Amira S. Alexander, MSPH
Assignment: Year 1: Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Year 2: Maternal/Child Health
Host Site: University of Colorado/Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Denver, Colorado
Phone: 303-724-8846
E-mail: [email protected]
Amira Alexander is a first- year Public Health Associate placed at the University Of Colorado School Of Medicine, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). She is working on the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) as a Professional Research Associate. SEED is a multisite study, and currently the largest study in the United States, identifying factors that may put children at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities. Amira moved to Colorado in September of 2014 to begin her career in public health.
As a Research Associate for Colorado SEED, Amira manages the quality control operations of the study site. She investigates protocol and regulatory compliance, to ensure validity and integrity throughout the study's duration. This includes evaluating documentation of medical records, surveys, and informed consents by identifying and resolving any outlying data points. Amira is also responsible for analyzing data sets using SAS, and reporting for trends. She has produced two reports thus far, identifying rates on enrollment, recruitment, and participant crossover between study cohorts.
Ms. Alexander received her Master of Science in Public Health from Tulane University in 2013. Her focus was in Tropical Medicine. While earning her degree, Amira was employed by the Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives and held a leadership role with the Tulane African Student Association (TASA). Before graduating she completed her practicum in Costa Rica, observing developmental delays in orphans and developing a curriculum for them.
Amira is passionate about global health and mental health. She traveled to Haiti in 2013, where she volunteered in a Tuberculosis and HIV clinic aiding patients in occupational therapy. Her research interests focus on prenatal risk factors for schizophrenia, and population-based interventions for reducing sexually transmitted infections. She plans to pursue a career as a physician assistant and eventually become an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer with the CDC.
Dan Andersen COPIC Insurance Company Direct phone: 1-800-421-1834, extension 6175 Email: [email protected]
Dan Andersen is an Underwriter Manager for COPIC’s Underwriting and Policyholder Service Department responsible for general management and supervision of COPIC Underwriters and Assistant Underwriters. He graduated from Regis University in 2003 with a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance. Dan has been with COPIC for 15 years and is a member of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society.
Jamie Barrutia
Jamie Barrutia oversees marketing, public relations, retail promotion, design, digital marketing, out of home advertising, events, social media and product marketing for Richard Sandoval Restaurants in the Colorado, New York, and California regions.
Jamie joined Richard Sandoval Restaurants in August of 2012 as the Regional Marketing and PR Manager for the Colorado concepts. She was responsible for managing all aspects of marketing and public relations in her designated region while driving revenue to the local restaurants. She worked closely with the operations team to develop and execute marketing and PR plans while supporting and directing the local PR agencies. In addition to marketing, and brand development, she managed media relations, advertising, social media and website development. Jamie has over 10 years' experience in marketing and public relations. Prior to joining RSR, she was the Professional Relations Manager for Eating Recovery Center. She led the Western US referral network for the national ranked eating disorder hospital. Immediately prior to her role with Eating Recovery Center, Jamie was the Marketing and Sales Director for Wahoo’s Fish Taco. During her time there, she implemented search engine optimization, a database capture program, social media marketing, and secured several sponsorships with action sports companies. Jamie began her marketing career at the Colorado Ski Country USA in Denver, CO as Marketing Manager. She was responsible for fostering the revenue growth and marketing plans for the 26 member ski resort throughout the state. She also played an integral role in modernizing the 5th Grade Passport Program throughout each ski area in the state. Jamie feels fortunate to have financed her college education with a 100% athletic swimming scholarship. Since college, she’s applied these athletic skills in several half ironmen, triathlons, and one marathon. With a strong affinity to impacting the community, Jamie has been a Big Mentor with Big Brothers and Big Sisters for 9 years, served on their associate board of directors for 5 years, led the CSU Alumni Community Service Committee as Executive Chair from 2008-2011, and served as an IMAlive.org Crisis Counselor for two years.
Jamie has a B.S. from Colorado State University in Business Administration- Marketing, Organization Management and a certificate in Entrepreneurship. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband Andre, two young children, and two dogs. McKenna Botts Banking Officer FirstBank- Denver
McKenna Botts is a Banking Officer for FirstBank in Denver. She performs all areas of bank management including lending, financial analysis, customer service, personnel management, as well as business development to increase bank growth and profitability. FirstBank is Colorado’s largest private bank with over $14 billion in assets. Although being so big, FirstBank maintains the local bank atmosphere and also is the leading bank in Colorado in terms of charitable giving.
Prior to joining FirstBank, McKenna attended Colorado State University where she got her degree in corporate and investment finance and management. She was President and Senior Portfolio Manager for a group of students who were selected to manage an all equity portfolio on behalf of the CSU foundation.
Also in college, McKenna studied abroad in Spain where she developed strong adaptability skills living with a local family, and developed a global perspective by participating in international nosiness courses, viewing worldly issues from diversified perspectives, and studying multinational corporations.
McKenna is a Denver native and enjoys everything Colorado has to offer from skiing to hiking. She also likes to run, play tennis, cook, and travel.
Biography:
Brandon L. Bruce is an ambitious and engaged young leader in the Community. He is currently employed as the Database Evaluation Specialist for the Center for Work Education and Employment (CWEE). Brandon is also assisting on the Michael Carrigan Campaign for District Attorney 2016. A position he hopes to hold himself in the future.
Brandon holds a Bachelors of Arts Degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta Georgia. There he learned that “life is not about attaining the highest title or position, but about attaining skills such as compassion, civility, integrity and even listening”. Recently Brandon was chosen to be to be one of the 2015 Urban Leadership Foundation/ Chamber Connect Fellows and scheduled to complete that program in the fall of 2015.
A Denver Colorado native Brandon believes civic engagement is one of the most important tools to help facilitate unity and evolution in the community. His passion with working with and in the community is directly related from his experiences growing up and having a desire to pay it forward to the communities that afforded him so many opportunities. Currently serves on Board of Directors at the Community, Alcohol, Drug, and Rehabilitation & Education Center (C.A.D.R.E.C). At C.A.D.R.E.C he helps create initiatives to encourage the mission of “empowering individuals and families through education and counseling in order to modify violent and addictive behavior”. Some recent initiatives include participation in neighborhood and community events such as the Black Arts Festival, the Juneteenth Celebration, Cole Neighborhood Block Party, and The Denver Museum of Art Expo. In Atlanta he served as the Young Adult Ministry Chair at Cascade United Methodist Church. As chair, he was responsible for the functions that provided volunteer activities, team building, community outreach, social mixers and personal development for individuals ages 18 to 35. Under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Marvin A. Moss, he was able to lead a successful group of empowered individuals in service to the community, church, and each other. Brandon lives his life adhering to a scripture taught to him by his grandmother Mrs. Betty Owens, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father who art in heaven” Matthew 5:16.
Parker Calbert
Parker Calbert first engaged in her community as a member of the Centennial Youth Commission, where she quickly developed a passion for servant leadership. This passion along with determination has guided her early career endeavors.
While an undergraduate at the University of Denver, Parker was appointed as Co-Chair of the Presidential Debate Student Committee to assist the DU Administration with hosting the 2012 Debate. Through this role, Parker gained experience in large-scale event management and media relations. She also served as the student body Vice President, which awarded her the honor of speaking at the Class of 2013 Commencement Ceremony.
While completing her degrees, Parker worked in the Colorado State Legislature as a Policy Intern to House Majority Leader Amy Stephens and later, as a Legislative Assistant at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLC. After graduation, Parker joined the Starboard Group, a premier political and non-profit consulting firm with offices in Colorado and Washington D.C.. Her primary clients included candidate committees Cory Gardner for U.S. Senate and Wayne Williams for Colorado Secretary of State as well as the 501(c)4 Colorado Women’s Alliance.
In June 2014, Parker pivoted in her career to join an operations innovation team at DaVita HealthCare Partners, Inc. In her new role, Parker is able to combine her political background with strategic change management to implement complex business initiatives – all while continuing to pursue her passion for servant leadership. Within less than a year of joining DaVita, Parker was honored by her senior leaders as one of two Shining Star Award recipients invited to attend DaVita’s annual Villagewide Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C..
Parker earned her B.A. in Public Policy and Leadership Studies, graduating magna cum laude. In November 2013, Parker also obtained her M.B.A from the Daniels College of Business.
In her free time, Parker enjoys practicing yoga, swinging the golf clubs, and carving-up first tracks with her Dad skiing at Vail Mountain after a big snowstorm.
Bryan Cook, Chapter Operations Director AGC Colorado
Bryan Cook joined Associated General Contractors of Colorado as the Chapter Operations Director in 2010. Bryan brings more than 20 years of construction experience and expertise to AGC. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the non-profit trade association. This includes the administrative management of the association, supervision of AGC staff, and property management and tenant relations for AGC buildings.
Bryan has experience in many different arenas of the construction industry. Prior to joining AGC he worked for a Colorado based general contractor, specialty contractor, and construction supply company. Most recently, he worked at Bowman Construction Supply as a technical sales engineer from 2009 to 2010. From 2003 to 2009 he worked for Belair Sitework Services and served the roles of estimator, project manager, safety director, and director of operations. Prior to that Bryan worked for Kiewit Infrastructure as a project engineer and estimator on a variety of Colorado projects. He began his career as a project engineer for Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. from Chicago, Illinois. This job afforded him the opportunities to work on both coasts and Puerto Rico.
Bryan serves on CSU’s Construction Management Professional Advisory Development Board (CM PADB). It was established in 2000 to support and promote the Construction Management program at Colorado State University. He also serves on RTD’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Advisory Council (DBEAC). This council helps facilitate the DBE and SBE outreach strategy for RTD. He also serves on a board for a local non-profit quadriplegic rugby team, the Denver Harlequins.
Bryan holds a BS in Civil Engineering-Construction from North Carolina State University.
Bryan lives in Denver with his wife and two children. He spends his “extra time” in the mountains hiking, camping, or skiing. If he isn’t in the mountains you can usually find him in his neighborhood park chasing his two kids.
Katie Cooperman
Katie Cooperman is a member of the real estate practice group at Hogan Lovells US LLP in Denver, which has a strong Colorado and Denver-metro area practice that focuses on all aspects of corporate real estate, including commercial property acquisition and development, land use, local government entitlements, real estate finance, leasing, brokerage issues and construction contracts. Katie joined Hogan Lovells US LLP in June, after she relocated from Chicago. An attorney licensed in Illinois, she successfully passed the Colorado bar exam.1 Though new to Denver, Katie already has been able to contribute pro bono legal services to local nonprofits engaged in redevelopment projects. Prior to joining Hogan Lovells, Katie worked in the Chicago office of another international law firm, where she concentrated on commercial real estate, particularly real estate finance, including the financing of several wind energy projects.
