Calling Colorado Leaders

MEMBER STRONG

EPIC is a group of prestigious business executives partnering to invest in children. As leaders in their companies and industries, our Members are leaving a legacy of true progress and lasting change.

EPIC’s Board of Directors

MEMBERS

Ryan Beiser

Chairman of the Board
Regional President
PNC Bank

In this role, Ryan is responsible for leading overall growth across Colorado with a special focus on the Denver Metro area, as well as overseeing all aspects of Corporate Banking in the region. His office implements all local sponsorship and philanthropic efforts to execute PNC’s community-based goals and initiatives.

Ryan previously served as the chief operating officer of PNC’s Corporate and Commercial Banking groups. Prior to his COO role, Ryan led Corporate Banking for PNC’s Florida East region. During his tenure, he has participated in numerous internal and external initiatives while at PNC, including Men Advocating Real Change (MARC), Women Connect, and United Way West Palm Beach.

In Denver, Ryan is a member of YPO Colorado and serves on the board of Mile High United Way, the Board of Advisors for the University of Colorado Denver Business School, and on the Major Gifts Council for Early Childhood Education of the Mile High United Way.

Ryan earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from St. Vincent College and a MBA from the University of Maryland. He and his wife Heather live in Denver with their three children.

Marc Pasquariello-Williams

Secretary
Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor
RBC Wealth Management

Marc has been serving clients in the private wealth management industry since leaving public accounting in 1991 and is currently, Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor for RBC Wealth Management. Prior to RBC, he was Family Wealth Director, Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager and Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley for over 9 years; and then Senior Vice President for almost 18 years at Wells Fargo. Marc has a background in law, JD from William Mitchell College of Law, accounting (CPA), and business (MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management).

When Marc is not busy earning the title of trusted advisor to his client base who seek to fulfill their true intent for advancing purpose and legacy, you can find him engaged in any one of several outdoor activities, enjoying all that Colorado has to offer. Marc is the single father of two daughters. His oldest, Gabrielle, graduated from the University of Richmond this spring and is living in Raleigh, N.C., and his youngest, Sophia, is heading back to college this fall after recovering from her fourth and final shoulder surgery in less than 5 years. Marc is also a professionally certified tennis racquet stringer. Having strung thousands of racquets while his daughter was pursuing her passion on the tennis courts, he created Last Second Stringing, a purely philanthropic endeavor and donates all funds collected to a foundation that runs a school for children in Uganda.

Marc participates on EPIC’s Policy and Initiatives committees and his expertise and input is highly valued.

Laura Carlson

Vice President of Programs
Buell Foundation *

Laura Carlson is the Vice President of Programs at the Buell Foundation. As a member of the Foundation’s management team, she is responsible for overseeing grantmaking activities, development and oversight of special projects and initiatives, and supervision of the program staff.

Laura has a Master’s of Science in organizational leadership with a focus on change management and a Bachelor of Arts in communication from Colorado State University. The focus of her career has been on early childhood development. Prior to joining the Buell Foundation team in 2010, Laura worked for Invest in Kids as a fundraiser and program director for statewide implementation of The Incredible Years, an evidence-based social/emotional skill development program for preschool children and their caregivers. In addition, she was a lead teacher for several years at Children’s Creative Encounters, a preschool in Littleton that she attended as a young child. She currently sits as a representative on the Colorado Young Child Wellness Council and chairs the LAUNCH Together Advisory Team.

Laura spends her time away from the office enjoying time with her husband and two young sons. The arts play a prominent role in the Carlson household, and Laura spends much of her free time painting and crafting, making or listening to music, and enjoying area cultural attractions.

Michael Niyompong

Executive Director
David and Laura Merage Foundation*

Michael directs the consortium of Merage Foundations, which includes the David and Laura Merage Foundation. He provides strategic oversight for Early Learning Ventures (ELV), Black Cube, and the many other initiatives that the foundation leads. Michael’s steady leadership advances the organization’s mission of creating opportunities for future generations through venture philanthropy. Michael was recognized for his work by The Denver Business Journal as one of its 40 under 40 leaders in 2013, selected as one of five Livingston Fellows in 2016, and was named by the Aspen Institute to the 2017 Ascend Fellowship. In 2022, Michael was honored by 9NEWS and the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation as a 9NEWS Leader of the Year Finalist and by The Denver Business Journal as a C-Suites Award winner.

Daniel Richards

Partner
Davis Graham

Prior to relocating to Denver and joining DGS, Mr. Richards practiced for more than six years at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in New York and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Denny Chin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Mr. Richards is admitted to practice in Colorado and New York, as well as in the U.S. District Courts for the District of Colorado, Southern District of New York, and Eastern District of New York.

Mr. Richards is a member of the American, Colorado, and Denver Bar Associations, and is a member of the Denver Bar Association’s Access to Justice Committee. He is a graduate of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation’s Impact Denver program and the Downtown Denver Partnership’s Leadership Program.

Mr. Richards received his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, where he was the managing editor of the Fordham Law Review. He attended Miami University and received a B.S. in Finance.

Mr. Richards was named among the Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” in the area of Commercial Litigation.

Colin Stewart

Founder and CEO
STEM Child Care

Colin is the Founder & CEO of STEM Child Care, Inc., an educational start-up focused on offering a center-based STEM curriculum to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Investing in early education and the next generation of leaders is important to him because he is a product of a STEM-focused early education, so he is humbled and excited to be developing a platform that promotes the acquisition of STEM knowledge and problem-solving skills through individualized learning experiences. Colin has the utmost respect for education as a vehicle for knowledge acquisition and as a foundation for climbing the socioeconomic ladder. For that reason, he could not pass up the opportunity to reinvent the large child care center model with the mission of helping scholars at his preschools reach their full potential.

Due to Colin’s early exposure to STEM education and diligent work ethic, he has excelled in his academic and professional careers; Colin earned an undergraduate degree from Princeton University, MPH from Columbia University, and MBA from Dartmouth College, and has worked for Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, UnitedHealth Group, and DaVita as an investment banker and leader of revenue-generating business units. Colin is grateful for the opportunity to join EPIC, to expand his professional network with like-minded individuals, and to meaningfully contribute new ideas that support the creation of family-friendly work environments and increase access to quality, affordable early education in our community.

Greg Anton*

Retired Partner
BDO USA
Emeritus Board Member
Past Board Chair

Greg Anton is a founding partner of Anton Collins Mitchell LLP (ACM), a Denver, Colorado based CPA firm with offices in Boulder, Denver and Greeley. ACM has been distinguished for both its rapid growth over the past decade and the creation of a desirable work environment. The 100+ member firm has been recognized as a 2010-2014 Best Accounting Firm to Work for by Accounting Today, a 2011-2015 Best Company to Work for in Colorado and a two time Fastest Growing Private Company.

Greg served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) (2011-2012). He is the recipient of the AICPA’s 2015 Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Service, the highest award granted by the AICPA and is given to CPAs who have made major contributions to the CPA profession. Greg is the founder of the AICPA’s What’s at Stake? The CPA Profession on Federal Fiscal Responsibility initiative which offers non-partisan guidance on how the U.S. government’s financial statements can be used for greater understanding of the nation’s fiscal health and clear analysis into why the financial statements provide a different perspective compared to the annual federal budget. Accounting Today has recognized Greg as one of the Top Most Influential People in Accounting. He has also been named one of The Top 25 Thought Leaders in public accounting technology by CPA Practice Advisor magazine.

During his career Greg has provided accounting and auditing services to private, public and multinational businesses. He has consulted on debt and equity offerings and various IPO’s. Greg’s defining characteristics are the long-term relationships he fosters with his clients, and his dedication to their total business needs which go beyond traditional accounting and auditing services.

Greg served as Chair of the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants (COCPA) Board of Directors during its Centennial year, is past President of the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) Alumni Association and past chair of the UNC School of Accountancy Advisory Board. Greg also co-chaired the COCPA Foundation’s Centennial Scholarship Campaign which successfully raised over $1.0 million for college accounting scholarships. Greg is a recipient of the Honored Alumni Award from UNC for his contributions to business and has been recognized as a top business news maker by the Denver Business Journal.

