Vincent Badolato
Vinny Badolatoidentifies and cultivates development and partnership opportunities for the Merage Foundations to maximize social impact. He has spent the last decade in the social sector working to open up opportunity bottlenecks for all Americans, most recently as Vice President for Jobs at Hope Street Group. He focused on improving P-20 education policy and practice both nationally and in Colorado prior to that at the Colorado League of Charter Schools, the National Conference of State Legislators, and the Alliance for Quality Teaching. Vinny directed research at a private consultancy in Washington, D.C. and as an Associate with the Reason Foundation before moving to Colorado in 2003.
A native of Brooklyn, NY, Vinny earned a B.A. in History from The George Washington University, and an M.A. in Education Foundations, Policy and Practice at the University of Colorado at Boulder. An accomplished speaker and author, he has published numerous research reports, articles and book chapters.
Mary Hanewall, MNM, CFRE
Mary Hanewallcame to the Colorado “I Have A Dream”® Foundation in 2000. She brings to her position 22 years previous experience in the nonprofit arena working for local and national organizations including Girls Count, Denver Options, the Native American Rights Fund, and Planned Parenthood. Her background includes senior management in development and executive director positions, in addition to teaching fund raising in Regis University’s Masters of Nonprofit Management program. For five years she ran her own business consulting for nonprofits in the area of staff and board leadership and fund development training. Mary has served on local and national boards and committees and is currently active on the New America Schools’ Board of Directors. She has a Master of Nonprofit Management degree from Regis University where she was a Colorado Trust Fellow. Her Bachelor of Arts degree is from the University of Wisconsin, and she is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) with the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Matt DeAngelis
Matt DeAngelis is a vice president at the investment banking firm of George K. Baum & Company. Matt is focused on the financing needs of educational and nonprofit institutions, as well as renewable energy project financings, both in Colorado and across the country. Matt is an officer of the firm and is responsible for advising clients on debt financings, plans for capital projects, executing debt financings for borrower clients, creating new relationships and maintaining existing client relationships. Matt has worked with Adams State University, Aspen Academy, the Aspen Art Museum, the Aspen Music Festival & School, Colorado School of Mines, Kent Denver School, Metropolitan State University, Pinnacle Charter School and Vail Mountain School among others in Colorado.
In the renewable energy arena, Matt has executed debt financings for solar, wind, biomass and transmission projects. Since joining the firm, Matt has executed over $1 billion in tax-advantaged and taxable bond financings for more than 40 clients.
In his free time Matt enjoys spending time with friends and family, racing road bikes, skiing, golfing and traveling with his wife. Matt married his wife Meghan in the summer of 2011 in Boulder. They currently live in Denver’s Highland neighborhood.
Matt grew up in Colorado and attended Regis Jesuit High School before going on to study finance at the University of Colorado.
Polly Baca
Polly Bacawas elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1974 and was the first woman chair of the House Democratic Caucus. In 1978, she was the first Hispanic woman and first minority woman to be elected to the Colorado State Senate (1978-86) where she served as chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus. During 1994, Ms. Baca was Special Assistant to President Bill Clinton for Consumer Affairs. She served as Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee (1981-89) and Co-Chair of the 1980 and 1984 National Democratic Conventions. Recognition includes being inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame and the National Hispanic Hall of Fame, receiving the prestigious Ohtli Award from the Government of Mexico during the 2010 Conference of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), being listed in the World Who’s Who of Women, Who’s Who in American Politics, and Who’s Who in the West. She received her B.A. degree from Colorado State University, an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Northern Colorado and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa.
Deborah Dale Brackney
Deborah Dale Brackneyis the Executive Vice President of Mountain States Employers Council, Inc. She oversees four MSEC Departments: Human Resource Services, Management Development, Outsource Consulting Services and Surveys. Deborah began working at the Council in 1988. She was promoted to Director of the Management Development Department in 1996, the Outsourced Consulting Services Department in 2002, and as Membership Development Director in 2004. She was named Vice President in 2005.
While at the Council, Deborah has focused on employee development and organizational effectiveness. She has delivered hundreds of trainings on supervision, leadership and communication to member companies. Deborah has also consulted with organizations on aligning their vision, leadership, staff and operational practices to create better business results.
Deborah is an adjunct professor at Metro State College where she teaches Human Resource Management.
Before corning to the Council, Deborah worked in public policy on legislative analysis and assisted state legislatures on drafting new statues. She also worked on development and design of training for state and federal agencies as well as for judicial organizations.
She serves as the Board Chair of Seniors Resource Center and is former Past Board Chair for Metro Volunteers. Deborah is also on the boards of the Carson J Spencer Foundation and the Colorado Children’s Chorale.She is active with Rotary as well as supporting the selection process for the Martin Luther King Social Responsibility Awards.
Deborah grew up and graduated from High School in Los Angeles. She moved to Colorado to attend the University of Colorado where she received a BA and MA. Being a proud Human Resources professional, she carries the SPHR designation.
Sarah Kurz
Sarah Kurzis the Director of Strategic Marketing for the City and County of Denver. In that role, she assists departments, agencies and the mayor’s office in promoting the city’s services to its residents. She is responsible for managing Denver’s brand and maintaining a strong and consistent visual identity for the city. Prior to joining Mayor Hancock’s administration in 2012, Sarah worked for eight years at SE2, a full-service communications firm focused on public issues, policy and social marketing. A graduate of Duke University and a Denver native, Sarah also serves on the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs and was recently named one of Colorado’s Top 25 Most Influential Young Professionals by ColoradoBiz magazine.