Before deciding to pursue legal studies, Katie considered a career in architecture and spent a summer working in an architecture firm that was heavily involved in the redevelopment of blighted areas in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. Though Katie ultimately decided that a legal career was a better fit, her experience with architecture, and in particular the redevelopment projects, provided her with unique insight as to how to create more sustainable and functional urban environments.
Katie graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Colgate University and graduated magna cum laude when she obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law with a certificate in taxation. In addition to her legal practice and community involvement, Katie enjoys traveling, cooking, yoga and being outdoors with her husband, Spencer, and her dog, Jack.
1 Katie has passed the Colorado state bar exam, but has not yet been sworn in to the Colorado bar; therefore, she is not yet authorized to practice law in Colorado.
MICHAEL DAURO
Assistant Vice President, Business Planning and Strategy Manager [email protected]
Operations
Professional Profile Current and Previous Positions Michael joined Lockton in April 2014 supporting the Lockton Companies Mountain West Series’ Operations team. Prior to Assistant Vice President, Business Lockton, he served in leadership roles in the U.S. Navy as Planning & Strategy Manager a SEAL officer with overseas deployment service to areas United States Naval Special Warfare throughout the globe. Michael works to develop and Command implement strategy to leverage our people, create Multiple SEAL Officer Positions operational efficiencies, and better serve our clients. Education B.Envd University of Colorado at Boulder
Civic Board Vice President, University of Colorado Veterans Alumni Denver Metro Chamber 101 Volunteer, Lockton United Way Committee Volunteer, The Tennyson Center Lockton Benevolence Committee
8110 E. Union Avenue, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80237 303. 414. 6000 www.lockton.com Christina Delpone currently works for the Colorado Oil and Gas Association as a Receptionist and Administrative Assistant. Being in a small, nonprofit trade organization allows her to perform various tasks such as managing databases, creating and editing external marketing communications, and coordinating networking events, programs, and regulatory workshops. One of her tasks includes planning their yearly legislative, legal, and regulatory (LL&R) priority planning session which outlines the organization and their membership’s LL&R priority for the next year. During her second year working on the Rocky Mountain Energy Summit, COGA’s second largest revenue stream, she led the registration team and assisted with all external events and receptions for the 27th annual conference. More recently, she leads the organization’s monthly book club. Additionally, in her role, she occasionally dresses up as a Zombie to raise money for the Red Cross.
Christina graduated from ASU in May of 2013 with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Business Marketing, a Sustainability minor, and International Business Certificate. During her time at ASU, she was involved with the Special Event Planners Association, spent a summer studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain, interned with Republic Services, and worked at the Memorial Union Accounting Office.
She currently serves on the ASU Colorado Alumni Board, as the Director of Intramurals and is going into her fourth season of coaching an alumni kickball team. Moreover, she has organized four networking events and sits on the Pat’s Run 2016 committee. Outside of work Christina loves to golf, meeting new four-legged, furry friends, trying local brews, and attending conventions such as GABF and ComicCon.
She can be reached via: email: [email protected] Twitter: @cdelpone Instagram: @cdelpone Facebook: /cdelpone LinkedIn: /cdelpone
David F.J. Dye Associate | Denver Tel. 303.634.2115 [email protected]
Main Bio
David Dye focuses his practice in real estate and has extensive experience in all aspects of commercial real estate ownership, development and finance, with an emphasis on the acquisition and disposition of commercial properties and restaurant/retail leasing. He also routinely assists commercial lenders in making, modifying and administering real estate-secured loans.
Prior to joining Snell & Wilmer, David developed considerable commercial leasing expertise representing a publicly traded company owning and operating more than 1,600 restaurants worldwide. In addition, he served as developer's counsel in connection with the construction and development of an ultra-luxury hotel/condominium resort located in the Town of Mountain Village, Colorado. As a result, David is well versed in all aspects of commercial condominium development, including the preparation of condominium governing documents, reviewing and negotiating complex construction loan documents, and working with the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act (CCIOA).
Education
• University of Colorado School of Law (J.D., 2006) • University of Georgia (B.A., History, cum laude, 2003)
Professional Memberships & Activities
• Colorado Bar Association, Real Estate Section • Denver Bar Association
Community Involvement
• Play with Heart Foundation, Pro Bono Legal Advice • Colorado Fitness Association
• University of Georgia Alumni Association - Denver Chapter • University of Colorado Law Alumni Ambassador
Other Professional Experience
• Messner Reeves LLP, Attorney (2010-2015) • Tueller & Associates, P.C., Attorney (2007-2010)
Bar Admissions
• Colorado
Court Admissions
• Supreme Court of Colorado
Bridget Dyer 315-406-5196 [email protected] 3600 Garfield St. Denver CO 80205
Born and raised in Northern California, I moved to Upstate New York while a junior in high school. The culture shock was extreme, and I ended choosing to go to college a year early rather than stay in the small upstate NY high school I had transferred to. I was lucky enough to find and apply for a special early entry program at an esteemed engineering school a few hours away, and that’s how I found myself as a 16 year old college freshman at Clarkson University.
I hadn’t planned on staying to get my undergrad there, just finish the year of the program I had gotten into, but I ended up loving it and completed my degree in Engineering and Management there in December of 2005. I’ve always been a math-minded person who likes working on things that seem impressive, so engineering was a great fit.
My first two years of my career were spent as part of Lockheed Martin’s Leadership Development Program in the cities of Syracuse and Minneapolis. I was well-suited for the program- it required rapid on-the-job learning for the four different job rotations I had, and I was surrounded by people who were also beginning their careers and wanted to be good at their jobs. At the end of the two year program, I had my choice of where within the company to move, and I had a great opportunity to interview for a position doing business development via proposal management in Denver. I had never seen the city before I came out to interview for that job, and before flying back I had made up my mind that I wanted to move to Colorado, whether I got that specific job or not! Luckily I didn’t have to wait long to find out how I’d make it happen; I got a phone offer before my plane left DIA for MSP.
That was eight years ago and my career and life has taken many turns since. I returned to my technical roots about six years ago and had been doing aerospace work up until February of this year. I’d say more about that work, because it’s wildly interesting, but it’s all top secret and men in suits would come to both our houses if I shared any more.
While living in Denver, I’ve bought a house, convinced both of my siblings to move here, developed a love for mountain biking and snowboarding, and cultivated an incredible community of friends whom I love deeply.
I’m still with Lockheed Martin, all these years later. The company has taken good care of me and has supported my career goals. I’ve had great mentors who have helped me realize what’s important to me- challenging work, fast-paced environments, technology that is ahead of the curve and in development. I’m the lead systems and test engineer for a research and development program for autonomous vehicles. I am living my childhood dream of being the boss of people and working on ROBOTS! It’s pretty rad. And even better, I can talk about it. Ask me about the engineer who hit the wrong button at the wrong time and had one of my vehicles driver him into a ditch.
I live in the Clayton neighborhood with my boyfriend and our two dogs. On the weekends I can be found reading on the couch, riding my mountain bike in open spaces in the Front Range, and making dinners for any of my friends who are available and hungry.
I am a member of the Denver Art Museum, Colorado Public Radio, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Denver Botanic Gardens. I like to tell everyone I meet about my memberships, so they think I am cultured and informed and not just a cold and unfeeling engineer.
I’d love to increase my involvement in and education about Denver through Impact Denver. Thanks for your consideration.
Karrie Fletcher Senior Vice President, Cherry Creek Branch Manager Alpine Bank - Denver Region
Karrie Fletcher began her career with Alpine Bank in 1996. Starting as a teller while attending college, she then spent four years working in the investment division of the bank prior to joining the management trainee program to become a lender. Karrie was promoted to Senior Vice President in 2013 and most recently, relocated to Denver from Colorado’s Western Slope to oversee the successful opening of Alpine Bank’s newest location in Cherry Creek in April, 2015.
Karrie graduated from Mesa State College in 2000 with a Bachelor of Business Administration and from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Graduate School of Banking in 2008.
Karrie has always been active in her community, serving on several non-profit boards in Western Colorado including the Rifle Chamber of Commerce, Rifle Community Foundation and Youthzone. Currently she is involved in the Cherry Creek Rotary Club, Cherry Creek Chamber, Greater Glendale Chamber and the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce.
Karrie is excited for the new opportunity to grow Alpine Bank in their newest Cherry Creek market and is looking forward to becoming a part of the community. Over the years, Alpine Bank and her fellow employees have become her extended family and she can’t wait to share the bank’s culture and values with this community.
In her spare time, Karrie enjoys traveling, playing volleyball, camping, and spending time with her husband Jason, and two children, Haley and Gavin. STEVEN FOLSE, CFA
755 E. 19th Ave.▪ Denver, CO 80203 ▪ 504.256.8553 ▪ [email protected]
WORK EXPERIENCE Bow River Capital Partners Denver, CO Senior Associate June 2015 - Present . Member of the Investment team with a focus on research. . Specific tasks include financial modeling, macroeconomic and Industry specific research related to Bow River Companies as well as potential new investments. . Produce a weekly 20+ page research report which summarizes relevant weekly developments with respect to Bow River’s Portfolio of companies and focused Industry Verticals.