Greg and his wife Julie have two children, Cameron and Jacob. He enjoys spending time with his family including skiing, mountain biking, boating and fishing.

Professional Affiliations:
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Board of Directors (2006-2009, 2010-2013), Chairman (2011-2012)
International Federation of Accountants, Nominating Committee
National CPA Financial Literacy Commission, Chairman
Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, Past Board Member
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Council Member (2011-2013)
Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC), Chairman
Mile High United Way, Board of Trustees
Junior Achievement, Board of Directors
Colorado Concern, Member
Wish of a Lifetime, Board Member
Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants, Real Estate Committee (1995-1999), Board of Directors (1999-2005), Chairman (2004-2005)
Governor’s Early Childhood Leadership Commission (ECLC), Past Member
Colorado Concern, Member
Colorado License 0013767

Education:
BS Accounting, University of Northern Colorado

Daniel Ritchie*

Chancellor Emeritus
University of Denver
Emeritus Board Member
Past Board Chair

Daniel Ritchie is EPIC’s founding board chairman and has a wiki profile here.

Mike Kehoe

Vice Chairman
VP Finance
PCL Construction

PCL Construction Enterprises, Inc., VP-Finance (2000-Present) PCL’s most senior finance professional in the U.S., responsible for the accounting, financial reporting, tax, investment, and treasury functions.  Member of PCL’s primary operating board of directors and its investment committee.  Secretary/Treasurer and Board Member for numerous PCL subsidiary companies in the U.S. KPMG, LLP, Audit Associate/Senior/Manager/Sr. Manager (1992-2000) Worked as an auditor with a primary focus on the construction, engineering, and real estate industries.  Early promotion to Audit Senior, Manager and Sr. Manager.

Education/Recognition University of Colorado-Boulder, MBA in Accounting, 1992. Treasurer of the Beta Alpha Psi accounting fraternity. University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.S. in Investment, Banking & Finance, 1987.  Member of the Finance Society. 2017 Denver Business Journal-Top Financial Executive Award Recipient 2019 Kate Waller Barrett Community Service Award Winner

Charitable/Not-for-Profit Experience Mile High United Way Board of Trustees Member (2016-2019), Alexis De Tocqueville Society Co-Chair (2019-2021). Former Board Chair-Florence Crittenton Services of Colorado (formerly Parent Pathways), a charitable organization that includes a high school in partnership with DPS and support services for pregnant and parenting teen mothers.  Successfully led capital campaign, campus redevelopment plan, and renewed public/private partnership with DPS (2009-2015). Former Board Member for the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA)-Denver Chapter (2004-2012).  Active membership in the Denver Chapter. Served 19 Seasons as a youth sports coach in Golden, CO.

Geta Asfaw*

President
Addis & Company/Ababa & Company

Geta Asfaw is a native of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He moved to the United States at age 18 to attend the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. He has earned three college and post-graduate degrees, including an A.A., B.A., and M.A. He has been married to his wife Janice for over 30 years and has three grown children named Elias, Desta and Abraham.

Today Geta is the owner of eight McDonald’s restaurants and has a number of real estate investments throughout the Denver metro area. He has sponsored a number of activities with schools and non-profit organizations. Geta is a member of the “Global Hunger Project,” which is an organization dedicated to ending world hunger. This organization is active in over 24 countries. His achievements have been highlighted in the Colorado Black Leadership Profiles, and he has been named as a “Who’s Who among Colorado’s Outstanding Leaders.”

Geta has recognized the need to help the community, the city and beyond. He created the Asfaw Family Foundation to serve as a vehicle to give back to the communities in which he has served for over the past 20 years. One of these programs is, the “Arches of Hope Bicycle Giveaway,” which provides over 300 new bicycles and helmets to worthy elementary school students every Christmas season. The Foundation also provides tuition and other important benefits to school children in East Africa. In addition, the “Aim High” scholarship program provides financial assistance to African American male students. This program is designed to help increase the number of African American males on college campuses. Geta always believes that it is the responsibility of every business person to be involved and give back to the community – A strong community means a strong business and a win-win result for everyone.

Geta has been honored to receive numerous awards and to be recognized by a variety of organizations. Some of these recognitions include:

  • The Colorado Council of Mediators and Mediations, “Peace in the Community” award.
  • The Denver NAACP, “Caring and Sharing” award.
  • The American Red Cross, “Volunteer in Foreign Language Interpreter” award.
  • The Denver City Council, “Outstanding Community Service” award.
  • The Urban Spectrum News, “An African American Who Makes a Difference” award.
  • 100 Black Men of America, “Entrepreneur of the Year” award.
  • The Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce, “Entrepreneur of the Year” award.

Geta has also lent his time to be involved with non-profit organizations, as well as board member and advisory positions. Some of these organizations include:

  • The Ronald McDonald’s House Charity
  • University of Colorado Boulder – Athletic Mentor Program
  • Denver/Boulder Better Business Bureau
  • Denver Kids, Inc.
  • City Park Alliance
  • Urban Peak
  • The Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce

Dave Davia

President and CEO
Colorado Concern*

Dave Davia is the President and CEO of Colorado Concern, an alliance of top business executives with a mission of enhancing the Centennial State’s business climate. The organization sees Denver as the state’s reputational center.

Dave is a passionate leader with a diverse background in public and private organizations. He has a strong track record of accomplishments in strategic partnerships, government relations, coalition building, business and legislative analysis, collective bargaining, public policy, and association management.

Previously, Dave Davia served as the CEO and EVP of the Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association, a nationally recognized leader in trade organizations. In this role he founded the Western States College of Construction, an employer-sponsored accredited training program that prepares workers in four states for lucrative careers in several construction trades, addressing a significant gap in the workforce. Prior to joining these prestigious organizations, Dave worked in a senior program/project management role in banking operations and IT. Additionally, Dave served as an elected official with the City of Westminster in the role of City Councilor and served on the Economic Development Authority, the Redevelopment Authority, and the Human Services Board.

A passionate champion of children and families, Dave has also served on several charitable non-profit organizations’ boards. Additionally, Dave has served in many roles for the Denver Archdiocese. Dave is a 5th -generation Colorado native whose current home is located a mile away from where his great-great-grandparents first settled in the 1880’s. Dave considers himself fortunate to be married to Kathleen, his talented and enterprising wife who is a successful small business owner; together, they are raising their son, Rocco.

A true thought leader with a reputation for keen political and legislative acumen, Dave is regarded as a stellar networker, collective bargainer, and coalition builder who positively influences legislative outcomes on behalf of the organizations he represents.

Stacie Packard

President
Delwest Management Corp.

Stacie has been in the affordable housing community since 1993 and brings more than two decades of experience serving as the Vice President of the Ross Management Group, one of the nation’s leading affordable housing property management firms. Her experience includes a 15-year term on the Board of Directors of Affordable Housing Management Association, including two years as President of the Board.  Stacie is an alumni of the Denver’s Community Leadership Foundation. During the pandemic, residents at Delwest’s properties were facing adversity of sending their children to school online. Some residents could not afford computers or even internet. Stacie and her team came up with the solution to have Educational families so that teachers could go to the properties every day to manage children’s online educational needs including purchasing computers and paying for internet. The next goal for Stacie is to provide low or no cost child care in their affordable housing developments.  

Stacie is in charge of supervising all management staff while maintaining their building assets at Delwest Management. 

