Gary Sanford

Gary Sanford

Mr. Sanford is currently Executive Director of the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI). MDHI is the continuum of care for the seven county Denver metro area. Before his current role, Gary served as Advisor on Homeless Initiatives for Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper. Gary was instrumental in the development of Colorado’s first state plan addressing homelessness – Pathways Home Colorado. Gary has over 30 years of experience working with various homeless and at-risk populations in over 30 states and two foreign countries. His expertise addressing homelessness includes runaway and homeless youth, transitioning foster youth and other vulnerable populations.

Kristin Toombs
Co-presenter

Kristin Toombs is the Homeless Programs Manager at Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs, Division of Housing. The Homeless Programs Team provides leadership on homelessness and housing in partnership with local, state and federal stakeholders to build, promote and support collaborative approaches that connect housing and services to meet the needs of the most vulnerable citizens in Colorado.  Before this position, Kristin spent six years at Robin Hood Foundation as a Senior Program Officer in the Survival Portfolio. She managed grants involving housing, homelessness and social services. These subjects align with her previous experience of four years working at Common Ground, a national leader in programming and housing that supports homeless individuals. Kristin served as Community Director of Common Ground’s Street to Home Program. Previously, she had worked with several nonprofits, focusing on mental health and other social services for those in need. Kristin earned her Masters in Public Administration at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and is a graduate of Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Psychology.