Director| Programs & Sponsorships Committee
Sarah Burrows
Legal Counsel
Crusoe Energy
Sarah Burrows is legal counsel with Crusoe Energy where she offers extensive in-house experience including strategic transactions, intellectual property, product, and data/software development experience. Sarah is former Lead Counsel at Cruise, A GM subsidiary focusing on autonomous vehicles, where she focused on new product innovation, strategic transactions, intellectual property and complex transactions. She formerly served at Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear, HP, and Cognizant. Sarah worked as a software developer prior to attending law school and is a trusted advisor in the intersection of law and technology. Sarah grew up in Kentucky and moved to Colorado in 2012.
Director | Chief Legal Officers Committee
Sondra Barbour
Vice President and General Counsel
United Launch Alliance, LLC
Sondra Barbour serves as vice president and general counsel of United Launch Alliance (ULA) in Centennial, Colorado, a position she assumed in February 2020. With a nationwide team of nearly 2,500 employees, ULA combines more than 100 years of launch history with the Atlas and Delta rocket families and continues to grow its legendary results with the new Vulcan Centaur rocket family. At ULA, Barbour is the company’s senior legal advisor and leads the Law and Ethics departments as well as the Office of Internal Governance. Prior to joining ULA, Barbour served as senior counsel and assistant corporate secretary to The Boeing Company, where she provided legal advice and counsel for government and commercial satellite and intelligence systems. She also has previously held positions within the global law firm, McKenna Long & Aldridge (now Dentons) and held the position of adjunct professor of law at Southwestern University School of Law. She has served on the Association of Corporate Counsel Pro Bono and Diversity Committees and was the recipient of the Women of Color in Technology’s 2010 Technology All-Star Award for professional achievement and community leadership. Barbour received her undergraduate degree in engineering from the Ohio State University and graduated summa cum laude from Southwestern University School of Law where she participated in the Law Review and Moot Court Honors Programs.
Director | Nominations Committee Chair | Legal Operations Committee
Eric Gunning
Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Company Secretary
SSR Mining
Eric Gunning is senior vice president, general counsel and company secretary of SSR Mining. He is former chief legal officer and secretary of JumpCloud Inc. Prior to joining JumpCloud, Eric spent ten years at Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE: TAP), including as its interim chief legal and government affairs officer and sole deputy general counsel. Eric is a fifth generation Coloradan and holds a Juris Doctor and bachelor of arts degrees in Political Science and Economics from the University of Colorado. He was previously on the board of AfricAid, a non-profit based in Denver with operations in Tanzania focusing on helping secondary girls complete their education and transform their own lives and their communities.
Director
Mary Gritzmacher
Chief Legal Officer & Secretary
CoorsTek
With over 15 years of experience as an in-house attorney, Mary Gritzmacher brings a wealth of legal expertise and perspective to the ACC Colorado Chapter. She has built an impressive career marked by achievements in strategic transaction negotiation, global regulatory compliance, and intellectual property optimization. She is currently chief legal officer & secretary of CoorsTek, a leading global manufacturer of technical ceramic products that provide solutions for complex customer needs in a wide variety of essential industries. In her current role, Mary oversees and manages all the company’s global matters related to legal, trade compliance, corporate compliance and ethics, intellectual property, and government affairs. Mary received her law degree from Case Western Reserve University and started her career with Ballard Spahr in Denver. When not working, Mary enjoys traveling the world, spending time with her family, and partaking in the outdoor activities that Colorado has to offer, including running, skiing, and golfing.
Director| Pro Bono Committee Chair
Phillip (P.J.) Smith
Vice President, Litigation & Compliance Counsel
Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
Phillip (P.J.) Smith is senior director, litigation & compliance counsel at the Denver headquarters of Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (“AE”), a publicly-traded technology manufacturer delivering highly engineered, precision power conversion, measurement and control solutions for the semiconductor equipment, industrial production, medical and life sciences, data center, networking, and telecommunications industries. For the legal team, P.J. guides AE’s global operations on litigation, compliance, employment and privacy matters. Before joining AE, he was executive counsel with GE Aviation (now GE Aerospace) over more than a decade in roles responsible for compliance, litigation, and corporate projects, and was a litigation partner with Vorys, a large regional firm in Ohio. P.J. is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School (cum laude) and Miami University in Oxford, Ohio (summa cume laude). Outside of work, P.J. can be found enjoying Colorado’s outdoors from the Highline Canal to the ski slopes with his wife Nancy and their dogs.
Director| Programs & Sponsorships Committee | Nominations Committee
Tyson Welch
Corporate Attorney
CoBank
Tyson Welch is a corporate attorney at CoBank, ACB, a national cooperative bank in the Farm Credit System serving rural America by providing financial services to agribusiness, rural infrastructure, and Farm Credit customers in all fifty states. Tyson provides advice and guidance to the bank on a variety of corporate matters, including vendor contracting, cash management services, litigation management, compliance and fraud, and privacy. Tyson earned a J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, where he was the Tenth Circuit Comments Editor on the Denver Law Review, and a B.S.B. from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Outside of the office, Tyson enjoys spending time with his wife and family, exploring the mountains, running, and following around his German Shorthaired Pointer, Maverick.