Dave Rogers

Partner Government & Public Services (Retired)
Deloitte & Touche LLP

Dave was a Partner in Deloitte’s Government & Public Services (GPS) practice prior to his retirement from Deloitte in May 2020. From February 2017 to May 2020, Dave served as the GPS Geographic Hyper-Growth leader for Colorado and, in that role, was responsible for leading the expansion of the GPS Defense, Security & Justice, Civil Government and Health sectors in Colorado. Dave also served as the GPS Risk & Financial Advisory Geography Champion for the Pacific & West Geographies. Dave has over 40 years of experience consulting with a diverse group of federal and state government and commercial organizations on a broad range of internal control, corporate governance, business process, financial, operational and regulatory issues, and had a specialty in helping clients address their Sarbanes-Oxley and financial reporting internal control challenges. Dave was the Lead Client Services Partner for the National Institutes of Health from 2015-2017, the Lead Advisory Partner for the US Postal Service from 2007-2015, and the lead Federal Advisory Practice Quality Risk Manager from 2007-2017. Dave is a Certified Public Accountant and served as an Audit partner in the Deloitte & Touche commercial audit practice from 1993-2001.

Dave received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is a native of Colorado (Colorado Springs). Dave enjoys skiing, biking and running, and he and his wife, Pam, enjoy traveling and spending time in Boston with their two daughters and their families, including two granddaughters and a grandson.

Cori Streetman

Co-founder and CEO
Barefoot PR

Cori Streetman (she/her/hers) is Barefoot PR’s co-founder and chief executive in charge of making the dream work. Cori has been learning through life experience since she left home to travel the world at 19. From teaching English in Peru to studying cultural anthropology in West Africa, Cori has a knack for relating to and understanding people.

Cori’s sense of adventure led her to build a company where heart is valued alongside expertise, and where we are all in together. Cori manages Barefoot PR’s operations and leads the team in turning strategy into reality for clients. Cool under pressure, Cori is skilled at helping clients navigate difficult situations. She is also an expert matchmaker, helping clients connect purpose with passion through nonprofit and civic board service.

Cori continues to travel the world with her husband, Tyler, and two kiddos, Brayden and Jacob. You can also find her dancing to Widespread Panic and sharing her passion for creating a better Denver through volunteer board service.

Brad Busse*

President
Busse Ventures
Emeritus Board Member
Past Board Chair

Brad Busse is President of Busse Ventures LLC. Busse Ventures is an entity Mr. Busse formed to manage his business interests and investments. Prior to forming Busse Ventures, Mr. Busse provided senior industry coverage across all industry groups for RBC Capital Markets, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Canada, from April 2012 to February 2014.

Previously, Mr. Busse was Co-Head of the Communications, Media & Entertainment (“CME”) Group for RBC Capital Markets from January 2007 to April 2012, where he was responsible for the management and strategic development of the CME Group’s business, which includes mergers & acquisitions, equity and debt capital formation and financial advisory engagements.

Mr. Busse joined Daniels & Associates in 1985 after receiving broad experience in finance and accounting. After briefly serving in the Cable Television Group, he took responsibility for building the Telecommunications Group, which completed more transactions in the wireline, wireless and telecom infrastructure sectors than any other investment bank during his tenure. Mr. Busse was President and one of two lead principals at Daniels & Associates when it was acquired by RBC Capital Markets in January 2007.

Mr. Busse began his professional career at Arthur Anderson & Co. in 1980 and, subsequently, became a financial manager for a $1 billion energy concern. He received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Denver and an MBA from Regis College.

Mr. Busse was appointed by Governor Bill Owens to serve on the Colorado Commission on Science & Technology (2000-2006). In 2010, he was appointed by Governor Ritter to the Colorado Commission on Early Childhood Leadership (reappointed by Governor Hickenlooper in 2012) and served until the commission completed its work in 2014. He also was appointed to the Board of Pinnacol Assurance by Governor Hickenlooper in November 2017, which was confirmed by the Colorado State Senate in January 2018, and served through August 2021.

Mr. Busse has served as a member of the Executive Advisory Board of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver which he chaired for three years (April 2009 – April 2012) since 1996 and became an Emeritus member in March 2022. He has served on the Board of Trustees of Mile High United Way since 1998 which he chaired for two years (July 2008 – June 2010) and currently serves as an Emeritus member. He also served as Chairman of the Million Dollar Roundtable Council for United Way Worldwide from 2002 to 2007.

Mr. Busse is a founding member and past Board Chair of the Executive Roundtable of EPIC (Executives Partnering to Invest in Children), a member of the Denver Chamber of Commerce and a member of Colorado Concern, which is a non-partisan association that addresses issues which impact Colorado’s economy and lifestyle and whose membership includes many of the top business executives in Colorado.

Akash Bhalla

Treasurer
Partner
Ernst & Young LLP

Coming soon…

Christine Benero*

President and CEO
Mile High United Way

Christine Benero is President and Chief Executive Officer of Mile High United Way, which just celebrated its 125th Anniversary as the first United Way in the country. Mile High United Way works to advance the common good of the community by investing and focusing on the issues of School Readiness, Youth Success and Adult Self-Sufficiency. Last year, Mile High United Way invested over $30 million in the Denver metro area.

Christine is the former Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross Mile High Chapter, in Denver, Colorado. Prior to joining the American Red Cross, Christine was the Director of the Office of Public Liaison for the Corporation for National Service in Washington, DC. She served in two Presidential administrations working for both Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Christine has served as Vice President of the National Civic League, and as a Community Affairs Corporate Program Officer for Target Stores in Minneapolis, MN.

Christine serves on the Boards of HealthOne, the National Civic League, Community Wealth Partners, Colorado Society of CPA Board of Director’s, City Year Denver and EPIC. She was appointed by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock to the Denver Education Compact Board and currently serves on the National Professional Council for United Way Worldwide. Christine was named the 9News Leader of the Year in 2007 and in 2009 received the Community Leader Award by Goodwill Industries and was named by both the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post as one of “Nine to Watch in 2009.” In 2010 she was named a “Woman of Distinction” by the Girl Scouts of Colorado and in 2011 received the “Las Madrinas” award from Centro San Juan Diego. In 2012, Christine was honored nationally by Girl Scouts of America as one of “One Hundred Distinguished Alumni” in honor of Girl Scouts 100th birthday. In 2013, she was named one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Denver by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and presented with the Urban League’s “McKinley Harris Distinguished Warrior” award.

Christine is a past President of the Association of Junior Leagues International, a past chairman of the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, Coalition for America’s Children and the Kiwanis International’s Young Children: Priority One Advisory Board. She was a delegate both to the Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future in 1997 and to the NGO Forum at the UN Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.

Christine holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education from Boston University, a Masters in Education from Harvard University, Graduate School of Education and was selected as a 2007 Gates Fellow for the Senior Executive Program at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

Suzy Jaeger

SVP, Chief Patient Experience & Access Officer
Children’s Hospital Colorado

Ms. Jaeger has been employed by Children’s Colorado since 1992.  She was named the Chief Patient Experience and Access Officer in September 2015.  Prior to that, she held the position of Senior Vice President, Ambulatory Services, and the Network Care, for three years.  Ms. Jaeger was named Vice President in 2003 after serving in several progressive managerial and director level roles in Ambulatory Services from 1992-2003.  In her current role, she serves as a member of the Senior Executive Leadership Team, providing operational oversight and strategic direction for the ambulatory clinical practice operations on the Anschutz campus, throughout the Children’s Colorado System of Care and across the seven-state region (including specialty care, primary care, dental care, therapy care and urgent care); and all services provided at the Children’s Colorado South Campus and North Campus hospital locations.  She provides Senior Leader leadership for a broad array of Family Support Services across the System of Care, under the broad categories of Clinical Social Work, Child Life, Patient-Family Experience and the Association of Volunteers. In addition, she provides leadership and direction for several Children’s Colorado’s strategic initiatives, including ACCESS (improving access to care across the entire care continuum and communication among team members, community provider partners and patients/families).  In 2022, her portfolio was expanded to include Senior Leader leadership responsibilities for the Community Health and Advocacy Division, as well as Corporate and Community Development.  Ms. Jaeger serves on the Boards of Directors for Reach Out and Read Colorado, Brent’s Place, EPIC (Executives Partnering to Invest in Children) and Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Association of Volunteers. In 2021, she he was nominated by the Denver Business Journal as one of the “Outstanding Women in Business”, and in 2022 and again in 2023, she was recognized by Becker’s Healthcare as one of the “Outstanding Chief Experience Officers.”

