Full Circle FoundationHealth. Support. Education. Community.

Mission

What we exist to do.

Our mission is to strengthen rural Colorado by expanding access to healthcare, education, and opportunity. Through scholarships, hands-on workforce training, and partnerships with local healthcare organizations, Full Circle Foundation supports the families, caregivers, and healthcare workers who keep rural communities strong.

We started the Foundation because of a problem we kept running into. Rural Colorado has no shortage of people who want to care for their neighbors, and almost no realistic way for them to train. Everything below follows from that.

Governance

Meet our Board of Directors.

We are proud of the people who agreed to build this with us. Our founding Board brings together experience in healthcare, business, and nonprofit leadership, and each of them chose to spend that experience on rural Colorado.

The Board meets quarterly and holds responsibility for strategic direction, annual budget approval, policy approval, and executive evaluation. Day-to-day operations, program implementation, and policy drafting are delegated to the Executive Director.

Leighann Huckstep in a sun hat by the ocean, holding her grey French bulldog, Gus.

Leighann Huckstep, MSN, RN

President, Chair

I’m a mom of three, a nurse, a wife, a survivor, and someone who has learned that sometimes life’s hardest experiences lead us to our greatest purpose.

In 2009, I was relocated from Florida to rural Colorado through a domestic violence safety organization, giving my children and I the opportunity for a fresh start. I was looking for safety, stability, and better healthcare for my medically complex daughter. What I found was a beautiful place to raise my family, but also a community where access to healthcare and resources wasn’t always easy.

As a mom, I know what it’s like to fight for your child’s care, drive hours for appointments, and feel like you’re navigating a system that wasn’t built for families like yours. Those experiences stayed with me and ultimately shaped the work I do today.

I’ve been a nurse for 13 years and earned my master’s degree in Nursing Leadership, but being a mother and advocating for my daughter has taught me just as much as my education ever could. Today, I’m the CEO of Full Circle Family Home Health and the founder of Full Circle Care Academy. Both grew from a simple belief that families deserve better, especially in rural communities.

Full Circle Foundation is another piece of that dream. I want to help create a community where families feel supported, women have opportunities to build independent and fulfilling lives, and education and healthcare are accessible regardless of where someone lives or what circumstances they’ve come from.

I’m a passionate advocate for patient’s rights, a proud mom to two adult children and a little girl who keeps us on our toes, and a devoted Frenchie mom to Gus.

At the end of the day, I’m just someone who knows what it’s like to need a helping hand and wants to be able to offer that hand to someone else.

That’s what Full Circle means to me. Taking the experiences that shaped my life and using them to make a difference in someone else’s.

Arran Huckstep smiling outdoors while his dog licks his cheek, background softly blurred.

Arran Huckstep

Secretary

I retired a few years ago and now spend my time volunteering with local nonprofits, and the mission of Full Circle Foundation is one that truly energizes me. As a parent who raised a medically complex child, I know firsthand how much it means to a family when skilled, caring help is close to home.

I started my first business in 1995, moonlighting as a database developer focused on process automation, and I’ve since built several successful businesses in technology, hospitality, and health care. Along the way, I was proud to serve as an officer in the United States Air Force from 1996 to 2000.

Service has always been a big part of my life. Today I serve on the board of the Children’s Specialty Clinic San Luis Valley. From 2018 to 2024, I served All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church as Board President, Vice President, and Finance Team Lead, and from 2019 to 2021 I volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate with CASA.

I earned my BA in Computer Science from Baylor University as a National Merit Scholar, and later a master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from Texas A&M Health Science Center, where I focused on immunology. I’m committed to supporting underserved communities, and I’m excited to bring that mix of business, service, and science to the work of bringing care and opportunity closer to home.

Ty snorkeling underwater in clear turquoise water.

Ty

Treasurer

As Treasurer of the Full Circle Foundation, I am honored to support our mission of strengthening rural Colorado communities by expanding access to healthcare, education, and opportunity.

This work is deeply personal to me. As a grandparent to a special needs grandchild, I understand firsthand how vital accessible resources, education, and healthcare are for families and caregivers. My passion is further shaped by my experience owning and leading a nonprofit that connects people with local support and resources, ensuring no family faces challenges alone.

By investing in scholarships, hands-on training, and partnerships with local healthcare organizations, we can uplift the people who make rural Colorado home. I am proud to bring my perspective, experience, and dedication to this vital role.

Pamela Long smiling outdoors in the sun, wearing sunglasses.

Pamela Long

Board Member

I retired after ten years as an owner and COO of Curotec, a software development company in the Philadelphia area. I oversaw daily operations and strategic planning, and I’m proud of how much the company grew during that time. I bring that experience in planning, strategic growth, risk evaluation, and team building to the Full Circle Foundation.

My own journey out of an abusive marriage has shaped what matters most to me. Now that I’m retired, I finally have the time to devote to my lifelong passion: helping women and children by creating opportunities that allow women and families to thrive.

Outside of the board, my love of glass art of all kinds has grown into a chance to explore my own creative side through glass enamel and driftwood sculptures.

Dr. Melissa Burns walking a snowy mountain trail in Colorado with her dog.

Dr. Melissa Burns, PsyD

Board Member

I have spent more than 20 years supporting individuals with disabilities and working to expand access to adaptive opportunities. I have been a direct support caregiver for both children and adults with disabilities, a counselor at respite camps, and a coach and trainer in Paralympic sport. I also served on the board of Midwest Adaptive Sports in the Kansas City metropolitan area, where I learned firsthand what it takes to advocate for greater inclusion and access to adaptive resources.

Those experiences are why Full Circle Foundation’s mission means so much to me: making sure people with disabilities have access to the aid, resources, and opportunities they need. I am excited to bring my professional experience, my personal perspective, and my dedication to creating a more inclusive community.

Outside of my professional work, I love hiking with my dog, creating art, and finding the humor and joy in life’s everyday moments. I believe the best work happens when people come together, share their strengths, and help one another reach their full potential.

Staff leadership

Victoria Falla smiling in front of the Full Circle logo.

Victoria Falla

Executive Director

Full Circle Foundation

I grew up in rural central Florida, where getting good care often meant a long drive. Growing up, my sister battled cancer for nearly two years with treatment being over three hours of driving each way.

As an adult, I was by my mother’s side through Alzheimer’s. The nurses and CNAs who cared for her at the facility in our community gave her comfort and dignity, and gave our family strength in a battle we knew we couldn’t win. Those experiences taught me what good healthcare close to home means to a family, and what it costs them when it isn’t there.

I’ve spent more than 20 years helping people turn big plans into real results. At Full Circle Foundation, I’m putting all of that toward one goal: bringing training to people where they live, so neighbors can care for neighbors and opportunities can be closer to home.

Help us put a caregiver where someone is waiting for one.