Director | Programs & Sponsorships Committee
Emily Bloedel
Corporate Counsel
Merrick & Company
Emily Bloedel is corporate counsel at Merrick & Company, where she serves as the firm’s first in-house counsel. She oversees contracts, risk management, and procurement, and she manages Merrick’s corporate insurance program. Emily also serves as Secretary for Merrick & Company and Merrick & Company UK. Previously, she worked in litigation and risk management at Denver-based firms, where she gained experience in trial practice and commercial disputes. Emily has led initiatives in corporate responsibility, cultural programs, and leadership development. She is dedicated to mentoring future leaders and advancing Merrick's growth, making an impact across the company and beyond.
Director| DEI Leadership & Professional Development Chair
Lila Harvey
Senior Legal Counsel
Arrow Electronics, Inc.
Lila Harvey is senior legal counsel at Arrow Electronics, Inc., a global technology solutions provider, specializing in electronic components distribution, enterprise computing solutions, design engineering, and supply chain services. Lila provides comprehensive legal support across critical areas, including complex commercial transactions, regulatory compliance, while managing risk across Arrow’s global operations. Lila also has experience in litigation (both Civil and Criminal), sports law, real estate, and oil and gas law. Lila graduated from Tulane Law School graduate and was a member of the Civil Litigation Clinic and President of the Sports Law Society. Prior to law school, Lila attended Hampton University on volleyball scholarship and graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Director | Pro Bono & Nominations Committee
Kensi Mays
Senior Counsel
Simply Good
Kensi Mays is senior counsel for Simply Good. She is a former mountain resorts counsel for Vail Resorts, Inc. In her roles, Kensi has served as a legal advisor and strategic business partner supporting a broad range of transactional, regulatory, commercial, pre-litigation, and shared services including technology, contracts, data privacy, new product launch, health and safety, advertising and marketing, and intellectual property. Kensi commenced her legal career practicing as a transactional and litigation attorney at a well-established general practice firm in Denver providing outside counsel services to a wide array of companies and academic, religious, and non-profit institutions. She earned her J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and undergraduate degrees in political science and sociology from Colorado State University. Kensi is an avid Colorado sports fan and enjoys mentoring, archery, and spending time in the mountains and with her loved ones.
Director | Advocacy (Liaison) Chair
Jesse Rodgers
Corporate Counsel
CommonSpirit Health
Jesse D. Rodgers is corporate counsel at CommonSpirit Health in Englewood, Colorado. CommonSpirit Health is the largest Catholic healthcare system in the United States, and was founded in 2019 following the merger of Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives. Based in Englewood, Jesse supports and advises CommonSpirit's supply chain team members on commercial contracting and various healthcare regulatory issues relating to contracting, such as HIPAA, Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law. Prior to joining CommonSpirit, Jesse was a Partner at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, a national law firm, working out of the firm's New York City and Denver offices. Jesse graduated from Seton Hall University School of Law and received his undergraduate degree from Boston University.
Director | Programs & Sponsorships Committee
Kendria Pearson
Senior Counsel, Intellectual Property
CableLabs
Kendria Pearson is senior counsel and director, intellectual property at CableLabs, a nonprofit R&D organization innovating the broadband, internet, and connectivity services that consumers rely upon. CableLabs is based in Louisville, Colorado, and has members in the U.S. and around the world. As a registered patent attorney, Kendria manages CableLabs’ patent portfolio and litigation and advises the organization on IP strategy. She is also training to serve as CableLabs’ part-time security and privacy attorney. Prior to joining CableLabs in 2024, Kendria was a partner and practice group leader at a law firm, working across all areas of IP, with a focus on patent prosecution, patent litigation, and anti-counterfeiting enforcement. Kendria holds a J.D. and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder. She has lived in Germany twice and enjoys traveling, practicing yoga, skiing, attending sporting events, and spending time with her family—and she’s learning mahjong.
Director
Ben Carver
General Counsel
Ambrosia Biosciences Inc
Ben Carver is co-founder and general counsel of Ambrosia Biosciences Inc., a biotechnology company developing small-molecule therapeutics for obesity and metabolic disorders. Ben oversees the company’s legal, compliance, and human resources functions. Before Ambrosia, he was General Counsel at ArcherDX, where he led the legal aspects of the company’s acquisition by Invitae and supported post-acquisition integration and growth in genomic diagnostics. Prior to that, Ben practiced at Wilson Sonsini and Cooley LLP, advising emerging companies and investors on venture financings, corporate governance, M&A, and commercial matters. He is a graduate of Stanford Law School and holds an engineering degree from Stanford University. Ben has extensive experience in high-growth, innovation-driven environments and is committed to building scalable legal and business infrastructure that enables technology-based organizations to grow efficiently. He lives in Denver with his family and enjoys cycling, telemark skiing, tinkering with his 3D printer and playing monkey-in-the-middle with his young kids.