 

Ms. Jaeger received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management from the University of South Dakota in 1985.  She is married and has three children and two grandchildren.

David Perez

Independent Board Member

With 40 years of executive leadership in medical device and health care services, David Perez serves as an independent board member and advisor to several corporations and non-profit organizations. His expertise encompasses growing highly regulated global businesses organically through R&D and innovation and inorganically through M&A, leading within a variety of foreign, public and private equity ownership structures, strategic planning, culture and talent development, succession planning, enterprise risk management, operations, compliance, and corporate governance.

Perez retired from his leadership role at Terumo BCT in March 2019 following a comprehensive 2-year succession and transition plan. During his more than 18 years serving as president and CEO, Terumo BCT grew from $160M in global revenue to $1B as an innovation driven biomedical company focused on unlocking the potential of blood and cell-based therapies in the blood banking, transfusion medicine and cell therapy/regenerative medicine sectors.

Beginning with COBE BCT in 1999, through Gambro BCT, CaridianBCT, and then Terumo BCT, Perez guided the company through several foreign ownership structures, leveraging his extensive experience leading complex, multinational businesses and diverse, cross-cultural organizations. Under his tenure, the company grew from a single manufacturing and R&D site to employing over 7000 associates at five regional headquarters, five R&D centers and six manufacturing plants located in the U.S., Ireland, Belgium, Japan, Vietnam and India. His strategic vision took the organization from two business units, focused on two product platforms, into global leadership positions in five business areas and 12 product categories serving customers and patients in 130 countries, with 70% of the company revenue coming from international customers.

As CEO of CaridianBCT, under the private equity ownership of EQT and Investor AB, Perez and his global team increased company value by 85% over 4.5 years, resulting in a $2.6B exit to Terumo Corporation (4543.T. Nikkei) in June 2011. Perez continued to lead the company for 8 more years, also serving on the Terumo Corporation Board of Directors until June 2019, where he was one of fewer than 300 non-Japanese board members of all publicly traded companies in Japan.

Amy Schwartz*

Executive Director
BuildStrong Education

Ms. Schwartz has been with BuildStrong Education (formerly the Foundation for Educational Excellence) since 2008. Before moving to Colorado in October of 2007, Ms. Schwartz lived and worked in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with her M.A. degree in Social Research Methodology, from the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies in June 2007. While in graduate school, Ms. Schwartz consulted with First 5 LA, the Los Angeles County Proposition 10 Commission, with their School Readiness Initiative which administered $134 million to 42 diverse communities within the county. Before attending graduate school, Ms. Schwartz spent three years as the School Readiness Program Director with a non-profit agency serving a densely populated Hispanic neighborhood in the Los Angeles metro area. Ms. Schwartz began her career in education and the non-profit field as an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer in 1997.

In total, Ms. Schwartz has twenty years of experience working with various educational and family-support programs. Her work has centered on the goal of increasing student outcomes in low-income, low-performing schools through collaborative, family support and public-private partnerships.

Ms. Schwartz was a founding board member of the Lyons Valley Preschool which opened soon after the devastating floods of September 2013. She is also a founding board member of Steps to Success a non-profit created in 2016 with the mission to sustain youth violence prevention work in the Montbello neighborhood of Denver.

Heather Tritten

President & CEO
Colorado Children’s Campaign

Heather Tritten is the President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. Heather was previously the Executive Director of Parent Possible, where she grew the organization in order to strengthen home visiting services while launching new programming and supporting policy efforts that ensure every parent has the tools they need to prepare their child for school. Heather also tripled the organization’s budget between 2015 and 2023 and positioned the organization to be noticed by billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who awarded the organization a $1 million grant in early 2023. Prior to serving as executive director at Parent Possible, Heather was the vice president of Quality Programs at Qualistar Colorado, and Head Start Collaboration Director in the Office of Lt. Governor Joe Garcia. She authored Governor Hickenlooper’s early literacy plan, Colorado Reads: the Early Literacy Initiative, and successfully advocated for legislation in Utah to increase rights for mobile home owners, put limits on payday lenders, and increase funding for a state housing trust fund. Heather has completed a Buell Early Childhood Fellowship. She holds a B.S. in Sociology from Grand Valley State University, and a M.A. in Administration, Leadership, and Policy Studies from the University of Colorado Denver. Heather is passionate about ending poverty in Colorado, and she believes that good public policy leads to healthy children, strong families, and thriving communities.

Pat Hamill*

Chairman and CEO
Oakwood Homes
Emeritus Board Member

Patrick Hamill received his BSBA in the School of Real Estate and Construction Management from the University of Denver in 1981. In 1991, he founded Oakwood Homes, LLC. His company’s commitment is and always has been, to listen to the customer, focus on their needs and provide a rewarding buying experience. Currently Oakwood Homes is the largest private builder in the Denver metropolitan area and is ranked third in the market share. Oakwood homes celebrated their 20th year in the home building business in 2011, as well as building their 10,000th home. Aside from the sales figures, Oakwood Homes, under the direction of Mr. Hamill, is a company committed to the growth and development of the Denver area beyond housing.

He is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Oakwood Homes, LLC. In addition to Oakwood Homes, Mr. Hamill’s other business affiliations include: Town and Country Title and Insurance, Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, Precision Building Systems and PKK Investments. He is a Past Chairman and a member emeritus of the Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, Trustee of the University of Denver, Chairman of the Colorado Open Golf Foundation, Chairman of the Board of Colorado Concern and serves on the board of HealthOne. He is also serving on the Governor’s Early Childhood Leadership Commission.

In an effort to not only build a master-planned community in the Denver area, but also support the community in and around it, Mr. Hamill co-founded two community development organizations in the greater Denver area: The Foundation for Educational Excellence and the 21st Century High Tech Academy.

His creation of the “Home for Good” program where Oakwood Homes, along with affiliated trade contractors, built and donated a home valued over $300,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver. This program raised in excess of $700,000 for the Clubs. In 2012 Oakwood, and its affiliated trade contractors, built and donated the Dream Home for St. Jude’s Hospital, which netted them $1,200,000 for research and the hospital. In 2013 Oakwood completed their second Dream Home for St. Jude’s.

Mr. Hamill has received the “Professional Achievement Award” through the University of Denver Founders’ Day in 1999 and in 2007 was awarded the Boys & Girls Clubs Champion of Youth Award.

Burnie Zercher*

Owner
Industrial Constructors/Managers Inc.
Emeritus Board Member

Coming soon…

* Founding members/organizations

Executive

MEMBERS

Dan Ball

Senior Managing Director – Complex Director
RBC Wealth Management

Coming soon…

Nate Budd

Vice President of Business Development
Neenan Archistruction

Coming soon…

Amy Cara

Managing Partner
East West Partners

Amy is the Managing Partner of East West Partners in Denver. East West Partners is devoted to creating terrific places. Since 1986, the firm has developed and sold over $7 billion of residential and commercial real estate.

Amy is always looking for ways to connect people with the places they live and work. She is currently spearheading the new Cherry Creek West development, a 1.5 million square feet mixed-use redevelopment. Her team recently completed one of the Denver Union Station transit hub redevelopment and much of the adjacent residential and office including The Coloradan and 16 Chestnut. She also oversaw the revitalization of The Landmark, a distressed mixed-use community that needed new eyes and perspective. Prior to this, Amy helped to create the Riverfront Park community in Denver. More than a collection of buildings, the Riverfront Park neighborhood of Denver, Denver’s Union Station Neighborhood and the Landmark development represent something important to Amy – creating a sense of place.

Amy is deeply committed to the community. She a founding member of the Center City Collaborative, which is a coalition of civic-minded, business and community leaders working to find creative and inclusive solutions to the current challenges facing downtown. She is also on the boards of Habitat for Humanity, the Denver Metro Chamber’s EDC, Downtown Denver Partnership’s Management Committee, the University of Colorado Real Estate Center’s International Advisory Board, and a member of Colorado Concern and the Urban Land Institute’s national Mixed-Use Council. Also deeply committed to the arts, Amy is a founding board member for the Riverfront Park Community Foundation, which fosters organizations particularly in the areas of arts and education in Denver, and as a founding board member and current chair of Union Hall, a new model to support local and emerging artists in downtown Denver.

