Playmakers
Verio, the leading provider of online business solutions to SMBs worldwide, including business web hosting, application hosting and Software as a Service (SaaS), has announced that Anne Stone, director of marketing, has been recognized by Everything Channel’s CRN Magazine as one of the top Women of the Channel.
CRN’s annual list recognizes female executives across vendors’ channel organizations, distributors and solution providers for their accomplishments over the past year and the far-reaching impact they are having on the technology industry going forward. This year’s Women of the Channel were chosen by the editors of CRN Magazine based on their achievements as executives and the amount of influence they wield over the technology channel.
Stone, a channel veteran with over 11 years of experience, has a goal of working closely to ViaVerio partners in the coming year with the aim of adding 500 additional partners, in addition to furthering Verio’s social media efforts to better engage and communicate with partners to build a stronger partner community.
A special feature of the Women of the Channel is in the July issue of CRN Magazine and expanded coverage will be featured online at www.crn.com.
About Verio, Inc.
Verio is the leading provider in delivering online business solutions to SMBs worldwide. Distributed through its global network of OEM and viaVerio channel partners, Verio’s solutions provide web hosting, application hosting and SaaS that enables SMBs to drive online success. Verio is a subsidiary of NTT Communications, one of the largest companies in the world and supports its operations with their highly reliable and scalable Global IP Network providing customers and partners with access to business solutions in more than 200 countries. In January 2010, Verio was named “Best Web Hosting Company 2009” by HostReview.com. For more information, visit www.verio.com.
Everything Channel
Everything Channel is the premier provider of IT channel-focused events, media, research, consulting, and sales and marketing services. With over 30 years of experience and engagement, Everything Channel has the unmatched channel expertise to execute integrated solutions for technology executives managing partner recruitment, enablement and go-to-market strategy in order to accelerate technology sales. Everything Channel is a UBM company. To learn more about Everything Channel, visit us at http://www.everythingchannel.com.
About United Business Media Limited (www.unitedbusinessmedia.com) UBM (UBM.L) focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information distribution, targeting and monitoring; and, the development and monetization of B2B communities and markets. UBM’s businesses inform markets and serve professional commercial communities - from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists – with integrated events, online, print and business information products.
URS Corporation, one of Colorado’s largest architecture, engineering and construction services firms with offices in Glenwood Springs, Colorado Springs and Denver, has named Diana Kazmer to the position of Environmental Marketing Manager for its 500+ person Denver office.
Diana brings more than 20 years of marketing and communications experience for engineering and environmental services consulting firms, including Fortune 100 and 500 firms. For the past 6 years, Diana has focused on marketing to the Department of Defense and other U.S. Federal government agencies contributing to winning more than $15 billion in contracts. Diana has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration-Marketing from the University of Colorado.
Snell & Wilmer L.L.P., one of the largest full-service business law firms in the western U.S., is pleased to announce that Claire Dossier has joined the Denver office in a lateral move from the Snell & Wilmer office in Las Vegas. Dossier is an associate whose practice is focused on bankruptcy and commercial litigation, and she will continue to represent her national clients in this new market, as well as Colorado-based businesses. Dossier brings to Denver extensive experience in bankruptcy law, including reorganization and liquidation, non-dischargeability actions, cash collateral and stay-relief litigation, along with creditors’ rights work, lenders, mechanic’s liens and breach of contract suits. “We are very pleased to welcome Claire to Denver from our Las Vegas office,” said Tim O’Neill, Managing Partner of Snell & Wilmer’s Denver office. “Claire’s bankruptcy and commercial litigation experience will be a great addition to our practice strengths in the Denver office.” Dossier began her career with Snell & Wilmer as a summer associate while she was finishing her law degree at the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder. She has donated her time to numerous cancer awareness fundraisers previous to her move to Denver, and looks forward to becoming involved with the American Cancer Society’s efforts in Colorado. Within Snell & Wilmer, Dossier is involved with the library committee, which focuses on enhancing Snell & Wilmer’s firm library and research tools. She also possesses dual citizenship within the U.S. and the European Union via France, and she speaks fluent French. About Snell & Wilmer L.L.P. Founded in 1938, Snell & Wilmer is a full-service business law firm with more than 400 attorneys practicing in nine locations throughout the western United States and in Mexico: Denver; Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Los Angeles and Orange County, California; Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Los Cabos, Mexico. The firm represents clients ranging from large, publicly-traded corporations to small businesses, individuals, and entrepreneurs. For more information, visit http://www.swlaw.com.
Company Awarded for their Innovative Service and Community Leadership 07.20.2010 – Golden, CO – ServiceMagic, the leading online source for connecting consumers to pre-screened professionals, has been named Technology Company of the Year by CSIA, the state’s largest and most influential technology association. This award is presented to a Colorado-based technology company whose overall performance sets it apart as a leader and was given to ServiceMagic for their commitment to developing innovative product solutions coupled with their corporate responsibility in the community. “ServiceMagic didn’t slow down once they hit profitability. Instead, they pushed to deliver even more innovative solutions for both service providers and consumers,” said Su Hawk, President, CSIA. “This company has mastered one vertical and is now expanding and becoming versed in other industry verticals,” she continued. In the ten years since launching the online marketplace, ServiceMagic has grown from 400 service professionals in 20 cities with 200 employees to operating nationwide with a network of over 80,000 service providers and close to 1,100 employees. This nationwide network of service providers will field over 6 million service requests from consumers in 2010. Additionally, ServiceMagic has expanded internationally with operations in the U.K. and France and has recently extended beyond home services to other services including senior care, photography and catering. “Our continued growth in spite of unprecedented weakness in our industry is very impressive,” said Craig Smith, CEO for ServiceMagic. “We remain committed to improving and innovating around the marketplace we’ve created and believe that with this customer commitment we’ll continue to build a revolutionary, unique business.” ServiceMagic’s corporate responsibility in the community goes beyond corporate donations. The company has instituted eight hours paid time off per year to use to volunteer to a 501c3 of the employees choice. Through this program, employees have collectively donated more than 2,000 hours to organizations such as Rebuilding Together Metro Denver; Food Bank of the Rockies and more. Additionally, company employees have contributed over $50,000 in donation drives for organizations such as United Mitochondrial Foundation and Make a Wish Denver. “Since launching the employee volunteer benefit our employees have strongly supported and participated in the program to make a tremendous impact on the local community,” said Smith. “We recognize the importance of giving back and will continue to foster and grow this program.” About ServiceMagic®, Inc ServiceMagic is the nation’s leading website connecting people with prescreened, customer-rated service professionals. Since 1999, ServiceMagic has made more than 16 million matches, resulting in billions of dollars in various home improvement projects for bathroom remodeling, locksmiths, handymen, and many more. Additionally, ServiceMagic recently launched the Home Remodeling & Repair Survey, which is one of the most in-depth looks at the various verticals within the home improvement industry. Each of ServiceMagic’s 80,000 professionals is screened through our rigorous 10-point screening process. Headquartered in Golden, Colorado with 1,100 employees, ServiceMagic draws nearly four million unique visitors to its website each month. ServiceMagic is an operating business of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI). For more information, visit http://www.servicemagic.com/. ###
Ellis Blevins, Division Director for Robert Half Technology in Denver, has been awarded CSIA’s Champion of the Year award which recognizes outstanding accomplishments and leadership by Colorado’s advanced technology industry.
Blevins has more than 15 years experience in the technology industry, including having spent the last five years recruiting and placing highly skilled professionals for technical, accounting and finance, human resources, sales and marketing and administrative positions in companies small, medium and large. She joined Robert Half International in 2005 and was promoted to division director for Robert Half Technology in 2006.
About Robert Half Technology:
With more than 100 locations in North America and Europe, Robert Half Technology is a leading provider of IT professionals for initiatives ranging from web development and multiplatform systems integration to network security and technical support. Robert Half Technology offers online job search services at http://www.rht.com.
About CSIA:
CSIA is the technology industry leader in uniting and growing Colorado’s information technology industry. By providing advocacy, education, business connections, and information, CSIA supports the economic development, unification of technology stakeholders, and provides larger recognition of the industry and the people involved in the Colorado technology industry. CSIA also works nationally to ensure Colorado’s technology voice is heard, through TECNA, a coalition of technology associations across the United States and Canada, as well as with TechAmerica, the national lobbying organization for federal issues. Since 1994, CSIA has been involved in legislative issues and public policy to represent the information technology industry in Colorado, and has provided a number of annual programs, events and connections to support business success. For more information on CSIA please call (303) 592-4070 or visit http://www.coloradotechnology.org
DENVER, CO – Tim Schultz has been elected as board chair of the Colorado Association of Funders (CAF), a statewide group representing a broad range of foundations, corporate giving programs and other groups that support nonprofit causes. Schultz was unanimously elected by the CAF board to succeed Irene M. Ibarra in this role, effective on August 1, 2010. Ibarra has stepped down from this position as she prepares to retire as President and CEO of The Colorado Trust. Schultz is President and Executive Director of the Boettcher Foundation, a foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life for Coloradans by investing in education, community services, health, and arts and culture. In this role, Schultz builds on his previous service as County Commissioner of Rio Blanco County, Commissioner of the Colorado Department of Agriculture, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, first Chairman of the Colorado Economic Development Commission, and President and Chairman of the nonprofit Colorado Open Lands. “The association has worked to establish itself as the voice of philanthropy in Colorado and I look forward to helping ensure that it can continue its good work,” said Schultz. “Tim is ideally positioned to assume leadership of this valuable organization,” added Ibarra. “He has a unique understanding of our state – from the strengths and needs of small towns to the inner workings of state government and the nonprofit sector. Tim’s passion for bettering Colorado, his kind nature and wise leadership will serve CAF members well into the future.” Other members of the CAF board are: - Tom Currigan, Senior Director, Community & Local Government Relations, Kaiser Permanente; - Dorothy Horrell, President, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation; - Mary Shipsey Gunn, head of Pueblo grantmaking for the David and Lucile Packard Foundation; - Paul Major, President & CEO, The Telluride Foundation; - David Miller, President & CEO, The Denver Foundation; - Shepard Nevel, Vice President of Policy and Operations, The Colorado Health Foundation; - John Newkirk, President, The Snow Valley Foundation; - Susan Steele, Executive Director, Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation; - Kristin Todd, Senior Vice President, Daniels Fund; - R. Thayer Tutt, President & CIO, El Pomar Foundation; - Cathy Lopez Wessell, Co-Director, Bright Mountain Foundation; - Carey Wirtzfeld, Director, Qwest Foundation. “CAF is fortunate to have such strong board leadership as it expands on its work to advance philanthropy in our state,” said Joanne Kelley, CAF Executive Director. The Colorado Association of Funders has approximately 80 members and is committed to education and skills development; idea sharing and networking; and collaboration among grantmakers, nonprofits and partners in communities statewide. For more information, visit http://www.coloradofunders.org
David Ervin, Executive Director of The Resource Exchange (TRE) announces that Jennifer Malenky joined The Resource Exchange (TRE) in May 2010 as Development Director. She holds an MBA in marketing and services management from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs as well as a B.A. in English from Boston University.
Jennifer has 12 years of nonprofit management and development experience with additional experience in corporate marketing and public relations. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable (CPGR) and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
About The Resource Exchange
The Resource Exchange (TRE) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build independence for people with developmental disabilities. TRE supports clients and their families in El Paso, Park and Teller Counties. The Resource Exchange offers an array of services and supports to individuals who are diagnosed with a developmental disability and are eligible for services. TRE serves over 2,500 people with its services and those of its partner agencies. For more information call 719-785-6440 or go to http://www.tre.org
White Construction Group, a Colorado-based commercial general contractor, announces the addition of Vanessa Portocarrero as Project Engineer.
Portocarrero comes to this position with previous sales/commercial estimator experience. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Colorado State University with a degree in economics and minors in Construction Management and Business Administration.
About White Construction Group
Celebrating its twenty-fifth year, White Construction Group is a multi-million dollar general contractor that specializes in commercial construction, design-build, historic restorations and tenant improvement projects. The company provides pre-construction, construction management, general construction and post construction services for public and private clients throughout Colorado. The company has received numerous construction and job safety program awards. White Construction Group can be reached at 303-688-6924 or http://www.whitecg.com.
ADVISOR TO GOV. RITTER JOINS GBSM DENVER – GBSM, Inc. announced today that Kyle Miller, a government and public affairs specialist, has been hired as an Associate. Miller most recently served as the Director for the Governor’s Office of Economic Recovery where he managed a team responsible for implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. “Kyle is a tremendous asset to our team,” remarked John Baron, president of the Denver-based strategic communications, public affairs and management consulting firm. “He has already proven himself as a valuable resource to our clients.” Miller brings with him several years experience in government offices from both Colorado and New Mexico. In this new position, he is helping craft strategy and communications efforts for clients including internationally renowned artist Christo and renewable-energy company Sundrop Fuels, among others. Prior to GBSM, Miller held multiple positions in Colorado Governor Bill Ritter’s Administration. In his most recent position, he facilitated and communicated the impact of more than seven billion dollars of federal investment in Colorado. Working on an extremely complicated piece of legislation, he played a central role in partnering with various government and business sector stakeholders and conveying how the Act affected Colorado. Miller graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver with a Master’s in Public Administration and also holds a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Biology from the University of New Mexico. About GBSM GBSM is a strategic communications, public affairs, and management consulting firm with a 24- year track record in helping organizations successfully address business growth, organizational change, stakeholder engagement, issues management, and crisis response. The firm is deeply experienced in business management, public relations, journalism, leadership development, government, law, marketing, politics, and community affairs. More information is available on GBSM’s website: http://www.gbsm.com. Media Contact: Jen Scherpenseel GBSM, Inc. 303.825.6100 ###
Catapult PR-IR, a leading strategic public and investor relations firm specializing in high-technology markets, announced today that Mary Cochran has been promoted to director of marketing and social media. Cochran has been instrumental in developing and executing social media initiatives for Catapult’s clients and will continue to support the increased use of social media as part of the public relations mix.
“Catapult has been incorporating social media for some time as a means of promoting its clients and connecting with media and industry analyst influencers,” explained Guy Murrel, co-principal of Catapult. “Mary has developed expertise utilizing social media outlets and we’re pleased that she’ll continue to spearhead this emerging facet of public relations for our clients. Social media expands the reach of our clients’ news, and it allows us to tell their story directly to influencers, partners and customers.”
Since joining Catapult in 2000, Cochran has successfully helped promote more than 85 businesses with her expertise in marketing and project management, including website management and search optimization. Before joining Catapult, Cochran spent several years as vice president of Growth Management Center, a California-based consulting firm, where she developed computer, administrative and human resource processes. She also managed business operations at other consulting firms, including Symbius and Front Range Marketing. Cochran has a bachelor’s degree in management from Pepperdine University and a certificate in human resources from California State University in Long Beach.
About Catapult PR-IR
Catapult PR-IR provides strategic public relations and investor relations services exclusively for technology companies. Catapult helps its clients establish new market positions that are shared by only an elite few within their industry. The firm has won numerous awards, including PR SourceCode’s Top Tech Communicators, PRSA’s Gold Pick Award, O’Dwyers Top Tech Firm in Colorado and the Boulder County Business Report’s Mercury 100 Fastest Growing Companies Award. Catapult's client roster includes Agile Alliance, Tasktop Technologies, FreeWave Technologies, JNBridge and ThoughtWorks Studios. For more information on Catapult, call 303-581-7760 or visit the company's website at http://www.catapultpr-ir.com
Snell & Wilmer L.L.P. is pleased to announce that Partner Dan Wittenberg has attained certification as a Global Regulatory Affairs Compliance Professional (GRACP) from the Center for Professional Innovation & Education. The GRACP certification program is aimed at individuals who are involved with regulatory compliance issues in their professions, and geared at enhancing the professional knowledge and skill set necessary to work with domestic and international regulatory agencies in the life sciences arena.
The curriculum ranges from conducting international clinical trials to filing compliant submissions with regulatory agencies. “With increased scrutiny in the area of regulation both domestically and internationally, we congratulate Dan for investing the time and energy to attain this recognition” said Timothy O’Neill, administrative partner of Snell & Wilmer’s Denver office. “The firm continues to seek ways to better assist our life sciences clients.”