Stifel, Nicolaus, and Company Denver, CO Equity Research Associate - Infrastructure June 2011 – June 2015 . Produced fundamental research reports and value-add investment recommendations on 16 companies in the Infrastructure Space for numerous Multinational Institutional Clients . Developed and maintained proprietary Excel models and forecasts for each company under coverage . Coverage focus included Energy Infrastructure, The Electrical Power Grid, Global Industrial Manufacturers, and Cable & Networking Markets . Primary author of multiple White Papers (25+ pages) on the Energy Pipeline, and Electric Transmission Markets . Developed proprietary spending forecasts for multiple end-markets including: Midstream Oil, Natural Gas, NGL, and Electrical Transmission . Traveled with executive level company management to numerous Non-Deal Roadshows across various U.S. cities . Attended multiple industry conferences both domestically and abroad
Charles Schwab Corporation Denver, CO Brokerage Service Representative June 2008 – September 2009 . Presented clients with knowledge on investment products as well as trading strategies, risk management, hedging, and portfolio allocation. Also, Placed multiple stock, mutual fund and options trades (on average over 50 a week)
EDUCATION Tulane University, A.B. Freeman School of Business GPA: 3.6/4.00 New Orleans, LA Master of Finance, Energy Specialization May 2011 Coursework: Burkenroad Reports, Research Equity Analyst, Fall 2010 . Participated in a nationally recognized securities research program . Interviewed Seacor Holdings management, and produced cash flow and earning models . Published investment research report on Seacor Holdings, (CKH/NYSE), which was presented at the annual Burkenroad conference in April 2011 Energy Fundamentals and Trading, Fall 2010; Advanced Energy Trading and Finance, Spring 2011 . Nominated by Tulane Energy Professors to partake in these classes Valuation and the Financial Enterprise, Financial Modeling, Fixed Income Analytics, Financial Accounting . Performed complex Excel, Financial Statement Analysis, presentation and writing projects
Colorado State University, Rockwell College of Business Fort Collins, CO Bachelor of Science in Business Administration May 2008 Major: Finance with emphasis on Investment Analysis and Financial Planning
AWARDS/ACTIVITIES/LICENSES Douglas C Beaton Family Foundation Director August 2014 – Present . Elected director of multi-million dollar charitable organization by other board members . Serve as a portfolio manager of a diverse set of assets designed to grow and fund the Foundation’s donations . Evaluate prospective recipients and allocate funds to non-profit organizations, which align with the Foundation's mission to support globally underserved populations
CFA Charterholder September 2015 . Currently hold series 7,86,87,63 licenses . Avid runner, skier, and outdoor enthusiast AMY L. GREEN ADDRESS: 155 JACKSON ST., UNIT 4, DENVER, CO 80206 PHONE: 303.908.4210 EMAIL: [email protected]
Amy grew up in Centennial, CO. She attended the University of Denver, earning her BA in English and Communication, and minoring in Leadership Studies. After college, Amy traded the sunny skies of Denver for the cool, cloudy ones of Seattle, where she served as the development assistant and volunteer coordinator at the Northwest School in downtown Seattle. Inspired by the thriving environment of this urban school, Amy applied to Teach for America – a competitive teaching program that serves under-resourced communities across the country. She was accepted and served as a high school English teacher for two years at Kapolei High School on the island of O’ahu, Hawai’i. In this role, she led 80% of her students to achieve two years of growth in reading. It is also during this time that she earned her master’s degree in teaching at Chaminade University of Honolulu.
Upon returning to the mainland, Amy worked at the Denver School of Science and Technology before returning to her alma mater as the senior scholarship advisor in the DU Office of Financial Aid. In this role, Amy advised students and families on federal, state and institutional financial aid and scholarship opportunities. She also managed private scholarship processing and served as the financial aid liaison for several scholarship cohorts, including Denver Scholarship Foundation, Daniels Fund, and Boettcher Foundation scholarship recipients. In July, Amy became the assistant director of stewardship at the University of Denver. She is now responsible for overseeing the annual endowment report mailing, new fund stewardship process, student scholarship thank you profiles, launching the endowed chair and professorship stewardship program and creating individualized stewardship reports for top university donors. Amy believes strongly in college access and volunteers with Minds Matter of Denver, which is a mentorship program that serves Denver Public School students. When she’s not thinking about college access and how it interacts with philanthropy, she is spending time with her husband Ben, hiking the Rocky Mountains or taking advantage of one of Denver’s many craft breweries. Shalonda Haggerty
“MENTORING, EMPOWERING, TRANSFORMING” Shalonda Haggerty is a success driven visionary and graduate student at Argosy University Denver. In addition to her pursuing her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, she is also completing her certification program to become an addiction counselor, with desires to effectively mentor, empower, and transform the lives of people in her community.
With over 7 years of combined intern, volunteer and work experience interacting with youth and families from diverse backgrounds, Shalonda has developed the ability to identify core issues, and motivate others to achieve at higher levels of personal performance. Her readiness to accept change and embrace new ideas has led Mrs. Haggerty to embark upon the journey of a small business owner, creating a new nonprofit organization called STAR Girlz Empowerment, Inc.
Since her transition from Dallas, TX to Denver, CO in 2012, Shalonda has begun to fulfill her vision in making a difference within the community. Her strong leadership qualities allowed her a once in a lifetime opportunity to become a part of the 2015 Urban leadership Foundation, formerly known as Chamber Connect, where she has engaged and connected with various leaders throughout Colorado. Mrs. Haggerty is also a member of the Colorado Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and a Guest Teacher for Denver Public schools. She dreams of becoming one of the most influential leaders in Colorado and looks forward to future opportunities that will allow her to engage with communities.
618 Dahlia ST. Fort Morgan, CO 80701 Phone: (214) 478-7479 email: [email protected] website: www.stargirlzempower.org
Sara Hazel is a Colorado-enthusiast, non-profit fundraiser, and avid reader. Sara has been with the American Red Cross Colorado & Wyoming Region for 5 ½ years, the entire time in a fundraising role. She currently oversees the Individual Giving Team, as the Senior Director of Donor Relations, managing four employees in the region and responsible for $2.9 million in revenue from individuals. She enjoys the incredible opportunity to connect philanthropists in the community with a lifesaving mission of alleviating human suffering.
Sara grew up one state away from Colorado, in Lawrence, Kansas where she learned to become a Kansas City BBQ snob and Kansas Jayhawk basketball enthusiast. She attended college at the University of Oregon, where she studied Sociology and Public Policy and became a proud Duck football fan. Sara is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, where her leadership skills began to develop and she began her initial interest in fundraising. After college, she lived in Chicago, Illinois where she began her non-profit career at the American Cancer Society. While in Chicago, Sara attended DePaul University and received her Master’s in Public Administration. Her thesis was titled “Text Message Donations: a tool to engage younger donors?” and was a study on Generation X & Y donors and how to engage them in philanthropy.
Sara’s drive and passion comes from servant-leadership and helping the underserved. Denver is a place filled with incredible leaders, change, and emerging ideas that fit right in with her goals and visions for making the community, state and world a better place for everyone. While not raising money for humanitarian causes, Sara writes a weekly book review blog. She loves spending time in the mountains, attending sports games, traveling, reading, and spending quality time with her husband and friends. Kyla Hoskins
Kyla Hoskins is the Director of Policy and Research at Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s health insurance exchange created as a result of Obamacare.
In October 2012, after working in our nation’s capital, Ms. Hoskins headed west to get her hands dirty at the state level and joined Connect for Health Colorado as a policy analyst. She quickly learned the grass isn’t always greener and states have their own unique policy challenges…on top of the federal ones.
In her current role she works to develop strategic partnerships and represents Connect for Health Colorado to outside entities and stakeholders who influence the public policy landscape. Prior to her current role, she was Manager of Policy and External Affairs and Manager of Consumer Operations at Connect for Health Colorado. In both roles she combined operational, policy and customer service skills to advocate for Marketplace users; ensure regulatory compliance; and bridge technical, policy and operational requirements through project lifecycles. She also supported training and community outreach by presenting across the State. She is happy to be a part of an organization that helps thousands of Coloradans access more affordable private insurance and assists thousands more in enrolling in Medicaid and CHP+.
Kyla previously served at AcademyHealth in Washington DC, a nonprofit health services research and policy organization. In her role there she was responsible for health care policy tracking and policy analysis. She holds a Masters of Public Health in health policy from the George Washington University and a Bachelor’s of Science from Creighton University.
In her free time she enjoys playing competitive soccer, rollerblading, and trying new restaurants (she is a real foodie!). She also enjoys volunteering her time and hanging out with her Junior Partner, Jayla. Carrie E. Johnson Associate Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
Carrie Johnson is Litigation Associate at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP. A strategic litigator, Carrie approaches complex business disputes by building relationships and open lines of communication with all parties involved. Carrie blends an aggressive and proactive approach to litigation with detailed and practical case management. At Brownstein, Carrie is a leader among the associates. In addition to serving as the co-chair of the firm-wide Committee of Associates and member of the Summer Associate Committee, she is the most senior Litigation Associate in the firm.
Before moving to Denver, Carrie attended law school at The George Washington University School of Law in Washington, DC. She then worked for two years in Brownstein’s D.C. office as part of the Government Relations Department, where she worked on a variety of environmental and telecommunications issues. Her experience in Washington, D.C., is foundational to her ability to maintain key alliances, build rapport between opposing sides in litigation and develop creative solutions for her clients. She applies her Government Relations experience to litigation resulting from federal or state administrative actions in addition to her complex commercial litigation practice.
Outside the firm, Carrie has been as a member of the EarthLinks, Inc. Board of Directors since May of 2012. By creating opportunities through Earth-centered programs, EarthLinks cultivates self-worth among its participants and helps them step out of isolation and into community. Since December of 2013, Carrie has served as EarthLink’s Board Secretary and been a member of its Executive Committee.
A native of Murdock, Nebraska, Carrie attended college at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she obtained a bachelor of journalism degree with concentrations in English and Spanish. experience talent
Jami has more than six years of experience in the accounting industry. As a member of BKD National Health Care Group, she provides accounting and audit services to a variety of for-profit, not-for-profit and governmental clients, including health care systems, mental health centers and research-oriented hospitals.
She provides OMB Circular A-133 compliance testing, which allows not-for- profit organizations to conform with requirements for federal funding. She also
helps prepare Medicare and Medicaid cost reports and third-party Jami L. Johnson, CPA reimbursements.
Manager As an audit manager, Jami leads the client engagement process, supervising and training the audit team, reviewing audit workpapers and communicating with the Denver client, lead audit partner and client relationship manager. 303.861.4545 Colorado Springs 719.471.4290 She is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, Colorado Society of jljohnson Certified Public Accountants and Healthcare Financial Management Association. @bkd.com She also is a member of charitable organizations such as BikeDenver and Fins Attached: Marine Research And Conservation.
Jami is a 2008 graduate of the University of Hawaii, Mānoa, with a B.B.A. degree in accounting and finance.
Lindsay Jones
I was born in Springfield, Illinois; the daughter of two well-educated parents, the granddaughter of a hard working single parent, and the great-granddaughter of a house cook. I spent every summer completing reading and math workbooks my mother assigned to keep me ahead of the class. I spent time in the local Baptist choir as my mother, cousins, aunts, and grandmother had done before me. I would say my childhood was rather idyllic.