D.J. Close

Executive Director
Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation (DDCOF)

D.J. Close is a civic and social impact leader with a proven track record in cross-sector partnerships. His background in philanthropy, nonprofit, government and private business has all focused on addressing inequities in Colorado communities.

He joined DDCOF in the Spring of 2023 and is responsible for guiding the foundation’s impact strategy through philanthropy, impact investing, coalition building, evaluation and policy while also overseeing operations and team success.

Prior to DDCOF, Close was Director of Giving and Executive Director of the DaVita Giving Foundation – a Fortune 500® Health care company. Before joining DaVita, he worked at Mile High United Way and started the Colorado Reading Corps, an AmeriCorps program focused on K-3 grade literacy. Prior to Mile High United Way D.J. worked in The Office of Colorado Lt. Governor Joseph Garcia, and is a graduate of El Pomar Foundation’s Fellowship program.

A graduate from the University of Denver with a degree in Political Science and Leadership, D.J. has a deep passion for civic engagement and believes the greatest impact occurs when private, public, philanthropic and nonprofit organizations engage together with the purpose of achieving a common goal.

Born and raised in Durango, Colorado, D.J. lives in Denver with his husband Sinjin and dog Herschel.

Roberto Cota

Managing Director
Deloitte

Roberto is a Managing Director in Deloitte’s Digital Customer practice, focusing on State & Local and Federal government agencies. He has over 23 years of experience in the implementation, development, and project management of large-scale enterprise systems in the Health and Human Services practice. He currently oversees the maintenance and enhancement of multiple systems at the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, which provide a broad range of programs and services to Colorado’s youngest children.

Roberto also leads a Child Support modernization program in Missouri and the modernization of California’s water rights management system. Other key clients have included multiple government agencies in Texas, Michigan, and the CDC. In addition, he has served as project advisor to dozens of Deloitte teams serving our government clients across the U.S.

Celia Dietrich

Executive Chair & Founder
Dietrich Partners

After building geographies and consulting practices for other firms, Celia founded Dietrich Partners in 2014 to fill what she perceived was a client experience and innovation gap in the professional services industry.  Today, Dietrich employs consultants across the country to provide advisory services working with clients to maximize the value of transactions, deliver key strategic programs, and optimize overall operational and financial performance.  Dietrich’s client roster encompasses the public sector, private equity firms, and privately held organizations, ranging in size from middle market to Fortune 100 companies, and serving industries including healthcare, financial services, government, utilities, real estate development and construction, manufacturing, hydroponics, and hospitality.  Proud to be a certified woman-owned business, Dietrich Partners is an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company, a 2021 Colorado Company to Watch, and is officially recognized as a Great Place to Work. 

Celia received her BS in Accounting from Metropolitan State College of Denver, earned her paralegal certificate from the University of Denver, holds an MBA from the University of Colorado and is an inactive State of Colorado CPA (in good standing).  She serves on the Board of Directors for the Colorado Judicial Institute, Saint Joseph’s Hospital Foundation (now part of Intermountain Health), and Pinnacol Assurance.  Celia is an advisory board member for Vectra Bank of Colorado, WaterCard, and Johnson Financial / JFG Wealth Management Group. 

In addition to her professional commitments, Celia is actively engaged in the community through Colorado Concern, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Colorado Technology Association, the National Western Stock Show, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Aya Society, Mile High United Way United for Families, and a Founder of The Union Club (a 140 plus C-level group of women). 

Wes Gardner

CEO
Prime Trailer

Wes Gardner is the founder and CEO of Prime Trailer, a semi-tractor-trailer dealership with an emphasis on rental and leasing. Prime has operations in Colorado, Utah and Nevada. Wes is a successful entrepreneur with a strong faith which he integrates into his businesses and the marketplace. He has an ardent desire to give back to his employees and his community. Wes believes that a “Good Job” is the best way to fight poverty which is why he founded The Gardner Family Foundation which provides grants to nonprofits that focus on education, job training and sustainable self-sufficiency programs for single moms. Wes sits on several boards including CityUnite and Activate Workforce Solutions. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Allyson, and has two children and 6 grandkids that he calls his “True North!”

Antoinette Gawin

President and CEO
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies

Antoinette Gawin is President and Chief Executive Officer of Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, a mission-driven medical device company that is focused on unlocking the potential of blood and cell-based therapies. The innovative company strives to advance healthcare, broaden treatment options and improve patient outcomes through its technologies within the sectors of blood banking, transfusion medicine and regenerative medicine.

Antoinette focuses on how the company will continue to evolve with healthcare’s rapid changes to meet more patients’ needs globally. She believes medical device manufacturers must change and go beyond equipment to think about services, data management and new geographies where people do not yet have access to the technologies that can advance their health and lives. Antoinette is ensuring that Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies continues to focus on service and helping our customers solve problems — enabling them to better serve patients.

She has nearly 30 years of experience directing diverse global teams and transformational change. Building from a foundation in finance, operations and customer service, Antoinette has led joint ventures and acquisitions, as well as all aspects of marketing, strategic planning and commercial operations for divisions of companies in the healthcare, information technology and energy sectors.

Antoinette joined the company in 2016 and previously served as Executive Vice President, Global Commercial. She was responsible for leading the company’s global sales, services, marketing and commercial teams.

In her past leadership roles at Baxter Healthcare, she oversaw global market access and commercial excellence, strategy and commercial operations. For more than 20 years prior, Antoinette worked at GE Corporate and a number of subsidiaries, including GE Healthcare Technologies, GE Industrial and Power Systems and GE Information Services.

She is a member of the AdvaMed Board of Directors and serves as the chair of the AdvaMed Ethics and Compliance Committee.

Antoinette is involved in many civic organizations, including American Friends of Watershed Trust Organization, a nonprofit focused on sustainable access to clean water in India. She lives with her family in Colorado, where they enjoy the outdoors and the performing arts.

Karla Grazier

President & CEO
Goodwill of Colorado

Karla Grazier became president and CEO of Goodwill of Southern and Western Colorado in August 2010, and of Goodwill of Colorado in May 2019, reflecting the expanded scope of the merged Colorado Springs and Denver Goodwill organizations. The merger is the largest in the history of the Goodwill network with    a   budget of over $195 million. The organization is a unique combination of social enterprises and mission programs and serves over 127,000 people on an annual basis. 

Prior to her role at Goodwill, Ms. Grazier had a varied career as an entrepreneur starting, building, and buying companies as well as a consultant and corporate banker. She was co-owner and CEO of a B-to-B catalog company later sold to a Houston based catalog consolidator; Founder and COO of a snack food manufacturing company in New York, later sold to a French food conglomerate and an analyst in the Corporate Finance Group of Touche Ross, performing valuations and M & A work. Ms. Grazier began her career in corporate banking at Wells Fargo Bank in San Francisco and New York City, specializing in leveraged buyouts and bond issue support. 

In addition to her role as President and CEO of Goodwill of Colorado, Karla has served on many community, state, and national boards including Colorado Springs Memorial Hospital, Colorado Springs Chamber and Economic Development Board, the Pikes Peak Workforce Investment Board, the Governors State Workforce Council, Lead Independent Director and Audit Committee Chair of the  Board of Directors of 5Star Bank and on the Colorado Springs School Board of Trustees. 

She currently serves on the Board of the Employers Council and as Chair of its Investment Committee, a 4-state organization that advises thousands of organizations on employment law, and as a founding member, member of the board of directors, and the audit chair of GoodwillFinds Ecommerce, Inc., a nationwide ecommerce platform. Ms. Grazier is a member of the Executive Committee of the Pikes Peak Community Foundation Board. 

