2025-2026 Board of Directors

**Sarah Roberts-Cady, PhD -** President

Professor of Philosophy, Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO
**Areas of interest**: End-of-life decision-making, clinical ethics consultations, health equity, ethical theory, ethics education

**Ryan Westhoff, MD-**Treasurer

Palliative Care Physician, CommonSpirit Health
**Areas of interest:** Care of people with serious illness, surrogate decision making, advance care planning.

Benjamin Foster, MS Bioethics-Secretary

Intermountain Health

Areas of interest: Clinical ethics, neuroethics, behavioral immune system.

Erin Liebman, DNP, RN, APN, AGCNS-BC- Past President

Clinical Nurse Specialist, Behavioral Health, Fort Collins, CO

Areas of interest: Behavioral health, palliative care, healthcare ethics, nurse resilience, healthcare policy, end-of-life planning and ethics, just culture, workplace violence mitigation

**Nicole Michels, PhD**
Chair of Medical Humanities/Associate Professor of Physiology

Rocky Vista University
**Areas of interest:** The role of immune responses in host defense and autoimmunity.

**Amanda Hine, PhD**

Assistant Professor, Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions, Regis University - Denver, CO
**Areas of Interest:** Informed consent, decision-making capacity, conceptions of autonomy

**Maria Milagros Kneusel Rivera, DNP, MSHCE, MSN Ed, RN, CMGT-BC**

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program Director Colorado/Utah/Kansas Division
**Areas of Interest:** Social justice with an emphasis on dignified care for immigrant communities, Intersections between health equity and healthcare ethics, Community engagement, Nurse education, Health policy

Chaplain J R WARD.jpg — **Johnnathan R. Ward, M.Div, CSMC, CWPC, CFS, CISM-I**

Director of Mission Integration | Chaplaincy and Community Health | Chair Medical Ethics Committee
**Areas of Interest:** Healthcare Disparities, Social Determinants of Health, Biomedical Ethics Learning Resources for Disadvantaged Populations/Communities

Aseel Dalton, PH.D., LLM, RPh

Update coming.

Chelsey Patten

Update Coming

Anisha Perez

Update Coming

Robin Downing

Update Coming

Associate Members

**Gregory James Smith, JD, DBE**

Senior Counsel, Cherry Creek Legal Consulting, PLLC- Adjunct Faculty Member at Denver U, Colorado U, Regis U, Rocky Vista U, Medical College of Wisconsin and Loyola U (Chicago)
**Areas of Interest:** End of Life, Catholic moral theology, health policy

**Carl Middleton, DMin, MDiv, MA, MRE**

Ethicist, St. Luke's Health - Houston TX
**Areas of Interest:** End of Life care, organizational ethics, allocation/rationing of resources, social ethics including care for the vulnerable and poor persons, integrative medicine

**Glenn Sackett, MDiv, BCC**

Board Certified Chaplain, Highlands Ranch, CO
**Areas of Interest:** Clinical ethics and ethics consultation, provider resilience, Protestant ethical principles, care for the organization, behavioral health, integrative medicine

Former Members of CHEF

Constance Holden.jpg — Constance Holden, RN, MSN

Chair Ethics Consultation Team, Boulder Community Health
**Areas of Interest:** Advance care planning including family conversations, Medical Aid in Dying, inpatient ethics consultation