My family moved to Colorado when I was ten years old. My father, a sales manager for IBM and my mother, a school principal, found a suitable suburb in Centennial for my brother and myself to grow up. It was in Colorado that I discovered race, class, and privilege. In Springfield, I could go to my aunt’s house and watch her cook while my cousin pressed my hair and we listened 90’s hip hop. I could see brown skinned people working together in church and for after school activities. I could walk around the block and play with the neighborhood kids who looked like me. In Colorado, however, there was no music. My new classmates had designer clothes I had never known to request during back to school shopping. The stores didn’t carry the hair products we needed, so my mom found small salons to frequent every other weekend. We belonged in the community, but we were not a part of the community. I attended a high school that was 88% white. By conventional standards, it was a high performing school where parents should want to send their students. We had language labs, a swimming pool, a large theatre to seat several hundred, and natural light flooded into the school from floor to ceiling windows. I was one of ten African American students in AP classes.
In college, my feelings of isolation were given a voice in student affinity groups like the Black Student Alliance and Queer People of Color. I could match my emotions to theory thanks to ethnic studies courses. I worked to develop my sense of self that I had lost in the transition to Colorado. I travelled to student affairs conferences to meet like-minded change agents. I pushed for campus policies of inclusion of diversity instead of diversity for the sake of diversity. After I graduated from the University of Colorado, I worked to give students in underrepresented communities a voice as well. At the University of Denver, I continued to develop my identity as a researcher. My work blended with my passion and I became more enamored with program evaluation for education and nonprofits. I hope to continue my work as an educational advocate and be a resource to teachers and others in position to lead students. In the near future, I see myself helping leaders understand their impact using program evaluation as a vehicle for communication.
MACLAIN JOYCE
NATURE OF PRACTICE TITLE Mr. Joyce is an associate in the firm’s Corporate Practice Group. He assists Associate in the representation of public and private companies, with a primary focus on entity formation, corporate governance, employment and confidentiality PRACTICE GROUPS agreements, and other corporate matters. Corporate Intellectual Property Mr. Joyce is a graduate on The University of Colorado and The University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Prior to joining Messner Reeves, Mr. Joyce ADMITTED TO PRACTICE worked for an international hospitality brand, focusing on the management Colorado 2012 and development of private memberships clubs. ASSOCIATIONS Colorado Bar Association EDUCATION American Bar Association The University of Denver Sturm College of Law, JD and Certificate of Natural Resources & Environmental Law, 2012 The University of Colorado at Boulder, B.S., Business Administration and 303 605 1561 Human Resources Management and Certificate in Tourism Management, [email protected] 2005
PRIOR EXPERIENCE Vail Resorts and Vail Resorts Development Company Denver Court System- Mediator
Overview
Ms. Kalanick counsels clients on a variety of corporate matters, including assistance with mergers and acquisitions, securities regulation, financing, and corporate governance.
She assists companies with securities offerings, private placements, and mergers and acquisitions. Ms. Kalanick also has experience drafting 1934 Securities Exchange Act filings, including current, quarterly, and annual reports, as well as proxy statements.
Prior to joining Holland & Hart, Ms. Kalanick was an attorney at Faegre Baker Daniels LLP. She is admitted to practice in Colorado. Memberships and Affiliations
. Member, Denver Bar Association
E. KATE . Member, Colorado Bar Association KALANICK Education Associate University of Minnesota Law School (J.D. 2011) Denver Concentration in Business Law 303.295.8179 magna cum laude [email protected] National Association of Women Lawyers Graduation Award Articles Editor, Journal of Law and Inequality Business, Corporate, and Finance Boston College (B.A. 2007) Securities and Capital Markets summa cum laude Mergers and Acquisitions
E. Kate Kalanick Nicole Kennedy
I was born in Denver, Colorado on August 28, 1985. Growing up in Centennial, I attended public schools through the Cherry Creek school district from Kindergarten through high school. Upon graduation, I attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where I majored in Accounting with a certificate in International Business. I also participated as a varsity letterman and captain on the cheerleading team for two years until I chose to study abroad in Seville, Spain my junior year which excluded me from cheering that year. I was raised by parents who worked for United Airlines and instilled a love of travel and adventure within my brother and myself from a very young age. My six months studying in Europe further solidified my passion for experiencing different people and cultural influences. I have continued to visit a new country every year since 2006 which has provided me with deep personal development opportunities.
After graduating from CU in May of 2007, I completed the CPA exam and moved to New York City to work for KPMG in their audit practice. I spent the next two years auditing a large private commercial real estate client, then transitioning to Brookfield Properties, a publicly traded commercial real estate company where I managed their SEC financial reporting. In December of 2011, the Colorado lifestyle and my brothers’ growing family tugged at my heart strings and brought me back to the city and state I had the privilege of growing up in. I worked as an analyst and manager in the operational finance group at Orica Mining Services, a global mining explosives manufacturer. I worked closely with our field operations and sales team to aid them in understanding business profitability and operational effectiveness. It was an extremely rewarding experience where I learned invaluable lessons related to operating a successful business, albeit a large one.
My personal interests and passions have always revolved around physical health and activity, as a high school and college athlete and post-graduation through marathon and half marathon racing. In December of 2013 I decided to take a leap of faith and combined my personal passion for fitness with my professional skill set in finance and accounting. I joined the Zen Planner LLC family as their Controller. The past nearly two years have been unquestionably the most rewarding of my career. I absolutely love my company, my coworkers, our mission, and our customers and what they are doing to help their clients and communities to thrive and grow.
In addition to traveling, spending time with friends and family, and pursuing health and wellness, I also spend my personal time updating my first home I recently purchased in the historical Washington Park neighborhood. Life is always an adventure, which is just how I like it! Gergana Kostadinova Impact Denver Application – Biography
My family immigrated to the United States when I was 9 years old. Over the course of the last 16 years, I have grown, studied, and worked in Colorado. This incredible environment has shaped the obstacles I have overcome, the accomplishments I have achieved, and the goals I am striving towards. I am lucky to call Colorado my home, and I am eager to grow as a local leader by expanding my understanding of the region and the issues that affect our communities. I seek to be an active contributor to the solutions we need to keep moving forward in an inclusive way that addresses the challenges we face as Denver continues to rapidly grow and develop.
After graduating from William J. Palmer High School in Colorado Springs, I moved to Denver to attend the University of Denver on a Boettcher Scholarship. I earned a Bachelor’s Degree with double majors in International Studies and Spanish, and double minors in Leadership Studies and Intercultural Global Studies. My education was enhanced by multiple opportunities to participate in short-term study abroad programs through the university, including classes on the themes Leadership and Sustainability in Belize, Religious and Social Justice in Vienna, Advanced Spanish Language and Iberian Culture & Civilization in Spain, and Development Dilemmas in Nicaragua. I also studied and lived in Valparaíso, Chile for five months and later returned to conduct graduate research.
Immediately following my undergraduate degree, I earned a Master’s Degree in International Studies from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. My studies focused on comparative politics, with regional concentrations in Latin America and Eastern Europe. Skills courses on cross-cultural communications and nonprofit management rounded out my graduate degree.
During the course of my studies, I worked in undergraduate admission and held various leadership roles on campus, including as Orientation Leader for incoming students, Traditions Committee Co-Chair for the University of Denver Programming Board, and Internationalization Co-Chair for the Presidential Debate Student Steering Committee. I was also a member of the Pioneer Leadership Program and the University Honors Program. In addition, I was involved in the community as a volunteer English tutor for the Little Immigrant Integration Initiative, an intern for the Boettcher Foundation, and as an intern, volunteer and Young Professionals Board Member for WorldDenver.
Currently, I am Program Coordinator for Visitor and Exchange Programs at WorldDenver. My responsibilities include planning and implementing local programs for professional and youth international delegations that are primarily sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. I connect emerging leaders from around the globe with their counterparts in the Denver area to exchange best practices and ideas. My job allows me to apply the skills and experiences I have gained in Colorado and abroad, all while living in this great city.
I also remain involved in my community as a member of the DU Pioneer Leadership Program Alumni Association, a member of the Boettcher Scholar Alumni Board, and as V.P. of Events for the WorldDenver Young Professionals. MICHAEL KOTLARCZYK Associate [email protected] 303.892.7459 303.893.1379 fax
EXPERTISE Commercial Litigation, Trial, Appellate, Arbitration and Dispute Resolution, Class and Consolidated Actions, and Insurance and Risk Management EDUCATION Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, Dean’s Scholar, 2008 Drake University, B.A., summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, University Honors, Carpenter Scholar, 2004
ADMITTED IN Colorado and Illinois
Mike Kotlarczyk is a member of the Trial Department of editor of the Annual Review of Criminal Procedure, and Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP. Mr. Kotlarczyk has litigated was Order of the Coif. He is a member of the American, matters across the country, with a focus on efficiently Colorado, and Denver Bar Associations as well as the representing his clients from the onset of litigation Colorado GLBT Bar Association. He serves on the City of through trial. Mr. Kotlarczyk has experience in litigation Lafayette Historic Preservation Board. against fiduciaries, capital markets litigation, insurance He is admitted to practice in Colorado and Illinois and disputes, attorney discipline matters, and a wide range before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, of business torts and contract disputes. He has U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, and U.S. represented a diverse array of clients including District Court for the Northern District of Illinois individuals, small businesses, insurance guaranty associations, special deputy receivers, National Football HONORS & AWARDS League franchises, and a Fortune 50 insurance Rising Star, Colorado Super Lawyers (2014, 2015) company. Mr. Kotlarczyk has also worked on numerous Special Recognition Award, Colorado Lawyers appeals and has argued in front of the Colorado Court Committee (2015) of Appeals. Visionaries in Action Award, GLBT Community Center of Mr. Kotlarczyk also maintains an active pro bono Colorado (2015) practice. In 2014, he served on the trial team
representing nine Colorado couples who successfully challenged the constitutionality of Colorado’s ban on same-sex marriage. Mr. Kotlarczyk and the team were honored with a Special Recognition Award from the Colorado Lawyers Committee and the Visionaries in Action Award from the GLBT Community Center of Colorado. Prior to joining DGS, Mr. Kotlarczyk practiced law at a boutique litigation firm in Denver. He also served as a law clerk to the Honorable David M. Ebel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, and to the Honorable Rebecca Pallmeyer of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Mr. Kotlarczyk graduated magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as an editor of the Georgetown Law Review, the managing
DGSLAW.COM Ashly Ligouri
Ashly Ligouri is the Director of Corporate Partnerships for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, Colorado’s premier mentoring organization providing children facing adversity with strong and enduring professionally supported one-to- one relationships. Ashly is passionate about making a difference in our community in every pursuit she takes.
