Tania Zeigler is a certified executive coach with 20 years of experience in diverse leadership roles within the healthcare, government and insurance industries and in non-profit leadership. She spent many of those years working to make care more affordable, equitable and compassionate for patients and their families.

“Serving as a leader afforded me the profound privilege of developing leaders and teams,” says Tania. “My greatest achievement is that I helped my employees and colleagues find joy, balance and new possibilities for their career and their lives.”

Named a Denver Business Journal 40-under-40 Outstanding Leader, she has a particular passion for unearthing brilliance within every leader. Her passion for leadership is matched by her commitment to strengthening her community. As a Trustee and executive team member of the Women’s Foundation of Colorado’s Board of Directors, she works with leaders around the state to advance economic equity for Colorado women and families. She is also a past board member of Colorado Public Radio and Project WISE.

When she’s not coaching, Tania passes the time ogling recipes in the New York Times cooking app, running around Bluff Lake, playing tennis and the violin, nurturing close friendships, and when there isn't a global pandemic, traveling as much as possible. She lives in Denver with her husband and two sons.

Why is this project important to you?

When I think of the short list of features we love most about our neighborhood, Bluff Lake Nature Center is at the top of the list. Even before we moved to Central Park in 2014, our kids, now 15 and 12, attended summer camps at Bluff Lake. To this day, those camps have left a lasting love of nature and lessons they apply today in school and when we are out enjoying the outdoors. Three generations of our family visit Bluff Lake several times a week, for birding, family walks, jogging, or meetups with friends. I have chosen to invest my personal time and treasure in this project, because I want families to enjoy it for generations to come. To do this sustainably requires capital investment.

What do you hope the result of the campus improvements will be for the surrounding neighborhoods and families?

My hope is that Bluff Lake will become a point of pride and a vibrant and integral part of everyday life for families in our neighborhood and surrounding communities. I want Bluff Lake to be a safe and healthy place of connection, to one another and to the wonders of the natural world. This means on-site classrooms, improved security and access, public restrooms, and the ability to invest in ongoing improvements.

Why did you decide to join the campaign in this position of leadership?

I'll be honest. It was not an easy decision. As a busy mother running a small business and involved in multiple community organizations, time is precious. But that's how important Bluff Lake is to me and my family. I think a lot of people may think that Bluff Lake Nature Center is a public park that receives public funding. I myself was surprised to learn several years ago that it is actually a private non-profit dedicated to conserving a precious piece of land in the city and to furthering equity, health and well-being in our community. Wow! That is a big and important mission! And it takes funding and community engagement to keep it going and make it the best community resource possible.

Anything else you think is compelling about your connection to Bluff Lake or the project?

Only that I'm out there every other morning trying to improve my running pace, so if you see me, give me a fist bump or shout out some encouragement!

Check out this video of Tania and her family talking about Bluff Lake as part of Denver Human Service’s Human Together grant: