EXECUTIVES PARTNERING TO INVEST IN CHILDREN
CONTACT
711 Park Avenue West
Denver, CO 80205
303-319-3350
info@EPICimpact.org
EPIC’s Board of Directors
MEMBERS
Mike Kehoe
Chairman of the Board
VP Finance
PCL Construction
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PCL Construction Enterprises, Inc., VP-Finance (2000-Present) PCL’s most senior finance professional in the U.S., responsible for the accounting, financial reporting, tax, investment, and treasury functions. Member of PCL’s primary operating board of directors and its investment committee. Secretary/Treasurer and Board Member for numerous PCL subsidiary companies in the U.S. KPMG, LLP, Audit Associate/Senior/Manager/Sr. Manager (1992-2000) Worked as an auditor with a primary focus on the construction, engineering, and real estate industries. Early promotion to Audit Senior, Manager and Sr. Manager.
Education/Recognition University of Colorado-Boulder, MBA in Accounting, 1992. Treasurer of the Beta Alpha Psi accounting fraternity. University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.S. in Investment, Banking & Finance, 1987. Member of the Finance Society. 2017 Denver Business Journal-Top Financial Executive Award Recipient 2019 Kate Waller Barrett Community Service Award Winner
Charitable/Not-for-Profit Experience Mile High United Way Board of Trustees Member (2016-2019), Alexis De Tocqueville Society Co-Chair (2019-2021). Former Board Chair-Florence Crittenton Services of Colorado (formerly Parent Pathways), a charitable organization that includes a high school in partnership with DPS and support services for pregnant and parenting teen mothers. Successfully led capital campaign, campus redevelopment plan, and renewed public/private partnership with DPS (2009-2015). Former Board Member for the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA)-Denver Chapter (2004-2012). Active membership in the Denver Chapter. Served 19 Seasons as a youth sports coach in Golden, CO.
Christine Benero*
President and CEO
Mile High United Way
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Christine Benero is President and Chief Executive Officer of Mile High United Way, which just celebrated its 125th Anniversary as the first United Way in the country. Mile High United Way works to advance the common good of the community by investing and focusing on the issues of School Readiness, Youth Success and Adult Self-Sufficiency. Last year, Mile High United Way invested over $30 million in the Denver metro area.
Christine is the former Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross Mile High Chapter, in Denver, Colorado. Prior to joining the American Red Cross, Christine was the Director of the Office of Public Liaison for the Corporation for National Service in Washington, DC. She served in two Presidential administrations working for both Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Christine has served as Vice President of the National Civic League, and as a Community Affairs Corporate Program Officer for Target Stores in Minneapolis, MN.
Christine serves on the Boards of HealthOne, the National Civic League, Community Wealth Partners, Colorado Society of CPA Board of Director’s, City Year Denver and EPIC. She was appointed by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock to the Denver Education Compact Board and currently serves on the National Professional Council for United Way Worldwide. Christine was named the 9News Leader of the Year in 2007 and in 2009 received the Community Leader Award by Goodwill Industries and was named by both the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post as one of “Nine to Watch in 2009.” In 2010 she was named a “Woman of Distinction” by the Girl Scouts of Colorado and in 2011 received the “Las Madrinas” award from Centro San Juan Diego. In 2012, Christine was honored nationally by Girl Scouts of America as one of “One Hundred Distinguished Alumni” in honor of Girl Scouts 100th birthday. In 2013, she was named one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Denver by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and presented with the Urban League’s “McKinley Harris Distinguished Warrior” award.
Christine is a past President of the Association of Junior Leagues International, a past chairman of the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, Coalition for America’s Children and the Kiwanis International’s Young Children: Priority One Advisory Board. She was a delegate both to the Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future in 1997 and to the NGO Forum at the UN Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.
Christine holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education from Boston University, a Masters in Education from Harvard University, Graduate School of Education and was selected as a 2007 Gates Fellow for the Senior Executive Program at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.
Ryan Beiser
Regional President
PNC Bank
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In this role, Ryan is responsible for leading overall growth across Colorado with a special focus on the Denver Metro area, as well as overseeing all aspects of Corporate Banking in the region. His office implements all local sponsorship and philanthropic efforts to execute PNC’s community-based goals and initiatives.
Ryan previously served as the chief operating officer of PNC’s Corporate and Commercial Banking groups. Prior to his COO role, Ryan led Corporate Banking for PNC’s Florida East region. During his tenure, he has participated in numerous internal and external initiatives while at PNC, including Men Advocating Real Change (MARC), Women Connect, and United Way West Palm Beach.
In Denver, Ryan is a member of YPO Colorado and serves on the board of Mile High United Way, the Board of Advisors for the University of Colorado Denver Business School, and on the Major Gifts Council for Early Childhood Education of the Mile High United Way.