Ashly holds a Bachelors and Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Iowa with a nonprofit management concentration. She has over 10 years of nonprofit experience in varying roles including direct service, program implementation and evaluation, staff management, event coordination and fundraising. .
Ashly’s professional background includes extensive work within strategic partnerships, building and maintaining nonprofit boards and internal and external communications. Ashly has raised nearly $3,000,000 to support higher education, youth mentoring and disaster services. Currently, as the Director of Corporate Partnerships, Ashly leads the Big Brothers Big Sisters corporate relations efforts effectively engaging companies in sponsorship, grant making and employee volunteerism. Ashly is skilled at creating mutually beneficial corporate and nonprofit partnerships that positively impact the community. Additionally, continuing education is important to Ashly who keeps current on nonprofit program and development trends and best practices through regular trainings through the Youth Mentoring Symposium, CASE Annual Conference for Corporate and Foundation Relation Officers and the Colorado Nonprofit Association.
Ashly’s passion to make a difference extends to the community through her personal work as well. She has been a mentor to two “Little’s”, Khadijah & Mateo, and has been consistent presence in their lives for over 8 years. Additionally, Ashly has served in various volunteer capacities through the Youth Mentoring Collaborative, YESS Institute and is currently an American Red Cross Behind the Red Member and member of Mile High Young Professionals. In her spare time, Ashly enjoys traveling with her husband, Scott, and hiking with her dog Jake.
Kyle L. Mickalowski Quality Management Data Analyst, Craig Hospital 4999 S. Sherman St. Englewood, CO 80013 (605) 376-7513 [email protected]
Kyle Mickalowski is a data analyst at Craig Hospital• where he furthers• the hospital’s mission of “Redefining possible for people with spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries,” as an employee and volunteer. He helps colleagues better understand and use data to improve patient outcomes and works with patients as a volunteer to provide them with unique experiences while at the hospital. He earned his bachelors degree from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD majoring in chemistry and business administration and a masters of public health in epidemiology from George Washington University in Washington, DC.
At Augustana, Kyle participated in numerous research projects and published multiple articles in peer reviewed journals. His research interests spanned basic sciences, medicine, and social sciences. In addition to research, he worked to better the campus and Sioux Falls community by volunteering with numerous organizations. He pursued his interest in research by pursuing graduate studies in public health.
Outside of work, he likes staying active and spends his free time in the mountains hiking and rock climbing in the summer and skiing and snow shoeing in the winter. Growing up, he enjoyed playing softball and was privileged to be named to the Junior Olympic team in 2001 as the second youngest player on the team. This summer he has enjoyed exploring bike trails throughout Denver has he prepares to complete his first half ironman in November.
Kate Moser Miller is Director of Operations at Sprocket Communications. Kate became a member of the Sprocket team shortly after graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University in 2012, and she’s been a Sprocketeer in some capacity ever since. In her three years working with the team, she has been an intern, account coordinator, freelance PR manager, and Director of Operations. In her current role, Kate works to build company culture, acquire new business, manage the Sprocket blog, and more. Outside of work, Kate enjoys visiting her family in Ohio, volunteering with the OWU Denver Alumni chapter, reading, and adventuring to the mountains in her 1982 VW Westfalia camper van. Angela S Moran 1509 S Florence Way Denver, CO 80247 Email: [email protected] Mobile: (719) 232-5755
Angela Moran is a Program Manager for Junior Achievement of Rocky Mountain. She received her Master’s in Public Affairs/Public Policy from the University Of Colorado School Of Public Affairs. Prior to joining to the JA team she developed over ten years of community engagement and youth development experience that led her to work for companies from Burson-Marsteller Global Marketing and PR Firm in New York City, NY to Oregon Partnership in Portland, Oregon where she became an Ambassador for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions (CADCA) of America located in Washington, DC, Pikes Peak United Way, and more.
She developed the passion for community outreach and civic work while growing up as a military dependent overseas most of her life where she learned the importance of unity. She has thrived to motivate others to focus on all community members from youth to adults with various programs and projects while never losing site of the importance that everyone should be given the same opportunities no matter what their social economical or cultural background.
Her work has been recognized by the Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske while working on the nationally recognized Above the Influence Campaign (ATI) which was originally created as a part of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, a program of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The campaign was, and continues to be inspired by what teens have shared about their lives, and how they deal with the influences that shape their decisions. Her group SMASH – Students Making Ads for Social Health was given the annual Public Safety Award for project work aimed at reducing drug use while partnering with various organizations to include the Office of Neighborhood Involvement who nominated the group. Her work on Students Creating Entertainment for Neighborhood Empowerment (SCENE) was recognized by several county commissioners, police bureaus, and community members who supported the wonderful collaboration with the shared passion to better understand the various issues affecting communities through the lens of the youth through film. She has formed countless partnerships in several communities and is continuously motivated to form more.
She is a member of several community based groups with focus on service and outreach which include Big Brothers Big Sisters, Random Acts of Kindness, Young Education Professionals, Mile High Young Professionals, Metro Denver Community Service, Denver Young Professionals, Denver Hispanic Chamber, and more. When she is not out trying to form community collaborations she can be found planning her next vacation, enjoying the beautiful Colorado sights, and all that Denver can offer.
She can be reached at [email protected] or [email protected]. Jennifer Morrison
As a Colorado native and passionate young professional, it would be difficult to find another person more excited about where she lives and how important it feels to give back to the community. Jenn grew up in Lakewood, CO and feels very lucky for having wonderful parents who are also avid nature lovers, hikers and campers. She grew up lower middle class where both parents had to work, so she was left taking care of my younger sister and making dinner most nights through her older childhood. Jenn speaks often of the humble upbringing and is very thankful for this background because it made her really appreciate what she has now in life. She takes very little for granted and feels she has a lot to give back.
Since her family was so focused on work with little time or money for anything extra, she was unable to do many sports. She found other ways to get involved with the student community and was well known for kindness and focus on my classes. In her senior year she became a Peer Counselor. Jenn is very grateful for this role as she believes it helped her develop my listening skills and sympathetic capacity that guides her life with a desire to help people.
Jenn stayed in Colorado for college, attended CSU and pursued a business degree and focus on Spanish. She studied abroad in Spain which helped develop her love for international travel. Her husband was a very good friend from college and they were engaged just before graduation. They moved back to Denver to start their careers and build their life. Her husband found his passion in real estate development while she focused on a corporate job helping companies hire engineers and scientists. After seven years as a corporate sales person where she was top in the country for her division, Jenn decided to make a change and pursue a new career with more autonomy and capacity to live a better life. While starting this pursuit, Jenn found out she was pregnant. Very surprised and confused, thinking it wasn’t the best time, she thought even pregnant women start companies and are successful, so she pushed forward. Then she found out she was having twins. This news stopped her career focus for the rest of that year while she took care of her health and focused on bringing healthy babies into the world.
Now Jenn is the proud mother of twin girls, almost five, full of spunk and energy. They gave her a hard time coming into this world as she spent nine weeks in the hospital as they tried to come early at 28 weeks. But they were born healthy and happy and continue to keep her on her toes. They also helped guide her to her next career as a real estate broker. Her husband was focusing on building and developing with little interest in the real estate side of his business. He offered Jenn a position to direct and grow the company. Within the first few years they grew from two to seven brokers, opened an office and quickly started selling about 100 homes a year. Brixton is a boutique brokerage with a focus on investment and effective strategies. Jenn loves her role as she gets to build relationships with clients, develop a team, and also feed her competitive side by winning in a tough Denver real estate market. She also thoroughly enjoys the autonomy she gets from owning a company that has a small, effective team. Jenn’s husband and her now own five companies including a construction company. They are heavily involved in the Denver market and she loves to learn more about Denver and see it grow.
Jenn is passionate about her community and the future generations to live here. She wants to do everything she can to improve her life and the lives of others. That is why Jenn is pursuing an opportunity with Impact Denver so she can contribute and learn where she can be the best possible asset for the community she loves. Erin Neren 3 Story Design
Erin Neren founded 3 Story Design in the fall of 2004 to help small businesses and nonprofits receive agency-quality work in a boutique setting. Over the last decade, Erin has worked with private-sector clients in categories including medical and healthcare, travel, real estate and financial services. Her expertise in design and marketing for nonprofits includes organizations supporting education, children’s advocacy, women’s health, mental health and veterinary services. Clients such as Colorado Children’s Campaign, Gary Community Investments, PetAid Colorado and The Blue Bench are just a few of the clients that she has served for many years.
Prior to starting her own business, Erin began her career in Denver in 1996 and worked at several advertising agencies and design firms and continues to partner with many of them today.
Erin’s community involvement has included serving on several boards including Colorado Youth at Risk and currently, Think 360 Arts. She has also done marketing committee work for Behind the Red, a local Red Cross initiative and serves on executive council of the parent association for Graland Country Day School.
Erin attended West Virginia University for her undergraduate degree in fine arts and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Administration with a nonprofit management concentration at the University of Colorado Denver.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Denver has been home for Erin for almost 20 years. Now raising a family with her husband, Matt, she enjoys spending time with her two children – Rand (9) and Rory (5). In her free time, she enjoys travel, reading and cooking.
Martha Obermiller
Martha Obermiller is currently working as an Account Manager for The Kenney Group, a strategic communications, public affairs, and government relations consulting firm in downtown Denver. Her background in politics began by running two of the most successful campaigns in the history of University of Colorado Boulder Student Government using a combination of grassroots efforts and innovative technology to garner the unprecedented support of her colleagues. Since joining The Kenney group she helps with everything from local organizations like The Cherry Creek Area Business Alliance to industry clients like PhRMA.
Martha is a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder where she received her bachelor degree in International Affairs, minor in Ethnic Studies, and certificate in Multicultural Leadership. Her years at Boulder were busy as an elected member of the Cultural Events Board and President of the legislative branch of CU Student Government. In addition to these and many other activities, she studied abroad in both Argentina and Cuba where she gained unique cultural perspectives and was able to strengthen her fluency in Spanish.