As a partner in the Denver office of Snell & Wilmer, Wittenberg concentrates his practice in representing medical device, pharmaceutical, biotech, life science, and consumer product companies in product liability litigation. He also counsels these businesses in risk management strategies, recalls and responding to regulatory agency inquiries. Wittenberg also has served as national counsel for major medical-device manufacturing concerns and regional counsel in mass tort cases. Additionally, he represents companies in commercial litigation and works with entities in technology transfer and intellectual property matters.
Headwaters announced that David W. Traylor has joined the firm as a Managing Director within their Life Sciences Group. David joined Headwaters from Caris & Company where he was focused on capital formation for biopharmaceutical and device companies. He previously worked at Wedbush Pacific Growth, advising private and public biotechnology and medical device companies in various transactions including IPOs, public offerings, private offerings, mergers and acquisitions.
David began his career in the research department at Somatogen, a company pursuing a recombinant blood substitute. Following that, he led the management of programs at Affymetrix, the leading innovator in microarray technology. He also held senior business development positions at Atugen and BioSeek. David received B.A. degrees from the University of Colorado Boulder in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Biochemistry and an M.B.A. from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is also an inventor with two issued U.S. patents.
ESM, a provider of student lifecycle solutions to help schools enroll, graduate and place more students, today announced several executive level promotions.
Rick Fort, ESM founder, will be moving to Chairman of the Board and Entrepreneur-in-Chief from his current role as CEO, Doug Kelsall will move to CEO from his current role as President and CFO, and Marcy Suntken will move to President and COO from her current role as COO. The promotions will be effective July 1, 2010.
Kelsall joined ESM in November 2007 and has been instrumental in advancing the company's financial management and discipline, technologies, systems, and strategy, as well as developing new client relationships and partnerships. He brings close to 30 years of experience in operations, technology, financial management, sales and marketing for start-ups and large private and public companies. Prior to ESM, he served as president and COO of eCollege, which was acquired by Pearson Education.
Kelsall also has held leadership positions with Tava Technologies and Evolving Systems, and presently serves on the Board of Trustees of Westwood College, the Board of Directors of Topschool Inc., and the Advisory Board of University of Colorado at Denver.
Suntken joined ESM in January 2009 with over 20 years of executive leadership experience in the education field. Her entire career has been spent working with client-centric organizations, with expertise in account management, strategic planning and operations. Under her guidance, ESM's overall operational performance and client relations have climbed tremendously. Suntken previously served as president of Knowledge Learning Corporation's School Partnership division.
Fort moved into education as the owner of a Sylvan Learning Center franchise, and in 1995, founded a customer contact center for a handful of Colorado Sylvan Learning Centers, which grew into ESM. Under his direction, ESM has grown from two employees to more than 600 nationwide, positioning ESM as the premier provider of student lifecycle solutions services for the education industry.
In his new role, Fort plans to recruit a Board of Directors, and will focus on investigating new business opportunities, exploring new technological applications and developing new products.
About ESM
ESM provides student lifecycle solutions to help institutions enroll, graduate and place more students. Leveraging its highly trained people, performance-driven processes and advanced technology, the company complements an institution's in-house teams. ESM operates the largest education-only call center in the country with 600 people in four U.S. locations, delivering rapid, cost-effective lead processing, high contact rates and strong conversion rates. Additionally, ESM provides student retention solutions to improve graduation rates, as well as career placement services to help students succeed professionally. To learn more, please visit http://www.esm-sls.com.
The Glenwood Hot Springs, a landmark resort in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, recently named Loretta Ayala as the new Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge Manager. Ms. Ayala is a long-time and accomplished member of the hospitality industry having worked for years as group sales manager for East West Resorts and ResortQuest in the Aspen and Snowmass area. Additionally, she has been a co-owner and the Director of Administration for J&J Property, Landscaping and Maintenance. Ms. Ayala's managerial skills and can-do attitude will be a valuable asset in her new position.
Ms. Ayala brings her experience and expertise to the 107-room Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge where she will be responsible for day to day operations as well as for meeting long-term goals. As the Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge Manager, Ms. Ayala will also help to maintain fiscal responsibility and conduct the hiring and training of staff to preserve exemplary guest service for all visitors to the Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge.
The legendary Glenwood Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs, Colorado is home to the world's largest natural outdoor hot springs pool and continues to draw visitors from around the globe as it has since it was begun in 1888. The warm mineral rich water makes it the ideal place to soak, play and relax all year long.
Downey
Bellco Credit Union, the largest credit union in metro Denver, has promoted two executives from within their management team.
LeeAnn Downey has been promoted from Vice President of Human Resources to Senior Vice President of Organizational Development. Ms. Downey has been with Bellco for nearly seven years and has taken on significant additional responsibilities over time. Before coming to Bellco Ms. Downey was the Human Resource Division Vice President for Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Company. She has over 10 years senior management experience and has obtained her Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation. Downey holds a BS in Business Administration from Colorado State University, is pursuing her Masters Degree in Human Resource Development.
Sandra Sagehorn-Elliott has been promoted from Vice President of Customer Relationship Management to Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer. She has been with Bellco since 2000 in a variety of capacities with increasing responsibility. She will now oversee all member service areas, including branch sales and service, contact center, system operations, marketing and e-commerce. Sagehorn-Elliott's career has included management positions for USBank and Stutsman County State Bank, as well as leadership positions for fundraising organizations. She holds a BA from Nebraska Wesleyan University.
About Bellco Credit Union
Bellco is one of Colorado's largest credit unions, with $1.9 billion in assets, over 350 employees and 16 branches in Colorado. Founded in 1936, Bellco offers a full range of financial products and services including auto loans, mortgages and checking accounts. Today, Bellco Credit Union has 192,000 members, and over a thousand Select Employee Groups. Member advantages include lower interest rates on loans and higher yields on savings, as well as access to thousands of surcharge-free ATMs. Bellco actively supports the community by donating funds and employee volunteer hours to many Denver-area organizations. Bellco sponsors the annual Bellco Credit Union Denver St. Patrick's Day Parade, Littleton's Western Welcome Week, the Arvada Harvest Festival and other community events.
Jacobs Chase Frick Kleinkopf & Kelley, LLC announced the addition of attorney Joshua D. Franklin as Of Counsel in the firm's litigation practice group.
For the past four-and-a-half years, he served as a deputy district attorney for the Denver District Attorney's Office, most recently in the Economic Crime Unit. Franklin prosecuted numerous felony crimes including murder, rape, and robbery, as well as white collar crimes, including theft, securities fraud, and violations of the state's Organized Crime Control Act. Franklin tried over forty cases to a jury, including several first-degree murder trials.
"Josh brings a wealth of trial experience and is a terrific addition to our trial team," said Ann Frick, head of the firm's litigation department.
Prior to his work at the District Attorney's Office, Franklin was an associate in the litigation practice group of Arnold & Porter, LLP from 2001-2005. Franklin clerked for the Honorable Nathan B. Coats of the Colorado Supreme Court from 2000-2001.
Formed in 1995 by five prominent Denver attorneys, Jacobs Chase has grown to 29 lawyers. Throughout its success and growth, the firm has maintained its founding principles and objectives of delivering the highest quality work product, combined with a commitment to client service and dedication to obtaining the most favorable results for its clients.
ESM, a provider of student lifecycle solutions to help schools enroll, graduate and place more students, has named Paul Konkel as its new chief information officer.
Konkel brings two decades of experience leading operations and technology teams to produce peak levels of performance, service delivery and profitability. AS CIO, Konkel will oversee ESM's entire IT organization and lead its technology vision and strategic direction. He will be instrumental in managing and evolving ESM's scalable, performance-driven technology, which powers the company's state-of-the-art call center and provides seamless integration with clients' existing systems.
Konkel's core areas of senior IT executive expertise include strategic planning and execution, business intelligence and analytics, call center operations, process improvement, IT service management, and software and system development. He has engineering and developer certifications from Microsoft, Cisco and PeopleSoft (Oracle) and is Six Sigma certified. Throughout his career, Konkel has held senior leadership positions at Experian, MetaSig6 Advisors, True Logic Financial Corporation, Narex Inc., Mellon Ventures, and AUB- IVY Group Inc.
He has supported Fortune 50 and Fortune 500 clients in technology development, process improvement, systems architecture and data driven performance measurement. Konkel has a degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, he holds several advisory positions with various small to mid-size technology, call center and manufacturing companies.
About ESM
ESM provides student lifecycle solutions to help institutions enroll, graduate and place more students. Leveraging its highly trained people, performance-driven processes and advanced technology, the company complements an institution's in-house teams. ESM operates the largest education-only call center in the country with 600 people in four U.S. locations, delivering rapid, cost-effective lead processing, high contact rates and strong conversion rates. Additionally, ESM provides student retention solutions to improve graduation rates, as well as career placement services to help students succeed professionally. To learn more, please visit http://www.esm-sls.com.
The Private Client Reserve at U.S. Bank in Denver has named Robert Provencher a vice president and wealth management consultant.
Provencher works exclusively with high net worth individuals and families to address their financial needs, especially in the area of wealth transfer. Provencher reports to Markley and works at the U.S. Bank office located at 950 17th St. in downtown Denver.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Hampshire in Durham. Before joining The Private Client Reserve at U.S. Bank in Denver, Provencher was active with a number of community groups as a board or committee member in New Hampshire including Easter Seals, United Way, March of Dimes, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Child Health Services and the McDonough Scholarship Foundation.
The Private Client Reserve at U.S. Bank offers creative, forward-thinking, and timely strategies to help high net worth individuals and families accomplish their goals. As part of the Wealth Management Group, The Private Client Reserve is comprised of U.S. Bank's personal trust, private banking and asset management businesses.
U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), with $281 billion in assets as of Dec. 31, 2009, is the parent company of U.S. Bank, the 5th largest commercial bank in the United States. The Company operates 3,015 banking offices and 5,148 ATMs in 25 states, and provides a comprehensive line of banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and institutions. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web at usbank.com.
Design consulting firm Stantec has hired Patricia Chamberlain to join its corporate health and safety team as the workers compensation claims coordinator for the company's US and international operations. Chamberlain joins the team as part of an overall effort to continually advance the company's risk management programs.
Based in Stantec's Denver office, Chamberlain has been working in the health, safety, and risk capacity for several industries over the last 25 years, managing safety and risk programs, accident investigations, and compensation claims (including all international claims). Chamberlain also holds extensive experience managing emergency and disaster preparedness programs for local, state and federal agencies. Chamberlain is certified in a number of quality management programs including Six Sigma Greenbelt, ISO 9000, Market Driven Quality (MDQ), Performance Improvement Planning (PIP), and Total Quality Management (TQM).
A resident of Denver, Chamberlain has served as a member of the Denver Metro Disaster Planning Team and the American Society of Safety Engineers.
About Stantec's Health, Safety & Environment Program
Stantec's Health, Safety & Environment Program (HS&E) helps the Company identify, assess, and manage the hazards and risks on jobsites and offices. The HS&E staff works across the company to make sure Stantec complies with appropriate regulations and industry standards as well as monitor and enhance the company's ongoing efforts and processes.
Stantec provides professional consulting services in planning, engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, project management, and project economics for infrastructure and facilities projects. We support public and private sector clients in a diverse range of markets, at every stage, from initial concept and financial feasibility to project completion and beyond. Our services are offered through approximately 9,300 employees operating out of over 150 locations in North America. Stantec trades on the TSX and on the NYSE under the symbol STN.
Kenzo Kawanabe, a partner at Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, became chair of The Denver Foundation's board of trustees in January, assuming a critical role for one of the nation's oldest and largest community foundations during its 85th year.
The Denver Foundation manages more than $500 million in assets, and distributes tens of millions of dollars to worthy community organizations every year. A native Coloradoan, Kawanabe's great-grandfather arrived in Colorado at about the time The Denver Foundation was established 85 years ago.
Kawanabe graduated from the University of Colorado (Boettcher Scholar) and Georgetown University Law School. He is deeply involved with legal and community issues, including serving as board chair of the Colorado Lawyers Committee, a consortium of 50 law firms dedicated to assisting children, the poor and other disadvantaged groups. Kawanabe also helps manage one of Colorado's oldest and largest law firms, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP. He is deputy chair of the Trial Group, and serves on the DGS Executive Committee.
Kawanabe is an experienced commercial litigator who represents clients in a variety of matters relating to contract disputes, business torts, products liability, eminent domain and intellectual property concerns. He has earned an AV® rating from Martindale-Hubbell, indicating very high to preeminent legal ability and very high ethical standards.
Kawanabe is recommended in litigation by Chambers and Partners, and is recognized by Colorado Super Lawyers (Top 50). He also teaches at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.
About the Firm
Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, one of the Rocky Mountain region's most prominent law firms, enjoys a strong national reputation for its corporate finance, natural resources and energy law practices, with emphasis on securities and M&A transactions, regulatory guidance and complex commercial litigation. For more information about the firm, its practices and lawyers, please visit www.dgslaw.com.
About The Denver Foundation
The Denver Foundation is a community foundation that inspires people and mobilizes resources to improve life in Metro Denver. In 2009, the Foundation and its donors awarded more than $38 million in grants. The Denver Foundation has three roles: stewarding an endowment to meet current and future needs for Metro Denver, working with community leaders to address the core challenges that face the community, and managing over 800 charitable funds on behalf of individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, visit http://www.denverfoundation.org.
Key Equipment Finance, one of the nation's largest bank-held equipment finance companies and an affiliate of KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) today named Christopher J. Gotski as senior vice president of business development and program management. In this role, Gotski will be responsible for the management, strategic direction and business growth of the company's vendor relationships, both wholesale and retail.
Previously, Gotski was with Key Equipment Finance from 1997 to 2000 as vice president of vendor programs and asset management, followed by a role as senior vice president. Before that, he worked in positions of increasing responsibility at Leasetec Corp. before it was acquired by Key Equipment Finance in 1997. Most recently, Gotski was director of operations for NetApp Financial Solutions EMEA (Europe) from 2007 to 2009.
Gotski has a bachelor's degree in accounting from Carthage College, in Kenosha, Wis.
About Key Equipment Finance
Headquartered outside Denver, Key Equipment Finance manages nearly $11 billion in assets and originates approximately $3 billion of equipment annually. The company has major management and operations bases in Albany, New York; London, England; Hong Kong, China and Sydney, Australia. The company, which supports clients in over 40 countries, employs approximately 700 people worldwide and has been in the equipment financing business for over 35 years. Additional information regarding Key Equipment Finance, its products and services can be obtained online at http://www.KEFonline.com.
jazz89 KUVO Denver and KVJZ Vail today announced the appointment of Alfredo Cruz as President and CEO. Mr. Cruz joins the station during its 25th year of operation as the region's only public radio jazz outlet.
KUVO board chairman David Zucker noted "Our four-month national search was complicated by the fact that there were so many qualified candidates, but Mr. Cruz's passion for Jazz and his experience with some of the nation's top public radio jazz stations made him the clear choice of both the selection committee and station staff."
Mr. Cruz joins the station April 1, from his most recent position as Station Manager at KRTU FM, San Antonio. His 27 years of public radio experience include on-air and production positions with two of the nation's most recognized public radio jazz formats, WBGO FM, Newark and KKJZ FM, Long Beach. Cruz's first exposure to public radio jazz began at National Public Radio in Washington, D.C., where he was the production assistant and broadcast director for the Peabody-Award-winning program Jazz Alive.
His new role at the station comes during a particularly challenging time for non-commercial public radio stations. Cruz will work closely with the station board of directors and staff in moving the station forward with many projects, including the recent addition of the new transmitter in Vail and Eagle Counties and the two new HD program channels and web streams, adding to the program diversity of the station's offerings.
Come meet the new CEO at Dazzle on Thursday, April 8th, 2010 from 5pm to 6:30pm, open to the public. Dazzle presents on this same evening the Cyrus Chestnut Trio, and is offering advance tickets at a ten dollar discount. For information, dazzlejazz.com or 303-839-5100.
ABOUT JAZZ 89 KUVO/DENVER EDUCATIONAL BROACASTING, INC.:
KUVO DENVER/KVJZ VAIL
A Colorado non-profit corporation broadcasting Jazz, Blues and Latin Jazz music since its inception in 1985. Only a handful of non-commercial Jazz radio stations exist across the United States today. KUVO has retained an international reputation for its dedication to Jazz, Blues and Latin Jazz. The station is an affiliate station of NPR (National Public Radio) and PRI (Public Radio International). Offices and studios are located at 2900 Welton Street in the historic Five Points District of Denver.
