Peak Education Director of Development Claudia De Santiago Transitions to New Role at Colorado College

Peak Education announces that Director of Development Claudia De Santiago is stepping down after three years of dedicated service to join Colorado College as a Major Gift Development Officer.

During her tenure at Peak Education, De Santiago played a pivotal role in strengthening community partnerships, expanding organizational capacity, and scaling programs that empower local students to realize their full potential.

Her fundraising leadership directly contributed to a historic year of impact, helping Peak Education serve 2,500 students. Notable milestones include scaling the Direct Admissions program—which delivered over 800 students more than 5,200 college admission offers and $167 million in scholarships—and spearheading the capital campaign that raised over $1,000,000 to purchase the Center for Career and College Advising, establishing a permanent home for the organization.

Over the past year, De Santiago also served as Co-Interim CEO alongside Pedro Ramírez, guiding Peak Education through an executive transition, sustaining core programming, and ensuring a seamless onboarding process for incoming Chief Executive Officer Andy Long.

"Claudia put her heart and soul into her work at Peak Education and has been willing to step up wherever help is needed, from assisting with programming in the middle school summer camp to the D2 Promise Summer Orientation," said Andy Long, CEO of Peak Education. "Claudia's leadership and contribution will continue to impact students for years to come thanks to the work she did to build the organization."

Reflecting on her time with Peak Education, De Santiago shared:

I've always believed real change moves in ripples, and it starts with one honest relationship. I got to build a lot of those relationships here, with donors, with families, with a team I'm incredibly proud of. Thank you to everyone who trusted Peak Education and me, with something that mattered this much. I'm not leaving this community; I'm just continuing the work from a different seat.

De Santiago brings over a decade of community engagement and nonprofit expertise to her new position at Colorado College. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Arkansas and an Associate in Business Administration from Crowder College.

Peak Education extends its deepest gratitude to Claudia De Santiago for her transformative impact and wishes her continued success in her new leadership role at Colorado College.