Her desire for community building and engagement continued after graduation as she began her career doing youth ministry for junior high and high school students in Aurora, Colorado and leading backcountry trips for kids in Wyoming at Teton Valley Ranch Camp Education Foundation. Upon returning to Denver, her desire to be an active part of how Denver continues to grow and develop brought her to The Kenney Group where she is able to utilize and expand on her skills within a firm who actively engages at the city state and even federal level of policy and development.
Her engagement in the city goes beyond work. She serves on CityBuild Denver, a board of young, Denver professionals who are passionate about engaging youth in the city building process. Wanting to be a part of municipal elections, she volunteered for Anna Jones for District 10 for the 2015 spring elections.
Equal parts Montanan and Denverite, Martha enjoys all the rich art, culture, and diversity the city has to offer; but make no mistake, you’ll also catch her running to the mountains most weekends to snowboard, fly fish, and backpack. She often talks fondly of living in Cuba, floating the Grand Canyon for three weeks, and long days spent on her horse in Montana. She happily lives in Denver’s Sante Fe Art District and looks forward to continuing to build her community in Denver. Courtney Oswald
I grew up on a dairy farm in Kansas. I was active in high school with volleyball, basketball, choir, KAYS club, FFA, and Forensics.
Upon high school I continued my education at Kansas State University. I completed my B.A. degree in Journalism Mass Communications with an Outside Concentration in Modern Languages.
I began my career in Kansas City, working at an advertising agency. I left to pursue my career with Cerner Corporation. Since I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do I knew Healthcare IT was a great area to work and within a large company I could find my way. I worked in sales and consulting while at Cerner.
I moved to Denver 3 years ago after coming out to visit some friends that had recently moved to Denver. I fell in love with Colorado over the weekend and quit my job, sold my things, and moved to Denver.
My career continued in Healthcare IT but I transitioned from sales to HR. I found my career passion in recruiting.
About 3 months ago Washington University of St. Louis approached me to fill their Program Director position in Denver. While they are based out of St. Louis as of 3 years ago they had found their way to the Denver market to target those that were flying out to pursue their EMBA degree at places like Wharton, Kellogg, MIT, etc. I am solely responsible for the Denver market filling their yearly class of no more than 20 individuals looking to transform themselves and their careers. In addition to the individual level I have been tasked with creating lasting and meaningful relationships with the community of Denver.
Outside of work I enjoy volunteering, cooking, baking, running, and yoga. Sara Overby
Sara Overby has worked at the Colorado Health Foundation as a Program Officer for the last five years. In this role, she has met nonprofit and community leaders around the state of Colorado and has been in the fortunate position to provide funding support to innovative health projects. At the Foundation she has also led initiatives such as a financial analysis of Colorado’s health care safety net with the Nonprofit Finance Fund.
Sara grew up in southeastern rural Oklahoma, in a small town named Poteau. Her family moved to the Tulsa-area when she was a teenager, and she refers to it as home. She graduated from Sapulpa High School and was ranked 8th in her class of 300 students. After high school, she attended Oklahoma State University where she studied business management with an interest in sustainable and international business.
In 2005, Sara moved to Washington, DC and worked at a nonprofit, the U.S. Green Building Council, with chapter leaders and members around the U.S. on sustainable and environmentally friendly building efforts through the LEED green building rating system. She advocated for chapter partners in the organization and helped chapters to strengthen their efforts through guidance on nonprofit operations and governance. She met famous architects, learned about building science, and worked in a beautiful office space.
After a few years in a Washington, DC cubicle, she needed adventure. A friend lured her into the idea of working abroad, and in 2008, she sold her belongings and moved to central Taiwan. In Taiwan she learned how hard it is to be a teacher, but threw herself into teaching. She taught English to children aged 5-15 in an immersive, game-filled and student-centered environment. She learned to ride a scooter and speak Chinese, and she adored her students.
Wanting to be closer to family in Oklahoma, Sara returned to the U.S. and moved to Denver In 2010. She started working at the Colorado Health Foundation in August of that year. The work has allowed her to travel around every corner of Colorado and given her the opportunity to meet amazing and passionate people.
Sara’s current biggest priorities are her family and finishing her Master’s Degree in Public Administration. She enjoys travel, stand-up comedy, old buildings, her weedy garden, and her animals (3 dogs and 6 chickens). She is an enthusiastic member of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Denver Art Museum.
Her three favorite Colorado nonprofits are 9-to-5 Colorado (for their advocacy for working women), Denver CASA (for their advocacy for children), and the Colfax Community Network (for their advocacy for homeless families along the Colfax corridor). Laura Parker
As a child of an Air Force officer, I moved around quite a bit growing up. We never stayed in one place more than a few years at time, and when I was younger I used to love this. However as middle school and high school started to loom, my father became the worst person ever for forcing me to pick up and move yet again. Looking back on this I am grateful for the opportunities it provided me and helped me to have a curious personality.
I grew up with a small family which taught me to love and appreciate the time that we have together and traditions that we have built. My parents and sister live in Virginia which doesn’t allow me much time to see them, generally once in the summer and then either Christmas or Thanksgiving. But I love nothing more than going back to visit them for Fourth of July and heading out on my parent’s boat for a few days. The boat is large enough for five people to spend a couple nights eating and drinking and swimming. Nothing brings your family together more than living on a boat for a few days together.
Growing up moving has also instilled a sense of adventure in me. I love exploring new places and seeing the world around. I love to travel and have made it a priority to head abroad when possible. I have been to numerous countries seeking food, wine, friendship, history, and a good conversation. I have done some amazing things from sunrise hot air balloon rides, sailing adventures, climbing Machu Picchu, to working with local schools and government in West Africa. I also love to explore my own backyard and living in a place like Colorado allows me this opportunity. I enjoy rock climbing, running our mountains, playing in the beautiful snow, and taking in the sites. I truly believe that as long as you are exploring and seeking you are growing, and I never want to stop growing.
As much as I love to travel and play, I also want to grow in my education and career. I recently applied to go back to business school and will start in the spring 2016 semester. At first I was terrified of the work involved, the tests I would take, and the time commitment. However, in the end I realized that no matter how hard it is, not doing it is something I would regret more. I will be going to get an MS in Marketing and I am so excited to meet new people and stretch my limits. I am also excited for the possibilities it will provide me to grow in my career. I have always had big dreams and high hopes of where my career will take me and believe this is the next step. In the coming years I hope to gain more responsibility and take on more projects and going back to school can only help.
I am also a hugely competitive person. I have always been this way, and I like to attribute it to being the younger sibling, however I think I am the only one to blame for this. I grew up playing all sorts of sports and always wanted to keep up with the boys as recess. In college I was on the rowing team and from day one I made it my mission to get the fastest time to earn a better seat in the boat. I often joke with my parents that if only they had forced me to play one sport instead of trying them all I could have made it to the Olympics. However, being so competitive has also taught me a lot about disappointment. I have realized that I can’t always be number one and I won’t always be the fastest no matter how hard I try. It is a constant life lesson I am trying to learn.
As a communications graduate from University of Georgia my passions lie in helping people effectively communicate their missions and working closely with others to help their understand their business and capabilities. I love doing this by surrounding myself with people who want to grow and learn and inspire others. Dawanta Parks
Dawanta Parks was born and raised in Oklahoma City and obtain a position with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation after high school. While working for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Dawanta applied and was accepted into the Certified Public Manager Program (CPM) in 2002 and graduated as a CPMer in 2006. Doing his time in the program he worked on his Bachelor's in Administrative Leadership which mirrored his training in the CPM leadership course. Dawanta is a two time recipient of the Phyllis Taylor Continuing Education Scholarship (2005 and 2006) and a co-recipent for the rookie of the year for Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Managers (2006).
Separating from the military as Army Infantry Staff Sergeant, he earned status of being a combat veteran. With eleven service years in the Oklahoma Army National Guard which he joined after a high school membership in the Air Force ROTC, he knows firsthand the veteran’s pride along with the trials and tribulations. He is a two time combat veteran: Bosnia, 2000-2001, and Afghanistan, 2003-2004. During his time in the military he learned the importance on leadership and management skills.
After service to our country, he followed up with an impressive set of educational achievements in the areas which would enable him to reach his goals. He holds an Associate’s Degree in Management from Oklahoma State University; a Bachelor’s Degree in Administrative Leadership from the University of Oklahoma; a Master’s Degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma; a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Denver; and currently working a Master’s of Human Resources/Change Innovation.
Dawanta has been on several leadership boards which includes; Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Manager as Area Board Member Southeast Area and Program Co-Chair, National Black MBA as a Vice President of Operations, and the Employer Support of The Guard and Reserve as a Co-Director (Employment Initiative). Pedro Perera Pedro is a native of Caracas, Venezuela, but spent many of his formative years living and attending school in Muscat, Oman. In 2009, Pedro earned his BA from Northeastern University in Boston. He subsequently moved to Denver, Colo., to work for the 2010 Denver Biennial of the Americas as the Assistant to the Program Director. After the success of this event, Pedro began working at the U.S.-Mexico Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding opportunities for the people of Mexico through effective philanthropy and binational partnerships. In 2012, he enrolled in a master’s program at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies and in the MBA program at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver, where he developed a keener understanding of international business while building lateral connections and leadership skills to navigate with ease throughout the different layers of our current global realities. Since July 2015, Pedro works at the North American Specialty Hospital, a soon to be center of excellence in the delivery of healthcare in Cancun, Mexico, as its Director of Business Development.
Amanda Raker Partner Engagement Manager Goodwill Industries of Denver
Amanda Raker is with the Business Development Department for Goodwill Industries of Denver as a Partner Engagement Manager. In this role since April 2015, Amanda engages businesses in the metro area to partner with Goodwill Denver and their workforce development programs. Her ability to network and connect key individuals to build mutually beneficial partnerships has strengthened and developed new and existing partner- ships, even in nine short months. She connects with corporations and community organizations to maximize efforts, strengthen workforce development programs, and ultimately break the cycle of poverty in our community.
Prior to her Partner Engagement Manager position, Amanda spent four years with Goodwill Denver’s Youth Career Development Services as a manager, lead facilitator, and facilitator. She utilized her expertise as an educator to impact youth in the programs, develop programming, build new partnerships, and support, hire, train, and retain dedicated staff. She was critical to the success of a new partnership with Adams 12 Five Star Schools at Northglenn HS, focused on supporting the school’s budding STEM program, and other large projects such as a partnership with Denver’s Office of Economic Development Youth Services for their Summer Youth Employment Program.