Dianne Lefly
Dianne Lefly, Core Faculty-Research, University of the Rockies, Denver Campus Dr. Lefly holds a PhD in Educational Psychology and Quantitative Research Methods from the University of Denver and an MA in Developmental Psychology from the University of Colorado. Her professional experience provides a unique combination of four distinct areas of expertise:
- Classroom education from a teacher’s perspective
- The development of preschool children
- Processes underlying reading skill in normally and abnormally developing readers
- Statistical analysis in research relating to education, cognitive development, and large scale assessment
Dr. Lefly currently is a member of the Core Research Faculty at the University of the Rockies. She was Director of Research and Evaluation at the Colorado Department of Education from 2008 to 2013. Prior to that, she was a researcher/psychometric at CDE from 2003 until 2008. From 1998 to 2003 she was the Research Manager for the Denver Public Schools. Prior to 1998, she was at the University of Denver and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center engaged in research on the genetics and neurology of learning disorders.
Gina Nocera
Gina Nocerais the Executive Director of the Jared Polis Foundation.
Gina joined the Jared Polis Foundation in 2004 as the Education Program Director. In that position, she spent more than two years working on education issues for the foundation. In May 2006, Gina was promoted to the Executive Director of the foundation. Prior to working with the Jared Polis Foundation, Gina worked at the Colorado Small Schools Initiative (CSSI) at the Colorado Children’s Campaign as their Managing Director. Her focus there included creating a professional network of administrators, educators, and organizations who were interested in high school education reform and working with small high school grantees on creating small, autonomous quality high schools. Gina has also taught both middle and high school English in the Telluride School District and the Boulder Valley School District. Her experience in non-profit organizations includes one year as an Associate Director for the Corporate Conservation Council at the National Wildlife Federation in Washington, DC.
Gina has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the Ohio State University and a Master of Arts in English from the University of Colorado at Boulder. When she’s not working, she’s either running on the foothill trails or running after her 2 year old twin girls.
Terry Whitney
Terry Whitney is Government Relations Director, West Region for the College Board. He is responsible for lobbying state level policymakers in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Focus areas include promoting rigorous high school course work, financial aid and programs targeting first generation and low-income students for college access and success.
Prior to this position, Whitney worked for the Colorado State Legislature for five years in senior staff capacities as House Majority Policy Director (2005-2007) and Senate Majority Legislative Director (2007-2009). Whitney directed policy and press staff to meet research and communication needs for Democratic House and Senate caucus members. Additionally, he was involved in every significant K-12 and higher education legislation adopted by the Colorado General Assembly between 2005 and 2009 offering policy recommendation and working directly with bill drafters. His experience also includes eleven years with the Denver based National Conference of State Legislatures (1989-2000), three years as a budget analyst in the Mayor’s Office of Management & Budget, City & County of Denver (2002-2004) and three years as a policy staffer for former Colorado Governor Roy Romer (1987-89).
Terry is a graduate of Kent Denver Country Day School (Diploma, 1980), Denison University (BA, 1984), Denver Paralegal Institute (Paralegal Certificate, 1987) and the University of Colorado Denver (MPA with Honors, 1996).
Dominic DiFelice
Dominic DiFelicehas been the superintendent of The New America School since 2007. In this capacity Mr. DiFelice provides management and oversight to five New America Schools, three in Colorado and two in New Mexico. Prior to becoming superintendent, Mr. DiFelice held much of the same responsibilities as The New America School senior education consultant from 2006 to 2007. Before to coming to Denver, Mr. DiFelice worked in the Canadian school system for 30 years, with his career culminating in the position of Executive Superintendent, West Region, of the Toronto District School Board from 2004 to 2006 and the Executive Superintendent, North West Quadrant, from 2002 to 2004. Mr. DiFelice also served in various other superintendent roles for six years, as a principal for six years and as a mathematics teacher for eleven years. DiFelice received his Bachelor of Mathematics degree from the University of Waterloo in 1971 and his Masters of Mathematics from Waterloo in 1972. He has earned an International Baccalaureate Certification, Level 2, Math Studies; a Supervisory Officer’s Certificate; a Principal’s Leadership Course; a Principal’s Course Part I and II; and an HAS Type A, Mathematics, FEUT.
Craig A. Cook
Craig A. Cookjoined New America School (NAS) as the Chief of Business Operations (CBO) in August, 2006. Prior to becoming NAS’s CBO Craig held the position of Chief Administrative Officer for Cardinal Communications, Inc. (2001-2006). Cardinal Communications, Inc is a publicly traded telecommunications and development company with home building, mortgage, title, and voice, data, and video, and video on demand services in several states. Craig also served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Denver Public Schools (1994 – 2001), and as Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance for the Kansas City Missouri School District (1988-2004). Craig retired as a LTC from the United States Army in 1988 after 20 years of service. He is a decorated Vietnam veteran and held numerous command and staff positions including Comptroller for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Chief Finance Officer for the NATO/SHAPE Support Group, and Controller for the Combined Arms Center and Ft. Leavenworth, KS. Craig holds a BS, Business, University of Idaho and an MBA, University of Nevada, Reno.