For more information: Carlos Lando, Chief Operating Officer/Program Director of KUVO: 303-480-9272 Ext. 25 or
.
HomeSphere, Inc, the premier technology-leveraged service provider to the residential construction industry, announced Patrick Pounders has joined HomeSphere as Director of Inside Sales for its BestContractors.com lead generation service. Pounders brings more than 12 years of sales and business development leadership experience to the position. In the newly created position, Pounder will be responsible for hiring, managing and leading the BestContractors sales team.
Since HomeSphere acquired BestContractors in early 2009, the online, unbiased directory of reputable home improvement and repair professionals has further developed its information and management practices to guarantee a high level of service to its customers and users. Pounder will continue these efforts from the company¹s corporate headquarters in Lakewood.
Prior to joining HomeSphere, Pounders was Director of Franchise Sales at Fitness Together Holdings, the world¹s largest wellness franchise organization, and National Inside Sales Manager at ServiceMagic, a marketplace connecting homeowners with prescreened service professionals He holds a bachelor of arts degree in speech communications and a minor in marketing from Metropolitan State College of Denver.
About HomeSphere
Colorado-based HomeSphere offers sales effectiveness tools and supply chain services that combine Web-based technology, market intelligence and relationships to increase profitability for trading partners throughout the construction supply chain. More than 1,300 homebuilders and more than 70 building product manufacturers use HomeSphere¹s Web portal to connect, collect and compete, while remodeling and repair professionals gain market share and attract consumers. Please visit HomeSphere at http://www.homesphere.com <http://www.homesphere.com> for more information.
Naropa University has appointed Vice President for Academic Affairs Stuart Sigman, PhD, to the newly created position of provost and vice president for academic affairs. The position was approved by the board of trustees on February 20, 2010. Sigman joined the Naropa University community as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty in July 2006. He also serves as professor of interdisciplinary studies.
For nearly 35 years, Naropa University has been at the forefront of an educational model that is as concerned with students' emotional and personal development as it is with traditional academic learning. This innovative approach to learning is called contemplative education.
A key aspect of Naropa University's new strategic plan, "Deliver Distinction with Excellence" is the academic plan. Dr. Sigman's contributions to the new academic plan have strengthened the curriculum, and he is quick to identify the value of this educational model.
The academic plan calls for:
Faculty implementing a "curricular arc," a framework of interconnected courses, extracurricular activities, support services and mentorship that will help students identify and reflect upon the progression of their contemplative liberal arts programs.
Investment in programs that will provide students with opportunities to examine their interests, passions and educational skills and translate these to final capstone projects, research, applied projects and internships, as part of developing a sense of confidence for the work they will do in the world.
Development of new courses, such as world languages, political science, mathematics and natural science.
Stuart Sigman received his PhD from the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania. Since then he has served as the founding dean at Emerson College's School of Communication, chair for the National Communication Association's Language and Social Interaction Division, and wrote and edited numerous books on communication and culture. He has been the recipient of numerous grants, including one that led to the creation of the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation Visiting Fellows Program.
Naropa University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Naropa University is a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian liberal arts institution dedicated to advancing contemplative education. This approach to learning integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational traditions, helping students know themselves more deeply and engage constructively with others. The university comprises a four-year undergraduate college and graduate programs in the arts, education, environmental leadership, psychology and religious studies.
IMA of Colorado, Inc., a retail insurance brokerage, today announced that Cathy Sims was promoted to vice president - employee benefits, and Sandy Harvath was promoted to vice president - commercial lines. IMA of Colorado is part of the IMA Financial Group, Inc., a diversified financial services company specializing in insurance, asset and risk management with 450 employees and offices in seven markets across the nation.
Sims leads the employee benefits division of IMA of Colorado. She oversees the consulting and service provided for all employee benefits accounts. Her division provides strategic direction related to all aspects of employee benefits including health and productivity for a diverse group of client companies. Sims has more than 20 years of industry experience including leadership roles at insurance carriers and managing employee benefit programs for large employers.
Harvath is IMA of Colorado's commercial lines division leader. She oversees the division and works with all of IMA's specialty practice service teams, including the claims and loss control groups, to ensure service excellence for clients. Sandy holds an ARM designation and is a Certified Safety Professional with experience in risk control, underwriting and insurance marketing.
About IMA:
Founded in 1974, The IMA Financial Group, Inc. (IMA) is a diversified financial services company comprised of IMA, Inc. -- (http://www.imacorp.com) - the 13th largest independently owned retail insurance broker in the U.S. with offices in Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, Topeka and Wichita; Signature Select LLC - (http://www.signatureselect.com) - a retail insurance broker subsidiary providing personal and business insurance services for small- to mid-sized organizations; Towerstone, Inc. - (http://www.towerstonecorp.com) - a wholesale insurance broker and managing general agency with expertise in a broad spectrum of industries, specializing in energy and construction. Towerstone is based in Dallas, Texas with an office in San Antonio; and TrueNorth, Inc. - (TNI, http://www.truenorthcorp.com) - a SEC registered investment advisory firm that provides professional asset management and investment consulting services.
Northpointe Institute for Public Management is pleased to announce the addition of Dennis Schrantz as senior policy analyst. With more than 30 years of experience in the criminal justice field, Schrantz is a recognized leader in reducing prison and jail populations while improving public safety.
As the senior policy analyst with Northpointe, Schrantz will be responsible for working with state and local jurisdictions that want to improve their justice policies to improve system and individual performance and reduce corrections costs.
Prior to joining Northpointe, Schrantz served as the deputy director of planning and community development for the Michigan Department of Corrections under the leadership of Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm and Corrections Department Director Patricia L. Caruso In his seven years with the agency, Schrantz oversaw the development and implementation of initiatives that resulted in a decline in the prison population by 12 percent, the closing of 19 prisons, and a cost savings to the State of over $118 million - without any related increase in crime. Michigan's accomplishments in putting evidence-based practices to work were recently highlighted in a national publication from the Washington, D.C.,-based think-tank, The Sentencing Project, titled "Downscaling Prisons; Lessons from Four States."
Prior to working for the Michigan Department of Corrections, Schrantz was the director of adult services at Wayne County Department of Community Justice in Detroit. Before this, he was the executive director of the Michigan Office of Community Corrections. In his time with this office, Schrantz directed much of his energies to working with the Michigan Community Corrections Act. As a result of his team's efforts, prison admission rates dropped from 32 to 22 percent in the early 1990s and have remained low.
Northpointe Institute for Public Management is an experienced and nationally recognized correctional consulting and research firm providing software products, training and implementation services to federal, state and local criminal justice systems and policy makers. Northpointe's goal is to provide vital contributions and leadership support in strengthening effective, cost-efficient inmate and offender management while increasing public safety.
Northpointe was established in 1989 and has served more than 275 correctional agencies around the country. Northpointe provides the tools to improve decision making for individuals, agencies and communities, and has long been a leader in decision support services for the corrections industry. Northpointe guides clients through the variety of challenges to becoming a well-trained and professional evidence-based organization. The company's main offices are in Traverse City, Michigan, and Golden, Colorado. To learn more about Northpointe's products, training and services, visit http://www.northpointeinc.com.
Baxa Corporation, a leading provider of medical devices and systems that automate pharmacy operations and increase patient safety, today announced the appointment of industry veteran Dennis Tribble, PharmD to Chief Pharmacy Officer. In this new role, Dr. Tribble will oversee all Baxa clinical pharmacy matters and help drive product strategy and development.
Prior to his selection as Chief Pharmacy Officer at Baxa, Dr. Tribble served as Chief Pharmacy Officer and Chief Technology Officer for ForHealth Technologies where he oversaw the development and deployment of DoseEdgeTM (formerly IntelliFlowRxTM), the industry's first fully integrated workflow manager for health-system pharmacy. Baxa acquired ForHealth Technologies, Inc. in March, 2009.
Dr. Tribble has held numerous pharmacist and pharmacy director positions, mentored hundreds of future pharmacists through lectures, workshops and writings and is the holder of nine pharmacy-related technology patents. He is the immediate past Chairman of the ASHP Section on Pharmacy Informatics and Technology (SOPIT) and a charter member of the HIMSS Pharmacy Informatics Task Force. Dr. Tribble is extensively published on hospital pharmacy operations and pharmacy informatics, and serves as a reviewer on automation for the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.
About Baxa Corporation
Baxa Corporation is a Denver-based manufacturer of medical devices and systems for preparing, handling, packaging, and administering liquid medications. The company manufactures and markets a wide range of healthcare products for use in hospitals, critical care units and alternate-site pharmacies. Privately held, Baxa Corporation has subsidiaries in Canada and the United Kingdom, sales infrastructure in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Switzerland; and distribution partners worldwide. Further information is available at http://www.baxa.com.
Dress for Success Denver, a not-for-profit organization that has helped over 2,000 Denver women through clothing donation and employment retention programs, has named Donna Deteau its new Executive Director, effective December 7, 2009. The announcement follows an extensive search by the Dress for Success Denver Advisory Board. Deteau replaces Kathy Bacon, founder of the Denver chapter and Executive Director since 2006.
Deteau recently moved back to Denver from Bastrop, Texas, a suburb of Austin, where she was the Finance and Development Director for the Children's Advocacy Center, a provider of intervention and therapeutic services to child abuse victims and their non-offending family members. While at the Advocacy Center, she grew the organization's fundraising revenue by 250 percent and increased individual giving by 150 percent.
In 2009, Worldwide Dress for Success recognized Dress for Success Denver for their outstanding programming. The organization served over 1,000 women in that year alone, providing professional attire, a network of support, and career development tools to help them thrive in work and in life. To meet an increasing need, the organization also launched a Career Center that gives candidates access to computers and other career readiness training including building their resumes and interviewing techniques.
About Dress for Success Denver
Dress for Success Denver is best known for providing suits to women; however it is the employment retention programs that are now the cornerstone of the organization. Dress for Success Denver has helped over 2,000 women since opening its doors in 2006. The organization relies on financial contributions, in-kind donations and volunteer efforts of individuals and companies who are committed to helping women take charge of their lives. Dress for Success clients are by referral only, and women must have an interview scheduled before receiving clothing. Dress for Success Denver is an affiliate of Dress for Success Worldwide, an international not-for-profit organization. To learn more about Dress for Success Denver, visit http://www.dressforsuccess.org/denver.
Work Options for Women (WOW), a local nonprofit that supports women through culinary job training, named Catherine J. Henry Executive Director. Catherine will provide leadership to the successful twelve year old nonprofit that expanded last year with the opening of Café Options in downtown Denver.
Catherine graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Finance/Law. She worked for ARAMARK for 17 years in sales, marketing, finance, and operations. Catherine joined WOW as a volunteer Board Member and chaired the WomenCook! fundraising event in 2007 and 2008. She then moved to Director of Operations and was opening manager for Café Options in 2008 and 2009.
About Work Options for Women
Work Options for Women was founded in 1996 and provides culinary job training skills to women in poverty.
WOW operates an employee cafeteria at Denver's Richard Castro Building serving 300 to 400 meals per day, and Café Options at 1650 Curtis Street. The Mission of Work Options for Women is to help impoverished women gain the skills and confidence they need to work their way out of poverty and become gainfully and permanently employed in the food service industry.
About Café Options
Café Options is a fast casual restaurant located at 1650 Curtis Street, serving breakfast and lunch from 6:30am to 3:00pm, Monday through Friday. The eco-friendly café provides "graduate school" to the WOW trainees. It offers made-to-order salads, house-roasted meats, soups made from scratch, hand-crafted sandwiches on artisan breads and freshly baked pastries to go with a fabulous coffee drink from the full service espresso bar.
Colorado Housing and Finance Authority's (CHFA) board of directors today announced the appointment of Cris A. White as the new executive director and chief executive officer.
Mr. White has been with CHFA for over 20 years and has worked in a number of positions, most recently serving as the interim executive director and chief operating officer.
About Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA)
Created in 1973 by the Colorado State Legislature, CHFA strengthens communities by making loans to low- and moderate-income homebuyers, affordable multifamily rental housing developers, and small and medium sized businesses. CHFA also provides education and technical assistance about affordable housing and economic development. CHFA is a self-sustaining public enterprise funded by issuing bonds. CHFA issued bonds are not obligations of the state. For more information about CHFA, please visit www.chfainfo.com. Contact our Denver office at 1.800.877.chfa (2432), or our Western Slope office at 1.800.877.8450.
Freeman Myre, a commercial real estate brokerage firm, announces the addition of a project management division headed by industry veteran, Tom Street. The new division will offer tenant improvement, new construction, architectural planning services and program studies for companies in the pharmaceutical/medical and technology-related arenas.
Mr. Street spent over 20 years as the project/facilities manager at Somatogen and then Baxter Healthcare in Boulder. He has been responsible for over 500,000 square feet of completed construction projects in the area and currently is working with major corporations such as Merck and Astralux. In addition, Mr. Street is the founder and past president of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) and past member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
Freeman Myre is a commercial real estate brokerage firm focused on Boulder County and the surrounding markets. The firm provides a full range of real estate advisory services including brokerage, property management, asset management, facilities management and project management services. For more information, please visit http://www.FreemanProperty.com.
UMB Bank Colorado, n.a., a subsidiary of UMB Financial Corporation, is pleased to announce Gary Hoover has joined the company as vice president, wealth advisor at the UMB banking center in Denver. In this role, he is responsible for assisting clients in financial, estate, charitable, investment, insurance and business planning.
Hoover joins UMB with 20 years experience in the legal and financial industries. He most recently served as vice president of marketing and sales for Alexander Capital Management Group in Denver.
Hoover is actively involved in the community and dedicates his time to many organizations. He serves as vice-chair for the Denver Children's Advocacy Center Board of Directors and is general counsel and director for the Northwood's Baseball League. Hoover also serves on the development committee for Jewish Family Services of Denver and the Rocky Mountain Estate Planning Council. He is also a member of the Colorado Bar Association.
Hoover earned his Juris Doctor degree from the California Western School of Law and received his MBA from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver.
About UMB:
UMB Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: UMBF) is a financial services holding company headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., offering complete banking, asset management, health spending solutions and related financial services to both individual and business customers nationwide. Its banking subsidiaries own and operate 135 banking centers throughout Missouri, Illinois, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Arizona.
Subsidiaries of the holding company and the lead bank, UMB Bank, n.a., include mutual fund and alternative investment services groups, single-purpose companies that deal with brokerage services and insurance, and a registered investment advisor that manages the company's proprietary mutual funds and investment advisory accounts for institutional customers. For more information, visit umb.com or follow us on Twitter at @UMBFinancial.
Faegre & Benson LLP partner Chris Hazlitt was named Man of the Year for 2010 by the YWCA of Boulder County. This annual award honors those who have strengthened the Boulder community through dedicated volunteer service, commitment to advancing women and girls or their work to eliminate racism.
Hazlitt personally embodies Faegre & Benson's firm-wide commitment to community involvement and has participated in numerous events benefiting the YWCA and other non-profits. He has also generously given time in either a volunteer or Board capacity to many organizations, including The Community Foundation, Boulder Economic Council and the Boulder Innovation Center. The YWCA 2010 honorees will be recognized at the 18th Annual Hall of Fame dinner on Saturday, March 13.
About Faegre & Benson:
Faegre & Benson LLP, a recognized leader in the Colorado legal community, is one of the largest law firms in the state, with more than 100 lawyers in its offices in Denver and Boulder. The firm offers a full complement of legal services to clients ranging from emerging enterprises to multinational companies. Its 475 lawyers are experienced in handling complex transactions and litigation matters throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. From these locations, Faegre & Benson has served clients across the United States and in nearly 100 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.faegre.com.
Key Equipment Finance, one of the nation's largest bank-held equipment finance companies, has named Michael Valenti vice president of global pricing and economics. In this role, Valenti will manage the company's pricing organization and work closely with the international pricing team.
Valenti began his career at Key Equipment Finance in 2000 as an account manager. Since then, he has taken on roles of increasing responsibility, from senior pricing analyst in 2002 to director of
domestic pricing and economics in 2006. Valenti has a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Albany.
