D.J. Whetter

As Managing Director of CiviCO from Omni, D.J. leads statewide efforts to strengthen Colorado's civic infrastructure and expand pathways for civic engagement. His work focuses on partnering with businesses, public-sector leaders, and community organizations to build healthy cultures of leadership and advance measurable progress on complex civic challenges.

Before joining CiviCO, D.J. served as Senior Director of Learning and Development at the Kansas Leadership Center, where he led leadership development programs across sectors and geographies. He remains part of KLC's core teaching and coaching team and has taught adaptive leadership to thousands of leaders worldwide, working with municipal governments, global corporations, and cross-sector coalitions. His experience includes engagements with Fortune 500 companies, top-ranked workplaces, and international partners in Australia, Israel, and beyond. His background in broadcast journalism and sports reporting anchors his belief that curiosity and searching for untold stories are keys to making progress on complex challenges.

Outside of work, D.J. enjoys traveling and seeking out iconic golf courses, embracing the experience (and the humility) of playing them "really poorly" while appreciating the places and people along the way. He is also a certified scuba diver and loves traveling with his wife, Lori, to find new places to explore. D.J. graduated from the University of Kansas with degrees in political science and broadcast journalism.