Staff & Board


Vision: A Metro Denver that is racially equitable in its leadership, prosperity, and culture.

Primary Role: To achieve our vision, we will be a proactive, collaborative, and resolute leader in reducing racial disparities.

  • Lisa Zuniga Ramirez

    Lisa Zúñiga Ramírez

    Board Chair

  • Peter Kirsch

    Peter Kirsch

    Board Vice Chair

  • Sean Kenney

    Sean Kenney

    Board Secretary

  • Mira Fine

    Mira Finé

    Board Treasurer

  • John Loewy

    John Loewy

    Immediate Past Board Chair

  • Adams

    Michelle Adams

  • Barry

    Damon O. Barry

  • Kelly Brough

    Kelly Brough

  • Alisha Brown

    Alisha Brown

  • Meg Deane Franko

    Meg Franko

  • Garcia

    Joe Garcia

  • Jennifer Kilpela 2

    Jennifer Kilpela

  • Erika Martinez

    Erika Martinez

  • Mark Newhouse

    Mark Newhouse

  • Reichert 2

    Lee Reichert

  • Julie Reiskin

    Julie Reiskin

  • Robinson

    Karen M. Robinson, CFA

  • Simone D. Ross

    Simone D. Ross

  • Simmons St.onge

    Brenna Simmons-St. Onge

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    Audit Committee

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    Finance Committee

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    Impact Committee

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    Investment Committee

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    Nominating and Governance Committee

Lisa Zuniga Ramirez

Lisa Zúñiga Ramírez

Board Chair

Pronouns: she/her

Lisa Zúñiga Ramírez, CFA is a corporate and mutual fund director serving on the boards of Century Communities, Inc., Peoples Financial Securities Corporation, and the Trust for Professional Managers. Prior to becoming a director, Lisa spent 31 years with Denver Investments and its acquiring company, Segal, Bryant and Hamil. She rose from intern to a Partner and Senior Portfolio Manager before “rewiring” in 2020.  Lisa strongly believes that giving back to her community is an obligation and a privilege. She currently serves on the boards of Vuela for Health, the Denver Employees Retirement Plan, and NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) Colorado Chapter.  She previously served on the boards of Latinas First Foundation and the Latin American Educational Foundation.  Lisa has been married to her husband Ron for 34 years and they are proud parents of identical twin boys, Román and Mason, freshmen at Colorado State University.   

Peter Kirsch

Peter Kirsch

Board Vice Chair

Pronouns: he/him

Peter Kirsch is a founding partner at the law firm Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell. His practice emphasizes environmental and land use law, and public-sector negotiations. Peter most often represents local governments in environmental and land use negotiations and litigation concerning airports and major public infrastructure projects.  Peter serves on many nonprofit boards. He has lived in Denver since 1997. 

Sean Kenney

Sean Kenney

Board Secretary

Pronouns: he/him

Sean Kenney is a consultant and co-founder of Project Deviate. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he studied anthropology and Spanish and Portuguese language and culture. After working in the nonprofit sector and later the Leeds School of Business, Sean returned to graduate school at the University of Colorado Boulder to explore a few persistent curiosities related to identity, belonging, and organizational design. He is a producer for OutSources, Colorado’s only weekly on-air radio program dedicated to queer issues. 

Mira Fine

Mira Finé

Board Treasurer

Pronouns: she/her

Mira J. Finé is a tax consultant with more than 35 years of professional experience providing tax planning, consulting, and compliance services. She is an expert in tax planning, consulting, and succession planning for businesses, their owners, and their executives. Mira is involved in the Private Client Group Practice and Firm and Real Estate Practice at Woody Creek Management Group.  

John Loewy

John Loewy

Immediate Past Board Chair

John Loewy is an attorney who has, for the past 10 years, primarily been involved in funding and assisting companies in the early stages of their development. Prior to working in investments, John served in public and private sector positions with an emphasis on the substantive policy areas of energy and the environment.

Adams

Michelle Adams

Pronouns: she/her

Michelle Adams is an attorney, speaker, coach, and newly titled author. She is the founder of Hello Legacy, a training and personal development company, and the Law Office of Michelle Adams, LLC., where she helps families in the areas of estate planning, elder law, special needs planning, and family legacy planning. She is an adjunct faculty member at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she teaches a course on Child Abuse. 

