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Our Team

We're here to help.

Ann Theis

Strategic Implementation

Audrey Godfrey

Marketing

Derek Walker

Real Estate Development Partner

[headshot of economic development advisor and CEO, Jason]

Jason Godfrey

Strategy

Kelly Dolan

Strategy

Ryan Englund

Strategic Implementation

Serra Gullu

Project Management

Trina Kittleson

Business Operations

Our Strategic Partners

We're proud to partner with great leaders in economic development.

Muriel Xochimitl

X-Factor Strategic Communications

Thomas Young

Econometric Studios LLC

Our Values

how we work and what we believe

Commitment

We pride ourselves on being committed to the local communities, counties, states and regions we work with. We believe in working in a community, with its residents and leaders to create real change. ​

Commitment

We pride ourselves on being committed to the local communities, counties, states and regions we work with. We believe in working in a community, with its residents and leaders to create real change. ​

Integrity

We believe in building trust through responsible actions and honest relationships. We aren’t afraid to confront obstacles to deliver what we think is an honest, achievable, impactful plan.

Impact

We are in the business of making an impact, real change to real people in communities across the country. Impact to us means improving the quality of life for individuals.

Humility

We haven’t worked with every type of community, in every state, with every set of challenges. However, we believe this gives us motivation and openness to creative ideas, new perspectives and vision to change.

Respect

We believe in respect for the community; its’ history, strengths and setbacks, potential and vision. Our goal isn’t to change a community into something new, our goal to strengthen its’ roots and help build it to withstand what the future holds.

Collaborate

Collaboration is our secret ingredient. We believe collaboration is the key to successful and lasting change. Our “we” includes you: your community members, residents, business owners and stakeholders.

Our Story

Our Roots are Rural

Better City was founded by former Mayor of Ogden, Utah. Ogden was once a blighted town and has since transformed into one of the largest tourism-attracting cities in Utah. That transformation didn’t happen by accident—it required clear strategy, intentional partnerships, and leaders willing to bet on their community’s future. We built Better City to help other places do the same. We specialize in economic development strategy, community planning, and public-private partnerships that actually move the needle. Working across 28 states, we partner with small towns and mid-sized cities to unlock their potential and build lasting prosperity.

logo for evergreen, a green leaf and then green text

Proud to partner with Evertreen to continue to mitigate our impact on the environment.

Carbon Offset in 2023
1 MT

Ann Theis

Advisor

Community-based Media has been an intrinsic part of Ann’s life ever since she attended Antioch College to become a documentary filmmaker. Discovering the importance of community media under pioneers in the field, she learned that teaching people to express their own voice was more important than merely documenting them. Ann started her career at Manhattan Neighborhood Network as a Production Assistant and then became the Director of Production and Education. Then for twelve years, Ann guided the Open Media Foundation’s media efforts with Denver Open Media and its user-driven tools that minimized staffing and operations costs. Youth Media has been a passion of hers, mentoring hundreds of youth over the last twenty years. At Brookline Interactive Group and the Public VR Lab (BIG), she managed station operations, educational programming for adults and youth, community outreach, grant-writing, reporting, and project management for BIG’s productions and technical services. Since 2020, Ann has been volunteering for El Raton Media Works to bring economic and workforce development to Raton, including mentoring local youth filmmakers and working with the community to engage them in the economy of filmmaking.

She is also the 2019 recipient of the Dirk Koning – George Stoney Award for Humanistic Communication and the 2021 Hats Off Award from Steps to Success for her dedication to Steps to Success programming and efforts towards improving educational outcomes for low-income students living in Brookline.

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Audrey Godfrey

Associate

Audrey is a student at Brigham Young University, majoring in Experience Design and Management. She currently assists with leading social media initiatives, website development and marketing projects.

Audrey is from Houston, TX and enjoys pickleball, music and spending time with her family.

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Derek Walker

Advisory Partner

Derek has worked in real estate development for 10 years, both as a developer and as a consultant to public and private clients. He specializes in feasibility studies, financial analysis, site planning, and development across a variety of asset types, including self storage, hotel, office, industrial, multifamily, and specialty mixed-use. He has a BA in Economics from the University of Utah and an MS in Real Estate Development from New York University.

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dw@boxproconsulting.com

Jason Godfrey

Chief Executive Officer

Jason has a wide breadth of experience working in both the public and private sectors having held executive positions in real estate development, public administration, operations management, and management consulting firms. His specialties include developing actionable strategic plans and structuring complex financial deals using tax increment financing, tax credits, grants, and public-private partnerships.

Jason lives in Valparaiso, Indiana and enjoys running, reading and playing sports with his active family.

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Kelly Dolan

Strategy

Kelly brings exceptional strategic vision and versatile leadership experience across both public and private sectors. Throughout her career, Kelly has established herself as a transformative executive with an impressive portfolio spanning public administration, operations management, and executive consulting.

Kelly’s signature strength lies in developing comprehensive strategic plans that translate ambitious visions into actionable roadmaps. She has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to guide organizations through transformational change, implementing systems that improve operational efficiency while maintaining unwavering focus on mission fulfillment. Her strategic initiatives have consistently yielded measurable improvements in organizational performance, stakeholder satisfaction, and financial sustainability.

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Ryan Englund

President

Ryan has spent the past 40 years working as an executive and as a consultant for many organizations across the globe including the United States of America, Canada, Brazil, England, Germany, Denmark, U.A.E, Qatar, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, and Sudan. He has led workshops in Kuwait, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sudan, and Turkey.

Ryan has worked as an executive and consultant, serving clients in government, manufacturing, retail, and finance. He is skilled in turning organizations around and driving performance to the next level, and is able to gain insight as to challenges and opportunities within a community and to map out how assets can best be utilized to maximize their potential.

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Serra Güllü

Advisor

Serra is a political economist with expertise in project management, data analysis, research, and problem-solving. Born and raised in a small town for nearly 20 years, she strongly believes that true change begins at the grassroots level, with local communities driving sustainable growth. Serra is the recipient of the Sena Eken Schieber Economic Award and holds a master’s degree from Duke University’s Analytical Political Economy Department.

In addition to her academic studies, she was a member of a pro bono consulting club assisting and tackling challenges faced by local non-governmental organizations in Durham. She also enriched her personal growth and leadership abilities by participating in the Emerging Leaders Institute at Duke University. In her free time, Serra enjoys cooking, drawing/painting, and exploring Boston’s coffee shops with friends.

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Trina Kittleson

Director of Business Operations

Trina is instrumental in furthering our clients’ strategic projects. She is skilled in doing research, crafting deliverables, conducting outreach, and identifying strategic solutions to community challenges. She has developed business support resource guides, business recruitment marketing collateral, economic development strategic plans, and grant applications. Trina has a Masters in Public Administration.

Trina spends any free time playing with (and cleaning up after) her two rambunctious kids. She enjoys reading, painting, and dancing.

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