The Association Blog

In this special-edition Word on the Street series, animal welfare professionals sing the praises of the emerging leaders they nominated as 2026 Rising Stars

A stellar leader is someone who identifies, celebrates and cultivates the potential leadership qualities in others. We asked animal welfare leaders to do just that by nominating their organization’s emerging talent to our 2026 cohort of Rising Stars. This special-edition series is intended to spotlight the leadership qualities of both Rising Stars and the individuals—often managers and mentors—who nominated them. In this post, we’re highlighting the leaders at Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, with Jessica James’ nomination of Colette Bradley.

What sets Colette apart is her ability to combine strategic thinking with the discipline to implement the plan. She consistently looks for new ways to connect with audiences, strengthen community engagement, and advance our mission.

One standout example is the way she empowered our Digital Communications Manager to reimagine HSPPR’s social media strategy. When the idea was proposed to embrace a more authentic, humor-driven approach that incorporated trends and cultural references resonating with Millennial women as the primary audience, she encouraged thoughtful risk-taking while ensuring every decision remained grounded in our values, mission, and brand. Rather than directing the work herself, she created the space for innovation to flourish, offering strategic guidance, encouragement, and trust. The result was stronger engagement, expanded reach, and a more relatable brand presence—particularly on Instagram. Followers often remark that our social media posts are the highlight of their day. 

Photo: Jessica James, Vice President of Philanthropy, Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region,
nominated Rising Star Colette Bradley, inset, Director of Marketing & Communications, as an emerging leader.

Most recently, Colette led communications during the Aspen Acres Fire, the first large-scale disaster response managed by our communications team and many of us at HSPPR. We were particularly proud of her willingness to shut down some social media criticism around why we were not accepting spontaneous volunteers at the Aspen Acres Fire Evacuation Center. She responded with a calm but resolute message that reinforced the organization’s values, protected staff and volunteers, and confidently explained why safety—not public pressure—would guide every operational decision. The tide quickly turned, and many champions defended the position and quelled the critics. Under her leadership, HSPPR’s communications have reached unprecedented levels of visibility and engagement.

– Jessica James, Vice President of Philanthropy, Humane Society for the Pikes Peak Region

More Emerging Leaders

Meet the 2026 Rising Stars

Top photo: Unsplash