DENVER, CO – The Colorado Health Foundation announced today the promotion of Maribel Cifuentes to portfolio director. In this position she will be responsible for management of portions of the organization’s grantmaking portfolio and leading a team of program officers working to bring health in reach for all Coloradans.
Born in Guatemala City, Cifuentes’ passion for philanthropy developed from a personal desire to stop the suffering of individuals facing health challenges and addressing the needs of our most vulnerable communities.
One experience stands out as transformative in regard to Cifuentes’ life and career: the courage and resilience of her mother’s sacrifices to bring her to this country, a decision that has paved the way for Cifuentes’ success.
For nearly two decades, Cifuentes worked at the University of Colorado, Department of Family Medicine serving in various capacities including: medical student education, health services research, strategy development and project management. She also served as deputy director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s national program, Prescription for Health: Promoting Healthy Behaviors in Primary Care.
“Since joining the Foundation in July 2015, Cifuentes has excelled as a collaborator, a strategic thinker, a disruptor, an ambassador, a partner and a learner – all in the service of the Foundation’s mission to improve the health of Coloradans,” said Amy Latham, vice president of philanthropy. “Her extensive knowledge of Colorado’s health systems, communities and diverse health needs positions her as a driving force behind the Foundation’s commitment toward achieving health equity throughout the state.”
"I'm honored to bring my gifts and experiences to this new position, and to continue to work with such a talented and dedicated group of people on this journey to bring health in reach for all Coloradans," shared Cifuentes. "Over my twenty-plus year career in academia and philanthropy, I have come to understand that health isn't just about health care. Real improvements in the health of our state—that touch the lives of people for whom health is furthest out of reach—depend on upstream approaches to meet and address our most basic life conditions. I look forward to leading a talented team to assemble an impactful portfolio of work that will benefit the people of Colorado."
Cifuentes is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus with a degree in Nursing. She lives in Denver with her husband and has two adult children.