Meet Your XL Edge Team
The team you call when more is expected, and resources are stretched.
XL Edge built around the needs of our clients. We come prepared for the times we live in and the way work gets done. We help strengthen management and organizational culture, and help leaders navigate the rewards and risks of artificial intelligence.
Our team brings experience across strategy, messaging, finance, legal, municipal leadership, and community engagement.
We begin with the organization’s strategic plan, mission and values and the people it is mandated to serve.
Mission.
Strategic Initiative.
Values.
XL Edge Leadership and Consultants
Armando Martín
Founder & Principal · Denver, CO
Helping organizations recognize talent and create clearer pathways for people to grow in the age of Artificial Intelligence.
Executive, founder and public administrator who sat in the client’s seat before becoming a consultant. Keynote speaker who has trained more than 15,000 executives in leadership, team building and productivity. Works in English and Spanish. Engagements that have taken Armando to every Spanish speaking country in the hemisphere and throughout Europe.
- Executive Leadership: Ran a $1.5B business at Western Union and built Franklin Covey’s Latin America division, with offices in Monterrey, Mexico City, Guadalajara and San Juan.
- Founder: Built two multicultural agencies, one serving as Fortune 20 Kroger Cos., first Multicultural Agency of Record.
- Public Sector: As Westminster’s Diversity & Inclusion Administrator, developed a workforce opportunity and belonging framework for about 1,800 employees.
- Board Leadership: As Chair of Servicios de La Raza, cleared the way for multimillion-dollar growth that tripled the jobs.
- Thought Leadership: Writes Grace & Grit on Substack, essays on culture, faith and leadership; former marketing and merchandise columnist, Progressive Grocer.
Education: B.A., Theology, Colorado Christian University, summa cum laude; Harvard Kennedy School of Business – Driving Nonprofit Performance and Innovation, Certificate
Ezequiel Vasquez
Partner, AI Strategy & Leadership Consultant
Denver, CO
Leads XL Edge’s AI training and automation, grounded in 21 years of local government finance.
Chief Financial Officer for the City of Westminster, leading accounting, sales tax, procurement and administration. Knows municipal operations from the inside: budgets, controls, audits and the staff who do the work.
- AI Training: Trains municipal staff to use approved AI tools and verification checks with confidence, turning staff questions into lasting process improvements.
- Automation & Verification: Finds automation opportunities in everyday workflows and builds source checks, review and exception handling into every implementation.
- Government Finance: Oversaw collection and posting of more than $4.5 billion in property taxes annually and managed investment portfolios of more than $400 million.
- Founder: Founded The Amplified Professional, an executive AI practice built on the F.O.C.U.S. Method for setting up an AI chief of staff.
- Credentials: Franklin Covey certified facilitator; National Speakers Association member; Lean Process Improvement Black Belt, Denver Peak Academy.
Education: Bachelor’s, University of Colorado; MBA, Financial Management, National University; Certified Public Manager, University of Colorado
Thomas Potter
Partner, AI Governance and Verification
Denver, CO
Thomas leads XL Edge’s municipal AI governance and verification work. A Colorado attorney with a JD and MBA from the University of Colorado Boulder, he combines legal and corporate experience with AI architecture, applied research, and hands-on training.
Through PriorityLex, Thomas designed the Star Player Certification Program and developed and taught AI legal-workflow curricula for cohorts in 2025 and 2026. His work connects instruction with the practical task of producing professional work using AI. His research papers on verification and responsibility are available on SSRN.
His four-layer verification architecture connects the workspace, authoritative source checks, separate AI review, and human resolution of exceptions. At XL Edge, he applies that approach to municipal tools, training, and governance.
Scott Smith
Leadership Consultant
Mesa, AZ
Former Mayor of Mesa, and President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Consultant, private and public sector CEO, and elected leader with several decades of experience.
- National Leadership: Elected by mayors nationwide as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors (2013–14), the only Arizona mayor so honored.
- International Trade: Led mayoral trade delegations to Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Japan and China, including formal discussions with China’s Finance Minister.
- Federal Service: Served on President Obama’s Export Council.
- Regional Leadership: Chaired the Maricopa Association of Governments Regional Council, headed its Regional Transportation Policy Committee, and worked to improve border crossings and highways.
- Transit Leadership: Most recently served as CEO of Valley Metro in Phoenix.
Education: B.S., Accounting, Brigham Young University; MBA and J.D., Arizona State University
Affiliations: Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics; Brookings Institution Metro Policy Program; American Public Transportation Association, Board of Directors
Mark Freitag
Leadership Consultant
Loveland CO
Former City Manager advancing growth, resilience and operational excellence.
Strategic executive who has led government, military and mission-driven organizations. Expert in large-scale operations, workforce development and multimillion-dollar budgets serving 100,000+ constituents.
- Organizational Restructuring: Directed HR strategy for 1,100+ employees, rebalancing oversight across 3 deputies, creating a chief of staff role and consolidating 2 departments.
- Administrative Leadership: Hired 250 personnel, including 4 department directors, and advanced inclusive hiring that improved workforce belonging.
- Capital Programs: Delivered $345M in projects, including a $300M drinking water facility (15M gallons per day) and a $45M municipal court.
- Economic Development: Increased equalized assessed value 50% (2015–2021), secured $20M in public and private funding and revived a dormant downtown.
- Redevelopment: Led the sale, demolition, remediation and redevelopment of a 250-acre former General Motors plant site.
