Head and Heart

Christine Márquez-Hudson helps families find success in Denver

These days, Christine Márquez-Hudson is the former President and CEO of the Denver Foundation. She was the Executive Director of Mi Casa from 2008 to 2015. As an 8th Generation Coloradan with deep Hispanic roots, Christine knows well the value of opportunity and has invested her time and her life into making Mi Casa an organization that creates success for Denver’s Latino community (and other communities too). She helps people realize their potential, through education.

Because potential is what it’s all about…

Christine is blessed to have come from a family that has always valued education. Her grandfather, who lacked access to the education he wanted, took a job as a surveyor. He and Christine’s grandmother insisted that their children go to college. Christine’s father was the first Latino to serve on the Colorado Court of Appeals. Her mother was a teacher, serving in Colorado schools for 35 years. And like her grandparents before them, her parents passed that passion for education down. Christine’s sister became the first Latina on the Colorado Supreme Court.

Christine, went on to college as well. She even taught in Costa Rica for four years. Upon returning to Denver, her first job was with Mi Casa, as the Life Skills/GED instructor for the teen mom program. That’s where her nonprofit career started, and that’s where she fell in love with the work. After that, she worked in consulting with JVA, as a Director of Consulting and Capacity Building. No matter what, Christine was working to help others, youth or organizations, learn how to harness their potential. With a family of public servants, it’s no mystery where she got her appreciation for giving back.

For Christine, though, it’s all about people. Individuals who need the love, attention, respect, and opportunities to succeed. When we asked her about her “superpowers” she listed: “...able to create relationships with people ranging from a five-year-old who doesn't speak English to an 80-year-old who can't hear.” She knows that all the potential, opportunity and education in the world doesn’t make a difference without the genuine love of the community for its community members.