Our Team

Chrysti is the Chief Executive Officer for Qualified Listeners. Having worked in non-profit for 20 years, her passion is supporting the underserved and underrepresented. Chrysti’s father is a Vietnam-era Army Veteran; her fiancée is a retired, prior-enlisted, Marine Corps Officer with an Infantry and Special Operations background; and her son is a Sailor.

She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Criminal Justice focusing on Global Issues, and she conducted postgraduate research on the Impacts of Societal Gender Norms on Juvenile Delinquency. Combining her military family ties, wide-ranging volunteer involvement, professional expertise and educational research, Chrysti draws from her background to translate QL’s services into tangible outcomes that demonstrate the meaningful effects our work has on Veterans.

Chrysti is a Colorado native and the proud mom of her daughter attending University of Wyoming College of Law and her twin boys – a US Navy Aircrewman and a Placekicker for New Mexico Highlands University. In her free time, you’ll find her on her motorcycle, searching for her next favorite beach, or on another exciting adventure with her fiancée and kids.

Danella Soeka is a marketing, communications and branding strategist with over two decades of experience as a “hands on” leader driving key strategic initiatives for both public and privately held companies.

She has worked with both startups and existing businesses within diverse industries including food and beverage, gaming and hospitality, health and fitness, entertainment, finance, non-profits and higher education managing multi-million dollar annual budgets. Her expertise ranges from branding, project management, client success, corporate communication, creative development and event planning.

With strong family ties to 1st responders, Danella has a soft spot for those who serve. She sits on the board for Operation Equine and was the CMO for Project Sanctuary, both veteran-serving organizations.

Danella is originally from Chicago but has lived in the Denver area for over 15 years. For fun, she loves to spend time with her four grandchildren, family, and friends. She also enjoys “just being outside” for a round of golf and exploring all her Colorado home has to offer.

Jamie Garcia is the Program Director for Qualified Listeners. She lives in Ault, Colorado with her husband of 13 years and their four children—three at home, ages 11, 9, and 6, and their 21-year-old who visits often. Family is everything to Jamie and so is service. Both Jamie and her husband are Army Combat Veterans and understand firsthand the sacrifices made not only by those who serve but also by their families. That’s why she is deeply honored to support the veteran community through Qualified Listeners. Combined with the help of our incredible team, Jamie is committed to building meaningful connections and providing compassionate support to veterans and their loved ones.

Karrie Grizzell is honored to serve both her community and our nation’s heroes. Raised in Greeley, Colorado, her Northern Colorado roots shaped her values of service, leadership, and connection. “Supporting veterans and military families is not just what I do, it’s who I am”. Her passion is rooted in a family legacy of service, inspired by her grandfathers, father, a proud Marine and Vietnam veteran, and husband, John, an Army veteran. Their courage fuels her commitment to advocate for those who have worn the uniform. She’s proud to serve Qualified Listeners, where her focus is on Resource Development to expand QL’s impact. This role allows her to connect veterans and their families with vital resources, creating meaningful and lasting change. In every capacity, she strives to support veterans with integrity, compassion, and unwavering dedication. 

Carolyn is a Family Care Coordinator with Qualified Listeners and began her position in July of 2023. Retired, she worked as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for 25 years.  She has always enjoyed helping others and thoroughly enjoys the interaction and challenge of assisting veterans and their families.

Carolyn is married and has 3 adult children. She has several veterans in her family including an uncle and father-in-law.  She is a Colorado native—almost—having lived here for over 50 years. She enjoys the beautiful Colorado mountains, volunteering, exercising, reading, decorating and shopping.

Crystal Crow is a Qualified Listeners Family Care Coordinator and resides in Fort Collins, Colorado. She’s a single parent with two teenage children and one adult child. She’s originally from Wyoming but has lived in Colorado for over 10 years. Crystal also keeps busy with her residential and commercial cleaning business that she’s ran for over 10 years. When Crystal first discovered Qualified Listeners, and the impactful work they do with veterans and their families, she thought it would be a perfect fit because helping others is something that she’s very passionate about.

Greg was born in South Dakota in the mid-1900s, but raised in Nunn, Colorado. He is a U.S. Navy Combat Veteran having served on destroyer gunships in Vietnam & Korea, 1968 – 1974. He has been married to his bride Barb since 1982 and is the father of two grown sons.

After spending 50 years in private businesses at various levels, including ownership in several small businesses, he decided his next journey must revolve around supporting veterans.

Greg founded the 501-C3 organization, Qualified Listeners, in January of 2017 to provide support resources to veterans and their families. The organization began to train combat veterans to listen to combat veterans, so they had someone safe to talk to. The organization has since evolved providing a variety of services supporting all veterans and their families from all eras and levels of discharge.

Greg is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America & Disabled American Veterans having spent several years at various post, district, state and national positions.  He is also a member of the Marine Corp League, and American Legion.