Barry

Damon O. Barry

Pronouns: he/him
Kelly Brough

Kelly Brough

Kelly Brough is the vice president of strategic partnerships for Colorado Mesa University. As a former chief of staff to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, head of human resources for the City of Denver, and CEO of the oldest and largest business advocacy organization in Colorado, she has built effective teams, managed large budgets, negotiated key contracts, influenced public policy and navigated the intersection of the public and private sectors. Kelly led the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce as its first female CEO from 2009 to 2021. During her tenure, she nearly doubled revenue for the organization, growing it from $17 million to $30 million annually. Kelly has also worked in the public sector as the Director of Human Resources for the City of Denver and Chief of Staff for Mayor John Hickenlooper. Kelly has an MBA from the University of Colorado Denver and a BS from Montana State University. In her free time, you can find Kelly outdoors — biking, hiking, skiing, or paddling. 

Alisha Brown

Alisha Brown

Pronouns: she/her

Alisha Brown is the senior vice president at The Foundation for Sustainable Urban Communities. She established the be well Health and Wellness Initiative, a grassroots movement of communities coming together to take control of the health of their communities by addressing the social determinants of health. Her work includes the creation of the well Block Captain community engagement model, an evidence-based approach that is known nationally and is supported by various organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She speaks locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally to demonstrate the importance of grassroots involvement. As a graduate of Regis University, she earned a Masters of Nonprofit Management and was a Colorado Trust Fellow. Alisha earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism from Langston University.   

Meg Deane Franko

Meg Franko

Meg Franko, Ph.D., has spent the past thirty years working on public policy issues at the national, state, and local levels. She has expertise in early childhood systems, school readiness, and program implementation and has led research and evaluation projects for governmental and non-profit clients in Colorado and across the country. Meg has served in leadership roles with the Butler Institute for Families at the University of Denver, was research faculty with the Graduate School of Social Work, and has founded and run her own research and evaluation firm. Meg was born in Denver and raised two (now adult) children here. 

Garcia

Joe Garcia

Joe Garcia is the Chancellor of the Colorado Community College System (CCCS). Previously, Garcia served as President of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (“WICHE”), Lt. Governor of Colorado, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education, and President of both Colorado State University-Pueblo and Pikes Peak Community College. He also served on the Cabinet of Governor Roy Romer and as a White House appointee under President Bill Clinton. He was the first Hispanic partner at Holme Roberts & Owen, where he focused on public education law. He is married to Dr. Claire Garcia, and they have four children and three perfect grandchildren.  

Jennifer Kilpela 2

Jennifer Kilpela

Jennifer Kilpela has a 20-year career in finance and institutional investment management. She was previously a managing director at Monticello Associates, a large investment consulting firm based in the Denver area. Jennifer also held investment roles at university endowments, including George Washington University and The University of Texas at Austin and started her career as an investment banking analyst at Credit Suisse First Boston. Jennifer earned a BBA from The University of Texas, MBA from Darden Business School at the University of Virginia, and is a CFA Charterholder. Most recently, she earned a certificate in Natural Resource Management and Sustainable Ecosystems from Harvard University Extension School. 

Erika Martinez

Erika Martinez

Erika Martinez is the director of communications and engagement at Denver Public Library. She is an established communications and marketing leader with more than 20 years of experience developing and executing multifaceted external and internal marketing and communications plans for the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She has served in several communications roles with the City and County of Denver, including at Mayor’s Office of the National Western Center, North Denver Cornerstone Collaborative, and Denver Human Services.

Mark Newhouse

Mark Newhouse

Mark is a co-founder of the Left Behind Workers Fund, which provided $35 million in cash assistance to recently unemployed undocumented workers during the pandemic. He worked with the Colorado Peoples Alliance, the Colorado Fiscal Institute, and other allies to pass the bill that created Colorado’s Benefit Recovery Fund, a permanent employer-funded unemployment assistance program for undocumented workers who are paid as employees. Mark is also a co-founder of AidKit, a technology company that provides software and infrastructure to make cash assistance programs more efficient, accessible, and effective. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of SWIR Visions Systems, Epic River, The Denver Foundation, and Impact Charitable. 

Reichert 2

Lee Reichert

Pronouns: he/him

Lee Reichert is the Deputy Attorney General – Business & Licensing for the State of Colorado. He previously served as the chief legal & government affairs officer and corporate secretary for Molson Coors Beverage Company. Lee has also served on the boards of a number of nonprofit organizations, including as the board chair for the Colorado Children’s Campaign. A third-generation Coloradan, Lee lives with his family in the University Park neighborhood.

