Gerardo Muñoz is the 2021 Colorado Teacher of the Year. He has taught middle and high school Social Studies in the Denver Public Schools for over twenty years, the last fifteen at the Denver Center for International Studies. Born and raised in Denver, his roots run deep in Mexico and Southwestern Colorado. He graduated from Manual High School in 1994 and went on to complete his Bachelor of Arts in History and Latin American Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, followed by a Master of Arts in Education at the University of Denver in 2009. A seven-time Distinguished Teacher, as measured by DPS’s rigorous LEAP evaluation system, he serves in the role of Senior Team Lead for Student Voice and Leadership in which he supports, coaches, and evaluates other teachers. He is active in the Denver Classroom Teachers Association’s Latinx and Ethnic Minority Educators’ Caucuses and the national organization EduColor. Additionally, he is an independent media producer as founder of Too Dope Productions, where he produces three education-related podcasts. He is working on his first book and will begin his Ph.D. this fall.

Autumn Rivera was selected as the 2022 Colorado Teacher of the Year. She is currently a sixth-grade science teacher at Glenwood Springs Middle School in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and also an adjunct professor at Colorado Mountain College in the Education Department. During her more than sixteen years as an educator, she has worked with students from elementary to postgraduate levels. Rivera holds both a Bachelors of Arts in Biology and a Masters of Arts in Teaching Secondary Science from Colorado College; and a Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. She is a member of the Colorado Science Conference Planning Committee and the Steering Committee with the Colorado Science Education Network. Rivera is the Region 3 Elementary Board representative for the Colorado Association of Science Teachers. She also volunteers with the American Association of Chemistry Teachers. She has presented a variety of professional development courses including at the Roaring Fork EdTech Summit and the Colorado Science Conference. Ms. Rivera is the middle school science lead for her school district.  

In addition to her work in the field of science, Rivera holds other leadership roles. She serves on the Roaring Fork School District Interest Based Bargaining Committee. She is Building Advisor for the district’s Mentor and Advisor Program. She is the Design Facilitator who plans, organizes, and runs school-wide events such as student-led conferences and Better World Day, along with serving as a middle school track coach. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, reading, volunteering, and spending quality time with people she loves. 

Colorado Local Government Liquid Asset Trust

HIGHLAND ELECTRIC FLEETS

MAGELLAN STRATEGIES

SSC CHARTWELLS