2012-13 YWCA BOARD MEMBERS’
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Bryce Anderson-Gregson
Bryce Anderson-Gregson is a junior at Boulder High School and the current Secretary-General of the Model United Nations team. She is an accomplished pianist, and volunteers at the YWCA in the EDGE Academy program. Bryce teaches swim lessons and is an academic tutor. She is looking forward to attending college and pursuing her future goals.
Allison Barto
Originally from Seattle, Washington, Allison Barto came to Boulder, Colorado 14 years ago to pursue a career at Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp where she is currently program manager for the James Webb Space Telescope, responsible for providing the optical elements for the 22 ft wide telescope on NASA's next flagship astronomical observatory. When she is not working, she enjoys cooking, camping, hiking, and skiing with her husband, Todd, and daughter, Trevianna.
Joan Bleacher
Joan is a sixteen-year veteran of Sterling-Rice Group. She has over 25 years of experience in business operations, including a CPA license from the State of Colorado and an MBA from University of Colorado, Boulder. Joan also has a M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Denver. Joan is part of the executive leadership team at the Sterling-Rice Group and is responsible for the office, accounting, finance, human resource, and technology functions within the company. Prior to working at Sterling-Rice Group, Joan worked at Ohmeda, a medical manufacturing company. At Ohmeda, she held a variety of positions, from senior accountant, to cost accounting manager, to finance manager. Joan began her career in accounting at KPMG Peat Marwick in the audit group.
Janet Eden-Harris
Janet Eden-Harris is responsible for marketing, product and corporate strategy at Market Force Information. Janet joined Market Force from J.D. Power & Associates, where she was Vice President of their Web Intelligence Unit. Before that, she was CEO of Umbria, a Boulder-based information services company, which was acquired by J.D. Power in 2008. Prior to Umbria, Janet was Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) where she was responsible for global marketing operations, product management and strategy. Janet spent the previous decade directing marketing initiatives at i2 Technologies, a leading provider of supply chain management solutions for multiple industries including CPG and Retail. Prior to i2, she was Chief Marketing Officer for Aspect Development which was acquired by i2 to become one of the largest mergers in software history. Prior to Aspect, Janet headed marketing for CADIS, a start-up company, providing parts management solutions and early business applications, which was acquired by Aspect Development. Prior to CADIS, Janet was co-founder of Eden-Harris, Associates, a marketing consulting agency, and held a variety of senior management positions in the high tech and agency sector working for clients such as Carte Blanche Credit Card, Barclays Bank, and PSA Airlines. Janet holds a B.A. degree in Journalism and Marketing from the University of Oregon.
Susan Q. Foster
Susan Foster currently works as a Science Education Consultant and is the retired director of the Office of Education and Outreach at University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). Previously, she directed the Boulder County Healthy Communities Initiative at UCAR. She has also served as executive director of Thorne Ecological Institute, director of the Denver Audubon Society’s Institute of Riparian Ecology, and co-director of the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies. She taught elementary and secondary school science in Maryland, California, and Colorado and instructed field workshops in aquatic and wetland ecology during the summer months. She earned a B.A. in Zoology from Connecticut College, an M.A. in Biology and M.Ed. in Secondary Education from the University of Colorado.
JIll Hunter
Jill Hunter is Director of Direct Marketing for Dish Network/Blockbuster. Previously, Jill held client services roles with both Experian and Fair Isaac and Company, and has over 20 years of database marketing consulting experience. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Memphis and is a member of the Colorado Business Marketing Association and the Rocky Mountain Direct Marketing Association. Jill lives in Erie with her husband Graeme and their two dogs, Avery and Cuvée. She enjoys running, skiing, hiking, gardening and cooking.
Annmarie Jensen
Annmarie Jensen has lived in Boulder County since 1988. She moved here from Austin, Texas but as part of an Army family moved around much of her life. She has now lived in Colorado far longer than anywhere else. Ms. Jensen has raised two sons as a single mother in Boulder County while pursuing her career. She is the owner of a successful government affairs business, Jensen Public Affairs. She has worked at the state, local, and federal levels of government and puts the skills from those positions to work in her consulting business. She is particularly proud of the work she has done helping a variety of non-profit organizations achieve their advocacy goals. She loves being an advocate for her clients, and thinks she is truly blessed to be doing work for a wide variety of community-based organizations. In her spare time, Ms. Jensen tries to play the mandolin, gardens, bikes, dances, listens to live music and wishes she could spend more time with her 4 month old grandson James who lives with his parents in Guatemala. Ms. Jensen has an undergraduate degree from Texas State University and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin, LBJ School of Public Affairs.