Ryan earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from St. Vincent College and a MBA from the University of Maryland. He and his wife Heather live in Denver with their three children.
Laura Carlson
Vice President of Programs
Buell Foundation *
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Laura Carlson is the Vice President of Programs at the Buell Foundation. As a member of the Foundation’s management team, she is responsible for overseeing grantmaking activities, development and oversight of special projects and initiatives, and supervision of the program staff.
Laura has a Master’s of Science in organizational leadership with a focus on change management and a Bachelor of Arts in communication from Colorado State University. The focus of her career has been on early childhood development. Prior to joining the Buell Foundation team in 2010, Laura worked for Invest in Kids as a fundraiser and program director for statewide implementation of The Incredible Years, an evidence-based social/emotional skill development program for preschool children and their caregivers. In addition, she was a lead teacher for several years at Children’s Creative Encounters, a preschool in Littleton that she attended as a young child. She currently sits as a representative on the Colorado Young Child Wellness Council and chairs the LAUNCH Together Advisory Team.
Laura spends her time away from the office enjoying time with her husband and two young sons. The arts play a prominent role in the Carlson household, and Laura spends much of her free time painting and crafting, making or listening to music, and enjoying area cultural attractions.
Dave Davia
President and CEO
Colorado Concern*
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Dave Davia is the President and CEO of Colorado Concern, an alliance of top business executives with a mission of enhancing the Centennial State’s business climate. The organization sees Denver as the state’s reputational center.
Dave is a passionate leader with a diverse background in public and private organizations. He has a strong track record of accomplishments in strategic partnerships, government relations, coalition building, business and legislative analysis, collective bargaining, public policy, and association management.
Previously, Dave Davia served as the CEO and EVP of the Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association, a nationally recognized leader in trade organizations. In this role he founded the Western States College of Construction, an employer-sponsored accredited training program that prepares workers in four states for lucrative careers in several construction trades, addressing a significant gap in the workforce. Prior to joining these prestigious organizations, Dave worked in a senior program/project management role in banking operations and IT. Additionally, Dave served as an elected official with the City of Westminster in the role of City Councilor and served on the Economic Development Authority, the Redevelopment Authority, and the Human Services Board.
A passionate champion of children and families, Dave has also served on several charitable non-profit organizations’ boards. Additionally, Dave has served in many roles for the Denver Archdiocese. Dave is a 5th -generation Colorado native whose current home is located a mile away from where his great-great-grandparents first settled in the 1880’s. Dave considers himself fortunate to be married to Kathleen, his talented and enterprising wife who is a successful small business owner; together, they are raising their son, Rocco.
A true thought leader with a reputation for keen political and legislative acumen, Dave is regarded as a stellar networker, collective bargainer, and coalition builder who positively influences legislative outcomes on behalf of the organizations he represents.
Daniel Richards
Partner
Davis Graham
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Dan Richards is a partner at Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, where he represents clients in complex civil litigation. For more than a decade, Mr. Richards has represented domestic and international corporations in complex and consequential civil lawsuits and arbitrations pending throughout the U.S. He has represented clients at multiple trials involving antitrust, securities, intellectual property, and products liability claims. He also has extensive discovery and pretrial experience, including examinations of key fact and expert witnesses and oral advocacy. His expertise spans a broad range of substantive areas, including breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, securities, antitrust, intellectual property, defamation, and rights of publicity. Mr. Richards has particularly deep experience representing clients in the financial services, health care, technology, construction/real estate, and energy industries.
Prior to relocating to Denver and joining DGS, Mr. Richards practiced for more than six years at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in New York and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Denny Chin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Mr. Richards is admitted to practice in Colorado and New York, as well as in the U.S. District Courts for the District of Colorado, Southern District of New York, and Eastern District of New York.
Mr. Richards is a member of the American, Colorado, and Denver Bar Associations, and is a member of the Denver Bar Association’s Access to Justice Committee. He is a graduate of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation’s Impact Denver program and the Downtown Denver Partnership’s Leadership Program.
Mr. Richards received his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, where he was the managing editor of the Fordham Law Review. He attended Miami University and received a B.S. in Finance.
Mr. Richards was named among the Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” in the area of Commercial Litigation.
Marc Pasquariello-Williams
Secretary
Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor
RBC Wealth Management
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Marc has been serving clients in the private wealth management industry since leaving public accounting in 1991 and is currently, Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor for RBC Wealth Management. Prior to RBC, he was Family Wealth Director, Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager and Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley for over 9 years; and then Senior Vice President for almost 18 years at Wells Fargo. Marc has a background in law, JD from William Mitchell College of Law, accounting (CPA), and business (MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management).
