What does it actually mean to lead and make an impact?
Sometimes, it means using your expertise to solve problems that affect others. Sometimes, it means dedicating a career to a cause you believe in. And sometimes, it means taking what you’ve learned in one part of your life and using it to help shape another.
For Kevin Loeffler, Norm Weaver, and Melanie Potyondy, there is no right answer. That’s why they have been selected as the Boettcher Foundation’s 2026 Alumni Award recipients.
Kevin Loeffler, 2026 Elevate Award
Loeffler grew up in a family of educators. He spent most of his time as a child with his mother, a first-grade teacher, in schools all around the Denver area, observing the challenges teachers faced on a daily basis.
“Teachers are very important, but they are also extremely overworked and underpaid,” Loeffler said. “They don’t always have the time or means to bring the latest technology and resources to their students.”
As he got older, Loeffler realized he had a knack for invention. In high school, he decided to put those skills to the test and create a tool that his mother and her colleagues could integrate into their classrooms.
With support from his teachers, Loeffler led a community service project using open-source software he read about online that helped install interactive whiteboards in local classrooms that can be controlled by something as simple as a Nintendo Wii remote.
“The Wii had been around for a couple of years already,” said Loeffler. “A lot of teachers probably had a kid at home that maybe wasn’t playing with it anymore. All they had to do was raid the toy box and they could get an interactive smartboard for a couple of dollars instead of a couple thousand dollars.”
That experience sparked Loeffler’s passion for using science to serve others.
After receiving the Boettcher Scholarship in 2013, Loeffler went on to graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in engineering physics.
Today, Loeffler works as a senior software engineer at Infleqtion, a Colorado-based quantum technology company, mentoring interns and helping shape the future of quantum computing.
But his innovative and community-driven spirit still lives on.
Loeffler is currently working on a project that he believes can one day provide free, text-only internet for underrepresented students by repurposing everyday home devices such as Amazon Ring cameras or Echo Dots to “broadcast” a Wi-Fi signal.
“We’re faced with a digital equity problem where some students lack proper access to the internet and school is getting much harder for them,” Loeffler said. “The core of technical leadership is identifying a problem and finding the right solution. This project could be that low-cost solution that builds on a network that already exists everywhere.”
Norm Weaver, 2026 Impact Award
When Weaver was finishing his master’s degree at Stanford University in the mid- to late 1970s, the world was grappling with a growing energy crisis. Petroleum shortages and skyrocketing oil prices were just starting to push energy security into the forefront of public concern.
“There were some professors tinkering with alternative energy sources like solar and wind energy, but it was all very early stages,” said Weaver. “I read some of their work and it really drew me in. That’s when I came back to Colorado for advanced courses in solar applications.”
For more than 20 years, Weaver dedicated his life to building clean energy infrastructure in Colorado—a place he says is perfect for his mission.
“Colorado is one of the first states to have a portfolio standard that required Xcel Energy to invest more into renewable energy,” Weaver said.
He worked in various consulting roles and at leading research institutions such as the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), now known as the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR). He even spent some time managing solar programs for the city of Fort Collins toward the end of his career.
However, Weaver found his greatest sense of fulfillment in mentorship.
“I enjoyed interacting with college architecture and engineering teams participating in NLR’s Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C., and more recently with interns tackling climate action in northwest Colorado,” Weaver said.
“I think of it as leading from behind. These young professionals I engage with have such a fresh view and enthusiasm despite being in the midst of a policy shift away from climate and clean energy research. I just try to share my experience and advice and let them take it forward.”
Weaver is now retired, but that doesn’t stop him from continuing his impact.
He currently volunteers with climate action organizations in Routt County, advising energy initiatives and serving his community.
Melanie Potyondy, 2026 Impact Award
Like Loeffler, Potyondy’s early life was also shaped by a family that valued education. Her mother was a public school librarian, and from an early age, Potyondy aspired to become an English teacher.
But along the way, her journey took a sudden turn.
“During my sophomore year at Colorado State University, I really took an interest in psychology,” Potyondy said. “I’ve always been a helper and a problem solver, so I decided to combine those skills and pursue a paraprofessional career in special education.”
For more than 20 years now, Potyondy has served as a school psychologist on the Front Range, ensuring that students have the support they need to be successful.
However, in 2020, Potyondy’s career shifted yet again.
“I started to notice all of the issues outside of education that were hurting my students. Things like housing instability and food insecurity were big issues for them and their families,” Potyondy said. “That’s when I decided to get involved with politics.”
Now, on top of being a part-time school psychologist, Potyondy also serves her local community as a member of the Fort Collins City Council. In just two years, she has helped outlaw the commercial sale of dogs and cats from inhumane mills, launch a pilot composting program, and kick-start a 20-year initiative that prioritizes affordable housing.
She even emerged as a vocal champion in Fort Collins’ first-ever Civic Assembly in 2025, helping transform government into a more inclusive and participatory experience for residents.
Potyondy believes her time in education has helped her transition into municipal government, but she still has a lot to learn. In fact, she says being a strong leader isn’t always about taking action.
“When I first got elected, I spent most of my time asking questions and learning,” Potyondy said. “Humility in a leadership role is very important. How can I shape policy without understanding my colleagues and community?”
Rooted in Colorado
All three winners are also using their $4,000 awards to give back to the communities that helped shape them.
Loeffler is donating his money to the Adams 12 Five Star Foundation to help provide the same “support and belief” for current students and teachers that was given to him during his early education journey.
Weaver’s money is being directed to Steamboat Springs’ Western Resilience Center to provide leadership training for junior staff. Weaver sees it as another way to assist young workers interested in environmental issues in that part of the state.
Potyondy’s money is being split in half and donated to nonprofit organizations Launch Community Through Skateboarding and the Cultural Enrichment Center, providing programming and leadership opportunities for all youth populations in Fort Collins.
In that way, their stories come full circle: the people and places that shaped them are now benefiting from the knowledge and experience they’ve gained.
That’s the spirit of Boettcher.
