About

Amanda Bennett is the Vice President of Marketing & Communications and currently serves as Catalyst magazine's Editor-in-Chief.

Most recently as Director of Marketing and Communications, she has led and executed strategic marketing and communications plans designed to increase regional awareness and positive recognition of the Museum as a trusted partner for community knowledge and collaboration. Amanda has aided in the development, oversight and implementation of award-winning marketing efforts of touring exhibitions, documentary films, planetarium shows and strategic projects, as well as building strategies for overall brand development and awareness. Amanda has held many leadership roles within the Museum's marketing division since 2004.

Formerly, she was an account supervisor at a branding and advertising agency, where the Museum was her client for four years. She received her B.S. in Marketing Communications at Colorado State University. She also studied International Marketing Communications in Florence, Italy. Amanda is a native of Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling and spending time with her daughter, family and friends.

Julio Poletti is the Museum's Communications and Public Relations manager and serves as the magazine's managing editor. He is a 3x Emmy and 4x Colorado Broadcaster Association award-winning, bilingual journalist with more than a decade of experience in broadcasting, digital journalism, content production, copywriting and communications.

Telling human-interest stories, advocating for nature, finding common ground and giving people of all backgrounds a voice are some of his passions, regardless of which medium is used to spread the message.

His former experience includes news anchor and reporter for Univision, Telemundo, KHSU Huntsville and MundoFox, digital news reporter for The Palm Beach Post, content writer for the Telemundo Network, columnist for Venue Magazine and PR specialist for Más Branding and AG Communications. Julio was born in Caracas, Venezuela but moved to the United States at the age of 10. He grew up in Orlando, Florida and is a proud father of a French Bulldog named Chunky.

Let's connect!

Instagram: @juliopoletti

TikTok: @juliopoletti

Sarah Poetzschke is the digital marketing manager at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. She serves as the Magazine's digital media manager.

Together with her team, Sarah uses data-driven digital marketing strategies to drive brand awareness, share exciting stories and build connections with the community. Prior to the Museum, she worked for advocacy organizations such as Save the Children, the United Nations Foundation and InterAction.

Sarah graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with dual degrees in Journalism and Government. She is a Washington D.C. native and now lives in the Denver Metro Area with her husband, toddler and dog.

Bethany Almon is the marketing manager at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. She is a mission-driven marketing professional who brings 12 years of non-profit experience to the position. She thrives in a creative environment and brings a thoughtful perspective to implementing effective communication strategies.

Most recently, Bethany led strategic marketing campaigns and branding efforts for the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) in Chicago, IL as the senior manager of integrated marketing. She also worked for a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that advocates for people with disabilities as the director of marketing. 

Bethany received a master’s degree in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in both Corporate Communications and Studio Art from James Madison University. She is originally from Virginia’s Eastern Shore and now lives in Denver with her husband, two sons and English Springer Spaniel.

Taran Volckhausen is a bilingual journalist with more than a decade of experience writing, editing and translating. His work has been published in acclaimed publications such as National Geographic, Christian Science Monitor and The Intercept, among others. Taran currently works as a Bilingual Communications Specialist at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and is a proud graduate of CU Boulder's School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Before coming to the Museum, Taran spent five years living in Colombia, where he cut his teeth as a freelance journalist and editor. During this time, Taran the leading role of Editor of Colombia Reports, an independent online newspaper. After returning to his hometown of Boulder, Colorado with his Colombian-American family, Taran transitioned to communications for a national environmental and consumer advocacy non-profit for two years before coming to the Museum. With a passion for bilingual storytelling and journalism, Taran is pleased to share his enthusiasm for science, nature and happenings at the Museum with Colorado's diverse community daily.

Carlos Mosqueda is a multifaceted professional with a passion for creativity and innovation. Currently serving as the Manager of Creative Technology at Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Carlos is a self-taught coding enthusiast with a Bachelor's in Graphic Design and Visual Arts. He's on a mission to create beautiful, functional websites and mobile applications, constantly expanding his skillset with AWS Associate Solutions Architect, React, Angular, and VueJS. With a knack for design, coding, and backend systems, Carlos is your go-to professional for creating exceptional digital experiences. As a devoted father and husband, he brings his diverse skill set to life as a UI/UX/Web designer and developer, graphic designer, CSS/HTML5 developer, painter and musician. With over 7 years of expertise in Umbraco CMS and Razor syntax, he's also a Certified Scrum Master and possesses intermediate knowledge of Hybrid Mobile application design. 

Gina Marzulla is a Marketing Graphic Designer at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. She is a creative professional that brings 15 years of Graphic Design and Marketing experience to the position.

Prior to joining the Museum Marketing Team, Gina was the graphic designer and campus photographer at Rocky Vista University where she took photos of campus events and created graphics for marketing campaigns, social media, website, student groups, and internal and external events.

Gina graduated from MSU Denver with a bachelor's degree in Marketing. She is originally from Colorado and enjoys traveling, hiking, drawing, painting and reading.

Memri Chaverst is a highly skilled social media manager who has honed her craft through ten years of immersive experience. As a masterful storyteller, her ability to develop compelling narratives has been a driving force behind notable increases in engagement. When she’s not crafting social media strategies, she enjoys traveling, doing yoga and spending time with her husband, Carlos.

Doug Viener is a dedicated graphic designer at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science with a profound love for the arts and a genuine passion for creativity. His professional journey is characterized by a commitment to delivering meticulously crafted designs that not only showcase his artistic flair but also precisely meet the needs of his team. His enthusiasm for design extends beyond the technical aspects; it embodies a genuine desire to contribute meaningfully to collaborative projects. When not in the office designing he loves spending time with his family and corgis and exploring his love of art in a variety of mediums.