When Marc is not busy earning the title of trusted advisor to his client base who seek to fulfill their true intent for advancing purpose and legacy, you can find him engaged in any one of several outdoor activities, enjoying all that Colorado has to offer. Marc is the single father of two daughters. His oldest, Gabrielle, graduated from the University of Richmond this spring and is living in Raleigh, N.C., and his youngest, Sophia, is heading back to college this fall after recovering from her fourth and final shoulder surgery in less than 5 years. Marc is also a professionally certified tennis racquet stringer. Having strung thousands of racquets while his daughter was pursuing her passion on the tennis courts, he created Last Second Stringing, a purely philanthropic endeavor and donates all funds collected to a foundation that runs a school for children in Uganda.
Marc participates on EPIC’s Policy and Initiatives committees and his expertise and input is highly valued.
Michael Niyompong
Executive Director
David and Laura Merage Foundation*
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Michael directs the consortium of Merage Foundations, which includes the David and Laura Merage Foundation. He provides strategic oversight for Early Learning Ventures (ELV), Black Cube, and the many other initiatives that the foundation leads. Michael’s steady leadership advances the organization’s mission of creating opportunities for future generations through venture philanthropy. Michael was recognized for his work by The Denver Business Journal as one of its 40 under 40 leaders in 2013, selected as one of five Livingston Fellows in 2016, and was named by the Aspen Institute to the 2017 Ascend Fellowship. In 2022, Michael was honored by 9NEWS and the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation as a 9NEWS Leader of the Year Finalist and by The Denver Business Journal as a C-Suites Award winner.
Colin Stewart
Founder and CEO
STEM Child Care
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Colin is the Founder & CEO of STEM Child Care, Inc., an educational start-up focused on offering a center-based STEM curriculum to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Investing in early education and the next generation of leaders is important to him because he is a product of a STEM-focused early education, so he is humbled and excited to be developing a platform that promotes the acquisition of STEM knowledge and problem-solving skills through individualized learning experiences. Colin has the utmost respect for education as a vehicle for knowledge acquisition and as a foundation for climbing the socioeconomic ladder. For that reason, he could not pass up the opportunity to reinvent the large child care center model with the mission of helping scholars at his preschools reach their full potential.
Due to Colin’s early exposure to STEM education and diligent work ethic, he has excelled in his academic and professional careers; Colin earned an undergraduate degree from Princeton University, MPH from Columbia University, and MBA from Dartmouth College, and has worked for Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, UnitedHealth Group, and DaVita as an investment banker and leader of revenue-generating business units. Colin is grateful for the opportunity to join EPIC, to expand his professional network with like-minded individuals, and to meaningfully contribute new ideas that support the creation of family-friendly work environments and increase access to quality, affordable early education in our community.
Cori Streetman
Co-founder and CEO
Barefoot PR
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Cori Streetman (she/her/hers) is Barefoot PR’s co-founder and chief executive in charge of making the dream work. Cori has been learning through life experience since she left home to travel the world at 19. From teaching English in Peru to studying cultural anthropology in West Africa, Cori has a knack for relating to and understanding people.
Cori’s sense of adventure led her to build a company where heart is valued alongside expertise, and where we are all in together. Cori manages Barefoot PR’s operations and leads the team in turning strategy into reality for clients. Cool under pressure, Cori is skilled at helping clients navigate difficult situations. She is also an expert matchmaker, helping clients connect purpose with passion through nonprofit and civic board service.
Cori continues to travel the world with her husband, Tyler, and two kiddos, Brayden and Jacob. You can also find her dancing to Widespread Panic and sharing her passion for creating a better Denver through volunteer board service.
Dave Rogers
Treasurer
Partner Government & Public Services (Retired)
Deloitte & Touche LLP
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Dave was a Partner in Deloitte’s Government & Public Services (GPS) practice prior to his retirement from Deloitte in May 2020. From February 2017 to May 2020, Dave served as the GPS Geographic Hyper-Growth leader for Colorado and, in that role, was responsible for leading the expansion of the GPS Defense, Security & Justice, Civil Government and Health sectors in Colorado. Dave also served as the GPS Risk & Financial Advisory Geography Champion for the Pacific & West Geographies. Dave has over 40 years of experience consulting with a diverse group of federal and state government and commercial organizations on a broad range of internal control, corporate governance, business process, financial, operational and regulatory issues, and had a specialty in helping clients address their Sarbanes-Oxley and financial reporting internal control challenges. Dave was the Lead Client Services Partner for the National Institutes of Health from 2015-2017, the Lead Advisory Partner for the US Postal Service from 2007-2015, and the lead Federal Advisory Practice Quality Risk Manager from 2007-2017. Dave is a Certified Public Accountant and served as an Audit partner in the Deloitte & Touche commercial audit practice from 1993-2001.
Dave received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is a native of Colorado (Colorado Springs). Dave enjoys skiing, biking and running, and he and his wife, Pam, enjoy traveling and spending time in Boston with their two daughters and their families, including two granddaughters and a grandson.
