President & CEO

Sydney Byer serves as the Director of Advocacy and Strategic Initiatives at Next50. In this role, she leads Next50’s public policy and strategic partnership agenda. Throughout her career, Sydney has spearheaded innovative projects designed to address complex challenges in aging and public policy, often collaborating across sectors to drive impactful solutions. She has held various roles in the nonprofit and public sectors in Denver, gaining experience in direct service, grant management, fundraising, and volunteer management. Sydney holds a B.A. in International Affairs and Spanish from the University of Colorado – Boulder and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Colorado – Denver.

Dr. Raitano serves as the Director of Partnership Development and Innovation for the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG).  She has been with DRCOG since 2013 and has held four different positions while at DRCOG, including a 6-month stint as acting Executive Director. In August 2024, she was recognized as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Business by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce. She was the founding Executive Director for the Colorado Rural Development Council, served as a Senior Fellow for the Center for the New West, and was twice elected Mayor of Dillon, Colorado.  She received her BA cum laude in Psychology from CU-Boulder and her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from CSU.  

Jody Schimmel Hyde is a nationally recognized researcher and policy expert whose work focuses on disability, employment, income security, and the systems that shape economic opportunity. During her career, Jody has led and contributed to studies on Social Security disability, workforce participation, and access to health care and supports for community living. Prior to her current role as a Research Scientist for the University of Michigan and Associate Director of the Health and Retirement Study, Jody spent two decades conducting federal and state policy research and evaluation at Mathematica. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Michigan and a BA in Economics from the University of California, San Diego..

Michele is the founder of Ivanhoe Development, a philanthropic finance firm that specializes in securing, designing, and stewarding major investments, grants, Mission-Related Investments, Program-Related Investments, Venture Capital, etc. She previously worked for the U.S. House of Representatives as a Legislative Aide and for the U.S. State Department as a contractor designing educational programming for foreign delegations. Michele attended the University of Maine for a B.A. in Public Policy and the University of Minnesota, earning her Master's in Development from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.  ​​In her free time, you can find her trying to fly a plane, falling off a horse, choosing bad lines on a ski slope, or trying to fulfill her baking dreams of one day making Sourdough. 

Shepard Nevel is the founder and CEO of the Institute of Evidence-based Policymaking, a nonpartisan organization that delivers timely, actionable research to executive decision makers.  He served previously as Director of Policy and Research for Colorado Governor Jared Polis. Shepard is the former VP of Policy, Evaluation, and Communications for the Colorado Health Foundation. Earlier in his career, he served as director of policy for Denver Mayor Wellington Webb and as an assistant county attorney in Miami-Dade County. Shepard is a graduate of Brown University and Columbia Law School. He and his wife, Anna Alejo, are the proud parents of three daughters. 

Edwin L. Walker is the  Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging, leading the Administration on Aging within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He guided the development of home and community-based long-term care and elder justice programs, enabling older adults and their caregivers to age with dignity and independence and be free from abuse, neglect and exploitation.  Prior to his federal service, Walker directed the Missouri Division of Aging, overseeing comprehensive services for older adults and individuals with disabilities.  In March 2024, Walker retired from federal service, leaving a legacy of leadership in aging policy and program development.  

He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media Arts from Hampton University. 

 Angeles Ortega is a nonprofit executive and community leader with more than 20 years of experience advancing economic mobility and building cross-sector partnerships. She serves as CEO of Mi Casa Resource Center in Denver, where she leads strategic planning, fundraising, board engagement, and program impact for a leading workforce and small business development organization. Previously, she was Director of Advancement at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, overseeing $2–4 million in annual fundraising. She studied at Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro and the University of Nevada, Reno, and holds an MBA from Queens University of Charlotte.