stacie LEIGH amaya

Stacie Leigh Amaya serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives where she drives cross-departmental initiatives and ensures strategic allocation of resources across a broad portfolio of system initiatives. A digital workplace architect and strategic executor, she specializes in breaking down organizational silos, transforming vision into action, and leading complex projects and implementations.

With nearly ten years in Colorado higher education, Stacie’s career reflects her commitment to student success. She began as Policy and Legislative Assistant at the Colorado Department of Higher Education, advanced through executive assistant and program coordinator roles at CCCS, and stepped into strategic leadership in December 2022. Her portfolio spans policy development, legislative strategy, budget oversight, grant administration, and change management. She has managed multi-million-dollar budgets, facilitated the Board sponsored $5 million Teaching Excellence grant, and maintained stakeholder relations at executive and legislative levels, including collaboration with the Governor’s office, state legislators, and members of Congress.

While completing her Bachelor’s in Political Science at University of Colorado Denver, Stacie supported her family as a single parent, served in student government at both institutions, represented students on the Auraria Board of Directors and Colorado Commission on Higher Education, and completed three legislative internships, all while being fully funded by the Reisher Scholars program her final two years. She said yes to every opportunity, opening doors that led to new challenges and learning.

Higher education radically changed Stacie’s life, pulling her family out of poverty and setting a course she never knew was possible. Recognized by senior leadership as a transformational leader, Stacie remains committed to building pathways that expand opportunity and drive systemic change in higher education.

Known for her growth mindset, embrace of change, and commitment to empowering teams, Stacie models leadership by stepping forward, raising her hand, and rising to every occasion while always working to ensure colleagues feel seen, heard, and equipped to own their work and outcomes.