Meet the Staff
Tom Quinn
Executive Director
Email Tom
Tom was a lawyer in private practice in the Lakewood-Wheat Ridge area from 1988 to 2016. He practiced in many areas of law including environmental law, special districts, and workers’ compensation. From 2000-2012 he taught undergraduate classes in land use planning and environmental policy at Metro State University. He served on the Lakewood Planning Commission from 1998-2005 and the Lakewood City Council from 2007-2015 where he championed sustainability and community health issues.
Tom graduated from Western Illinois University with a B.S. in Law Enforcement Administration and Political Science. He received his J.D. from IIT-Chicago Kent College of Law in focusing on environmental law. In 2014 he authored a book on the Civil War titled American Massacre, Fort Pillow and the Day that Changed a War. In his spare time, Tom also enjoys talking like a pirate, reading lists of celebrity scandals on Facebook and overfeeding his neighbors’ dogs.
Clare Johnson
Office Manager
Email Clare
Clare began working with Alameda Connects in August of 2023. She has a diverse background, most recently as a youth events coordinator with Mile Hi Church, in Lakewood. At the start of her career, she worked in GIS and holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography from the University of Mary Washington (Virginia).
Clare has been a resident of Lakewood for 17 years where she lives with her husband and two teenage sons. When her head isn’t spinning with the complexities of parenting teens you can find her walking her dog, jogging, dreaming of travel or listening to music and audiobooks.
Rachel Dorwart Griffin
Director of Outreach
Email Rachel
Rachel began working with Alameda Connects in August of 2023. She brings years of real estate, economic development and urban planning knowledge. She has worked in various leadership positions in a range of professional environments including in Non-Profits, Government and Entrepreneurial Small Business.
She graduated from Lakewood’s own Bear Creek High School. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in History from University of Colorado at Boulder and has taken graduate level coursework in urban design, historic preservation and architectural history. In 2023 she passed her real estate exam and is a licensed Realtor. When she is not parenting her two children you can find her hiking and camping in her favorite Jeffco spots, skiing in Winter Park, or reading a history or urban planning book by the fireplace with her Yorkie and a glass of red wine.
Sacha Gragg
Digital Marketing Manager
Email Sacha
Sacha joined the Alameda Connects team in 2021. From a wealth of social media and digital marketing expertise, Sacha now manages all the digital and social aspects of Alameda Connects. With a Master’s degree in Communication from Baylor University, she is passionate about connecting people and organizations.