About Key Equipment Finance
Key Equipment Finance is an affiliate of KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) and provides business-to-business equipment financing solutions to businesses of many types and sizes. The company focuses on four istinct markets:
• businesses of all sizes in the U.S. (from small business to large corporate);
• equipment manufacturers, distributors and value-added resellers worldwide;
• federal, provincial, state and local governments as well as other public sector organizations; and
• lease advisory services for larger structured equipment needs including single investor and leveraged leases, securitizations, and structured debt.
Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, Key Equipment Finance manages nearly $11 billion in assets and originates approximately $3 billion of equipment annually. The company has major management and operations bases in Albany, New York; London, England; Hong Kong, China and Sydney, Australia. The company, which supports clients in over 40 countries, employs about 700 people worldwide and has been in the equipment financing business for over 35 years. Additional information regarding Key Equipment Finance, its products and services can be obtained online at http://www.KEFonline.com.
Cleveland-based KeyCorp is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $93.3 billion. BusinessWeek magazine named Key the top bank in its Customer Service Champ 2009 edition, ranking Key 11th out of the top-25 companies that include many known for their customer service acumen. Key companies provide investment management, retail and commercial banking, consumer finance, and investment banking products and services to individuals and companies throughout the United States and, for certain businesses, internationally. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/.
CodeBaby® is pleased to announce a new staffing addition to its Colorado Springs office. Effective immediately, Dennis McGuire takes over as the company's Chief Operating Officer. The position is new to the growing internet software company.
McGuire brings more than 20 years of experience in the areas of business management, marketing, and sales. Most recently, he held the position of Vice President of Star B2B, a start up business unit of Star Marketing, which is a division of $13B Omnicom group. While at Star B2B, he developed new business strategies and improved operational efficiencies and profitabilities. Prior to that, he was the VP and General Manager at Protocol Marketing and was a founding partner and General Manager of Saligent.
A native of Iowa, McGuire has a B.S. from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Ill. in Business Economics and a M.B.A. in Operations of Management from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colo. He and his family currently reside in Monument, Colo.
About CodeBaby:
CodeBaby is a privately held company with offices in Colorado Springs, Colo. and Edmonton, Alberta. Its cutting edge technology enables companies to quickly and easily create high-quality, realistic digital character conversations that engage customers to optimize results. These customized and interactive conversations are creating value for a rapidly growing number of Fortune 500 companies as well as mid-sided web-based businesses. Further, detailed analytics enable companies to track, tune, and optimize the effect of these conversations. Leveraging web-based standards, CodeBaby Conversations are useful across a wide range of applications, including eCommerce, web-based customer service and support, and eLearning. To learn more about CodeBaby, visit http://www.codebaby.com.
Steve Knapp
Hal Macomber and Greg Howell, co-founders of Lean Project Consulting, Inc. of Louisville, announced the promotion of two of their colleagues to the position of Associate Principal. Roberto Charron, of Sunny Isles, FL, will assume responsibility for corporate transformations to lean management. Steve Knapp, P.E., of Louisville, will assume responsibility for Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Services.
Lean Project Consulting, Inc. was founded in 2000 to bring lean practices to the design and construction industry. The firm is the leading consultant for Integrated Project Delivery contracts, which promote a win-win rather than an adversarial work environment. The company also consults on the project management approach called the Last Planner® System, which dramatically improves reliability and collaboration on construction projects. Last Planner is a registered trademark of the Lean Construction Institute. Learn more at www.leanproject.com
Fentress Architects, an international design firm known for sustainable and iconic public architecture, is pleased to announce the promotion of four employees for their excellent performances in 2009.
The following individuals at Fentress Architects' Denver headquarters have been promoted to these positions: Agatha Kessler, Principal; Carl Goodiel, Associate; Jason Knowles, Associate; and Peter Stavenger, Associate.
Fentress Architects is an international design firm that passionately pursues the creation of sustainable and iconic public architecture. Known for his "patient search" approach, Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, will be honored in 2010 by the American Institute of Architects with the highest award for public architecture, the Thomas Jefferson Award. He has designed more than $22 billion of architectural projects worldwide, visited by 300 million people each year. Designs by Fentress have been honored with over 300 awards for innovation and design excellence. Founded by Curtis Fentress in 1980, Fentress Architects is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and maintains offices in San Jose, CA; Los Angeles, CA; and Washington D.C. Visit us online at http://www.fentressarchitects.com.
ESM, a provider of student lifecycle solutions to help schools enroll, graduate and place more students, promoted Sanya Maerschalk to vice president of Operations Support. Maerschalk is overseeing Reporting, Business Analytics, Work Force Management and Quality Assurance.
Maerschalk has more than 18 years of call center and leadership experience. Prior to joining ESM in August 2009, she served as vice president of Operations with OppenheimerFunds where she was responsible for all back-office processing departments. Under her management, the call center and processing departments achieved numerous "Best In Class" awards from National Quality Review.
She also was responsible for the eServicing strategy and helped promote self servicing options for clients. Additionally, Maerschalk spent six years at APAC Customer Services where she was responsible for the 24/7 call center and served as account director for one of the company's main clients. She also ran the reporting and billing departments, and achieved her Six Sigma Black Belt on the reengineering team.
Prior to APAC, she worked for MCI. Maerschalk earned her BA from the University of Iowa.
About ESM
ESM provides student lifecycle solutions to help institutions enroll, graduate and place more students. Leveraging its highly trained people, performance-driven processes and advanced technology, the company complements an institution's in-house teams. ESM operates the largest education-only call center in the country with 600 people in four U.S. locations, delivering rapid, cost-effective lead processing, high contact rates and strong conversion rates. Additionally, ESM provides student retention solutions to improve graduation rates, as well as career placement services to help students succeed professionally. To learn more, please visit http://www.esm-sls.com.
U.S. Bank in Denver has named Drew Hyde a vice president and relationship manager of its commercial real estate team.
Hyde is responsible for developing relationships in the commercial real estate industry for the bank. He works at the U.S. Bank office located at 950 17th Street in Denver.
Hyde has been working in the commercial real estate industry for nine years. He has a bachelor's degree from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington and a master's degree from Denver University's Daniels College of Business. He resides in Denver.
U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), with $281 billion in assets as of Dec. 31, 2009, is the parent company of U.S. Bank, the fifth largest commercial bank in the United States. The company operates 3,015 banking offices in 25 states and 5,148 ATMs and provides a comprehensive line of banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and institutions. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web at usbank.com.
Green Manning & Bunch, a middle market investment banking firm, welcomes Greg Throckmorton as an analyst. Throckmorton will support the Managing Directors at GMB in each of GMB's middle market practice areas: Building Materials & Services, Healthcare, Industrials and Technology. Greg will assist with merger and acquisition, private equity, debt placement and strategic financial advisory services for GMB's clients in both the Denver and Phoenix offices.
Prior to joining GMB, Throckmorton was an investment banking analyst in the Energy Group at Headwaters MB and held internships at MBH Enterprise and Wm. Smith & Co. Throckmorton holds a B.S. in Finance from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver.
IMA, Inc., the nation's 13th largest independently owned retail insurance broker, has added Laurie Hoag Winkler to the Denver office as Employee Benefits Account Executive.
In her position at IMA, Winkler is responsible for developing employee benefits programs for her clients. As part of the employee benefits practice, she builds strong client relationships through benefits consulting, strategic planning, and health risk management programming.
Winkler comes to IMA with more than 20 years of experience in the employee benefits industry. Prior to joining IMA, Winkler worked for an insurance corporation that specialized in large self funded and fully insured accounts where she focused on business development as well as managed the account staff. Winkler earned her degree in business administration from SUNY Alfred in western New York and currently serves on the board of directors for Colorado Group Insurance Association.
About IMA
Founded in 1974, The IMA Financial Group, Inc. (IMA) is a diversified financial services company specializing in insurance, asset and risk management with 450 employees and offices in seven markets across the nation. The IMA Financial Group is comprised of IMA, Inc. -- (http://www.imacorp.com) - the 13th largest independently owned retail insurance broker in the U.S. with offices in Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, Topeka and Wichita; Signature Select LLC - (http://www.signatureselect.com) - a retail insurance broker subsidiary providing personal and business insurance services for small- to mid-sized organizations; Towerstone, Inc. - (http://www.towerstonecorp.com) - a wholesale insurance broker and managing general agency with expertise in a broad spectrum of industries, specializing in energy and construction. Towerstone is based in Dallas, Texas with an office in San Antonio; and TrueNorth, Inc. - (TNI, http://www.truenorthcorp.com) -- a SEC registered investment advisory firm that provides professional asset management and investment consulting services.
Gary Silverman has joined Boulder-based Pedal to Properties, a full-service real estate firm, as a broker associate. Silverman has worked as a licensed broker in Boulder and recently earned his GRI. He is also a manager at one of Boulder's oldest and most respected restaurants, the Boulder Cork, where he has worked for 27 years.
Silverman grew up in Idaho before attending and graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in economics in 1989. Silverman said his longstanding experience at the Cork has taught him much of what is valuable in real estate where customer service is key and hard work for the client gets results.
A Pedal to Properties Realtor is a full-service real estate agent that uses unique marketing tools, know-how and services tailored to health-conscious buyers and sellers. Use of the Pedal to Properties cruiser bikes is completely optional but allows agents to highlight neighborhood features such as parks, schools, shops, trails, masstransit and more.
About Pedal to Properties (www.pedaltoproperties.com)
Located at 1949 Pearl St. in Boulder, Pedal to Properties' flagship office was founded by Matt Kolb as a full-service realty firm that provides a unique experience for home buyers. Pedal to Properties realtors allow buyers the option of viewing properties and homes from cruiser bikes. The firm caters to clients seeking an active, healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
Scott Burg
General Capital Partners (GCP), a turnaround management and investment banking firm, announces the addition of Kevin Blair, Esq. and Scott Burg as principals.
Blair's focus at General Capital Partners is on the execution and overall supervision of the firm's distressed M&A engagements, including evaluating strategic options and formulating capital and transaction structure. Prior to GCP, Blair was a managing director of 1031 ExChange Advisors, LLC where he was responsible for the firm's private equity and tenant in common (TIC) practice. He also co-founded MBA Investments, LLC, a Colorado M&A advisory firm and merchant bank. Blair has a bachelor's degree from the Colorado School of Mines and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver College of Law, where he is also currently completing a Masters of Taxation (LLM). He holds several real estate brokerage licenses and a series 7 securities license. He is a member of the International Business Brokerage Association and the Association for Corporate Growth.
Burg is responsible for the execution of mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations and capital investments for distressed companies. Prior to joining General Capital Partners, he held the position of senior vice president at Pursuit Partners LLC - a Stamford, Connecticut fixed income hedge fund, which managed $500 million. At Pursuit Partners LLC, Burg directed purchase analysis, security negotiation, team management and valuation of the portfolio. He is also the founder of Clayton IPS, a world-wide leader of valuation for difficult to price assets. Burg received his MBA from the Daniels School of Business at the University of Denver and a B.S. in finance from the University of Colorado. He holds both a series 7 and 63.
General Capital Partners (GCP) is a leading turnaround management and investment banking firm serving distressed middle market companies nationwide. With offices in Denver and New York, GCP offers specialized services including M&A, financial advisory and financial and operational restructuring services. For more information, please visit http://www.GeneralCapitalPartners.com.
DGS associate Elizabeth Titus has been elected president of the Colorado Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Bar Association for 2010. Formerly Colorado GLBT Bar Association's secretary, Ms. Titus will continue to promote the group's mission of providing support and a collective voice for Colorado GLBT legal professions through community involvement, activism and education.
Ms. Titus specializes in litigating cases for natural resources clients, including oil and gas, mining, and other companies and organizations. Her matters often involve permitting on public lands, cultural resources, federal Indian Law, OSHA, MSHA, land use, contract, tort and other commercial issues. Her noteworthy cases include successfully defending a NYSE company against
deceptive trade practices, breach of contract, and conspiracy claims, obtaining a full defense verdict in a six-day jury trial, and assisting in a successful appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court.
With Ms. Titus' recent appointment, Davis Graham & Stubbs attorneys now serve as presidents of three specialty bar associations in Colorado. She joins DGS partner Victoria V. Johnson, who is the president of the Colorado Women's Bar Association, and DGS associate Damian J. Arguello, who is the president of the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association. They continue a DGS tradition of leadership roles in our community and in organizations that seek to promote diversity in the legal profession.
About the Firm
Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, one of the Rocky Mountain region's most prominent law firms, enjoys a strong national reputation for its corporate finance, natural resources and energy law practices, with emphasis on securities and M&A transactions, regulatory guidance and complex commercial litigation. For more information about the firm, its practices and lawyers, please visit http://www.dgslaw.com.
mix1® Beverage Company, an emerging leader in the functional beverage and performance nutrition category, today announced the appointment of Doug Rauch to its board of directors.
Rauch brings more than 30 years of experience in the grocery business, having helped grow Trader Joe's® Company from a small nine-store chain in Southern California to a nationally acclaimed retail success story with more than 330 stores in 27 states. In addition to overseeing this growth, Rauch developed the Trader Joe's® buying philosophy and product development system, created its unique private label food program and championed the company's successful leadership program - Trader Joe's University. Rauch serves on the boards of a number of non-profit organizations and is a Fellow at Harvard University.
Rauch joins a board of directors which also includes Pinkerton; Greg Stroh, co-founder of mix1 and co-founder of IZZE Beverage Company; John Burns and Ted Philip of Highland Consumer Fund; Tom DeRosa, a private investor; and Philip B. Weymouth of FBR Capital Markets. Last fall, mix1 announced it had closed its first round of institutional funding with a $6 million investment from the Highland Consumer Fund. This board appointment is a continuation of the company's use of the Highland Consumer Fund investment to accelerate mix1's ongoing national rollout, including hiring additional staff, providing more marketing support in key regions, and enabling additional investments in product development and innovation.
About mix1 Beverage Company
mix1 is a beverage company providing high quality, all-natural products that support health, wellness and performance through truly functional nutrition. mix1's current product portfolio includes an enhanced protein pre/post-workout and meal replacement shake, available in tangerine, mango, blueberry-vanilla, key lime and mix-berry; and a high-antioxidant fiber drink with the antioxidants of nine servings of fruits and vegetables, as well as eight grams of fiber, available in dark-berry and orange twist. All mix1 products are offered in 11-ounce bottles. Wes Brasher, Dr. James Rouse, N.D., and Greg Stroh co-founded the company in Boulder, Colo., in 2006 based on inspiration from the active, healthy lifestyles they enjoy in their home state. mix1 products are sold at Kroger, Vitamin Shoppe, Whole Foods Market, King Soopers, Meijer, Publix, HEB, Stop & Shop, Fred Meyer, Ralphs, Amazon.com, Life Time Fitness, and 24 Hour Fitness, among others. For more information, visit http://www.mix1life.com.
SquareTwo Financial, a leader in the $40 billion asset recovery and management industry, has named Paul A. Larkins as its chief executive officer.
In this expanded role, Larkins will oversee all aspects of SquareTwo Financial's business of making distressed assets whole through industry-leading analytic modeling, award-winning technology and a pioneering Partners Network that works directly with individuals to remedy their outstanding debt.
A 25-year veteran of the financial services industry, Larkins will guide SquareTwo Financial's consumer, commercial, healthcare and Canadian business lines as they acquire distressed portfolios from financial institutions and return those assets back to productive use. Larkins will continue as the company's president.
Prior to SquareTwo Financial, Larkins served as president and CEO of Key National Finance, and executive vice president of KeyCorp. Key National Finance was comprised of Key Equipment Finance, Key Auto Finance, Key Education Resources, Key Recreation Lending, Key Home Improvement and Key Payroll Online. Larkins joined Key in 1993, and was a member of the Executive Council of KeyCorp (parent company). Before joining Key, Larkins worked for USL Capital and IBM in regional and national capacities.
Larkins received his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Business Administration from St. Mary's College of California. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Institute of Leasing Management at Columbia University and the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Delaware. Larkins serves as a member of the board of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
About SquareTwo Financial:
SquareTwo Financial is a leader in the $40 billion asset recovery and management industry. Through its award-winning technology and unique Partners Network, SquareTwo Financial creates a more effective way for companies and consumers to resolve their debt commitments. Fortune 500 companies in the health care, automotive, banking and credit card industries trust SquareTwo Financial to manage their debt portfolios. The company's national network of legal partners is dedicated to treating consumers fairly and ethically. SquareTwo Financial is based in Denver. Visit http://www.squaretwofinancial.com for more information.