Amanda worked and volunteered with Denver Urban Gardens prior to working with Goodwill Denver as a Connecting Generations Mentor, Master Community Gardener, and School Garden Intern. Through this work, she has volunteered with youth and various community gardens throughout the metro area, organized garden tours, and helped DUG to develop standard-based curriculum for educators. She was a founding member and prior garden leader for the Ute Trail Community Garden in Lakewood, where she still gardens and enjoys the gorgeous views.
Amanda will celebrate 11 years in Denver this February, and immensely enjoys the Colorado lifestyle; she enjoys gardening, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, yoga and live music. She grew up in Lexington, Kentucky and was a Kentucky Governor’s Scholar. She attended Wittenberg University and the University of Louisville, where she obtained a Bachelors of Arts in Humanities with a concentration in modern culture. She has a teach- ing license in Secondary Social Studies from the University of Colorado Denver, where she specialized in work with urban youth. She resides in Lakewood, Colorado with her eight year old son.
Leah Rausch Community Resource Center Senior Program Manager - Rural Partnerships
Leah Rausch is passionate about building sustainable and robust communities in Colorado and abroad. A Minnesota native, Leah moved to Colorado to attend the University of Denver. With a B.A. in Interna- tional Studies and Spanish, Leah began her career in the nonprofit sector to gain experience in community development. For the past three years, Leah has worked with Community Resource Center (CRC) in Denver.
Leah’s current role as Senior Program Manager of Rural Partnerships is multi-faceted and dynamic. Leah manages the Rural Philanthropy Days program, a nationally recognized effort to bring private philanthro- py and capacity building opportunities into Colorado’s rural communities. Additionally, Leah manages CRC’s AmeriCorps VISTA program, which places VISTA volunteers into rural nonprofits to increase their capacity to serve their communities. When she’s not meeting with nonprofit partners across the state, Leah conducts trainings on nonprofit best practices and serves as a special projects manager on outreach initiatives, such as the recent Colorado Health Foundation Statewide Listening Tour.
Leah has demonstrated skills and expertise in community outreach, volunteer coordination and recruit- ment, project management, facilitation, fundraising, and marketing. She has executed events in all corners of Colorado, and has managed over 200 professional volunteers on regional committees. In addition to her work with CRC, Leah supports the Women’s Global Empowerment Fund (WGEF) as an officer on the Board of Directors. Before she joined the board, Leah was an intern and volunteer for WGEF, sup- porting marketing and fund development efforts.
In her free time, Leah takes advantage of the beautiful Colorado landscape through skiing, hiking, and biking. She often uses her work trips to rural Colorado to adventure off the beaten path. Leah has visited 60 of 64 Colorado counties, and hopes to complete the tour by the end of 2016. Some highlights from 2015 included trips to the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde, as well as the towns of Ouray, Creede, and Westcliffe. Chris Ringwood Management Consultant North Highland Consulting
Chris Ringwood is a management consultant with North Highland Consulting, where he works with healthcare, public sector and transportation clients to make their lives easier, remove roadblocks, and lead tough projects. Chris loves the employee-ownership and entrepreneurial leeway that North Highland affords him. The no-travel consulting model and ‘100% satisfaction guarantee’ attracted Chris because it allows him to work proudly with clients and organizations in his community and also be with his family and friends on a daily basis, instead of on the road.
Chris, his wife Haley, daughter Olivia and soon-to-be son (April) have lived in Denver for 5 years. After moving out west for a ‘temporary 3 year period’ for his wife’s family medicine residency at UC, they decided to put down roots and stick around for a while. Chris is deeply committed to the community and helping others through his work with Habitat for Humanity, the Food Bank of the Rockies and developing the Project C.U.R.E. Young Professional board.
Prior to joining North Highland, Chris was a consultant with KPMG in Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham, NC for 5 years, where he legally tried to break into credit unions and banks, audited R.J. Reynolds financials and inspected IT controls for Revlon and Wal-Mart. He was born and raised in Gainesville, Florida where he also attended the University of Florida (Go Gators!).
When he’s not working, Chris can be found outside enjoying a sunny Colorado day on foot, bike or snowshoe. He is in tune with the local music scene after having played many local venues with Elliott Moonshine and the Ghost over the past few years (Oriental Theater, Larimer Lounge, Hi-Dive, etc.) and when given the chance, he’ll always tune in to watch his beloved Florida Gators on TV.
Hannah Smith Account Executive 5280 Magazine (630) 251-4955
Hannah attended the University of Denver and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International Business and a minor in Spanish. Hannah had the fortunate experience of studying abroad her junior year. She completed a Spanish emersion program in Santander, Spain then moved to Florence, Italy to study fashion design, European history and artistic works by Michelangelo.
Hannah now refers to the eclectic Mile High as ‘home’. Having lived here for seven years and now approaching her second year as an Account Executive at 5280, Hannah has cultivated a rich affinity for Denver and Colorado as a whole. Her portfolio of clients ranges from smaller business owners to multi-level franchisees within the services, non-profit, beauty and fashion retail industries. Hannah has been able to come up with innovative marketing plans and special advertising sections to suit her clients’ various objectives. With this strategy, Hannah has truly excelled with her categories and is responsible for 40% year over year growth.
Hannah’s love for 5280 and her work truly stems from her overall appreciation for magazines. She specifically relishes in Bon Appetite, Time, Fast Company and Condé Nast Traveler. When reading her subscriptions, she makes a game of finding the trendiest coffee house within Denver metro. Hannah’s family lives all over the U.S. so there are no shortage of destinations when choosing to travel. However, they love having an excuse to come to this thriving city.
Jeff Sprole
Jeff Sprole is an accomplished public affairs professional with significant experience in program management, government and community relations, and member education. He is a collaborative team leader with sound strategic planning capabilities. Jeff is an effective communicator with the ability to explain complex ideas in a relatable manner to diverse audiences, and highly skilled at analyzing, organizing, and utilizing data to direct program implementation and to integrate technology to improve processes.
Jeff has served as the director of a non-profit organization, been a lobbyist for public education, directed the political efforts of a statewide membership organization, started and run a small business, managed an advocacy network of volunteers, and delivered a retirement education program to public employees. Currently, Jeff is the Ambassador Field Manager at Colorado PERA (Public Employees’ Retirement Association), where he manages a statewide network of volunteers to advocate on behalf of retirement security and share the positive message of the value PERA provides to Colorado.
With a background in program management and public administration, Jeff is actively involved in the community, serving on the Board and as the Public Relations Chair for the Rotary Club of Denver Mile High, a Board Member of the Jump$tart Coalition, and a regular volunteer with Food for Thought – Denver. Jeff loves Denver and Colorado for all it has to offer – with a perfect day starting on the mountain and finishing with a fresh beer and live music in his neighborhood.
Jackson Stevens
Jackson Stevens has a passion for people. Originally coming to Denver to pursue a degree in classical music, he now plays an important role as a leader in the Denver community.
Before completing his undergraduate degree, Stevens was named the Individual Giving Associate at the Colorado Symphony, the region’s largest performing arts organization. During his time at the CSO, he architected the young professional program “Remix” and crafted the wildly popular Beethoven and Brews chamber music and beer tasting series.
Fueled by a desire to help, Stevens quickly involved himself in a number of Denver leadership organizations including Cross-Cultured, a super-collaboration among the young professionals groups of all the major Denver cultural institutions, and CityBuild, the Millennial initiative of the Downtown Denver Partnership.
Upon transitioning from his role at the Colorado Symphony into his role at Commerce Kitchen, a local technology company and a Colorado Companies to Watch winner, Stevens assumed the role as chair for the Remix Young Professionals Board. He also assisted the 2015 Denver Startup Week as a coordinator for Basecamp Launched by Chase.
Only four months into his role at Commerce Kitchen, Stevens has already been instrumental in shaping the future trajectory for the company by helping to develop the business development strategy.
In his spare time, Stevens mentors both his college fraternity as the chapter adviser and his Little Brother through Big Brothers Big Sisters. You may also find him around town playing drums for the local sensation, Winehouse, an Amy Winehouse tribute band.
Micah Sucherman
Contact:
1801 California Street, Suite 4200 Denver, CO 80202 (303) 298-5910 [email protected]
Micah Sucherman is an associate in the Denver office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he currently practices in the firm’s Litigation Department.
Mr. Sucherman earned his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2011, where he served as the Senior Publishing Editor of the California Law Review and as a Co-Director of the Advocates for Youth Justice Expulsion Clinic. Mr. Sucherman also earned a Best Brief Award in the James Patterson McBaine Moot Court Competition in 2011. He earned his Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Presidents Leadership Class. He majored in Political Science and English Literature, and earned a Certificate in Leadership Studies.
Mr. Sucherman is admitted to practice in Colorado.
Publications
People v. Robinson: Developments and Problems in the Use of “John Doe” DNA Arrest Warrants, 99 Calif. L. Rev. 885 (2011).
1 Lindsay A. Taylor 3420 Lowell Blvd. (720) 431-7362 (cell) Denver, CO 80211 [email protected]
Lindsay Taylor, originally from Wilmington, Del., graduated from the University of Delaware in 2004 with degrees in Theatre Production & Spanish. Upon graduation, she taught high school Drama & Spanish at Alexis I. duPont High School, where she built the Drama department from 15 students to over 100.
In 2008, she relocated to Denver, and discovered the robust nonprofit community. She worked for Ballet Nouveau Colorado (now Wonderbound and Colorado Conservatory of Dance) as their Box Office & Administrative Manager and Musical Theater Camp Director. She was an integral part of the organization’s promotional team and was responsible for the implementation of its online ticketing system and ticket tracking processes.
In 2011, Lindsay returned to teaching part-time at Englewood Middle School. From 2011 to 2014, Lindsay was part of a crucial team made up of teachers, administrators and community members to design a new campus for grades 7-12. The Englewood Campus (TEC) was a result of a $50 million bond initiative, and this team developed the overall strategic vision for TEC and focused on many crucial details, from architecture input to curriculum design. In 2011, Lindsay also began her tenure at Swallow Hill Music.
At Swallow Hill Music, Lindsay combines her passion for folk music and arts administration. As Director of Marketing, Lindsay manages the Marketing Department to raise brand awareness and ensure success of the organization’s programs through printed materials, advertising, and strategic partnerships. She works closely with the entire staff to further the organization and promote its mission and vision statements.
