Marketing & Campus Relations

A Colorado native, Devra Ashby has more than two decades of experience in the communications, marketing, and public relations fields. Most recently, Devra served as Chief Communications Officer for one of Colorado Springs' largest school districts where she served for 15 years managing numerous programs. Earlier in her career, she was in communication roles with the City of Colorado Springs and St. Mary's Hospital. Ashby began her career as a TV anchor/reporter with KKTV/KXRM after receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media Studies from the University of Colorado—Colorado Springs. She later received a Master of Arts in Communications with an emphasis on Strategic Public Relations. Accredited in Public Relations by the National Accreditation Board through the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Ashby also has certifications in Digital Marketing and E-commerce and has been recognized by the National School Public Relations Association for her achievements. Devra is thrilled to serve the vibrant Auraria Campus community and support the three distinct higher education institutions.

Dan joins AHEC after serving for two years at the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) as the assistant director of digital media & media relations. In his time at CHSAA, Whitaker helped in the complete redesign and update of the primary website, CHSAANow.com. He also served as a point of contact for any media relations inquiries from any media outlet covering high school activities from across the entire state.

Prior to joining CHSAA, Dan moved to Colorado in the summer of 2018 to join the athletic department at the U.S. Air Force Academy as an assistant director of media relations. While at USAFA, Whitaker served as a primary contact for women’s soccer, wrestling, men’s & women’s swimming & diving, and baseball. He helped in the daily updating and maintaining of information on the primary athletics website, while also working to promote the unique goals and atmosphere that comes from working on a military instillation.

Dan completed his Master’s in Sport Management at Eastern Michigan University in 2018, while also working for three years in their athletic department as an athletic media relations graduate assistant. Prior to that, he completed his Bachelor of Communication studies in Public Relations, with a minor in Marketing, from the University of Dayton in Ohio in 2015. While going to school at Dayton, Whitaker was an athletic media relations student assistant for three years. Dan is a proud native of Dexter Michigan, and currently lives in Aurora with his wife, Kori, son, Theo, and corgi, Samwise.