SquareTwo Financial Website: http://www.squaretwofinancial.com
Ray Pittman, founder and president of Pittman Development Group, Inc., a leading commercial development and investment company headquartered in Denver, has been named chair of the board of the Aurora Economic Development Council.
He succeeds Jay Gershen, D.D.S., Ph.D., former vice chancellor for external affairs of the University of Colorado Denver and currently president of Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, who served as chair for 2009. Pittman will direct the board for a one-year term. This will be Pittman's ninth year serving on the Aurora Economic Development Council board of directors. Pittman's background includes more than 24 years of experience in commercial real estate brokerage, services, acquisition and development. During this time he has managed some of Colorado's largest and most prominent commercial and mixed-use projects.
From 2002 through 2006, Pittman was instrumental in creating the vision for High Point, a 1,800-acre mixed-use community near Denver International Airport located in both the city of Aurora and Denver. He oversaw all aspects of the project's land assemblage, planning, zoning and initial development prior to its sale to LNR Property Corp in 2006. Most recently, Pittman lead the formation of the new Pittman Pathfinder Colorado Opportunity Fund I, an equity fund targeting the acquisition of distressed real estate assets throughout Colorado. The Fund completed its first acquisition of eight distressed residential real estate projects in December of 2009.
Prior to founding Pittman Development Group, Pittman served as Colorado's senior vice president and regional manager for Catellus Development Corp. in Colorado. In this role, Pittman initiated some of the company's most exciting projects and was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the development business, including acquisitions and dispositions, marketing, sales and leasing, project design, construction management, project financing and community and government relations.
Pittman graduated with high honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara and has completed additional course work in real estate and finance at the University of California, Los Angeles and Stanford University.
About the Aurora Economic Development Council
The Aurora Economic Development Council is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(6) corporation comprised of the leading 100 companies in the Aurora/Denver metro area, the city of Aurora, and Adams and Arapahoe Counties. A-List, Colorado's premier business event, and Accelerate Colorado, the only statewide advocacy group that conducts an annual business mission to Washington, D.C., are produced by the Aurora Economic Development Council for the benefit of the state's leading industries and Colorado's economic development. For more information on the Aurora Economic Development Council, visit http://www.auroraedc.com.
About Pittman Development Group, Inc.
Founded in 2003, Pittman Development Group is a locally owned, community-based developer committed to the creation of high-quality mixed-use communities and workplace environments throughout Colorado. The company provides consulting, project development and asset management services and brokerage services to third party owners as well as its own portfolio of projects. For more information on Pittman Development Group, visit http://www.pittmandevelopment.com.
Attorney Ronald G. Rossi has joined Polsinelli Shughart PC as a shareholder in the firm's Denver office, where he will develop the clean technology practice and assist clients in the energy and biotechnology fields with complex financial transactions.
Rossi brings more than 30 years of experience related to mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and finance and project development in growing industries, including oil and gas, alternative energy, biosciences, health care and technology.
Prior to joining Polsinelli Shughart, Rossi was of counsel with Snell & Wilmer LLP in Denver. Throughout his career, Rossi has been on the leading edge of all regulatory, financial and operational aspects of alternative energy fields, including wind, solar and geothermal power. He founded one of the country's largest biodiesel companies, and he has served as lead counsel in M&A projects for more than 100 companies. A member of the Denver and Colorado Bar Associations, Rossi received his J.D. and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Michigan.
About Polsinelli Shughart
With approximately 470 attorneys, Polsinelli Shughart PC (http://www.polsinelli.com) is a national law firm that is a recognized leader in the areas of business litigation, financial services, real estate, business law, construction, life sciences and health care. Serving corporate, institutional and individual clients regionally, nationally and worldwide, Polsinelli Shughart is known for successfully applying forward-thinking strategies to both straightforward and complex legal matters. The firm has 13 offices located in Denver, Colorado; Phoenix, Arizona; Wilmington, Delaware; Chicago and Edwardsville, Illinois; Overland Park and Topeka, Kansas; Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield and St. Joseph, Missouri; New York City; and Washington, D.C.
Colorado's leading construction-industry association - the Associated General Contractors of Colorado - has named Heath Construction President Randy DeMario of Fort Collins the 2010 AGC-Colorado board president.
DeMario joins an esteemed group of industry executives who have served as AGC-Colorado board president over the years, including CEOs and presidents of the state's largest general contracting firms. Business, government and construction-industry executives agree DeMario is the right person to lead the AGC-Colorado board in 2010, especially during these tough economic times.
DeMario brings a strong background to the position. Under his leadership, he has built Heath Construction into a multi-million dollar firm in Fort Collins with projects throughout the Rocky Mountain region. In 2006, he was named Business Leader of the Year by the Fort Collins Coloradoan newspaper. AGC Colorado's membership includes large and small general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and professional service providers. On average, AGC-Colorado members complete 70 percent of the commercial building in Colorado.
The 2010 AGC-Colorado board is comprised of 30 prominent, senior-level professionals who guide AGC Colorado's direction in the areas of legislative issues, education, member services and more. An eight-member staff, led by Gifford, manages the nearly 100 educational programs offered annually, provide assistance on legislative relations, publish the association's magazine, address safety issues that impact the industry and much more.
For more information on AGC-Colorado, visit http://www.agccolorado.org or call 303-388-2422 303-388-2422 .
The Denver Public Schools (DPS) Foundation is pleased to welcome two distinguished civic leaders to its board of directors: Kelly Brough, president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce; and Roxanne White, chief of staff to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.
Prior to taking over leadership at the Chamber, Kelly Brough served as chief of staff for the City and County of Denver from 2005 to 2009. Her career at the City also includes previous positions as deputy chief of staff and director of the Office of Accountability and Reform, personnel analyst and director of human resources. Brough created the first pay-for-performance program for Denver employees. Brough also spent time directing an internationally recognized leadership program at the University of Colorado at Denver. She holds bachelor's degrees in sociology and criminal justice from Montana State University and a master's of business administration from the University of Colorado at Denver.
Before her appointment as Mayor Hickenlooper's chief of staff, Roxane White served as executive director of the Timothy and Bernadette Marquez Foundation, where she was responsible for developing strategic giving in the areas of health care, education and human services. White previously worked for the City and County of Denver as manager of the Department of Human Services from 2003-2008. She is the former chair of Denver's Road Home, the City's 10-year plan to end homelessness. White also previously worked as president and CEO of Urban Peak, Urban Peak Colorado Springs, Urban Peak Housing Corporation and The Spot. White has a bachelor's degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, and master's degrees in social work and divinity from San Francisco State University and San Francisco Theological Seminary.
About the Denver Public Schools Foundation
The DPS Foundation raises and manages funds in support of various programs that drive student achievement, including principal leadership development, resources for teachers and classrooms, and after-school tutoring and enrichment programs. Through strategic program investments and community leadership, we support Denver Public Schools in creating a district where outstanding educational achievements are the norm and all children have hope of a great future. For more information, visit http://www.dpsfoundation.org.
Strategic Programs, Inc., a human resources and organizational research and consulting firm, has hired Sandra (Sandy) Bainbridge as Vice President, Sales.
For more than a decade, Bainbridge taught and consulted for agencies of Wilson Learning in sales effectiveness and conducted Supervisory Leadership training. She then served as Vice President Client Services Consultant for Right Management, and focused on organizational consulting, including career transition services and performance management consulting. In 2002 she joined PDI in Denver, as an Account Executive, and progressed to Regional Sales Director of Europe for PDI (formerly Personnel Decisions International, now PDI Ninth House), where she managed Sales in nine offices with diverse cultures, and diverse economies in eleven countries.
She returned to Denver from Brussels, Belgium just before joining Strategic Programs, with the intention of becoming active in the community. She is a volunteer educator and member of the
Colorado Alzheimer's speaker's bureau, is training a service dog to work with the disabled, and in her spare time, participates in triathlons.
Strategic Programs, Inc. is headquartered in Denver, with offices in Dallas, Texas and Omaha, Nebraska. Incorporated in 1988, the firm designs client-specific Human Resources and organizational development assessments, and provides data-driven solutions for individual and organization engagement, retention, development, and performance management. Visit http://www.strategicprogramsinc.com.
Che Yi has been hired as Senior Client Consultant with Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc., in Greenwood Village.
Yi has more than 16 years of employee benefits experience, working in various consulting, analytical and management positions in the employee benefits and healthcare industries. He has advised organizations in a variety of market segments and has deep technical expertise in underwriting and plan design. In addition to working in the employee benefits space, Yi has also held a chief administrative office position with a healthcare center in Pasadena, Calif.
A resident of Centennial, Yi comes to Gallagher Benefit Services after working for six years as a consultant with an international human resources and benefits consulting firm in Los Angeles and Denver. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. Yi carries a Group Benefits Associate (GBA) designation and is currently pursuing a complete Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (CEBS) designation. He has also worked for several national and international employee benefits consulting firms in analytical and consulting roles.
In his role as Senior Client Consultant for Gallagher Benefit Services, Yi will help grow and enhance the capabilities and expertise of the Gallagher Benefit Services employee benefits consulting practice in Colorado.
About Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc.
Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG), is one of the leading employee benefits brokers and consultants in the United States. It delivers a full range of employee benefits services, including benefits strategy, plan design and management, financial planning, actuarial, data analysis and benchmarking, retirement brokerage and consulting, and human resource services. To learn more, visit http://www.gallagherbenefits.com.
Che Yi can be reached at or 800-628-5691 800-628-5691 .
OPX Biotechnologies Inc. (OPXBIO), a renewable biochemical and biofuel company, today announced the appointment of Michael J. Rosenberg as vice president of business development.
Mike brings 24 years of alternative energy and environmental business experience to OPXBIO where he is responsible for creating strategic partnerships to accelerate the commercialization of bio-based chemistry and fuel products.
Prior to OPXBIO, Mike was vice president of business development at Evergreen Energy, a cleaner coal technology company. From 1998 to 2008, he held senior management positions at the leading hydrogen fuel cell company, Ballard Power Systems, including director - corporate development and strategy, director - business development, and business director - material handling.
While at Ballard, he helped form Chrysalix Energy Limited Partnership, a leading venture capital firm in the cleantech industry. Prior to Ballard, Mike was senior treasury manager with Genentech, Inc., and held various positions in finance, environmental project management and engineering with McKesson Corporation and ExxonMobil Company USA. Mike earned an MBA degree from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and he holds a B.S. degree in chemical and petroleum refining engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.
About OPXBIO
OPXBIO is a Colorado-based company using biotechnology to convert renewable raw materials into biochemicals and biofuels. Applying its EDGETM (Efficiency Directed Genome Engineering) technology, OPXBIO will manufacture bio-based products that are more economical and sustainable than petroleum-based alternatives. OPXBIO has already demonstrated laboratory-scale production of several different biochemicals and biofuels using renewable biomass as well as carbon dioxide and hydrogen feedstock. The company currently is producing bioacrylic at pilot scale in advance of opening a demonstration plant in 2011 and a full-scale commercial plant in 2013. The company also is developing strategic partnerships and joint ventures for commercialization.
OPXBIO has raised $22.4 million with venture investors Mohr Davidow Ventures, Braemar Energy Ventures, Altira Group, and X/Seed Capital.
Colorado Public Radio (CPR) has hired Sarah Hughes to be a reporter and producer for its daily local news program, Colorado Matters.
Hughes was previously a reporter for WAMU in Washington, D.C., where she covered education and immigration. She has reported for KCAW in Alaska and was a bilingual teacher for Teach for America prior to attending UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.
Three years ago, Hughes moved to Colorado for a position with Aspen Public Radio as a bilingual reporter. She is fluent in Spanish and once consulted for a radio project in Peru. She is the founder and director of Colorado Youth News, which works with disadvantaged high school students to produce radio programming.
Colorado Public Radio News is heard on: 90.1 FM in Denver, 1490 AM in Boulder, 1230 AM in Pueblo, 89.5 FM in Grand Junction, 88.3 FM in Montrose, 88.3 FM in Craig, and online at cpr.org. CPR is a non-profit organization which receives more than 90 percent of its funds from its 400,000 listeners, as well as businesses and foundations.
Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP has announced that natural resources partner Constance L. Rogers has been selected to serve as the Deputy Solicitor for Energy and Mineral Resources in the U.S. Department of the Interior, effective February 15, 2010.
Ms. Rogers will be relocating to Washington D.C. In her new role, Ms. Rogers will report to Hilary Tompkins, Solicitor of the Department of the Interior, and will provide advice, counsel and legal
representation on matters involving the management of energy and mineral resources on public lands and the Outer Continental Shelf. Ms. Rogers will be responsible for legal guidance on regulation, permitting and development of onshore and offshore minerals, conventional energy and renewable energy, royalties from leases on Federal lands, and coal leasing.
Ms. Rogers will assist the Solicitor in advising the Bureau of Land Management on its energy and minerals programs, the Minerals Management Service and the Office of Surface Mining. Ms. Rogers' private law practice has encompassed renewable energy, mining, federal Indian law, public lands and historic preservation matters, in transactions, litigation and permitting. She has advised companies on mineral, renewable energy and other project development and permitting, primarily on federal public lands and Indian lands, with particular emphasis on compliance with federal land management statutes, the National Environmental Policy Act, wildlife and other species protection statutes, cultural resource and religious freedom laws and federal Indian law concerns.
DGS has one of the largest energy law, public lands and natural resources practices in the Rocky Mountain West. Ms. Rogers becomes the latest DGS partner to serve at the U.S. Department of the
Interior; former DGS partners Clyde O. Martz and John M. Sayre as well as current DGS partners Zach C. Miller and Charles L. Kaiser each served former administrations in the Secretary's and Solicitor's offices.
About the Firm
Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, one of the Rocky Mountain region's most prominent law firms, enjoys a strong national reputation for its natural resources, energy law and corporate finance practices, with emphasis on securities and M&A transactions, regulatory guidance and complex commercial litigation. For more information about the firm, its practices and lawyers, please visit www.dgslaw.com.
Mocapay, a mobile experience platform, today announced the appointment of Will White as Chief Information Officer. In this position, White will support the growing demand for Mocapay's mobile Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) technology that provides merchants an integrated marketing and sales solution to enhance the lifetime value of their customers.
Will joins Mocapay with more than 25 years of experience with Fortune 100 companies across several industries during his career. Will previously served as vice president of software engineering at Raymond James and has held senior technology positions, including CIO/EVP of Citigroup's Diners Club International, CTO at US West and engineering management positions at NCR, Teradata, and Boeing. His experience and leadership has helped lead to technology innovations, higher customer adoption of solutions and organizational transformations to improve quality and delivery.
About Mocapay
Mocapay is a mobile experience platform for innovative merchants that offers an integrated marketing and sales solution to enhance the lifetime value of a customer. The platform addresses these merchants' need for a new channel that will broaden their gift and loyalty programs by mobilizing sales and marketing to reach customers anytime, not just at the point of sale, encourage purchases and build a stronger brand affinity. Based in Denver, Mocapay is a privately held, venture funded company founded in 2006. For more information visit mocapay.com.
Linhart Public Relations, a Denver-based national public relations and corporate communications counseling firm, today announced that recognized digital and social media expert Paula Berg has joined the firm to build on Linhart PR's digital and social media capabilities.
Berg joins Linhart PR after working as the manager of emerging media for Southwest Airlines, a position she held for three years. As emerging media manager, Berg led Southwest Airline's acclaimed online communication strategy, developing the company's award-winning blog "Nuts About Southwest" (named Best Blog by PRNews in 2007, 2008 and 2009), while also leveraging a variety of popular social media channels to improve the company's communications, increase customers and generate revenue.
Due to her leadership in developing and implementing a highly effective emerging media strategy for Southwest, Berg was recognized with the airline's President's Award in 2009. PR Week named Southwest one of five U.S. companies that "get social media." Brandweek and Adweek have named Southwest as a brand successfully gaining traction on Facebook, and the Associated Press and PC Magazine have identified the airline as a company using Twitter successfully to gain customers.
Before heading Southwest's emerging media program, Berg held a variety of communications roles at the company. She served as a spokesperson for local and national media in a 26-city region, internal media trainer and executive speechwriter. She also supervised on-location production of Airline!, Southwest's reality series for the A&E Television Network. Prior to joining Southwest, Berg was a legislative aide in the Colorado State Senate and an intern in the U.S. Senate, working in the office of former Senator Wayne Allard. She also worked as an event planner for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
At Linhart PR, Berg will be responsible for building on the firm's digital and social media capabilities to deliver results for clients, while also creating sustainable capacity in this area among members of the Linhart PR client service team.
