
Kent MacLennan (He/Him/His) is the Executive Director for Rise Above Colorado
"I’ve always been passionate about education and giving youth the tools to be contributing members of society who seek to fill the world with good. From my days teaching high school social studies to now engaging with members of our Teen Action Council, I firmly believe in the power of youth to make the world a better place."
Kent MacLennan is the founding executive director of Rise Above Colorado, a statewide drug prevention nonprofit that empowers teens to make healthy connections, decisions, and change. Rise Above Colorado was launched by the founders of the Colorado Meth Project in 2014 with a focus on preventing drug misuse and addiction by giving youth the knowledge and skills to realize their full potential.
Kent has more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, including Young Americans Center for Financial Education, the University of Denver, Wilfrid Laurier University and Up With People. He also has direct experience working with the teenage demographic, having taught social studies for two years at Pomona High School in Arvada, Colorado.
Kent holds a Bachelor of Science in foreign service from Georgetown University and a Master of Education from the University of Denver. He and his spouse live in Broomfield, Colorado and their three teenage and young adult children provide a built-in learning lab.