Our Team.
At Sunshine Community, our team is built on compassion, collaboration, and a shared belief that everyone deserves stability, connection, and hope. We combine decades of community service, local experience, and heart-driven leadership to help neighbors move forward with dignity.
Alexis Hitzeroth
Executive Director
Sunshine Community
Alexis Hitzeroth is a U.S. Army veteran, nonprofit leader, and community advocate dedicated to helping individuals overcome barriers to housing, employment, transportation, and long-term stability. As Executive Director of Sunshine Community, she leads the organization's mission to connect people with resources, support, and opportunities that help them move forward.
Alexis holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and brings experience in environmental science, education, public service, and nonprofit leadership. Since joining Sunshine Community in 2025, she has helped expand partnerships and strengthen programs focused on housing stabilization, transportation access, workforce readiness, and resource navigation.
Her leadership is grounded in compassion, collaboration, and practical solutions that empower individuals to build stability and independence. Alexis believes strong communities are built through connection, opportunity, and meeting people where they are.
throughout Mesa County.
Rene Grisier
Program Manager
Homie Coordinator
Sunshine Community
Rene has been a resident of the Valley for over 20 years and is deeply committed to making a positive impact in her community. A mother of five and grandmother, she finds joy in spending time outdoors with her grandsons—camping, exploring trails, and being on the water.
Through her work with Sunshine Community and Toilet Equity, Rene is passionate about supporting the unhoused and those facing barriers to basic needs. She believes in fostering self-sufficiency while helping educate the community on the realities of homelessness and addiction.
Her dedication is rooted in both professional experience and personal loss, having lost her sister to the effects of addiction, domestic violence, and homelessness. Rene carries this with her as a reminder to lead with compassion, dignity, and purpose, and remains committed to creating meaningful change in her community.
Emotional Support Animal