Leadership and Staff

Shaun LaBarre, Inaugural Director

MSU Denver Institute for Public Service

[email protected] | 303-605-7131

Shaun LaBarre serves as the Inaugural Director of the recently established Institute for Public Service at Metropolitan State University of Denver. The Institute for Public Service was developed on the mission to inspire, prepare, and enable MSU Denver students to serve, with an emphasis on careers in government and the non-profit sector.

Shaun, a Roadrunner alumnus, returned to MSU Denver in 2023 with over twenty years of experience in a broad array of public service sectors. As a community organizer, nonprofit executive, and higher education professional, Shaun has been committed to a civil society through engagement on the most pressing social and environmental issues of the day. Prior to returning to Denver, Shaun served as Deputy Director and Executive Director of the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment (GWC) at the University of Colorado School of Law. At the GWC, he worked on a variety of public policy issues focused on western water and the Colorado River, public lands, tribal rights, and a just transition of the energy sector. Before joining CU, Shaun served for several years as Senior Director of the Boulder-based, Center for Resource Conservation (CRC). At the CRC, Shaun was involved with the early-stage development of several innovative social enterprise programs focused on water and energy conservation, and material reuse and recycling.

Jessica Wade, Public Service Industry Navigator

MSU Denver Classroom to Career Hub

[email protected]

Jessica Wade is a dedicated education professional. She has taught ESL in South Korea and Mexico, assisted outreach efforts for the state Extension offices in Illinois during an AmeriCorps Community Development Fellowship, and coordinated public health outreach efforts as a Peace Corps volunteer in Suriname. Prior to starting her position at MSU Denver, she worked extensively with program management and immigration services for international student and scholars. In her free time, Jessica enjoys long walks and visiting all kinds of parks.