We’re Confluence Communications – a woman-owned small business based in Missoula, Mont., with our extended team located around the country—from Seattle, Wash., to Denver, Colo., to Washington, D.C.
Founded in 2008 in the energy, environmental, and buildings industries, Confluence is a leading communications, outreach, & education program development company. We’re a for-profit company with a non-profit ethos – dedicated to working with programs and people who strive to improve the world in which we live.
At Confluence, we are the sum of our people, and our people are quite the qualified, committed, and genuine crew. Meet some of our key personnel, below!
Stacy Hunt
Stacy Kuiper Hunt is a senior manager with more than 20 years experience successfully leading complex and challenging communications, outreach and education projects.
Although Stacy’s skill and art in management transcend industry and subject matter, for more than 19 years she has found a pretty clear niche bringing together government programs, and private and nonprofit industry stakeholders to encourage advancements in education, technology, energy efficiency and renewable energy technology and practice. Her work has promoted energy efficiency and renewable energy use, expanded the reach of technology, and helped organizations and individuals who strive to improve the world in which we live.
Stacy’s current work in her business – Confluence Communications – is as a senior advisor and consultant to the U.S. Department of Energy and the national laboratory system, the State of Colorado, and other corporate and nonprofit clients. Stacy works across many programs, and acts as coordinator, spokesperson, ombudsman, writer, strategist, event producer, program manager, and project triage nurse. Sometimes all in one day or one project, sometimes across many different teams.
Stacy loves her job, and considers it somewhere between managing a circus and playing chess.
Andrew Hunt
Andrew A. Hunt combines his professional writing experience with a deep understanding of customers’ expectations to produce marketing, training, and educational material for clients. Andrew’s work helps to translate complicated information into actionable content for any audience. Andrew has a strong understanding of residential construction technology and instructional design and is skilled at developing training and communication resources for clients in video, print, or online mediums.
Andrew acts as a senior consultant and project manager, content developer, and editor on a wide variety of projects through Confluence Communications. Andrew is also an accomplished singer/songwriter, long-distance runner, and avid bow hunter.
Heather Stafford
Heather Stafford is Confluence’s star Event Manager, most recently responsible for single-handedly masterminding the team who managed the Colorado Child Welfare Conference, a three-day event for 650 child welfare workers in Loveland, Co. Heather is also the senior event manager for Go Code Colorado, responsible for many complex hotel, transportation, registration, and vendor logistics. With more than a decade of experience as a project and event manager, Heather’s work focuses on providing the coordination of complicated event program logistics. Prior to working with Confluence, Heather worked as a project manager for Microsoft Corporation in Seattle, Wash.
Joe Simon
Joe Simon works as a Project and Partnership Manager on Confluence’s projects. Joe has extensive project management experience with a focus on technology and research programs, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and buildings. A licensed architect in Colorado, he has Master of Architecture, Master of Business Administration, and Bachelor of Science in Architecture degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. When not working with Confluence, he keeps himself busy with a new baby.
Zachary Barker
Hailing from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Zachary Barker is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) with more than 15 years of experience successfully leading economic and community development organizations and projects, with specific expertise in entrepreneur-led economic development ecosystems.
Success as an economic and community developer can be traced to successes in multiple leadership roles in leadership development and civic organizations as well as in the public domain as Executive Director at Lafayette Economic Development Authority (Louisiana). Zachary holds a Master of Science degree in Economic Development from Murray State University, as well as is actively engaged as a speaker, trainer, or providing oversight to groups such as THRIVE Networks, International Economic Development Council (International Economic Development Council (IEDC), and International Business Innovation Association (InBIA).
In serving Confluence Communications, Zachary serves as Community Development Director with a focus on growing participation, partnerships, and engagement towards the statewide Go Code Colorado project. Zachary also serves as a Board Director for the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC, as well as the Pikes Peak Workforce Commission
Megan Emish
Megan Emish began in graphic design after a friend started a record label and needed help designing 7″ record sleeves. A number of years and a design degree later, she is still excited about solving communication problems with visual solutions—even after working in advertising! When not bathed in the cool glow of her lovely Mac, you can generally find her trying to persuade her ex-racehorse that he really wants to do dressage.
Katja Elias
Katja is an editor and writer with a wide range of content expertise in curriculum development, journalism, building initiatives, architecture and sustainability. Her experience in collaborative work from content development to copy editing and design helps ensure quality from proof to publication. She has a master’s degree in journalism, worked as a managing editor and independent consultant, and spent three years in Berlin as a Fulbright scholar, teacher and translator. She lives in Montana and enjoys the great outdoors, painting and music.
Erika Fredrickson
Erika worked for 10 years as the Arts Editor for the Missoula Independent, an alt-weekly covering western Montana. She has more than 10 years of copy editing and several years of technical writing experience in green building, clean energy and military technology, as well as experience in long-form reporting and lifestyle writing. In her free time she sings for a rock band and co-produces a history podcast about some of the American West’s unsolved intrigues.