In 2013, Karla was elected to the board of directors for Goodwill Industries International (GII), a $7. 5 billion international organization, first serving as Treasurer, then as Vice Chair, and then as Board Chair in 2018-2019. During her term as Board Chair, she led the transition to a new CEO for that organization. In 2016, Karla received both GII’s Matthews Entrepreneurial Award and the Watkins Award for Mission Advancement and was the 2019 recipient of GII’s Kenneth K. King Outstanding Management Award for Executive Excellence, presented to a Goodwill CEO who demonstrates outstanding leadership and accomplishments. In 2019, Karla was given the Athena Award, presented to an outstanding businessperson who inspires others through her professional accomplishments, mentorship and community service and has been named a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts and a Woman of Influence by the Colorado Springs Business Journal. In 2023, The Colorado Springs Leadership Institute awarded her the Cathy O. Robbins Excellence in Leadership Award. 

Karla holds a BA from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Indiana University and served   as an adjunct lecturer in the graduate schools of Yale University and New York University for eight years. She also served on the National Advisory Council of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, New Jersey, reviewing and choosing grant recipients.   

Jena Hausmann

President and CEO
Children’s Hospital Colorado

With nearly 20 years of experience in healthcare administration, Jena Hausmann is one of the leading womenin healthcare in the US. As President and Chief Executive Officer for Children’s Hospital Colorado, she oversees an integrated healthcare system for children, which is affiliated with the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

With 700,000 patient visits annually and 593 licensed beds, Children’s Hospital Colorado has consistently ranked in the top ten children’s hospitals in the nation. Jena oversees the Children’s Hospital Colorado at the Anschutz Medical campus, the Children’s Hospital Colorado network of care in 17 locations in the metropolitan Denver area, the Children’s Hospital Colorado pediatric services at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, and the newly opened Children’s Hospital Colorado South Campus, a full service generally licensed hospital in south Denver.

During her tenure, unprecedented increases in patient volume have been achieved. With employees now numbering over 5,000, Jena is proudest that Children’s Hospital Colorado continues its focus on the precious children and families it serves through a culture of intimacy, connection and purpose. In a reaffirmation of the values inherent in Children’s Hospital’s child and family focused culture, the scores for patient satisfaction and employee engagement rank among the highest in the US.

Jena joined Children’s Hospital Colorado in 2004 as the Vice President of Strategic Planning and Network of Care Operations and assumed the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2008. In May of 2015, Jena was named President and Chief Executive Officer.

She was motivated to become a healthcare administrator after watching a loved one go through the system in their final moments of life. After earning a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Minnesota in 1996, Jena completed an administrative fellowship at the Fairview Health System in Minneapolis, MN. There, she helped redesign the care delivery and financing models for nursing home residents through a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant.

Following the fellowship, she served as the Director of Provider Relations at The University of Minnesota Medical Center, an organization consisting of a then recently-merged 500 bed community hospital and a 500 bed academic medical center. After 11 months in the role, she joined the senior management team and remained there for the next six years providing leadership over a large number of operational areas as well as planning and business development activities. The cultural and operational challenges in this merger of two large entities into a comprehensive, integrated health system prepared Jena for her executive role at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

In 2008, Modern Healthcare featured Jena as one of 12 “rising healthcare management stars.” Jena currently serves on the board of directors for the Metro North Chamber of Commerce. In 2012, she served as the March of Dimes’ March for Babies revenue chair and she served on the YMCA Metro Denver board from 2009-2012.

As a leading woman in healthcare, she annually mentors as many as 30 individual women at the CU School of Medicine as well as throughout the Children’s organization to help them understand their roles and opportunities and to demonstrate personally and professionally the ability of women to succeed in executive roles in healthcare.

Jena, her husband Kevin, and three children, Ellie, Andrew and Carson, find their life’s purpose is to provide much love and laughter each day.

Kate Horle

CEO
Center for Work Education and Employment (CWEE)

Kate Horle (she, her, hers) is CWEE’s Chief Executive Officer. Guided by CWEE’s mission, Kate provides strategic direction and leadership, ensures financial sustainability, and supports the Board of Directors in fulfilling their governance functions. She leads the executive management team and, working closely with the Board of Directors, defines the strategy so that CWEE can continue to guide career seekers toward a fulfilling career and stable economic future.

Kate is known as a transparent, innovative, and trusted executive with a polished presence and demeanor, who establishes relationships across the continuum of human services and public policy. As a well-qualified, insightful senior leader and business partner, Kate has often played a pivotal role in persuasively applying expertise of regulatory compliance into business strategy.

She is an accomplished strategic planner and negotiator – responsible for positive financial outcomes in both private and non-profit sectors, including strong experience managing sales and business development teams, community foundation partnerships, and federal and state funding.

Kate has expertise in organizational management and relationship development and is experienced in business development, research, program management and development, advocacy, coalition building and management, contract negotiations, public speaking, communications, and message development.

Over her extensive 25+ years of experience in business, Kate has actively participated in executive leadership and board membership, contributing to strategic visioning, collaborative action plans, relationship management, tactical methodology, process design, internal and external communications, public policy, branding/marketing, cross-platform integrated services, social media, and speech writing.

Throughout her career, she has navigated the complex and often changing landscape of privacy, healthcare policy, regulatory compliance and, importantly, advocacy for customers and partners. She is a specialist in practical knowledge about public policy governing the diverse areas of the human service arc.

Kate holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) with a focus on Policy Analysis and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science from The University of Colorado.

Adeeb Khan

Executive Director
Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO)

Adeeb Khan is a social impact leader with a proven track record of delivering results and creating meaningful and lasting change. Adeeb is a recognized leader in the business, nonprofit, philanthropic and public sectors. Throughout his career as a nonprofit and corporate executive, he has advanced equity, economic opportunity, education, corporate responsibility, volunteerism, and civic engagement. He is the son of immigrants, raised in rural Wyoming and is both a first-generation high school and college graduate. He most recently served as the chief brand & impact officer for Delta Dental of Colorado (DDCO) the state’s leading dental benefits company and as the executive director of the Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation (DDCOF), one of the state’s largest corporate foundations.

Prior to serving at Delta Dental, Adeeb was the senior director of corporate social responsibility at TIAA. He has served as senior director of volunteer engagement at Mile High United Way where he launched and expanded the Colorado Reading Corps. Prior to the United Way, he served as regional director of health & safety and community services at the Colorado Chapter of the American Red Cross.

He is the past chair of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation board. He currently serves on the Denver Civic Ventures board for the Downtown Denver Partnership. He is on the advisory board for the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver, the board of directors for Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC) and is co-chair of the executive steering committee for the development of the 5280 Trail. In 2020, Adeeb was appointed by Governor Jared Polis to serve as a commissioner for the Colorado Early Childhood Leadership Commission (ECLC) and is now co-chair of the commission.

Adeeb holds an MBA with honors and a concentration in corporate responsibility from the University of Denver. He received a BA in Communications from the University of Southern California. He was a graduate of the Leadership Foundation’s Leadership Denver class of 2017 and has been recognized as a Colorado Governors Fellow. He has been named a Downtown Champion by the Downtown Denver Partnership, a Chamber Champion by the Denver Metro Chamber, one of Denver’s 40 under 40 by the Denver Business Journal, a top 25 under 40 professional by ColoradoBiz Magazine, the Community Change-maker of the Year by Colorado Youth for a Change, and was recognized as a top three finalist for the 9News Leader of the Year award.

Mark Lumsden

Tax Principal
BDO USA

Mark Lumsden is a tax principal in the Boulder office of BDO.  He began his accounting career in 2005 after graduating with bachelor’s degrees in business and economics from the University of Colorado Boulder.   Mark’s practice focuses on small-and mid-sized businesses, including closely held, startup, and venture capital- and private equity-backed companies.  He has clients in a wide range of industries, such as technology, manufacturing, real estate, construction, and professional services.  Mark also loves teaching and is involved in BDO’s training and mentoring programs.

