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Honoring the life and legacy of Kathleen Shiverdecker, Chief of Staff at Narrative 4. 

August 21, 2025

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We are heartbroken to share the news of the passing of our Chief of Staff, Kathleen Shiverdecker.

Kathleen was a shining light within Narrative 4 — an inspiring force who led with integrity, honesty and deep compassion. Kathleen joined Narrative 4 in 2023 as Director of Human Resources and, within a year, was promoted to Chief of Staff. In every role she held, she brought wisdom, vision and a rare ability to empower those around her. As one colleague shared, “she was always in service to others—even at the end.”

A lifelong educator, she previously served as a middle school principal in inner-city Denver. There, she and her staff transformed a chronically low-performing school, moving it out of turnaround status and into the performance category on the state’s framework in just two year

Following her role as principal, Kathleen became Executive Director of Strategic Support in Denver Public Schools, leading the Human Resource School Partner team to support and develop school leaders. She later earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Design from Northcentral University, a reflection of her lifelong commitment to learning and leadership.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Kathleen was a gifted photographer, author and artist, as well as a devoted lover of visual art. She trained service dogs, cooked for those in need, volunteered generously and embodied the values of compassion and civic responsibility that Narrative 4 strives to instill in the next generation.

This week the N4 global staff gathered to share our memories of our beloved Kathleen. Each person offered a word that came to mind when thinking of Kathleen: integrity, fierce, authentic, light, inspiring, optimist, joy, thoughtful, peaceful, love, gratitude, service, original, caring, visionary, passionate, willing, sparkly, a gift, kind, charming, adventurer, mama bear, inimitable.

As colleagues and friends, we are shocked and deeply saddened by her sudden passing. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her husband, Don, her family, friends and all who loved her. Kathleen’s legacy of leadership, kindness, and humanity will continue to live on in our work and our hearts.

Integrity, fierce, authentic, light, inspiring, optimist, joy, thoughtful, peaceful, leading from love, gratitude, acts of service, original, caring, visionary, passionate, willingness, sparkly, a gift, kind, charming, adventurer, mama bear, inimitable.

Kathleen recently recorded this video message for the N4’s Mexico Team.

Kathleen Hartman Shiverdecker Official Obituary

July 6, 1971 – August 13, 2025

Kathleen Hartman Shiverdecker passed away in Santa Fe, New Mexico on August 13, 2025, after a year-long struggle with cancer. She faced the disease fearlessly and continued with her personal and professional life even after entering a hospice facility two weeks before passing. Kathleen was passionate about education and helping others achieve their professional goals. She had a three-decade career in education, and most recently served as Chief of Staff for Narrative 4. 

Kathleen started her career in Education after receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She served as a classroom teacher in Denver and Colorado Springs for several years. In 2009 she was selected as the Principal of Smiley Middle School in Denver, a high-profile and challenging position in that community, and then spent five years with Denver Public Schools in advancing human resources roles. This was followed by more than 5 years in the Aurora Public Schools with primary responsibility for selecting and managing high school principals in the district and helping to implement improved systems in this area.

After leaving Aurora Public Schools, she began a challenging and rewarding career in education consulting and coaching that allowed her to work with districts throughout the country. She worked with countless educators to help them find challenging positions and to grow professionally. She was passionate about leadership and became a highly respected coach and trainer, mostly working from her home offices in Colorado, California, and New Mexico.

Kathleen earned a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix, and a Doctor of Education (EdD) in Organizational Design from Northcentral University. Her advanced education coincided with her passions as a pet owner and allowed her to explore the use of dogs in the educational setting to help students become more engaged and successful. She also served as a cohort facilitator for aspiring leaders at Denver University in the Morgridge College of Education’s Ritchie Executive Leaders for Successful Schools program for ten years. Kathleen’s professional accomplishments were too numerous to fully list.

Even as a little girl, Kathleen was everyone’s best friend. She could strike up a conversation with anyone and never met a stranger. This ability served her well over the years and helped her land positions as different as nanny, dog groomer, sales manager for a Harley Davidson dealership, head of HR for Aly’s Puppy Boot Camp, and chief wine reviewer for a retail liquor store in Colorado Springs. If you ever read one of Kathleen’s wine reviews, you know that you came away from it with an interesting story that you weren’t sure you understood, and likely no idea whether or not she liked the wine.

In addition to her career in education, Kathleen was an accomplished artist, author, poet, and photographer. Her art included sculpture and mixed media creations that captured many emotions and struggles. She enjoyed creating pieces that were edgy and sometimes a little disturbing. She had a unique eye as a photographer and liked to focus on the smallest details of whatever she photographed. She was happy to do a whole series of images on the peeling paint of an old car or building.

Kathleen was an engaged and loving friend, daughter, sister, wife, aunt, and grandmother. She was always up for a good discussion and jumped at the chance to review a paper at the last minute, or to help develop an effective resume, or to offer her help on any kind of project. Her passing creates a void in the lives of many, and she will be desperately missed by all who knew and loved her.

She is survived by her husband of 27 years, Don Shiverdecker, her mother-in-law Helen Shiverdecker, her stepson Ryan Shiverdecker and his wife and Kathleen’s dear friend Carrie, and their two sons Blake and Spencer. She is also survived by brother Kent Hartman, sister Jane Heimbouch (Brian), brother Jeff Hartman (Donna), sister-in-law Margo Hartman, and eight nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents Gene and Margaret Hartman, brother Scott Hartman, and father-in-law Don Shiverdecker, Sr.

The family is planning to spread Kathleen’s ashes in the Colorado mountains at her request. We will be planning a celebration of Kathleen’s life in the coming weeks, most likely in the Denver area. Memorial donations may be made in Kathleen’s name to the American Cancer Society.