Denny Kercher
Dennice (Denny) 0. Kercher, President, has been actively involved in research in the area of understanding the attributes of excellence in leadership and organizations. She brings her years of skills, experience and expertise to the arena of teaching managers the meaning of excellence in practical and usable ways that can be immediately implemented in the work place. Denny has also been involved in developing training curriculum in the areas of leadership and management training, as well as developing customized courses and presentations in communication, conflict resolution, teambuilding, and managing stress and burnout to achieve balance. She has over 20 years experience in working with diverse groups in the public and private sector and a vast degree of knowledge and experience in consensus building, dealing with difficult situations, conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation. She has advanced degrees in Psychology, Business and Theology.
Lara Latham
Lara Latham is a Colorado native, born in Ft. Collins and raised in Greeley. Having spent time in Arizona, Chicago and Sydney, Australia she returned in 2010 to make Boulder home for her husband Keith Shuflit and their two small children, Will (7) and Samantha (4). Becoming part of the YWCA is building on a family tradition that started when her grandmother was a single parent in Washington, D.C. and the YW was one of the early child care providers in that city, and her Mother is a former president of the Boulder YWCA Board. As a graduate student, Lara’s focus was Maternal & Fetal Medicine and the complex issues of infant mortality. As a young executive and hospital administrator she experienced firsthand the challenges for women in leadership; and now as a mother of two young children faces daily the questions of childcare, healthcare and education. Lara is excited to add her energy and skills to helping the YWCA continue its important work to help women and children achieve and exceed their dreams. Lara holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Northwestern University and a Masters in Public Health from The George Washington University. She currently leads the National Contracting Strategy for Stryker Corporation, a global medical device company.
Karin Lindgren
Karin Lindgren is General Counsel for Reed Group, Ltd., a young cloud computing software company in Broomfield. A healthcare technology lawyer for the past 27 years, Karin has tried jury trials in over 20 states working for law firms in Los Angeles and Chicago, and spent many years in Chicago as General Counsel and Corporate Compliance Officer for University HealthSystem Consortium (“UHC”), an alliance of over 90% of academic medical centers in the U.S. Since 2001, Karin has maintained a national corporate law practice, LindgrenLaw Group LLC, focused on advising emerging software and technology companies, and healthcare clients. Karin volunteers as an Entrepreneur Advisor for Innovation Center of the Rockies, and is a scoring judge for high school mock trial competitions and speech & debate tourneys. She is currently on faculty at two major universities, Northwestern University and the CU College of Nursing, where she teaches courses in their Masters-level graduate programs in medical informatics. Karin lives in Boulder with her 17-year old twins and 2 dogs, Honey & Clooney.
Jeanette Marquess is currently Director of Strategic Marketing at the Global Healthcare Exchange, GHX, in Louisville. She received her BS and MS in Nursing from St. Louis University and her MBA from the University of South Florida. Jeanette and her husband, Jack, moved to Boulder in 2007. Prior to moving to Boulder, Jeanette lived in Palo Alto California where she was an active volunteer. She was on the Palo Alto Child Care Task Force, and served on the Boards of Directors of Palo Alto Community Child Care (PACC) and the Palo Alto Family YMCA. She was a member of the Palo Alto Parks and Recreation Commission and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Healthcare Communications and Marketing Association (HCMA).
Jeanette Marquess
Jeanette Marquess is currently Director of Strategic Marketing at the Global Healthcare Exchange, GHX, in Louisville. She received her BS and MS in Nursing from St. Louis University and her MBA from the University of South Florida. Jeanette and her husband, Jack, moved to Boulder in 2007. Prior to moving to Boulder, Jeanette lived in Palo Alto California where she was an active volunteer. She was on the Palo Alto Child Care Task Force, and served on the Boards of Directors of Palo Alto Community Child Care (PACC) and the Palo Alto Family YMCA. She was a member of the Palo Alto Parks and Recreation Commission and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Healthcare Communications and Marketing Association (HCMA).
Lisa Meireis
Lisa Meireis is a Vice President at Guaranty Bank and Trust, specializing in underwriting commercial loans. Lisa has enjoyed various positions throughout her 30+ career in the Banking industry. Lisa started as a teller at the age of 16 in her hometown, Loveland, CO. In 1985, Lisa moved to Denver to complete her undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado at Denver where she earned a Bachelors of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Systems with a minor in Economics. Lisa has been a member of the Commercial Real Estate Women of Denver since 1998 where she has chaired several committees and also served on the Board in various capacities. In 2007, Lisa created her own non-profit organization in honor of her father and uncle that raises money for the American Heart Association. In her spare time, Lisa enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs as well as travelling, cooking, running, weight training, and reading.