Tim Gunderson
Tim Gunderson put up his first web page in 1993, a lot has changed since then. He grew up drawing and playing with computers, the two came together at Northern Illinois University with a degree in ‘electronic media’, many years of design experience followed including large media corporations to small start-up businesses and everything in between. When not in front of a computer, he’s traveling as much as possible with his wife, playing with their german shepherds, or riding motorcycles.
Juliet Grable
Combining a background in the natural sciences with a keen interest in sustainable technologies, Juliet Grable specializes in writing and editing projects focused on green building, clean energy, and renewable water systems. She has served as managing editor for the award-winning Green Builder Magazine and is currently working on her second Living Building Challenge case study book for Ecotone Publishing. Juliet lives in beautiful Southern Oregon.
Jessica Jarrard
Jessica has over a decade of experience in communications, technical writing, and content management across multiple industries. Jessica develops content and provides project management support for content-rich projects and events. In 2006, Jessica graduated from Western Carolina University with a B.A. in Political Science and History with a concentration in International Relations and European Studies respectively. She is also a part-time faculty member at Metropolitan State University of Denver in the Journalism and Media Production department. Jessica lives in Denver, Colorado and loves exploring the Rocky Mountains.
Rashad Miller
Rashad’s background includes 15 years of event experience, focused on the corporate and gaming industry, including 10 years of production experience.
Miller has designed productions from end to end, including technical requirements, run of shows, assembling teams, and hiring contractors. His technical experience includes hardware/software ranging from Wirecast and OBS to NewTek TriCasters and Blackmagic Design switchers and integration within the Zoom platform. Rashad brings to the table an understanding of consumer and professional-grade solutions, which he has integrated into live broadcasts on Facebook Live, YouTube, and Twitch to improve functionality and production value, as well as a vision to make a broadcast feel exciting.
Recent projects include virtual conferences, news shows, social media engagements, virtual galas, and fundraisers.
Kendra Palmer
Originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kendra lives in Windsor, Colorado with her husband and two daughters (and a rescue dachshund). She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in English in 2008 and completed her master’s degree in Professional Writing in 2011. She has 12 years’ experience working as an editor and writer for clients in renewable energy, healthcare, and education. In her spare time, she loves to play volleyball, hike with friends, cook for her family, and travel.
Rebecca Pinkus
Rebecca Pinkus is a communication specialist with master’s degrees in Technical & Professional Writing and History & Philosophy of Science and Technology. In addition to 15 years of teaching technical communication and design to engineering students and industry professionals, Rebecca has worked as a writer and editor for clients in healthcare, military, and academic environments. As an editor, Rebecca brings to Confluence her expertise in technical communication and her deep interest in the built environment and human health. Rebecca is a Pittsburgh native now living in Toronto, Canada, where she works as a communication specialist and trainer. In her spare time, Rebecca explores Toronto’s diverse neighborhoods and surrounding parks and photographs local farmers’ markets.
Emily Skeels
Emily is a jack-of-all-trades who was born and raised in Minnesota and now lives in Denver, CO. After getting a degree in Communications from the University of Minnesota (SKI-U-MAH!), she has put her skills to use in many different industries including sports, tourism, nonprofit, and tech education. Connecting with an audience is Emily’s favorite part of getting social on social media and at events. When she’s not mingling with people, you can find Emily searching for water or a view outdoors or at any type of live concert.
Brandon Stevens
Brandon Stevens is a graphic artist in rural central Illinois. After long stints in web design and t-shirt design, he now spends most of his time planning and executing print and digital advertising campaigns. His side projects include album art and photoshopping his friends and their pets into vintage photographs. When not at a computer, he can be found playing tabletop role-playing games, building model robots, or seeing how far he can get on the bike trail between his hometown and the next.
Amanda Voss
Amanda Voss, MPP, is an author, editor, and policy analyst. Writing for multiple publications and organizations, she currently serves as a continuing education course developer for BNP Media and as managing editor at Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, focusing on ADA, government contracts, and intellectual property law. Previously, Amanda worked as the managing editor for Energy Design Update from 2010 to 2019, and has created and edited articles, online content, continuing education materials, and blogs for clients, including McGraw-Hill and Hanley Wood. Amanda also served as Assistant Director at Energy Literacy Advocates. Amanda earned her Masters in Public Policy from the Institute for Public Policy, University of Denver, in 2007, after completing her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Legal Studies in 2004, at Taylor University. During graduate school, Amanda worked in a residential window and door company, sparking her interest in construction and its nexus with policy and energy. She calls Castle Rock, Colorado home.
John DeLaRosa
John DeLaRosa has a diverse range of skills in multimedia and graphic design. He has his Bachelors of Fine Arts from Bowling Green State University with concentrations in graphic design, fine art photography and ceramics. With over 20 years experience in the creative field John possesses strong technical, conceptual, creative, and organizational skills that enable him to manage and design various multimedia projects effectively. Johns work experience comes from advertising agencies, fortune 500 companies and government communications departments. Originally from northwest Ohio, this Buckey now calls Colorado his home. When not designing, developing web sites or photographing events John can be found mountain biking, skiing, paddle boarding or camping with his wife and two boys making the best of the Colorado outdoors.
