Meet Kristi Briles | Executive Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristi Briles and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristi, how does your business help the community?
Respite Care, Inc. is a nonprofit organization in Larimer County that provides short-term, quality care for children with developmental disabilities and respite to their families, enabling them to enhance their quality of life. We believe that a child with a disability is a child first and that his or her challenges are secondary. With this mission and philosophy in mind, Respite Care strives to create an interactive, stimulating, and safe environment that addresses the physical, emotional, social, and mental needs of each individual child.

Respite Care has been providing care for children with disabilities and their families for 40 years. We have built a community of supporters including staff, donors, businesses, volunteers, kids, and families. It is magical to watch the community come together to support our children.

We offer over night care, summer day camps, daycare, before and after school care, and wilderness camp to children with intellectual disabilities ages 6 weeks to 18 years old. We have staff trained in specialized care and our kid to staff ratio is 2:1 or 3:1 depending on the child’s individual medical and/or support needs.

Family Quotes:

Thank you for all that you do. I can’t imagine all that it takes to make Respite Care happen. Thank you for being patient with our family when we need help with transitions, and for always staying positive about our family’s journey.

We love Respite Care! It’s been a gift to get to know more of the staff over this last year. We are endlessly grateful for this resource that has allowed us to work, exercise, go on dates and even take an anniversary trip. Thank you!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I attended Kansas State University and majored in Elementary/Special Education. I provided Respite Care to children with disabilities and their families while I attended college. I was given an opportunity to become part of the family and part of their journey in raising a child with a disability. This experience fueled my passion and lifelong career of working with children with disabilities. After graduating college, I married and had 3 children. I was a stay at home mom for twelve years and volunteered in various capacities in the community.
Once my youngest started school, I began applying for teaching positions. My first job was at Berthoud High School, in Berthoud CO as a special education teacher. I loved it!! Those were some of my best years of my life. While teaching, I obtained my Masters in Educational Leadership and became a Special Education Coordinator in Thompson School District. I was in this role for five years and gained valuable experience in collaborating with teams of special service providers, building administrators, district staff, families, and students.

In January of 2022, while at a CSU game, a friend told me to apply for the Respite Care Inc. Executive Director position. I thought about it for weeks……and decided to update my resume and give it a shot. The first interview was at the end of February and three interviews later, I was offered the position. One of the final questions came from a Board member. She asked, “what is the highlight of your career?” I responded, “the highlight of my career is sitting right in this chair and having the opportunity to interview for the position. All of my hard work, passion, and my journey thus far brought me to that exact spot. I started in April of 2022 and the learning curve has been steep! However, I am fortunate to have staff, a Board of Directors, and families that have allowed me the grace to learn.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My itinerary would be filled with food, outdoor activities, and laughs!

I would start in downtown Loveland and tour Mark Lundeen’s studio. Mark creates bronze sculptures that are all over the world. Then I would go to Henry’s for lunch. Devil’s Backbone is a great hike and Loveland’s Sweetheart Winery would be a nice way to end a day.

We are only 45 minutes from Rocky Mountain National Park. A visit to the Park is a must!

Fort Collins is known for their amazing breweries. I would treat my friend to a tour of my favorites. The breweries all of their own vibe and it is fun to sit and watch people and listen to music.

We would definitely need to attend a CSU sporting event and walk around downtown after.

Fly fishing a something that everyone should try. I have a friend that is a guide and he would make sure we caught a few trout.

I enjoy golfing so would want to take them to TPC in Berthoud and Ptarmigan in Windsor.

My favorite coffee shop is The Muse in Loveland.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout goes to the Larimer County community that has built and supported Respite Care Inc. the past 40 years!

Website: https://respitecareinc.org/our-mission

Instagram: #respitecareinc @kristijo1