Originally from Baltimore, Mark relocated to Colorado with his family during high school and has been a Coloradan ever since… despite not being a big skier or snowboarder.  He is still a huge Orioles fan, but prefers the Broncos to the Ravens.  Mark enjoys hiking, going to CU women’s basketball games, and taking in a weekend movie with his wife, daughter and son.  In addition to his involvement with EPIC, Mark also serves as the treasurer of the Boulder Valley Rotary Club.

Rob McDaniel

President
Metrix IQ

Rob founded Metrix Companies in 2009 to help state and local governments achieve their program and policy objectives. Metrix Companies has successfully executed large-scale projects in diverse fields ranging from education to aviation.

Metrix Inspection Group is a Denver-based MBE, DBE, and SBE certified construction inspection company that began operations in 2015. Rob currently serves as the President of Metrix Inspection Group. In this role, Rob oversees business development activities and all administrative functions for the talented team of construction inspection professionals at Metrix Inspection Group.

Prior to founding Metrix Companies in 2009, Rob was Vice President of Corporate Growth at Policy Studies Incorporated, a leading provider of outsourced services to state and local governments. In this role, Rob held executive oversight for business activities totaling more than $200 million in revenue. Rob’s diverse background includes financial leadership roles with Trimble Navigation and Hewlett-Packard, where he worked on the divestiture and subsequent IPO of Agilent Technologies. Early is his career, Rob also worked as an economic developer for the State of Colorado.

Rob is a Colorado native and earned his bachelor degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he was a GTE Scholar, and his MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he received a CGSM Fellowship.

Rob lives in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood with his wife and two sons.

David Merage*

Chairman and CEO
Consolidated Investment Group LLC

Until its sale to Nestle in September 2002, David Merage was co-owner and co-founder of Chef America, Inc., a national frozen food manufacturer. Chef America, Inc. products are sold in supermarkets, club stores, and other institutional operations throughout the United States under brand names such as Hot Pockets, Lean Pockets, Croissant Pockets, etc. In 2002, Chef America, Inc. sales were approximately $750 million and had 1,800 employees.

Prior to founding Chef America, Inc., David was involved in real estate investments and continues to be active in this area. David is currently Principal of Consolidated Investment Group (CIG), an investment management company specializing in Wall Street and real estate investments for a select group of private clients. The company’s Wall Street investment group allocates capital through opportunistic and value-oriented strategies to preserve capital while maximizing returns. CIG’s Real Estate Division seeks optimal returns through creative partnership structures, asset repositioning, and other innovative techniques. CIG has been actively investing in value added real estate since 2003 and is building a diverse portfolio. Real estate is acquired in multiple US and International markets through operating partners, direct investment, and opportunistic funds. Target asset types include residential, multifamily, office, industrial, retail, mixed use and land.

In addition to the CIG operations, Mr. Merage also provides leadership to three philanthropic foundations: David and Laura Merage Foundation, Andre and Katherine Merage Foundation, and Merage Foundations – Israel. The operational platform of the foundations was modeled on Mr. Merage’s successful business ventures, and his entrepreneurial spirit and management expertise provide a clear road-map for the social investment strategy. The foundations have a focus on venture philanthropy, and the investment process is highly interactive to ensure grantee partners have programs with measurable outcomes and significant community impact. One of these projects, Early Learning Ventures, was founded by the David and Laura Merage Foundation in 2009.

David was born in Tehran, Iran. At the age of fifteen he traveled to England to pursue his studies. Later, he moved to the United States where he continued his education. David received his Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from California State University. David is married to Laura Merage. Laura was born in Tehran, Iran and immigrated to Los Angeles at the age of fifteen. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Southern California and her Masters Degree in Art from New York University. Laura is an artist/photographer with works in public and private collections nationally and internationally.

Dick Monfort

Owner/Chairman and CEO
Colorado Rockies

Dick Monfort enters his 26th season with the Rockies franchise in 2023 and continues in his role as Owner/Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for the Club. A Colorado native, Monfort and the Colorado Rockies Ownership Group have established the Colorado Rockies Baseball Club as a leading enterprise in the Rocky Mountain Region in both sports and business. This organization’s impact can be seen in its many contributions to the community, whether through benevolent outreach in the areas of youth sports and health, or in the development of young sports-minded professionals.

Brothers Dick and Charlie Monfort have done extensive community outreach through their family directed Monfort Family Foundation. In September 2004, the Monfort Family Foundation gifted $10 million to Children’s Hospital Colorado for the construction of a new medical facility. The oncology floor of the new hospital is named in memory of Rick Wilson, a cousin of the Monfort family. The foundation is a longtime provider of funding and endorsement for the Boys & Girls Clubs in Metro Denver and Weld County. Also active in higher education, the Monfort family supports the Monfort School of Business at the University of Northern Colorado and the Monfort Excellence Fund at Colorado State University; both impact students, faculty and the Northern Colorado community through scholarships for exceptional students and support of outstanding faculty. Other organizations that have benefited from the Monfort family’s years of philanthropic work include CU Cancer Center, Craig Hospital, United Way, the Denver Art Museum and Habitat for Humanity.

Individually, Monfort was the 2008 recipient of the United Way of Weld County Humanitarian of the Year Award—an award his father, Kenny Monfort, received twenty years earlier. Monfort is currently the Chairman of the University of Northern Colorado Board of Trustees and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of University of Colorado Health.

Monfort spent 25 years in the cattle business, primarily with his family’s company. In 1987, he was named president of Monfort of Colorado, Inc., a subsidiary of ConAgra, and in 1991 became president and CEO of ConAgra Red Meats.

More recent ventures include McGregor Square, 655,000 square feet of residential and commercial space located adjacent to Coors Field in historic lower downtown Denver (LoDo). McGregor Square connects the ballpark to a neighborhood that has developed dramatically over the past 25 years with direct access to Union Station and RiNo District and is a vibrant year-round complement to Coors Field. The new Colorado Rockies Hall of Fame experience and public gathering spaces combined with retail and restaurants, food hall, multi-family residential development, hotel, and office spaces creates a robust environment. But beyond baseball, it will serve as a new and fresh year-round destination that can host neighborhood concerts, festivals, and other public activities for both visitors and the LoDo community alike.

A 1976 graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, Monfort has a bachelor’s degree in business management. In May 2012, Colorado State University President Tony Frank awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters to Monfort in recognition of his significant contributions to Colorado industry and higher education. Additionally, he has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship by Johnson & Wales University in May 2014 and Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in December 2021 from University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Monfort has three children: daughter Dr. Lyndsey Grae M.D., eldest son Walker (wife Lauren, daughter Maren Lee) a VP, Corporate Partnerships and son Sterling is Director, Pro Scouts. Dick currently resides in McGregor Square Residence with his wife Karen.

Sue Renner

Strategic Advisor
David and Laura Merage Foundation

Sue Renner directs Merage Foundations, a consortium of five foundations representing three generations of the David and Laura Merage family in Denver, Colorado. Additionally, Sue provides strategic oversight to two organizations founded by the David and Laura Merage Foundation,  Black Cube, an experimental art museum that advances artists’ self-sufficiency; and Early Learning Ventures (ELV), a nonprofit whose mission is to provide tools and resources that allow child care providers to streamline their business operations, resulting in more time and money to care for and educate our youngest learners.

Sue plays an integral role in Merage Foundations’ advocacy surrounding early childhood policy, including the advancement of access to affordable, high-quality child care. Sue is Co-chair of Colorado Governor Jared Polis’ Colorado Early Childhood Leadership Commission.  Additionally, Sue is a founding Board Member of Executives Partnering to Invest in Children, a business leader’s membership organization dedicated to early childhood education advocacy, and she served as a director of Bright by Three, the developers of the national parent education platform Bright by Text.  She is a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network, and an advisor to the Bi-Partisan Policy Center’s Early Childhood Initiative.

In 2008, Sue was critical in the successful launch of RedLine. Founded by Laura Merage, a non-profit contemporary art center that fosters education and engagement between artists and communities to create positive social change.