About Linhart Public Relations
Linhart Public Relations, a Denver-based public relations and corporate communications counseling firm, serves national, international and regional clients in a variety of industries, including restaurants, building products, natural and organic products manufacturing and retailing, energy and renewable energy, financial services and investments, footwear, engineering and construction, and health care.
PRWeek, a highly respected PR industry trade publication, selected Linhart PR as a finalist for its 2009 Boutique Agency of the Year award, and as an honorable mention winner for its 2008 Small Agency of the Year award. Linhart PR also has earned national honors from The Holmes Report, another respected PR industry publication, which recognized Linhart PR as the Boutique Agency of the Year in 2007, and as one of the best PR firms to work for in the U.S.
Founded in 1996, Linhart PR is headquartered in a restored 19th century candy factory in the downtown Denver Theatre District. For more information, visit Linhart PR online at www.linhartpr.com.
Frost Mortgage Lending Group is pleased to announce that Tim Ray and Ronnie Ray have joined the company as branch partners of the Denver branch, bringing six mortgage planners with them. Frost Mortgage Lending Group, led by longtime mortgage banker Greg Frost, has successfully redefined its business model and is thriving in a market that has seen the closing of many mortgage lenders around the country.
Tim Ray and Ronnie Ray previously owned Apollo Financial Services, LLC. Tim is a Certified Mortgage Lender and Licensed Mortgage Broker with 10 years experience in the mortgage industry. He has originated over $160 million in mortgages. Ronnie is a Certified Residential Mortgage Specialist and Licensed Mortgage Broker with 10 years experience. In 2009, the Colorado Association of Mortgage Brokers named her Broker of the Year.
Tim Ray is a member of the Colorado Association of Mortgage Brokers, and volunteers as an assistant varsity basketball coach at Denver South High School, of which he is an alumnus. A scholar athlete, he attended DenverUniversity on basketball and baseball scholarships and graduated in 1991. Ronnie Ray is a board member of the Colorado Association of Mortgage Brokers, and co-chair of the education committee. She is also a member of the Alliance for Professional Women, serves as president of the Trailblazers Chapter of Business Networking International and is an affiliate member of the South Metro Denver Realtor Association.
Frost Mortgage Lending Group was founded in 1991. The company and its branches operate in 13 states, and funded over $40,000,000 in residential mortgages in April 2009. The company forecasts funding $100,000,000 per month by the end of 2009.
Hogan & Hartson LLP is pleased to announce the appointment of Anastasia G. Khokhryakova to Counsel, effective January 1, 2010. Khokhryakova concentrates in the areas of municipal and corporate finance, securities, and general corporate law.
Khokhryakova received her J.D., cum laude, in 1998 from the University of Colorado School of Law. She earned her B.A. in 1994 from Moscow State Law Academy.
About Hogan & Hartson
Hogan & Hartson is one of the largest law firms in the Rocky Mountain region, with offices in Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs. The Colorado offices represent local, national, and international clients, principally in the areas of corporate, securities and finance; intellectual property, including patent law and licensing; public and project finance; energy; real estate; sports and sports facilities; telecommunications and television programming; criminal and civil litigation; environmental law; government relations; and labor and employment. In addition to the firm's Colorado offices, Hogan & Hartson has offices in Abu Dhabi, Baltimore, Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Caracas, Geneva, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Moscow, Munich, New York, Northern Virginia, Paris, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Tokyo, Warsaw, and Washington, D.C.
For additional information about Hogan & Hartson, please visit www.hhlaw.com.
Hogan & Hartson LLP is pleased to announce the election of Keith A. Trammell to the partnership, effective January 1, 2010. Trammell concentrates in the areas of securities and corporate law, as well as international transactions.
Prior to joining Hogan & Hartson, Trammell was an associate in the Denver office of another international law firm.
Trammell received his J.D. in 2000 from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. He earned his B.A. in 1995 from the University of Colorado.
About Hogan & Hartson
Hogan & Hartson is one of the largest law firms in the Rocky Mountain region, with offices in Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs. The Colorado offices represent local, national, and international clients, principally in the areas of corporate, securities and finance; intellectual property, including patent law and licensing; public and project finance; energy; real estate; sports and sports facilities; telecommunications and television programming; criminal and civil litigation; environmental law; government relations; and labor and employment. In addition to the firm's Colorado offices, Hogan & Hartson has offices in Abu Dhabi, Baltimore, Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Caracas, Geneva, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Moscow, Munich, New York, Northern Virginia, Paris, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Tokyo, Warsaw, and Washington, D.C.
For additional information about Hogan & Hartson, please visit www.hhlaw.com.
Longtime communications and marketing executive Michele Wells will rejoin JohnstonWells, a leading Denver public relations and marketing firm, as a senior consultant starting in January.
JohnstonWells recently celebrated its 38th year in business and was ranked 26th among best U.S. public relations agencies to work for in the U.S. by The Holmes Report in October 2009.
The firm acquired Wells Communications in 1993, and Wells worked at the firm until 1996, but continued consulting with JohnstonWells periodically during the subsequent years. JohnstonWells has expertise in strategic communications for energy, environment, real estate, specialty foods, consumer products and services, healthcare, biosciences, technology and telecommunications organizations.
The Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce welcomes its newest staff member, Meghan Stinton, as the Marketing and Communications Manager.
Stinton brings a diverse range of experience to her new position. Prior to joining the CWCC, Stinton has worked as the Fundraising and Events Coordinator for Breast Cancer Network of Strength Rocky Mountain, Public Relations Account Executive with JKD & Company, Inc., and a Station Assistant at KMGH Channel 7.
She holds a Bachelors degree in journalism and public relations from Metropolitan State College of Denver and. Her passion for non-profits, communication, and writing, has led her to serve on numerous committees including; the Women's Bean Project communications committee and the National Hazing Prevention Organization marketing and public relations committee. She also serves on the board of directors for the Outdoor Lab Foundation and assists them with their marketing and fundraising efforts.
About Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce:
The Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce is one of the largest women's chambers in the nation. CWCC provides its members with the environment and resources conducive to business success, skills and knowledge about business issues and trends, visibility in the community and opportunities for community involvement and business partnerships. For more information on the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce, call 303-458-0220, e-mail or visit http://www.cwcc.org.
In his first major administrative move, incoming museum director Christoph Heinrich has announced the appointment of Cathey McClain Finlon as museum president. Finlon will oversee the Museum's business operations including finance, development, marketing and human resources, while Heinrich will maintain direct oversight of the curatorial and programmatic functions.
Finlon was named interim president by board Chairman Frederic C. Hamilton in April 2009 with the charge of developing a strategic leadership transition process.
Finlon, most widely known in Colorado as a business and non-profit leader, has a substantial history with the Denver Art Museum. As a member of the museum's Board of Trustees from 1994 through 2009, Finlon worked closely with the board and museum leadership to establish the vision for and realize the new Frederic C. Hamilton Building.
Finlon also acted as the museum's first development director prior to her career with McClain Finlon Advertising. The addition of Finlon heightens the museum's ongoing commitment to prudent fiscal management and efficient operation, but also enables Heinrich to commit time and energy to program development including collections and exhibitions
As owner and CEO of McClain Finlon Advertising, Finlon ran one of the top 50 agencies in the country and one of the few woman-owned advertising agencies in the Unities States. She built the business from a small, 5-person shop into a team of more than 200. In its 26 years as a leading agency, McClain Finlon won numerous industry awards and served prestigious clients, including Dell, Sun Microsystems, Qwest Communications and top Colorado resorts. In addition to building her own successful company, she spent ten years in development with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences and the Denver Art Museum.
Finlon's commitment to community is as evident in her personal as her professional life. She serves on many leadership boards in Denver, including the Denver Public Schools Foundation and The Children's Hospital, where she is the incoming chairperson. She also has served in the past as chair of the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, the Alliance for Contemporary Art and Junior Achievement, and on the board of the Colorado Outward Bound School and the National Repertory Orchestra.
In 2009, Finlon was inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame and also received the prestigious Leader Award from the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts.
Sunflower Farmers Market announced the appointment of Chris Sherrell to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer. Since joining the company in 2003, Sherrell has held a number of executive positions at Sunflower, including Director of Operations and Chief Operating Officer.
Chris Sherrell joined Sunflower Farmers Market in 2003, during the inception of Mike Gilliland's new business venture and has played an integral role in the company's growth and success over the past seven years. As Sherrell takes the reins as president, he brings expertise, experience and focus to lead Sunflower's growth strategy across the Western United States. Sherrell's well-rounded approach comes from the wide array of positions he has held in the food retail industry, including: Store Director, New Store Operations, Meat and Seafood Director, Information Technology Director, Director of Operations, and most recently Chief Operating Officer.
Chris Sherrell began his career in the grocery industry at the young age of 17, in the Food Service Department of an independent grocery retailer in 1993. Sherrell progressed rapidly; at the young age of 24, Sherrell held the title of Store Director. His keen interest in the natural food industry quickly advanced him through many management and executive positions.
In 2005, Mike Gilliland named Sherrell Chief Operating Officer for Sunflower Farmers Markets. Today, Sherrell continues to hold the title of COO, while being given the added responsibilities associated with the role of President of Sunflower Farmers Markets.
For more information on Sunflower Farmers Market, visit www.sfmarkets.com.
About Sunflower Farmers Markets
Sunflower Farmers Markets (www.sfmarkets.com) is a rapidly growing chain of full-service grocery stores offering consumers the highest quality natural and organic products at the lowest possible price. The company, founded in 2002, is a pioneer in developing the emerging value segment of the natural and organic foods retailing industry. They have remained true to their motto "Serious Food...Silly Prices®" since the market's inception. The company has 27 retail stores located throughout Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Texas (operated as Newflower Farmers Markets).
Lonnie Knob was recently promoted to Assistant Branch Manager of the Freedom Financial Services office in Grand Junction.
A Grand Junction native, Knob attended Fruita Monument High School and graduated from Colorado State University. He has worked as a loan originator since 2002 and has been a Top Producer for the last few years. Lonnie and his family enjoy being a part of the Grand Junction community and taking advantage of the active lifestyle available in the surrounding area.
About the Company
Freedom Financial Services is a Mortgage Lender providing purchase, refinance, and debt consolidation loans secured by real estate. Freedom is an FHA Direct Endorsement Lender, which means they are authorized to underwrite and fund FHA loans. The company is also a VA Automatic Lender. Freedom Financial Services has served the mortgage needs of Colorado's Front Range since 1995. For more information about Freedom Financial Services go to http://www.freedomfs.com/ or call 1-888-873-7282.
The University of Colorado's Real Estate Center (CUREC) at the Leeds School of Business is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephanie Gripne, Ph.D., as director of the Initiative for Sustainable Development.
The Initiative for Sustainable Development (ISD) educates, activates, and unites stakeholders from across the university, the West, and the nation in pursuit of the best ideas, practices, and policies in the growing field of sustainable land use and real estate development. Gripne has more than 15 years of experience working in the field of applied conservation with sustainability issues across private and public sectors throughout the Rocky Mountain West.
She is the founder of the Compatible Ventures, LLC, an organization that develops for-profit conservation and sustainable agriculture projects bringing together exceptional conservation, agriculture, real estate development, and investment expertise to protect and restore ecologically important ranches while generating competitive financial returns.
During her career, Gripne gleaned expertise in real estate and emerging markets of carbon, wetland, water and biodiversity working with the Nature Conservancy, as well as for Eco Products Fund LP, a $100 million private equity fund jointly managed by New Forests and Equator. Additional experience in the natural resources field comes from her service with the U.S. Forest Service, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Journal of Wildlife Management, the Bureau of Land Management and several universities. Gripne was also a visiting professor at Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources teaching courses in ecosystem services and global environmental issues.
University of Colorado Real Estate Center is a private-public partnership offering a high-caliber academic real estate program for graduate and undergraduate students attending CU-Boulder's Leeds School of Business.
Gripne received her Ph.D. in Forestry from the Boone and Crockett Wildlife Conservation Program at the University of Montana. She holds a master's of science degree in Ecology from Utah State University and a bachelor's of science degree in Biology and Wildlife Management from University of Wisconsin Stevens Pont.
Her research interests include conservation finance, conservation real estate, and ecosystem services. Raised in Hailey, Idaho, she has strong ties to Colorado including great-great-grandparents who homesteaded near Haxtun and a great-grandmother who attended University of Colorado in the early 1900s.
Banking professional Bryan Parises joins Vectra Bank Colorado as vice president and commercial banker for its downtown Denver branch, located at 1001 17th St. Ste. R300.
An accomplished commercial banker, Parises will generate new depository and loan relationships. He also will manage loan portfolios to ensure minimum risk of loss, and serve as a financial consultant to customers and prospects.
Parises brings to Vectra more than nine years of experience in commercial and retail banking, financial analysis and wealth management. He is adept at financial statement analysis, business development and commercial lending.
Previously, Parises worked with other Colorado banks. He is involved with the Downtown Denver Partnership, Colorado Renewable Energy Society and the Denver Chamber of Commerce. He is currently enrolled in the University of Colorado's Graduate School of Banking. He earned a bachelor's degree in management from Metropolitan State College of Denver.
Jeff Pelletier has joined IP5280 Communications, specializing in business VoIP and data communications delivered via state-of-the-art unified Internet Protocol (IP) technologies, as Chief Technology Officer. Pelletier will help IP5280 to continue to deliver high-quality, IP communication services for the small-to-medium and enterprise business markets.
The addition of Pelletier furthers IP5280's goal to hire executives that have unique expertise and have achieved success in both product development and IP engineering, giving IP5280 the ability to continually innovate in the highly dynamic VoIP industry. His primary responsibilities will include oversight to the company's engineering, technical support and product development teams. Pelletier has over 17 years of experience in voice network engineering, VoIP product development and IP networking, along with a proven track record for leadership and results in the telecommunications industry.
Until July 2009, Pelletier was the Chief Technology Officer at Simple Signal, a leading provider of Broadsoft-based VoIP solutions. One of the pioneers of the unification of VoIP capabilities, Pelletier has led numerous development and engineering breakthroughs related to new VoIP products and technology used to connect the worldwide web of networks that make up VoIP communications today.
In his new role, Pelletier will spearhead IP5280's corporate technology strategy and roadmap, support client delivery and execution, and collaborate on business development efforts for IP5280's commercial, wholesale and agent business units.
Earlier in his career, Pelletier was involved in the design, implementation and operation of large-scale data and telecommunications networks for Level3 Communications, WorldCom Communications and Nortel Networks Corporation. Pelletier also held positions with Net2phone, Masergy Communications, and Eze Castle in his career. Pelletier has several telecommunications-related patents pending, and was responsible for implementing one of the first Broadsoft-Microsoft OCS (Office Communications Server) solutions.
Pelletier is a 1992 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Sciences.
About IP5280
IP5280 Communications is a next-generation global unified IP communications provider specializing in VoIP and converged IP voice and data services for business customers. Trusted by thousands of business enterprise users, communication agents, partners and wholesalers of IP managed services throughout the world, IP5280 delivers carrier-class communications for businesses large and small, with significant savings over traditional phone company business services.
Selected by ColoradoBiz magazine among the Top 3 Best Companies to Work For in Colorado, and proud to be ranked by the magazine as a part of the elite Colorado TOP250, IP5280 provides businesses the most advanced IP solutions to meet a variety of voice, data and IP networking needs. For more information, visit www.IP5280.com or call (303) 800-0000.
Paul Suggett has joined Amélie Company, a Denver-based advertising, public relations and marketing firm, as creative director. With over 13 years of international advertising and marketing experience at some of the top and most sought-after agencies, Suggett brings a wealth of creative ability to the agency.
Suggett has spent the past five years as a leader in the creative department of Starz Entertainment Group, producing work across every discipline for multi-million dollar branding campaigns, film festivals, affiliate communications and on-air promotions. Suggett was on the team responsible for the rebranding of the entire Starz Entertainment Group and produced a variety of work that is helping Starz become America's biggest movie channel.