Suzy Jaeger
SVP, Chief Patient Experience & Access Officer
Children’s Hospital Colorado
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Ms. Jaeger has been employed by Children’s Colorado since 1992. She was named the Chief Patient Experience and Access Officer in September 2015. Prior to that, she held the position of Senior Vice President, Ambulatory Services, and the Network Care, for three years. Ms. Jaeger was named Vice President in 2003 after serving in several progressive managerial and director level roles in Ambulatory Services from 1992-2003. In her current role, she serves as a member of the Senior Executive Leadership Team, providing operational oversight and strategic direction for the ambulatory clinical practice operations on the Anschutz campus, throughout the Children’s Colorado System of Care and across the seven-state region (including specialty care, primary care, dental care, therapy care and urgent care); and all services provided at the Children’s Colorado South Campus and North Campus hospital locations. She provides Senior Leader leadership for a broad array of Family Support Services across the System of Care, under the broad categories of Clinical Social Work, Child Life, Patient-Family Experience and the Association of Volunteers. In addition, she provides leadership and direction for several Children’s Colorado’s strategic initiatives, including ACCESS (improving access to care across the entire care continuum and communication among team members, community provider partners and patients/families). In 2022, her portfolio was expanded to include Senior Leader leadership responsibilities for the Community Health and Advocacy Division, as well as Corporate and Community Development. Ms. Jaeger serves on the Boards of Directors for Reach Out and Read Colorado, Brent’s Place, EPIC (Executives Partnering to Invest in Children) and Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Association of Volunteers. In 2021, she he was nominated by the Denver Business Journal as one of the “Outstanding Women in Business”, and in 2022 and again in 2023, she was recognized by Becker’s Healthcare as one of the “Outstanding Chief Experience Officers.”
Ms. Jaeger received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management from the University of South Dakota in 1985. She is married and has three children and two grandchildren.
Amy Schwartz*
Vice President, Social Responsibility and Community Partnerships
Oakwood Homes
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Beginning in January 2024, Amy leads Oakwood Homes’s social responsibility and affordable housing initiatives. Through Solution Builders, Oakwood’s newest venture, she will develop public-private partnerships to accelerate housing. Before joining Oakwood’s executive team, Amy led Oakwood’s educational foundation, BuildStrong Education, for 15 years. BuildStrong’s focus continues to center on accelerating educational excellence and academic outcomes across Oakwood’s communities. Amy helped open a dozen new schools, including the BuildStrong Academy of Colorado which provides construction trades workforce development training and job placement.
In total, Amy has more than twenty-five years of experience working with various communities and educational programs. Her work has centered on the goal of increasing student outcomes in under-resourced, low-performing school communities through collaboration, family support and public-private partnerships. In 2019, Amy co-founded The STEAD School, which is an agriculture science, project-based-learning, charter high school in Commerce City, Colorado, authorized by the 27J School District. In January 2023, Amy received the Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Award in Innovation and Growth in recognition for founding the school.
Amy currently serves on the boards of The STEAD School, Executives Partnering to Invest in Children and Chairs the Town of Lyons Planning and Community Development Commission. She was also a founding board member of the Lyons Valley Preschool which opened after the devastating Colorado floods of September 2013.
Amy was a member of the first cohort of the University of Denver’s Executive Certificate Program in Affordable Housing and she received a Certificate in Education Finance from Georgetown University. Amy received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Wittenberg University, her Master of Arts in Social Research Methodology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her Doctorate in Education from the University of Denver. In 2021, Dr. Schwartz was honored as a David L. Clark Scholar by the University Council for Educational Administration and the American Educational Research Association.
Heather Tritten
President & CEO
Colorado Children’s Campaign
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Heather Tritten is the President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. Heather was previously the Executive Director of Parent Possible, where she grew the organization in order to strengthen home visiting services while launching new programming and supporting policy efforts that ensure every parent has the tools they need to prepare their child for school. Heather also tripled the organization’s budget between 2015 and 2023 and positioned the organization to be noticed by billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who awarded the organization a $1 million grant in early 2023. Prior to serving as executive director at Parent Possible, Heather was the vice president of Quality Programs at Qualistar Colorado, and Head Start Collaboration Director in the Office of Lt. Governor Joe Garcia. She authored Governor Hickenlooper’s early literacy plan, Colorado Reads: the Early Literacy Initiative, and successfully advocated for legislation in Utah to increase rights for mobile home owners, put limits on payday lenders, and increase funding for a state housing trust fund. Heather has completed a Buell Early Childhood Fellowship. She holds a B.S. in Sociology from Grand Valley State University, and a M.A. in Administration, Leadership, and Policy Studies from the University of Colorado Denver. Heather is passionate about ending poverty in Colorado, and she believes that good public policy leads to healthy children, strong families, and thriving communities.
* Founding members/organizations