Prior to joining the Merage Foundation in 2006, Sue was the Executive Director of Early Childhood Connections and previously worked as a Senior Program Manager with the Colorado Office of Resource and Referral Agencies. Sue’s experience includes volunteer leadership roles with multiple organizations, including community development, family support and early care, and education. Sue received her BS in Human Development from California Polytechnic University and her MS in Child and Family Development from Colorado State University.

Rachel Romer

CEO and Co-Founder
Guild

Prior to founding Guild, Rachel was the CEO of Student Blueprint, led student services at American Honors, and worked for the 2008 Obama campaign before serving in the Obama White House. She and her co-founder, Brittany, were previously selected for Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, and The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce named Guild as the 2017 Top Woman-Owned Business of the Year. Rachel holds an M.B.A. from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business as well as an M.A. in Education and B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University. Rachel lives in Denver with her husband, David, and their twin girls, Lily Grace and Magnolia Bea.

Lisa Steven

Founder and Executive Director
Hope House Colorado

Lisa Steven has more than 25 years of experience working with teen moms. In 2003, she co-founded Hope House Colorado and has served as the founder & executive director ever since. Under Lisa’s leadership, Hope House has reached new levels and growth that, with a budget of over $2.6 million, puts the organization in the top 10 percent of nonprofits in the United States. Under her leadership, Hope House also received the Governor’s Service Award for Outstanding Nonprofit Organization in Colorado in 2015 and was named the Arvada Nonprofit Organization of the Year in 2018. Lisa is also a co-founder of the Colorado Teen Parent Collaborative (TPC) and serves on the Board for the Arvada Chamber. In 2013, Lisa was named the Arvada Woman of the Year for her contributions to the community. Lisa co-authored the Teen MOPS Handbook and worked with MOPS International on their strategic plan for expanding the ministry of Teen MOPS. A former teen mom, Lisa is committed to empowering teen moms in her community and across the world.

* Founding members/organizations

Network

MEMBERS

  • Jeff Allen
    Co-Founder & Managing Partner
    Maple Creek Capital
  • Emilie Aries
    Founder & CEO
    Bossed Up
  • Michael Baker
    President
    Gold Crown Management Co.
  • Marc Beasley
    Executive Vice President & Partner
    Lockton Companies, LLC
  • Deron Brown
    President & COO
    PCL Construction
  • Serena Bruzgo
    President
    Craig Hospital Foundation
  • Devon Cohen
    Chief Financial Officer
    Yoder CO
  • Loryn Duke
    Director of Communications
    Steamboat Ski Resort
  • Tawny Espinoza
    Vice President of Business Development
    Community Hospital
  • Norm Franke
    Regional President
    Alpine Bank
  • Heidi Ganahl
    CEO and Founder
    Camp Bow Wow/SheFactor
  • Mireya Garing
    Senior HR Manager
    Consolidated Investment Group LLC
  • Katherine Gold
    CEO, Owner & President
    goldbug, inc.
  • David Hammond*
    Retired Partner
    Davis Graham
    Past EPIC Board Chair
  • Tim Johnson
    Chief Human Resources Officer
    Pinnacol
  • Neil Oberfeld
    Shareholder
    Greenberg Traurig, LLP
  • Rebecca O’Hearn
    Senior Controller
    Consolidated Investment Group LLC
  • Nim Patel 
    Chief Strategy Officer
    Colorado Enterprise Fund
  • Teresa Roche
    Chief Human Resources Officer
    City of Fort Collins
  • Simone Ross
    Chief Executive Officer
    Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce
  • Shawna Ruetz
    Senior Counsel
    Husch Blackwell
  • Marty Ruffalo
    Senior Vice President, Retired
    Ball Corp
  • Rick Simms
    Founder/Owner
    Rick Simms LLC
  • Susan Steele*
    Retired President and CEO
    Buell Foundation
  • Dustin Whistler
    Founder & Principal
    Forte Commercial Real Estate
  • Julie Wolf
    Senior Partner, US Business Leader
    RHR International
  • Jill Wright
    Founder
    Executive Shine

MEMBER INTEREST

Are you a forward-thinking executive who values making a difference as a key component of business success?

Our members are leaders in their fields who are driving lasting change by expanding thought leadership around early child care and education as the foundation to economic growth and societal transformation.

Join this prestigious group of powerful business leaders and support our important work, including:

  • Raising awareness of the importance of early child care and education
  • Championing new policy solutions
  • Providing tools and innovative strategies to help businesses support the development, recruitment, and retention of employees

TWO MEMBERSHIP LEVELS

Network Members

  • Network with other prestigious leaders
    • EPIC’s Annual Business Leaders Dinner (Fall) – Free to members
    • Annual Business Leaders Dinner VIP Reception with key policy and business leaders
    • Annual early childhood learning/networking event
  • Stay informed with advanced intelligence & tools
    • Obtain behind-the-scenes intelligence and give your input during EPIC’s Policy Pop-Up Calls
    • Receive member-only updates on early childhood policy and innovative workplace strategies
    • Access to technical assistance and consulting services from EPIC subject matter experts on
      child care benefits and family-friendly policies
  • Contribute thought leadership to key initiatives
    • Participate in ad-hoc membership work groups concerning advocacy and early childhood initiatives
    • Bring ideas and improvements to the employer services and other outreach and education efforts

Executive Members*

  • Inclusive of all Network Membership offerings
  • Invitation to VIP private events with high-profile business leaders, policymakers, and
    speakers
  • Opportunity to partner with EPIC on co-branded events and social campaigns with your
    company**
  • Eligibility for nomination and election to the EPIC Board of Directors
  • Option to participate on the EPIC Board Policy and Initiatives Committees

*Nomination from current EPIC Executive or Board Member required to become an Executive Member
**Subject to approval

Become an EPIC leader and improve the quality of the workforce, business success, and economic prosperity both today and into the future.

ADVOCATE IN COLORADO

EPIC members are business leaders who are committed to early childhood care and education. Our members understand that the business community has a unique understanding of the importance of advancing policies that support the workforce of today while developing the workforce of tomorrow. EPIC serves as the business community’s voice in support of early childhood policies and investments in early childhood. Learn more about our policy and advocacy priorities here. 

Throughout the year, our members meet with key policymakers and legislators, providing leadership in advancing the needs of children. We hope you’ll join us in impacting policy that will shape the future for generations to come. Become a member now to show your support and get involved in this important work!

Our members are effective and influential champions for children! Join us by:

  • Signing onto editorials in support of early childhood
  • Speaking with media partners about the importance of early childhood
  • Testifying in support of early childhood legislation
  • Contacting your state and federal representatives to advocate for early childhood policy
  • Sharing out information with other business leaders and partners

COLORADO POLICY PRIORITY ACTIONS

Child-Friendly Communities

EPIC lead efforts to create more “child-friendly” communities by prioritizing the development of child care facilities and streamlining the regulatory process for potential operators.

Our Child-Friendly Communities white paper, Clearing the Path for New Child Care Supply: Solutions for Child-Friendly Planning, Housing, and Community Development  (Clearing the Path – Executive Summary) laid an important foundation to HB 24-1237: Programs for the Development of Child Care Facilities which successfully passed in this year’s legislative session. Thank you Governor, Jared Polis and all our sponsors for prioritizing this important legislation!

Colorado Child Care Contribution Tax Credit (CCTC)

The CCTC was last renewed in 2023. It provides a 50% income tax credit up to $100,000 for eligible contributions to support child care. The 2023 legislation required the Department of Revenue DOR to complete a study and report to improve administration of the tax credit and consider the inclusion of eligibility for in-kind real property donations.

Learn more about the CCTC and sign up for DOR’s CCTC workgroup email list (check “Tax Workgroup – HB23-1091 Child Care Contribution Credit Study”).

**The Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Taxation, is hosting workgroup meetings in early 2024 to study the Colorado Child Care Contribution Credit (CCTC). Learn more about the CCTC workgroups here.

Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) Rule-Making

CDEC has a Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) that make recommendations to the Executive Director on rule changes. These rules impact important operational and programmatic changes for early childhood services in Colorado.

See what rules are under consideration.

EPIC Membership Inquiry

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© 2024 Executives Partnering to Invest In Children

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