Barbara Paradiso
Barbara Paradiso is currently the Director of the Program and Center on Domestic Violence at the School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver. Barbara has worked on behalf of battered women and their children for nearly thirty years as an advocate, administrator and activist. Prior to her position at UCD, she served as the Director of Domestic Violence Programs for the Sunshine Lady Foundation of North Carolina. For twelve years, from 1985-1997, Barbara was the Executive Director of Boulder County Safehouse. She has participated in a variety of boards and commissions including the Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, the Advisory Board of the Boulder County Department of Human Services and the Colorado Nonprofit Association. Barbara is currently a member and Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the National Coalition against Domestic Violence. Barbara has presented and provided consultation to organizations on a state, local and national level on topics related to violence against women and children, as well as, effective non-profit administration.
Claire Pearson
Claire Pearson is currently a Senior Tax Manager at Clifton Gunderson, LLP. Claire specializes in Corporate Taxation Compliance and Consulting. In addition, she is a career advisor for a number of her staff. Claire was awarded the Employee of the Year, Growth of our People Award in 2007. She has worked with Clifton Gunderson for 8 years. Claire was born and raised in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Claire graduated from the University of Natal, South Africa, with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, in 1996. She moved to the United States in January 1997 and has lived in Boulder County since November, 1997. Claire, and her husband Craig, enjoy running, skiing and traveling.
Christine Rhoda
Christine Rhoda is currently a Senior Director, Clinical Research at PharmaNet, a global drug development services company, providing services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. She has 20 years of experience in clinical research in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Previously, Christine was an Assistant Professor, Thomas Jefferson University, College of Allied Health in the Department of Radiologic Technology. Christine is a resident of Boulder, has two adult children and is an officer in the Zonta Foothills Club of Boulder County.
Flora Richey
Flora is a senior at Boulder High School, and an active member of her community both inside and outside of school. She is president of a student activist club at her school, an enthusiastic member of her Model United Nations Team, a member of the Boulder High chapter of National Honors Society and also enjoys captaining the Boulder High Ultimate Frisbee team. She spent last summer interning at the Emotions, Decisions, Judgements and Intuitions (EDJI) Lab, backpacking and camping with friends. She hopes to study biology and neuroscience at Carleton College next year.
Wendy Underhill
Wendy Underhill’s job with the National Conference of State Legislatures combines two of her interests: writing and public policy. She provides research and analysis on elections-related issues such as voter ID and voter registration. Wendy also writes NCSL’s elections newsletter, The Canvass, which summarizes complex election issues and trends for busy state legislators and staff. Before joining NCSL, Wendy spent 20 years writing feature articles for magazines, mostly focused on Colorado. This work combined well with her role as a mostly-stay-at-home mom of three girls. (Being “mostly” at home meant she was able to volunteer for more than a decade with Reading to End Racism of Boulder as well.) Wendy holds a B.A. in English literature from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Wichita State University, where she focused on state and local government.
Sandra Weeks
Sandra Weeks founded Blue Spruce Design and Construction fourteen years ago after spending the previous fourteen years working up the construction ladder in the Boulder/Denver area. Blue Spruce specializes in residential remodels, restaurant construction and tenant finish projects. Blue Spruce recently completed an extensive renovation of the Boulder Valley Women’s Health Center. Blue Spruce worked on many of Boulder’s finest restaurants notably the Flagstaff House, the Greenbriar Inn, and L”Atelier to name a few. Sandra is also on the Board of Directors for the Boulder Green Building Guild (BGBG) and is actively involved in advocating for green construction.
Valerie Williams
Valerie Williams is currently a program evaluator for the GLOBE Program through the University Corporation of Atmospheric Research in Boulder. Valerie worked for over 15 years for the RAND Corporation in Virginia as a physical scientist and adjunct researcher. Her accomplishments include acting as the principal investigator of study to examine the role of scientists in education reform and assisting the evaluation of strategic planning and analytical support of government programs. Valerie is also a member of the American Evaluation Association (AEA), former member of the American Chemical Society and proposal reviewer for the National Science Foundation’s Math and Science Partnership Program. She earned her Ph.D. in Bio-organic Chemistry from New York University and her B.S. in Chemistry from Emory University. She recently moved to Colorado and lives in Boulder with her husband and young child.