Suggett started his career in London, England, at TBWA Direct and Tequila working on blue-chip accounts like Nissan, Weight Watchers, the Automobile Association and British Telecom. Several years later, his contributions at HPT Brand Response for clients including Virgin, Vodafone, Royal & SunAlliance and BetFair garnered the company Direct Agency of The Year, a prestigious U.K. advertising award from Campaign magazine.
While at HPT, he honed his craft under the creative direction of Steve Harrison, a creative legend often described as “The Bill Bernbach of British Direct Marketing. Trained in both advertising and graphic design, Suggett holds a B.A. in visual communications from De Montfort University, England.
About Amélie Company
Amélie Company is a full-service advertising, public relations, marketing and interactive agency based in Denver, Colorado. The agency helps local, national and international companies to communicate effectively with their audiences, create presence, generate opportunities and produce positive, quantifiable results. Amélie employs a full suite of cutting edge design services that simplifies the complexity of interactive marketing. Amélie’s client roster is diverse, consisting of companies in financial services, broadcast media, technology, higher education, restaurant and entertainment industries and the sports manufacturers field. More information can be found on http://www.ameliecompany.com.
General Capital Partners (GCP), a turnaround management and investment banking firm, announces the addition of Kevin Betz, principal, and Sean Donlin, associate.
Betz will focus on business development efforts for the firm's Management Services division, which provides corporate turnaround and crisis management services to distressed companies nationwide. He has more than 20 years of expertise in accounting, valuation, tax and financial issues. Prior to joining GCP, Betz worked for Clifton Gunderson, a national, full-service accounting firm and RGL Forensics, an international litigation support firm.
In addition, he has held regional business development positions with Deloitte's Financial Advisory Services group and American Appraisal Associates. Betz holds a master's degree from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College in Wellesley, MA and has a certificate in M&A from the Anderson School of Business at University of California, Los Angeles.
Donlin will advise GCP clients in the energy, real estate and financial sectors with a background in corporate finance, private equity sourcing and operations management, including operations restructuring and reorganization. Prior to joining GCP, Donlin worked for a private equity company as an asset manager for a diversified portfolio of real estate and energy field investments. He has a bachelor's degree from the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO and a Masters of Science in Engineering and Technology Management.
General Capital Partners (GCP) is a leading turnaround management and investment banking firm that serves distressed middle market companies nationwide. With offices in Denver and New York, GCP offers specialized services including M&A, private placement of capital, financial advisory and financial and operational restructuring services. For more information, please visit http://www.GeneralCapitalPartners.com.
Veteran financial wholesaler and Denver-area resident Mick Manning, a pivotal member of the KBS sales team since 2005, has been named executive vice president and divisional sales manager of KBS Capital Markets Group (KBS-CMG). Formerly KBS-CMG regional vice president, Manning will now oversee the company's national wholesale efforts for its KBS Real Estate Investment Trusts and report directly to Mike Crimmins, KBS-CMG managing director and chief executive officer, who made the announcement today.
A Colorado native, Manning will continue to be based in Littleton.
KBS Capital Markets Group is an affiliate of KBS Capital Advisors and KBS Realty Advisors, and the dealer-manager for KBS Real Estate Investment Trusts. The promotion is the latest in Manning's 22-year wholesaling management career, much of it centered in the U.S. Mountain states. As KBS-CMG regional vice president responsible for Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico, he continually ranked as one of the top wholesalers in the company.
Prior to KBS, Manning was vice president, wholesaler and Western divisional manager of Travelers Life and Annuity in Denver, where he directed a 10-member sales team to maximize broker/dealer relationships in Colorado and New Mexico. He also served as vice president and wholesaler of MFS/SunLife Financial, and general agent and regional vice president of Mass Mutual Financial Group, both also in Denver.
He also previously established and operated a Northwestern Mutual Life District Office in Littleton for 12 years. Manning received his bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and has completed extensive underwriting coursework at American College in Bryn Mawr, Penn.
About KBS Companies
Headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif., KBS Capital Markets Group (http://www.kbs-cmg.com) is the dealer manager for KBS Real Estate Investment Trusts. KBS Capital Advisors is the advisor for KBS Real Estate Investment Trusts. Both companies are affiliates of KBS Realty Advisors, a private equity real estate company and SEC-registered investment advisor founded in 1992 by Peter Bren and Chuck Schreiber. Since 1992, KBS has completed transactional activity exceeding $16.5 billion via 19 separate accounts, six commingled funds and two private equity REITs. KBS has offices in Newport Beach, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, New York, Washington, D.C, Atlanta and Los Angeles. For information, visit http://www.kbsrealty.com.
Goodwill Industries of Denver has added Tracy Baumgartner, Vice President of Public Relations for Comcast Cable West Division, and Michael Ebedes, Partner at Grant Thornton, to its board of directors.
Both members bring a wealth of professional experience in their industries as well as a passion for the Goodwill mission and community programs that serve more than 30,000 individuals in our community each year.
Baumgartner has 17 years of experience in public relations and communications for cable and telecommunications companies in Colorado. Additionally, she serves as president of the Rocky Mountain chapter of Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT RM) and is a member of the Cable Television Association of Marketers (CTAM), and the Association of Cable Communicators (ACC). She earned her bachelor's degree in business administration with a dual emphasis in marketing and international business from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Baumgartner will serve on Goodwill's Marketing Committee.
Ebedes has more than 16 years of public accounting experience, serving public and privately held companies here and abroad. He has significant experience in the areas of SEC companies, manufacturing, hospitality and international business. Ebedes earned his bachelor's degree in commerce, accounting science from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Ebedes will serve on Goodwill's Finance and Administration Committee.
Ebedes and his wife, Michelle, have been long-time supporters of human services initiatives, including starting their own foundation to support an orphanage and school in South Africa. Locally, Ebedes has been actively involved with the Mile High United Way and was named as 2008-09 Bronze Level Leadership Donors.
For more information about Goodwill Industries and its Board of Directors, contact Meaghan Carabello at 303.650.7734 or
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Goodwill Industries of Denver
Goodwill Industries of Denver seeks to reverse the cycle of poverty for at-risk youth, struggling families and individuals with disabilities. When you shop or donate at Goodwill thrift stores, you help create opportunities for over 30,000 individuals each year to change their lives, while building a strong, sustainable community.
John Curtis has joined MWH Constructors, Inc. in Broomfield as director of health and safety of US operations.
Curtis has 29 years experience in environmental, health and safety with broad-base experience in private, public and government sector projects for companies such as Walter Energy, CB&I, North American Oil Sands Corporation, WorleyParsons (formerly Parsons E&C), M+W Zander and Industrial Design Corporation, Inc.
Curtis has managed the EH&S elements of projects valued from $660 million to $8 billion in domestic and international arenas. He holds a master's degree in occupational safety and health engineering and is a certified safety professional and registered professional engineer with experience in large construction, mining and oil & gas projects.
Sarah M. Schmitz, CEBS, RPA and FLMI, has been named vice president and retirement plan specialist for TrueNorth, Inc., a SEC registered investment advisory firm that provides professional asset management and investment consulting services.
Schmitz will advise employers on matters pertaining to their company retirement plans. She brings more than 14 years of experience as a financial services professional working exclusively with corporate and institutional retirement plans. Her professional background includes experience in client services, business development and creation of business development tools for advisors, marketing, consulting, plan provider due diligence, investment and plan reviews, and client relationship management.
Schmitz is a graduate of Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, with a degree in business administration. She holds the FINRA Series 7 and Series 66 and Series 63 examinations for Registered Representatives, as well as Colorado Life and Variable Contracts licenses.
About TrueNorth, Inc.
An investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, TrueNorth (TNI, www.truenorthcorp.com http://www.truenorthcorp.com) provides professional asset management for individuals, corporations, foundations and retirement plans. . The company's subsidiary, TrueNorth Securities, Inc., Member FINRA, is a broker-dealer that provides retirement plan services to businesses as well as life, disability and long-term care insurance. TrueNorth Securities is headquartered in Wichita, with offices in Wichita and Denver. TrueNorth is a wholly owned subsidiary of The IMA Financial Group, Inc.- (http://www.imacorp.com <http://www.imacorp.com>) - a diversified financial services company with offices in Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, San Antonio, Topeka and Wichita.
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Marty Jones has joined Wynkoop Brewing Company to lead the charge for its hand-canning effort for Railyard Ale, Wynkoop's longtime flagship and hybrid amber ale.
Jones has worked with Wynkoop for years as organizer of their annual Beerdrinker of the Year search.
"The company's increasing commitment to its beer, a new canning endeavor, and the immense appeal of rocking with a revered brewery just down the street from my house in Denver makes the 'Koop a perfect beer home for me," Jones said.
Jones said Wynkoop is also launching a project to place kegs of Railyard and head brewer Andy Brown's other acclaimed creations in select bars, music joints and restaurants in the Denver area.
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Project WISE, a provider of mental health services, mentoring, leadership and advocacy skills development for women, today announced that Laura Gabbay, a seasoned professional in Denver's nonprofit community, will join the organization as its executive director.
As executive director, Gabbay will be responsible for leadership of the nonprofit's five full time and part time employees and more than 40 volunteers. She will oversee fundraising and marketing efforts as well as community relations and will also be responsible for the management of Project WISE's programs, ensuring the organization's mission of empowerment for women to meet personal, family and economic goals and attain a positive involvement with their community is fulfilled.
Gabbay has more than 15 years of experience in the nonprofit field, with an extensive background in all aspects of resource development, as well as several years working as a program officer at two major national foundations. Most recently, Gabbay was the director of development for Mi Casa Resource Center. As a member of the senior management team, she was responsible for the organization's prospect and donor portfolio that generates annual private revenues of more than $850,000. Previously she served as the director of development for the Center for Work, Education and Employment (CWEE) where she handled fundraising efforts for the organization and helped generated awareness of its programs among target audiences. Gabbay's vast experience also includes positions with the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, the Daniels Fund, Child Health Advocates, NAIOT Technological Center, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Boys & Girls Club of Chicago and the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation.
Gabbay is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In addition, she is an active volunteer with Southmoor Elementary School.
She earned her MBA in Marketing and Management of Organizations from Columbia University in New York and her BA in Telecommunications with a concentration in advertising from Indiana University in Bloomington.
Project WISE will be hosting a welcome event for Gabbay at its offices on Dec. 10 at 4:30 p.m. For more information, contact .
About Project WISE:
Founded in 1995, Project WISE is a Denver-based nonprofit organization that works to address and overcome the personal and economic barriers to self-sufficiency among women with low incomes. Through coaching, mentoring, counseling and community involvement, Project WISE helps participants build the skills needed for personal and economic advancement. For more information, visit denverprojectwise.org.
Mountain States Employers Council (MSEC) has appointed Sandy Alexander to Member Relations Manager. This is a new position created within the MSEC organization to help drive strategic initiatives and programs that demonstrate the value of MSEC membership. Ms. Alexander's responsibilities will include expanding relationships between MSEC and their member base by auditing their current and perceived needs and assisting MSEC staff in providing the appropriate services/resources.
Ms. Alexander was born and raised in Longmont, Colorado. She attended Colorado State University and earned her Bachelor of Administration degree from the University of Phoenix in Management. She received her Professional Human Resource certification (PHR) in 2007. She is involved in the Highland United Neighborhood, Inc. (HUNI) and is a member of the Social Committee.
About Mountain States Employers Council
Mountain States Employers Council (MSEC) is a non-profit membership organization, founded in 1939, designed to create successful effective employers. MSEC is:
- A "one-stop shopping" resource for members in the areas of human resource management, employment law, surveys and training.
- A service organization with a staff of over 130, whose mission it is to help build effective, successful employers.
- A clearinghouse of information and services where members receive consultation, direct assistance and representation in the complex human resource and employment law issues facing their businesses.
- An organization of more than 2,700 members that includes a wide cross-section of industries and both large and small employers, public and private.
- A community resource governed by a 30-member board of top business leaders.
Heartland Bank has named Margherita Scarpello Branch Sales Manager for the bank's Denver office.
Ms. Scarpello joins Heartland with more than 20 years of banking and financial industry experience, including 10 years in Retail Bank Management. She has completed several courses at the Institute of Financial Education.
A resident of Broomfield, CO, Ms. Scarpello is a member of the Broomfield Chamber of Commerce and the Women's Chamber of Commerce.
About Heartland Bank
Founded in 1887, Heartland Bank is a full-service, independent bank with assets totaling more than $1 billion. Heartland offers products and services for personal banking, business banking, home mortgage loans and commercial lending services. Heartland also owns Heartland Bank Mortgage, Heartland Bank Financial Securities Group and Heartland Bank Business Credit. The Bank's corporate office is located in Clayton, MO. and operates a regional headquarters in Denver, Co. For more information, visit http://www.heartland-bank.com
George Harvey Jr.
The Colorado Association of REALTORS® (CAR) installed its 2009-2010 Leadership Council during the organization's 89th annual State Convention. George Harvey Jr., (Telluride Properties) of Telluride, Colo. was installed as president.
Harvey has served CAR and the Telluride Association of REALTORS® in numerous volunteer capacities since 1984. Among Harvey's many accomplishments, he is especially proud of having twice been voted "Telluride REALTOR® of the Year" (1993 & 2007) and served as president of the Telluride Association of REALTORS®. Additionally, he is on the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Resort & Second Home Committee and NAR Board of Directors.
Harvey, who specializes in customized services for affluent sellers and buyers, is also a member of the Rocky Mountain Resort Alliance, an affiliation of more than 5,000 brokers in 12 ski areas throughout the Rocky Mountains; The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing; Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate; The Board of Regents; Leading Estates of the World; as well as FIABCI, the only international real estate organization endorsed by the United Nations.
Other top officers who will serve with Harvey are:
o Randy Reynolds (Herman Group Real Estate) - president-elect
o Scott Matthias(Prestige Real Estate Group, LLC) - treasurer
o Amy Dorsey (Slifer, Smith & Frampton)- immediate past president
o Kay Watson (Metro Brokers-Kay Watson Properties) - appointed past president
The board's main responsibilities include leading and coordinating volunteer efforts of the association aimed at maintaining stability in Colorado's real estate industry, protecting private property rights, supporting efforts for affordable housing opportunities and providing resources and services designed to help Colorado REALTORS® succeed in their business.
Others serving on CAR's 2009 leadership team are:
o Jolon Ruch (Infinity Real Estate Services), Metro District V.P.
o Matthew Hintermeister (Peaks Real Estate Sotheby's), Mountain District V.P.
o Keith Kanemoto ( Prudential Rocky Mountain), Northeast District V.P.
o Sari Cobb (Cornerstone Realty LTD.), Northwest District V.P.
o Wynne Palermo (WYNNE Realty, Ltd.), Southeast District V.P.
o Leila Hanson (C21 - West Slope Realty), Southwest District V.P.
o Jill Limberg (Colorado Group Realty, Inc.), Education Division V.P.
o Jack Fox (Fox Company Commercial Real Estate and Development), Governmental Affairs Division V.P.
o Gary Glenn (Prudential Winter Park Realtor), Law and Policy Division V.P.
The Colorado Association of REALTORS® is the state's largest real estate trade association that represents more than 23,500 members statewide. The association supports private property rights, equal housing opportunities and is the "Voice of Real Estate" in Colorado. For more information, visit http://www.ColoradoRealtors.com.
Lifeloc Technologies, Inc. has named Yolanda Gonzales as international business development manager. Gonzales is responsible for developing and executing Lifeloc's international sales and marketing strategies. She will also work closely with product management in the global launch of Lifeloc's new personal breath tester.
Gonzales previously worked as a consultant at A&A Global Technologies in Denver and as a manager in the international sales department at Sandhill Scientific Inc.
About Lifeloc Technologies, Inc.:
Lifeloc Technologies, Inc., is a leading global designer and manufacturer of personal and professional portable breath alcohol testers commonly known as "breathalyzers." More than 35 countries currently utilize Lifeloc's breath alcohol testing equipment for workplace, law enforcement, education and corrections testing. Lifeloc products are recognized worldwide for their ease-of-use, accuracy and reliability. For more information on Lifeloc, please visit http://www.lifeloc.com, http://www.lifeguardbreathtester.com or call 1-800-722-4872.
Winter Park Resort, one of Colorado's premier resort destinations less than two hours from Denver, has appointed Mistalynn Lee as communications manager.
Mistalynn will be responsible for handling all on-property media relations, including press release development, image and b-roll distribution and on-site media hosting. Prior to being named communications manager, Mistalynn was the marketing coordinator at Winter Park Resort.
