attend monthly Executive Council meetings.
Ashley Kreuder
Ashley has been a member of SWE RMS since 2013 and has been active in the SWE RMS Executive Council and holding various positions on other committees. After a brief hiatus, Ashley is excited to reinvigorate her involvement with SWE RMS. Ashley is currently working at Electra, a Clean Iron start-up, as their Life Cycle Assessment Specialist. She has over 14 years of experience in sustainability and life cycle assessment. Ashley has lived in Denver for almost 13 years and enjoys outdoor activities in the mountains and learning new things. She is passionate about sustainable living, recycling, and composting, and enjoys sharing her passion with future engineers.
Position Description:
Maintain the records of the section; communicate pertinent information to members via email; records, prepares and distributes the agenda and minutes from all meetings. Provide document control of Procedures, Guides, and any governing documents. Manage access to section accounts such as Google Drive and Slack. Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned. Perform other duties normally associated with the office of secretary or as may be assigned by the President, the Executive Council, or the governance documents. Attend monthly Executive Council meetings.
Sara Ellis
Sara has been a SWE member for 20 years, including 16 years with RMS, and recently served as FY25 VP of Outreach. She served as Essay Contest Chair from 2013-2020, during which time the program was recognized with Region i and WE Local outreach awards. Sara enjoys supporting a variety of RMS outreach activities and participating in RMS professional and social events. Sara has spent her career working in the analytical instrumentation industry, most recently in the role of Vice President at Timberline Instruments. She has a BS in Chemical and Biological Engineering from CU Boulder. In her free time, Sara enjoys hiking, knitting, and exploring the outdoors with her husband and two young daughters.
Position Description:
Responsible for collection, distribution, and safekeeping of section funds; prepare, maintain, and report as directed on the financial position of the section in relation to the approved budget; submit a financial report to the Society; ensure forms are filed as necessary with the IRS. Oversee committees focused on financial distribution or fund development; coordinate efforts for increasing corporate partnerships. Attend monthly Executive Council meetings and present monthly Treasurer’s reports.
Breanna Hayes
Breanna joined SWE in college where she was also a Peer Mentor, Teaching Assistant (TA), ARCS scholar, and an active member on the Mines Dance Team. Much of her previous leadership has focused on mentoring and teaching, but she also enjoys planning and executing events. Breanna is a process engineer at Kahuna where she helps design and execute energy projects. She particularly enjoys modeling and analyzing processes. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering with a process engineering specialty at Colorado School of Mines. In her free time, Breanna enjoys skiing, scuba diving, paddleboarding and spending time with her two cats, Beaker and Bunsen.
Position Description:
This VP will work to strengthen the relationship between the SWE Rocky Mountain Section and local SWE collegiate sections. Plan combined collegiate/professional networking events, support collegiate mentoring programs by advertising and soliciting volunteer mentors, and assist in coordinating with the collegiate sections. Oversee committees that are focused on collegiate outreach/professional development events such as joint Collegiate/Professional Enrichment Talks, Gear Up Collegiate Partnered Series, RMS Scholarship program, and planning co-hosted mini-conferences. Attend monthly Executive Council meetings.
Shannon McAvoy
Shannon served SWE as a mentor for the University of Colorado at Boulder Section and as RMS SWENext Co-Chair. Shannon is the Technical Sales Manager for ReNu Technologies and is responsible for the technical evaluations for air-cooled heat exchanger (fin-fan) cleanings and customer engagement. This includes KPI reporting, data analysis/ reconciliation, and economic value. Previously Shannon worked in the downstream oil and gas industry as a Process Engineer, Process Safety Engineer, and Hydrogen Catalyst Technical Engineer. Shannon has a BS in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines. Outside of work, Shannon volunteers on the FAST (Fearful, Anxious, and Shy Team) with the Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies.
Position Description:
The VP of Membership will encourage growth of the section by welcoming new members quarterly, encouraging current members to keep their membership active, and planning member-only events. Oversee member focused committees, such as Awards, Local Socials, various discussion clubs, and other member benefits. Plan annual section awards event honoring section award winners, scholarship recipients, and Essay contest winners. Attend monthly Executive Council meetings.
Jayme Lara
Jayme is the RMS Newsletter Co-chair. She is also involved in SWE at Lockheed Martin as the Communications Lead. Jayme is an Associate Fellow at Lockheed Martin, contributing to the Corporate Information Security team. Outside Lockheed Martin, Jayme teaches cybersecurity as an Adjunct Professor at Villanova University. She earned an MS in Computer Science in Information Security at James Madison University and a BBA in Information Technology from University of New Mexico. Jayme also coaches youth soccer. Her three teenagers keep her engaged and active.
Position Description:
Coordinate volunteers that are focused on K-12 outreach events in the area. This will include working with the planning committees for established outreach events such as Certificates of Merit, Essay Contest, GESTEM, and SWENext; partnering with collegiate section outreach programs such as Girls Lead the Way; and also coordinating new outreach opportunities and partnerships. Attend monthly Executive Council meetings.
Madalene Fetsch
Madalene served on the SWE Finance Committee and the Section Support Sub-team that assists new Section Treasurers. She served RMS as Treasurer (5 yrs), Vice President (3 yrs) and President (1 yr). She chaired the President’s Celebration for SWE FY21 President Heather Doty, as the world changed over two years of planning. She earned a BS in Chemical Engineering at CU Boulder and MS in Biomedical Engineering at Washington University. Growing in a career in Software Quality Assurance, she currently is Manager of Software Quality Assurance (QA) at Specialized Bicycle Components, where she works on mobile apps that encourage people to bike more and to do so safely. She is a founding member and treasurer of The Phoenix Asylum artist workshop.
Position Description:
Coordinate volunteers that are focused on professional development events such as planning professional development events such as Lighting Talks or industry tours and expanding the offering of “Women in X” events that focus on a particular industry. Support professional mentoring programs, such as Collective Wisdom Groups. Be an ex officio member of mini-conference committees. This VP will also work to strengthen the relationship between the SWE Rocky Mountain Section and local STEM companies. Attend monthly Executive Council meetings.