Education: M.S., National Security Strategy, National War College; M.S., Management, St. Mary College; B.S., United States Military Academy, West Point
George B. “Manny” Fields IV
Business Strategy & Development
Denver CO
As an Executive Recruiter with Vistage Worldwide, Manny finds accomplished CEOs and business owners who are ready for their next chapter: building a practice as a Vistage Chair and helping other leaders grow. He has spent more than 20 years building businesses and partnerships. Manny founded and ran his own marketing firm for 16 years, led accounts for brands including Verizon Wireless and American Airlines, built corporate partnerships for the Harlem Globetrotters, and grew a restaurant brand through licensing. He knows what it takes to start something from nothing, and he knows the questions leaders ask before taking that leap, because he has asked them himself.
Linda Gallegos
Creative + Brand Strategist
AI-Forward Marketing
Denver CO
A veteran brand strategist and creative director with over 26 years of experience crafting visual identities and marketing campaigns that transform complex visions into high-impact strategy. Her career spans agile startups, B2B enterprises, healthcare organizations, non-profits, and major government initiatives.
• Serving as a creative behind Denver RTD’s $2.6B Eagle P3 FasTracks expansion.
• Winning a contract from Aurora Water, her work drove maximum public involvement and earned the prestigious “Best in Advertising” award from the Manufacturers/Associates Council. Additionally, her ads appeared in the Journal of the American Water Works Association and achieved top-tier readership scores.
• Served on the Advisory Board for Arapahoe Community College’s Graphic Design and Illustration Program. She brings an unyielding work ethic and deep passion for design leadership to every project.
Recently completing a six-month AI and e-commerce mentorship program focused on new AI strategies for marketing both services and products.
Leadership Advisory Board
Colleen Eager
Director, Advisory Board
Denver, CO
Marketing and data strategist bringing analytics and AI to the customer experience.
Marketing and data strategist with experience in entrepreneurship, analytics, AI and customer experience in enterprise consulting.
- Enterprise Strategy: Senior business strategy role at NeuraFlash/Accenture; previously held the same role at Perficient Global Technology Consulting.
- Analytics: Earned a Master’s Certificate in Business Analytics from Harvard, with distinction.
- Recognition: Selected as commencement speaker for her Harvard program.
- Advertising: Built early experience in the advertising industry in New York City.
- Language & Culture: Studied Spanish and Latin American Studies in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Education: Master’s Certificate, Business Analytics, Harvard; B.A., Journalism, University of Kansas
Nita Gonzales, M.Ed.
Director, Advisory Board
Denver, CO
Community strategist and convener uniting government, education, nonprofit and business.
Nationally respected community strategist and convener who brings together government, education, nonprofit and private-sector stakeholders. Bilingual in Spanish and English.
- Founder: Founder and Principal of Nuevo Amanecer, LLC, advising executives on strategic planning, community engagement and coalition building.
- Cross-Sector Initiatives: Has led Colorado initiatives in education, workforce development, health equity and civic engagement.
- Governance: Serves on the Regis University Board of Trustees and has held executive leadership and governance roles across Colorado.
- Community Advancement: Has devoted her career to expanding educational opportunity and advancing Indigenous and Chicano communities.
- Legacy: Daughter of civil rights leader Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales.
Dr. Sergio Maldonado
Director, Advisory Board
Wind River Reservation, WY
Northern Arapaho and Mexican American educator focused on identity, Native education and leadership.
Scholar and educator who lives on the Wind River Indian Reservation in central Wyoming, focused on identity, Native student education and leadership.
- National Service: Appointed by President George H.W. Bush to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education.
- State Liaison: Served as Tribal Liaison to the Wyoming Governor’s Office for the Northern Arapaho Tribe.
- Tribal Education: Served as Northern Arapaho Tribal Education Director.
- Research: Doctoral studies in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wyoming, focused on K–12 Native student education and leadership.
Education: Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction, University of Wyoming; M.Ed., Arizona State University; B.A., Brigham Young University
Pat Linden
Director, Advisory Board
Denver, CO
Attorney and M&A advisor bringing legal and business strategy to every deal
Founder of Linden Law Partners, a boutique M&A and corporate law firm, and Linden M&A Strategy, its business advisory arm, giving him both a legal and a practical strategic view of every transaction.
- Transactions: Over 25 years, has guided founders, business owners and private equity firms through deals ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to $700 million.
- Recognition: Repeatedly named among Colorado’s top M&A and private equity attorneys by Best Lawyers in America and Colorado Super Lawyers.
- Full Deal Life Cycle: Advises from market readiness through negotiation and closing, including the strategic and financial decisions made before and after signing.
- Executive Advisor: Trusted advisor to Colorado business executives on legal and broader business strategy.
- Teaching: Adjunct professor of business law in the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business MBA program.
A Denver resident for the past 25 years, Pat is a longtime member of the local business community. He and his wife, Lindsey, two daughters, ages 9 and 10, and he’s an avid jeep off roader who spends weekends exploring Colorado’s most rugged 4WD trails.
Education: B.S., Business, and M.S., Finance, University of Denver; J.D., University of Denver Sturm College of Law
George Moore
Director, Advisory Board
Medellín, Colombia
Strategy consultant and Navy veteran who has driven growth from startups to multinationals.
Entrepreneurial executive and strategy consultant with experience across IT, banking, retail, manufacturing and investment management.
- Strategy Consulting: Strategy principal at Accenture, advising major corporations across industries.
- Growth Leadership: Has driven growth at both startups and large multinational companies.
- Military Service: Former Lieutenant Commander and pilot, United States Navy; disabled veteran.
- Languages: Speaks Japanese and Chinese.
Education: B.S., Engineering, minor in Chinese, United States Naval Academy; MBA, Harvard Business School