"Mistalynn's growth and success in our marketing department made her an ideal candidate for this position," said Mary Woolwine, Winter Park marketing director. "Her strong relationships both internally and in the local community provide her with the skills to help promote Winter Park Resort as we begin or 70th season."
Before joining Winter Park Resort, Mistalynn was the marketing manager for Terra Firma Custom Homes, Inc. in Winter Park. While studying business marketing at the University of Phoenix, she was the marketing coordinator at Arizona newspaper The Sun.
Mistalynn can be reached at 970.726.1573 or .
About Winter Park Resort
Located just 67 miles from Denver, Winter Park Resort has been Colorado's Favorite® resort for generations of skiers and snowboarders seeking a big mountain experience at a great value. The resort has invested more than $40 million in on-mountain improvements in the last five years, not including the new Village at Winter Park just completed this past winter. For more information, http://www.winterparkresort.com.
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Vanessa Giacoman
Certified Mortgage Banker Vanessa Giacoman has been named chief operating officer and managing member for Englewood-based Assurity Financial Services LLC, a premier provider of suitable home mortgage lending solutions.
Giacoman is known as a strong advocate for fair lending practices in the mortgage banking industry and brings more than 14 years of industry experience to her new position. As part owner, Giacoman plans to build upon Assurity's reputation as a trusted lender by streamlining operations and investing in human capital.
Giacoman spent 10 years as a managing partner of a mortgage bank specializing in retail/wholesale mortgage originations, overseeing more than 300 employees. In addition to her corporate work, Giacoman lends her expertise to a number of community organizations, including the Colorado Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She is a graduate of the Harvard Business School and the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley and the CMB designation from the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Assurity Financial Services has been serving borrowers across its multi-state footprint since 2002. It is the premier provider of suitable home mortgage loans and continues to offer financial stability for its customers by providing an extensive mix of well-accepted, safe conventional and government loan types. For more information, visit http://www.assurityfinancial.com/.
Nolte Associates, Inc. has named John Radcliffe a Principal.
Principals are partial owners of the firm who foster the technical and managerial abilities of the firm's staff and assist in managing firm-wide operations and planning. Selection is based on the individual's dedication to the company's philosophy, performance and effectiveness in serving our clients and working with other team members.
John Radcliffe has 17 years of professional experience in the design and engineering of residential land development, commercial development, industrial development, transportation improvements and flood control measures. As director of the Colorado Springs office, Radcliffe manages and mentors a multi-disciplined staff, ensures client needs are met and deliverables are of the highest quality, and manages business operations.
Radcliffe is one of six employees firm-wide who were recently appointed to Associate or Principal.
About Nolte Associates, Inc.
Established in 1949, Nolte is a full-service civil engineering firm delivering sustainable solutions for civil infrastructure. With more than 400 professionals in offices throughout the Western United States and Mexico, their staff includes engineers, planners and surveyors. Nolte is committed to implementing sustainable design practices in all specialties, including: flood control and drainage; land planning and development; structural engineering; surveying and mapping; traffic and transportation; water supply, distribution, conservation and treatment; wastewater engineering and water recycling; and construction and program management.
For more information, visit http://www.Nolte.com
Curtis Wolff has been named president of Handyman Matters Franchise Corporation.
Mr. Wolff was a Handyman Matters franchise owner from 2003 to 2009 for the Boulder/North Metro Denver territory. He served on the National Franchisee Advisory Council as Western Regional Advisor and Chairman.
Prior to owning and operating his Handyman Matters franchise, Mr. Wolff was employed by Intertape Polymer Corporation. As Corporate Manager of Logistics, his duties focused on regional distribution operations and management of start-up operations for manufacturing plants. Mr. Wolff attended the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and has multiple certifications, including CPIM through APICS.
Lakewood-based Handyman Matters is a nationally recognized franchise concept that serves the repair, restoration and maintenance needs of both residential and business customers. It has 120 franchisees in the U.S., Canada and Ireland. Eleven franchisees were added in 2008 and Handyman Matters expects to reach 200 franchises by the end of 2010. For more information, visit http://www.handymanmatters.com.
John Seaburg
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, Inc. welcomes two new members to its Board of Directors: John Seaberg, the Vice President of Investor Relations at Newmont Mining Inc.; and Michael Strugar, an attorney at law and Director of the Conservation Resource Center.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, Inc. (BBBSC) is the state's leading youth mentoring organization, helping children reach their full potential through professionally supported one-to-one volunteer mentoring relationships with measurable impact. BBBSC has been serving Colorado youth since 1918. To learn more about BBBSC, to donate or to volunteer, please visit us on the web http://www.BigLittleColorado.org or call 303.433.6002.
Carrie Chaille Eckstein
The Harris Law Firm has added three new associate attorneys: J. Ryann Peyton, Carrie Chaille Eckstein and Christina Apostoli.
In addition to their experience in Colorado family law, Ms. Peyton holds an LLM in taxation, and Ms. Eckstein holds a certificate in mediation and is a Child Family Investigator (CFI ). Ms. Apostoli spent 6 years as a Deputy District Attorney in the 18th Judicial District assigned to the Special Victims Unit (SVU) and brings to the firm her experience as a skilled litigator.
Allonhill, a Denver-based national mortgage due diligence and credit risk management firm, has hired Mike Hartman to serve as director of sales.
Hartman, who most recently served as a vice president for JP Morgan Chase, will oversee the sales department, in addition to developing and building client relationships for the company's due diligence and credit risk management services. He has 10 years of residential mortgage experience, primarily in collateral analysis spanning the credit spectrum from prime to nonperforming loans.
Prior to joining Allonhill, Hartman was responsible for the development and management of residential mortgage collateral teams at JP Morgan. Before JP Morgan, Hartman worked at Lehman Brothers during the peak of the secondary mortgage market, managing the risk on Lehman's Prime and Alt-A ARM residential loan positions.
Hartman holds a bachelor of science in business administration from Towson University in Maryland.
About Allonhill
Allonhill (http://www.allonhill.com), based in Denver, is a leading financial services firm that provides transparent, efficient and analytical mortgage due diligence and credit risk management to help clients understand, manage and reduce risk through informed loan and bond buying decisions.
Steve Miller has been named associate director of sales at The Silvertree Hotel.
As The Silvertree Hotel's associate director of sales, Miller is responsible for national accounts along the east coast and Midwest, including Chicago, Washington D.C. and New York. His primary focus will be contracting groups for The Silvertree Hotel and Snowmass Conference Center through 2013 and beyond.
Miller brings to his new position a healthy resume of experience covering all aspects of operations and sales, including increased sales initiatives and training, strategic alliances, marketing, budgeting and forecasting, event planning, and catering and restaurant management.
Specific sales experience has included all major group market segments, such as corporate, financial, medical, education, social, government and Fortune 500 companies. Prior to returning to The Silvertree Hotel, Steve held positions with 39 Degrees in Aspen, Vero Beach Hotel & Club in Florida, House of Blues in Los Angeles, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Starwood.
Kevin Brunklow
Kevin Brunkow has joined UMB Bank Colorado as senior vice president of Commercial Banking. He will be responsible for business development, commercial lending and relationship management in Denver.
"Kevin brings an extensive commercial lending career to UMB," said UMB Bank Colorado CEO and Chief Lending Officer Jon Robinson. "His vast experience in servicing the commercial marketplace in Colorado will be a benefit to both our customers and the company."
Brunkow brings more than 28 years of financial services experience to his role at UMB. Most recently, he was a vice president of commercial lending at Colorado Business Bank in Greenwood Village, Colo. Brunkow graduated from the University of Denver with a bachelor's degree in finance.
John Gore
Attorney John M. Gore has joined Jacobs Chase Frick Kleinkopf & Kelley, LLC (Jacobs Chase) as an associate in the litigation practice group. Prior to joining the firm, he served as an associate with the prestigious Jones Day law firm in Washington, D.C.
Gore's practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, both trial and appellate work. He also has substantial experience in class action defense, products liability law, RICO, aviation law and constitutional law. A Colorado native, Gore earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado and is a graduate of The University of Texas School of Law, where he was associate editor of the Texas Law Review.
KBS Capital Markets Group has hired Michael Malloy as a regional VP responsible for Colorado to help it accommodate anticipated new product and sales growth in the state.
Malloy comes to KBS from AXA Equitable in New York.
KBS Capital Markets Group is the dealer-manager for KBS Real Estate Investment Trusts, and an affiliate of KBS Realty Advisors, a private equity real estate company and SEC-registered investment advisor based in Newport Beach, Calif.
Matthew M. Riegner
Matthew M. Riegner has been named chief financial officer for mix1® Beverage Company, an emerging leader in the functional beverage and performance nutrition category.
Riegner joins mix1 after five years as director of corporate development, treasury and M&A at Englewood, Colo.-based CSG Systems International Inc., where he led the financial-related aspects of the corporate development function. At CSG, Riegner was responsible for building and maintaining CSG's long range financial model, transaction due diligence, financial modeling and ROI/valuation analysis.
Riegner also helped lead a variety of corporate treasury functions, including management of CSG's various capital structure elements, cash management program, credit facilities and equity repurchase program. In addition, Riegner helped lead the closure of five acquisitions representing an investment of approximately $200 million.
Before helping successfully grow CSG's business, Riegner was a research analyst for Greenwood Village-based Janco Partners Inc., and held various research and analyst positions at UBS Pain Webber - Schneider Securities Inc., Nordby International and the Boulder Financial Group.
Riegner's financial industry leadership experience also includes holding the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation since 2005, as well as being an active member of the Association for Investment Management and Research and the Denver Society of Security Analysts. Riegner is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder.
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Rafael Gutierrez is the new Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Thornton-based Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc., a developer of state of the art flexible thin-film solar modules.
Mr. Gutierrez brings over 20 years of experience in strategic marketing, business development, product development, general management, and corporate strategy.
Before joining Ascent Solar, Mr. Gutierrez was General Manager of Consumer Electronics in Seagate Technology's Consumer Solutions Division. Prior to that role, he was responsible for Seagate's Business Development and Strategy for Consumer Electronics and Storage Services.
Mr. Gutierrez worked at Seagate Technology for over 18 years, where he held executive positions in Corporate Strategy, Strategic Marketing, Advanced Concepts, and Product Development.
Before joining Seagate, Mr. Gutierrez held several engineering development positions with Digital Equipment Corp. Mr. Gutierrez holds a M.S. in Operations Research and Applied Statistics from the University of Northern Colorado, and a B.A. in Mathematics from Bellevue University.
R.L. "Bob" Hough, Ph.D., has accepted the position of executive vice president (EVP) for the North American Limousin Foundation (NALF).
In NALF's primary leadership position, Hough is responsible for executing policies and programs regarding the Limousin herdbook, animal performance, member and industry relations, breed marketing and promotion, finances, staffing, strategic planning, and various member services.
Hough most recently was a senior principal and the livestock-industry practice leader at the Haines Centre for Strategic Management. He previously served for three years as the marketing coordinator then 10 years as the chief executive at the Red Angus Association of America (RAAA). His other professional experiences include working as an Extension specialist in Arizona and Maine.
Stuart Pattison
Stuart Pattison has joined Commerce Bank as its executive vice president and manager of commercial banking.
Pattison brings 20 years of banking and executive management experience to his new role. Prior to joining Commerce, Pattison was president of Key Bank's Colorado District. In his role, Pattison oversaw Commercial Banking, Retail Banking, Business Banking, and Key Private Bank. In addition to increasing profitability in all franchise lines of business, Pattison was accountable for the Colorado District's revenue, expense management, profitability and credit quality.
Prior to joining Key Bank, Pattison held positions with Compass Bank and U.S. Bank in Colorado and Presidential Savings Bank in Washington, DC.
Pattison received a B.S. in Finance and Marketing from Old Dominion University in 1987 and his MBA from Colorado State University in 1995. He is active in civic endeavors and served as a board member of the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, Metro Denver Economic Council, Aurora Economic Development Council, Boys and Girls Club of America, Metro Denver Sports Commission and the Colorado Bankers Association. Stuart also spends time volunteering for local charities and coaching his children's athletic teams.
Invision Sally Jobe, a network of 11 medical imaging centers in the Denver metro, recently announced the appointment of Lora D. Barke, D.O., as medical director of the Invision Sally Jobe Breast Network.
Barke joined Invision Sally Jobe in 2007 from Northwestern University in Chicago after completing a Breast & Women's Imaging Fellowship and working as an associate professor for several years. She has been involved in several clinical trials at Invision Sally Jobe and is the principal investigator for an upcoming trial involving a new 3-D imaging technology called digital breast tomosynthesis.
Barke succeeds previous medical director Terese Kaske, M.D. For more information call 303-761-9190 or visit http://www.riainvision.com/index.asp.
Dale Harris has been named chairman of the board of directors for the Arthritis Foundation, Rocky Mountain Chapter. The all-volunteer board, comprised of key stakeholders from the Rocky Mountain region, acts as the governing body of the chapter, which includes Colorado, Wyoming and Montana.
Harris, a volunteer for the Arthritis Foundation for many years, has served on the board of directors for five years. He is expected to serve as the chairman through 2011.
Harris, senior of counsel to the law firm Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, is a past president of the Colorado Bar Association and the Denver Bar Association. He has served as Chairman of the board of trustees for Mile High United Way, and is a member of the Colorado Supreme Court Judicial Advisory Council.
A member of the Denver Rotary Club, Harris has also served on the boards of numerous legal organizations that include the Legal Aid Foundation, the Colorado Judicial Institute and the Colorado Bar Association Board of Governors.
Kenzo Kawanabe
Kenzo Kawanabe, a partner with Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, received the 2009 Monte Pascoe Civic Leadership Award from Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce's "State of the City” event.
The award, established in 2006 in memory of longtime Denver attorney and civic leader Monte Pascoe, recognizes extraordinary leadership and service toward family success, community improvement, international understanding and dedication to justice and equal educational opportunities for all people.
About the Firm
Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, one of the Rocky Mountain region’s most prominent law firms, enjoys a strong national reputation for its corporate finance, natural resources and energy law practices, with emphasis on securities and M&A transactions, regulatory guidance and complex commercial litigation. For more information about the firm, its practices and lawyers, please visit http://www.dgslaw.com.
Jason B. Robinson
Jason B. Robinson joined the litigation department of Fairfield and Woods, P.C., as an associate attorney with a focus on complex commercial and environmental litigation.
Prior to being in private practice, Robinson clerked for the Honorable Edward W. Nottingham, former United States District Court Judge for the District of Colorado.
Robinson’s experience as a federal law clerk exposed him to a wide variety of cases and legal issues, including multiple–party, complex environmental litigation arising under federal environmental laws. Robinson’s clerkship also provided him with a unique perspective of the adversarial process unavailable to most lawyers.
Robinson received his J.D. from Washington University in May 2000. He graduated summa cum laude from Truman State University in May 1997. Robinson is admitted to practice before the Courts of Colorado and the United States District Court for the District of Colorado as well as the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.
In his spare time, Robinson enjoys playing guitar, camping, hiking, snowboarding, running, traveling, diving, playing golf, and spending time with his family.
Rob Johnson has joined Sport Dimensions, Inc., the motorsports marketing firm headquartered in Englewood, Colo. As the former general manager of the Grand Prix of Denver and president of Pikes Peak International Raceway, Johnson brings extensive insider motorsports knowledge to Sport Dimensions' elite team of experienced racing and sponsorship experts.
Johnson will provide strategy and council to existing Sport Dimensions' clients including Shell Oil, Pennzoil, Quaker State and Best Western as Sport Dimensions' Business Development Strategist. Johnson will also engage in new business development with companies interested in utilizing motorsports as part of their business and brand building strategy and facilitate opportunities for the firm to provide management services to existing and new motorsports facilities.
Johnson also serves as chairman of the Colorado Motor Sports Hall of Fame, race director of the Shell Eco-Marathon Americas and is a past board member of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
About Sport Dimensions
Sport Dimensions was founded in 1995 to manage the business side of Shell's American motorsports portfolio. In that time, the company has grown extensively and now manages racing sponsorships for several of the countryÕs biggest brands, including Best Western and Johns Manville. With a focus on activation and brand building, rather than sponsorship sales, Sport Dimensions is committed to driving business results for its clients through the excitement of motorsports. More information about the company can be found at http://www.sportdimensionsinc.com.
