MEET THE TEAM

The SBrand team is a diverse group of professionals with expertise in a wide range of areas including government finance, economic development, community development, parks and recreation, public works, community safety, civic engagement, team assessments, board training, and much more. We limit our clients to provide the exceptional service that is our hallmark and can customize our results and interaction to meet each client’s specific needs.

Sheryl Trent

Sheryl founded SBrand Solutions in 2011 and now has offices in California, Colorado, Florida, Texas and Washington. She has over 28 years of local government experience, and is one of fewer than 45 Certified Master Facilitators in the world as well as a Certified Virtual Facilitator. She also holds a certification from Cornell University in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Her real-life experience includes managing strategic plans, comprehensive plans, multimillion-dollar capital projects, economic development agencies, and Urban Renewal Authorities; and in combination with her nonprofit board service, her background gives her a unique understanding of the needs of her clients. She serves as the Chair of the International Institute for Facilitation, the world’s leading institution for facilitation research and innovative learning and is a member of the Association for Strategic Planning, the National Center for Deliberative Debate, various city and county management associations, and a regular speaker and contributor to various platforms on facilitation and inclusion.

Sheryl Trent

Shelly Dudley

Shelly Dudley is a consultant, global trainer, facilitator and keynote speaker with over 24 years of corporate leadership experience who specializes in cultural transformation, strategic goal setting, leadership development and effective team collaboration. Shelly’s true passion is inspiring others to connect with their own passions, purpose and personal growth. Through compelling storytelling, she strives to inspire her audience to find the best in themselves in order to move on to their next level. She strives to create and deliver content that truly changes things, both for individuals and organizations.

Don is a retired law enforcement officer of 30 years with the City of Fort Collins. His work includes consulting as an expert witness in use of force cases; serving as the Section Chair for the National Tactical Officers Association; conducting training for law enforcement agencies across the country; serving on international law enforcement boards, and contributing technical articles for national magazines.

Don Whitson

Kristine Hutchinson

Kristine has over 10 years of administrative experience, as well as an extensive customer service background. She holds a degree in Business Management from Johnson and Wales University Denver and is also a United States Navy veteran.

Mitzi Rapkin

Mitzi has more than 30 years of experience as a journalist, interviewer, and writer and more than 12 years working in local government communications. She is an MG Rush Certified Structured Facilitator and is certified in Foundations in Public Participation by the International Association for Public Participation. Mitzi is also the founder, host and producer of the podcast First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing, which is distributed in partnership with Literary Hub. She has interviewed more than 300 world class authors and discusses issues of craft, empathy, and the human condition on her weekly show. She has worked as a facilitator for governments, non-profits, and the education sector and is dedicated to helping groups of people reach consensus and forge new paths.

N. Zach Ratkai

Zach Ratkai is a government collaborator and champion of the public sector with over 15 years of experience working in and with municipalities throughout Colorado and Washington. Zach holds a master’s degree in Public Administration and a Certificate in Public Management. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Applied Geography from the University of Northern Colorado. Zach’s local government work experience includes urban and regional planning, building code administration and inspection, disaster recovery management and resiliency building, and economic development. When not working to change the paradigm in the public sector, he can be found on the lakes of northern Idaho with his family, skiing in the Blue Mountains, or at the local hockey rink. He and his family make their home in Richland, Washington.

Antoine Desabille

Antoine has been an Executive Administrative Assistant for 4 years. He is passionate about helping people reach their dreams and beyond. If you need useless movie trivia he’s your man. He is sold out in love with his family and everything is done for them. He loves to play the guitar, listen to music, play basketball with friends, and just be outside in general.

Rick Brandt

Rick is the current Chief of Police for Evans, Colorado, and has a distinguished 40-year career in law enforcement. He serves as the Law Enforcement Chair for the Colorado Municipal League, is well known for his work throughout the State of Colorado (having been appointed by Governor Hickenlooper to serve as the Vice-Chair of Substance Abuse Trends and Response Task Force), and served in all positions on the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police. He regularly lectures at various universities in Colorado and is a sought-after presenter across the nation.

Shelby Robinson

Shelby is a multi-talented graduate of Texas Christian University with a dual degree in Political Science and Communication. She has managed successful reelection campaigns for state senators, created digital content for corporate and nonprofit clients, and directed all the communications for various political organizations.

Anthony Ruiz is an administrative professional with over 4 years of administrative, customer service, and financial statements experience. His philosophy is to return your work at the highest quality while enjoying the process. He is an Honors Graduate from the University of California-Sacramento and an avid Disney fanatic!