Julie Reiskin

Julie Reiskin

Pronouns: she/her

Julie Reiskin is the co-executive director of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC). In 2010, Ms. Reiskin was appointed by President Obama to serve on the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation as the client representative. In 2018, she was elected to serve on the Board of the ACLU of Colorado. She is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver at the Graduate School of Social Work acting as a field liaison and teaching macro practice social work.  

 

Robinson

Karen M. Robinson, CFA

Karen M. Robinson, CFA, co-founder of Cook Street ConsultingPrior to starting Cook Street, Karen was an institutional portfolio manager and analyst with Ocean Fund Advisors, LLC (Santa Monica, CA), where she specialized in general market research, portfolio analytics, and risk management. Preceding this, she was an Associate Vice President for Roxbury Capital Management, LLC (Santa Monica, CA). Karen’s experience also includes two years as a Senior Analyst with Monticello Associates, an institutional investment consultancy.  

Simone D. Ross

Simone D. Ross

Simone D. Ross, is CEO of the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of its foundation. She founded Simone D. Ross, LLC, focusing on change management, and leads SDR Events and Youth United University, fostering inclusive leadership among middle schoolers. Her corporate journey includes pivotal roles at Kaiser Permanente, Delta Dental of Colorado, SCL Health, and The Riveter, impacting business development and market expansion. Holding an MA and MBA from Colorado State University, Simone’s accolades include COBiz Gen XYZ Most Influential, Denver Business Journal’s “Outstanding Women in Business” and “40 Under 40”, and recognition as a Top 25 Most Powerful Woman by the Colorado Women’s Chamber.

Simmons St.onge

Brenna Simmons-St. Onge

Pronouns: she/her

Brenna Simmons-St. Onge is the executive director of The Alliance for Collective Action. She has been with the organization since 2015 and was promoted from within. She is a pragmatic visionary with over 19 years of leadership experience, including a decade in Corporate Social Responsibility. Brenna has successfully managed multimillion dollar budgets and led teams from 9-200. As a dynamic change agent, Brenna leads with a nonprofit heart and a business mind leveraging holistic approaches to implement and scale solutions to some of the largest issues humanity faces. 

She has received numerous awards over her career. She was named one of the top 25 Most Influential Young Professionals in 2015, the City of Denver’s Community Builder Sustainability Award in 2017, and Outstanding Women in Business in 2023 by Denver Business Journal. Brenna has a Bachelor’s of Business Administration, as well as a certificate in Environmental Sciences from University of Hawaii, and is a Certified Fundraising Professional from The Indiana School of Philanthropy. 

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Audit Committee

  • Lee Reichert (Chair), Deputy Attorney General – Business & Licensing, State of Colorado
  • Mira Finé, tax consulant
  • Julie Reiskin, Co-Executive Director of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition 
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Finance Committee

  • Mira Finé (Chair), tax consulant
  • Susanne Bates 
  • Kelly Brough
  • Katie MacWilliams 
  • Simone Ross
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Impact Committee

  • Sean Kenney (Chair), consultant and co-founder of Project Deviate
  • Michelle Adams, founder of Hello Legacy, and the Law Office of Michelle Adams, LLC.
  • Alisha Brown, senior vice president at The Foundation for Sustainable Urban Communities
  • Joe Garcia, Chancellor of the Colorado Community College System 
  • Brenna Simmons-St. Onge, executive director of The Alliance Center
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Investment Committee

  • Jennifer Kilpela (Chair), finance and institutional investment management professional
  • Barbara M. Baumann, President, Cross Creek Energy Corporation
  • Kathy Lutito, Trustee and Independent Board Director, Lord Abbett Mutual Family of Funds, previously President and Chief Investment Officer, CenturyLink Investment Management
  • Mark Newhouse, Co-Founder, Left Behind Workers Fund | General Partner, Innosphere Fund
  • Katherine Pease, Managing Director, Pathstone
  • Karen M. Robinson, Co-Founder, Managing Director at Cook Street Consulting, Inc.
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Nominating and Governance Committee

  • Peter Kirsch (Chair), founding partner at Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell
  • Damon Barry, managing partner of Ballard Spahr‘s Denver and Boulder offices
  • Meg Franko
  • Erika Martinez, director of communications and engagement at Denver Public Library