What we do
The Office of Community Affairs was formed by Mayor Yemi in his first year of office to help live out his Administrative values of being Proactive, Transparent, and Approachable.
- The Office of Community Affairs serves to represent the Mayor out in various communities, as well as to represent those communities in an advisory role to the Mayor.
- Our office carries out the following duties:
- Establishes partnerships with the communities of culture, faith, neighborhoods, leadership, government, military, as well as international relations.
- Conducts and coordinates events, town halls, forums, and projects in support of carrying forward mayoral initiatives at the community level.
- Serves as a liaison between the Mayor and City Leadership with these communities, civic groups, and the residents of Colorado Springs.
- Serves as a bridge between the Mayor’s Office and city residents to increase approachability and deliver timely response to needs and requests.
Meet our team
Thomas Thompson - Neighborhood, Leadership and Faith Communities
Thomas Thompson is the Senior Advisor for Neighborhood, Leadership, and Faith Communities in the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs at the City of Colorado Springs. He has served the last 30 years helping leaders scale their teams, level up their leadership, and navigate what’s next in their life and career
In this position, he serves to represent Mayor with the faith, leadership, and neighborhood communities in the City. The purpose is to build goodwill, develop trusting relationships, and foster collaboration for the good of Colorado Springs
Thomas’ position focuses on three roles:
- Seeking collaborative partnerships with the Mayor’s office to address issues that concern our city, encourage local and grassroots solutions to local problems, and to discover ways that the Mayor’s office might assist.
- Overseeing the Mayors Civic Leaders Fellowship, Spirit of the Springs Awards, and the Mayor’s Young Leader Awards to foster an intentional civic leadership development approach for our city.
- Serving alongside City leaders and civic partners to carry out the City Mental Health Initiative.
Contact Information: Thomas.Thompson@coloradosprings.gov 719-385-5554
Sallie Clark - Government and Military Engagement
Sallie Clark is the Senior Advisor for Government & Military Engagement in the Mayor's Office of Community Affairs at the City of Colorado Springs. She is a military wife and has served in local, state and national government-related positions. She previously served as the State Director of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development for Colorado, managing Colorado's seven offices and worked with rural communities on affordable housing, business and economic development and community infrastructure projects. As a long-time El Paso County commissioner, she served as president of the National Association of Counties (NACo) and was elected to committee leadership with Colorado Counties, Inc. She also served on the Colorado Springs City Council and Colorado Springs Utilities Board and is a successful business owner and entrepreneur. Sallie is passionate about community service, collaboration, and volunteerism.
Sallie's position focuses on 3 areas:
- Government Affairs: Interfaces with local, state and federal government elected officials and organizations on public policy issues and legislation impacting local government and the community at large.
- Military Engagement: Leads strategic initiatives that support our five military installations and military/veteran-related nonprofits, active-duty service members, spouses and veterans.
- Sister Cities Program: Coordinates the Colorado Springs’ Sister Cities International program and connects with seven Sister Cities: Fujiyoshida-Japan, Nuevo Casas Grandes-Mexico, Kranj-Slovenia, Ancient Olympia-Greece, Kaohsiung City-Taiwan, Bankstown-Australia and Bishkek-Kyrgyzstan.
Contact Information: Sallie.Clark@ColoradoSprings.gov 719-244-3399
Danielle Summerville - Cultural & Community Outreach
Danielle is the Cultural & Community Outreach Programs Manager in the Office of Community Affairs. She joined the City after a 19-year career with Big Brothers Big Sisters- Pikes Peak where she served as Executive Director for 10 years. During her tenure, Summerville developed board and donor stewardship, built impactful community partnerships, recruited volunteers, and created and implemented multiple programs.
Danielle is active with several community boards and organizations. She has received community honors including the Colorado Springs Business Journal’s Women of Influence, Leadership Pikes Peak’s Modeling the Way Community Leadership Award, and the CSAC Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Hats Off award.
In her role, Danielle serves as a conduit between the city administration and diverse members of the community. She is dedicated to ensuring that city government is accessible for all residents.
Danielle’s position focuses on:
- Elevating culture awareness through education, community celebrations, and partnerships.
- Including marginalized voices in decision making.
- Creating an inclusive city where all residents have a sense of belonging and feel welcome.
- Leading the Mayor’s Cup golf tournament to raise funds to support scholarships for first responders and local youth sports programs.
Contact Information: Danielle.Summerville@ColoradoSprings.gov 719-385-2208