For 3 years, Lindsay volunteered for Zuma’s Rescue Ranch in Littleton, and acted as Secretary of the Board of Directors from 2014-2015. She also volunteers her publicity services to local artists and musicians to help build their brand awareness across the city.
David Thurow
David is a Consulting Manager with Breo Solutions, LLC with over ten years of leadership experience in project management and performance improvement in Defense, Healthcare and Utility industries. A team player that uses initiative and innovation to break down barriers and resolve complex issues. Excellent communication and negotiation skills with a history of effectively managing large-scale projects with stakeholders ranging from the tactical end users to the highest strategic leadership. Recognized for building teams and relationships to manage executive-level strategy transformation efforts in highly matrixed environments. Strong skill set in product life cycle management, process redesign, requirements management, and large scale technology transformation. Reputation for understanding and simplifying complex business and technological issues, effectively communicating with all stakeholders, streamlining processes, and developing a shared vision of success.
Before joining Breo, David was a Manager at Deloitte Consulting, LLP where he led large scale and high visibility projects for the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs. He also led Deloitte’s national veteran outreach, recruiting, and rentention efforts as the executive lead for the National Armed Forces Business Resource Group (AFBRG). Prior to Deloitte, David worked on the staff of the Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means for the U.S. Congress and at the Office of Federal Procurement Policy at the Office of Management and Budget, where he drafted major federal legislation on invasive species and helped rewrite portions of the Federal Government’s Capital Programming Guide.
Additionally, he has obtained his Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College, is a Program Management Professional (PMP), PM Certified from the Defense Acquisition University, and is a Certified Defense Financial Manager (CDFM).
Samantha Tobia
As the Development & Events Manager for STRIVE Preparatory Schools, Samantha is responsible for fundraising, grant writing, event management, and cultivating new relationships for the STRIVE Prep network. She has experience working in multiple settings within Denver's education landscape, from the classroom to the Capitol. Most recently, Samantha served as the Education Research Assistant for Denver's Office of Children's Affairs, where she supported Mayor Hancock in his role as the Chair of the Educational Excellence Task Force for the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and provided leadership surrounding the Mayors for Educational Excellence Tour. Prior, she completed State Senator Mike Johnston’s Urban Leaders Summer Fellowship, where she partnered with Denver’s Office of Children’s Affairs and Councilman Albus Brooks to research and analyze school leadership, culture, and achievement in his council district. As an AmeriCorps alumna, Samantha served as a middle school tutor and mentor in Northwest Denver through the education-based nonprofit, City Year. She currently serves on the Development Committee for the GrowHaus, a community-based nonprofit focused on food education, production, and distribution in the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood. Originally from Massachusetts, Samantha attended Marist College in New York, where she graduated as the Valedictorian with degrees in Social Work and Political Science. Tyler Van Eeckhaut Mortenson Construction 1621 18th St, Suite 400, Denver, CO 80202 720.202.6542 – [email protected]
From an early age Tyler was drawn to construction and architecture. Growing up, his parents would point out historically significant buildings, structures and monuments. As a freshman high school student, he, like many students, was unsure what career to pursue, then during his sophomore year, he enrolled in an introduction to architecture class. Sometimes people get lucky with a specific teacher; a teacher who truly cares about someone’s future and genuinely makes a difference. Tyler got lucky by not only finding such a teacher, but also a mentor. One simple architecture class evolved into advanced architecture, then into an independent study class, and finishing with a Problem Solving for Engineers course. At this point Tyler sat down with his teacher and discussed possible future career paths.
The idea that through design and construction we can dramatically impact the lives of others is very rewarding. After enrolling into Colorado State University and being admitted into the Construction Management Program, Tyler knew he had made the right decision. In four years, he completed his Bachelors of Applied Human Sciences degree in Construction Management with a Minor in Business Administration. Additionally, during those four years, he gained experience in the construction field by working for a well-respected residential/commercial contractor in Colorado Springs and as a Field Engineer Intern with JE Dunn Construction on the National Renewable Energies Laboratories ESIF project which extended into the school year. That semester was a pivotal point in Tyler’s life, as he learned to manage being a full-time student and working 2-3 days a week. Ultimately, CSU was the perfect fit for Tyler especially when he discovered competition teams, which traveled to compete on the national level. The Design-Build Institute of America’s annual student competition team gave Tyler the opportunity to explore employment opportunities with several large nationally recognized construction companies.
In November of Tyler’s college senior year, he had to make the important decision of choosing a construction company with whom he wanted to initiate his career. With offers of employment from around the country, Tyler evaluated his options and ultimately decided that Denver was where he most wanted to be. Tyler has always considered Colorado home and working for Mortenson in Denver helped Tyler give back to the state and community that had already given him so much. In Tyler’s opinion, Mortenson is the premier builder in the Rocky Mountain region which is why he was so excited about the opportunity. What Tyler quickly learned after starting with Mortenson was that his fundamental beliefs aligned with those of the company. Community service and involvement became second nature, as he recognized that Mortenson genuinely cares about having a positive impact on the community and delivering the best possible product to the customer.
At Mortenson, Tyler’s career has evolved from Field Engineer to Project Engineer II. He has been involved in multiple projects in the Denver Metro area. His participation in Mortenson’s Quality Leadership Team has given him the opportunity to impact the company on a larger platform with the potential to influence not only a single project, but many. Mortenson has also afforded Tyler multiple opportunities to provide service to others outside of the work day; and he’s been privileged to take advantage of many during his early career with the Company. In the near future, Tyler looks forward to continuing to advance his career with Mortenson, as well as helping the Denver community in the most constructive way possible. Laura Waligorski
Laura has been in the sales/management arena for over thirty years. Thirteen years as a sales manager for top producing health clubs, with experience in leading large teams. Fifteen years as a residential realtor, and a Diamond Elite Premier Service award recipient. Seven years as a membership team leader at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
Laura has an associate degree from the Art Institute of Colorado.
Sarah J. Wood, CPA Kundinger, Corder, & Engle, P.C. 475 Lincoln Street, Suite 200, Denver, CO 80203 720-519-7664 [email protected]
I began my career with Kundinger, Corder, & Engle P.C. (KCE) in Denver, Colorado in August 2009. I am a manager at the firm, and we specialize exclusively in not-for-profit auditing and taxes of charities in the Denver area. I work with nonprofits in a variety of industries such as mental health, affordable housing, lending, cultural, fundraising, oil and gas, and tourism.
I like working with my clients to make audits easier, more efficient and correct, but I also take a personal approach and connect with my clients in a different way than most people in my profession. I have worked hard towards developing a mutual respect with my clients by taking a down-to-earth approach when working with them.
I attended the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando and studied accounting. UCF is currently the second largest university in the nation with over 60,000 students. While attending UCF, I was an active member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. I also participated in Alternative Spring Break my freshman year, serving as a camp counselor at a local camp for children with disabilities for the week.
I am a founding member and immediate past president of the UCF Alumni Chapter in Denver. I served on the board for four years, guiding the new chapter from five members to over 150. My chapter recently won Chapter of the Year award, the highest achievement, for our work implementing the new strategic plan which included adding a strong networking component to our outreach efforts. I am proud of being an instrumental part in creating a sustainable legacy for this chapter.
After graduating UCF, I moved to Denver for a new adventure, networking through my sorority alumni to get my job at KCE. Since moving to Denver, I have also become involved with the Kappa Kappa Gamma Denver Alumnae Association. I was a Vice President of the Association for two years and helped connect new graduates to become more involved. In addition, I also helped raise money and awareness for our philanthropic efforts such as rehabilitation efforts at Craig Hospital and promoting literacy through Reading is Fundamental.
I am passionate about learning, traveling, and being successful. I am also independent and adventurous. In 2012, I travelled alone to Australia on a travel group with young adults for three weeks who I had never met before. Some of my hobbies include skiing, reading, jewelry making, crafting, watching sports, experiencing new things, and exploring new places. Adam Zarrin is currently the Legislative Liaison for the Office of Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper. Reporting to the Legislative Director, he coordinates internal processes regarding legislation, including bill signings, tracking legislation, and coordinating official positions. Prior to his current position, Adam provided administrative support to Roxane White, the Governor’s Chief of Staff, and to Ken Lund, the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade. In each position, he coordinated demanding schedules and improved daily efficiency for the executives. Adam also served as an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer In Service To America), coordinating the statewide effort to address and end homelessness. This included co-authoring the state’s first statewide plan to address homelessness, Pathway Home Colorado. Adam received his Bachelor of Science in Physics and Economics from the American University in Washington, D.C. In his spare time, Adam is pursuing the chance to referee professional soccer matches. Marykate Zukiewicz
Marykate Zukiewicz is a public policy researcher who specializes in the evaluation of educational programs across the country. For the past five years, Marykate has served as a researcher at Mathematica Policy Research, a national think tank that is dedicated to improving public well-being by bringing the highest standards of quality, objectivity in data collection and analysis. Mathematica’s studies and analysis have yielded information to guide decisions in wide-ranging policy areas, from health, education, early childhood, and family support to nutrition, employment, disability, and international development. At Mathematica, Marykate has worked on a wide range of national, high profile studies focused on education policy, including an evaluations on the impact of the Teach For America program, approaches to data-driven instruction, and teacher preparation programs, as well as studies on early childhood programs and family support.
Prior to joining Mathematica, Marykate served as a legislative director at City Hall in New York City from 2006-2009, helping to crafting policy proposals, reviewing city-wide legislation and developing an annual discretionary budget for District 26 in Queens. She also served as a community liaison to local community boards, civic groups and a broad range of constituents within the district. Before working at City Hall, Marykate served as a bilingual second grade teacher in the South Bronx at Rafael Hernandez Dual Language School through the Teach For America program. Marykate graduated from Amherst College in 2004, and has earned a Master’s in Public Administration from New York University and a Master’s in Education from Lehman College.
Marykate is passionate about community service, and has played a number of roles in supporting community organizations. In New York City, Marykate acted as weekly client intake volunteer at the Raushenbusch Metro Ministry food pantry and as a mentor to young women and a program fundraiser at the Lower Eastside Girls Club. In Denver, Marykate currently serves as a weekly volunteer at the MetroCaring food program, and as a monthly volunteer at the Sacred Heart House for homeless women and families. Marykate is relatively new to Denver (she moved here three months ago) and she is eager to become more involved in the community!