Industry Partnerships Advisory Board Members

COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Beverly Orton Jones

Beverly Orton Jones is the Director of Industry Partnerships at the Colorado Department of Higher Education.  Since mid-2019, she has worked to establish the first-ever Office of Industry Partnerships within the Department, for the creation and growth of wide-ranging relationships among industry partners, institutions of higher education, and learners.

Beverly is passionate about cultivating strategic partnerships and engaging diverse stakeholders. She is committed to activating each person’s potential and firmly believes that when people truly collaborate, everything is possible. She is a strong advocate for creating opportunities for all.

NREL

• Jahi Simbai

Mr. Jahi Simbai is the Senior Manager, Workforce Development, in Human Resources.  In this role, Jahi partners across NREL to build an integrated strategy and plan for the “Workforce of the Future,” primarily focusing on internship and post-doctoral programs. Prior to NREL, Jahi was the Assistant Dean, Office of Graduate Studies at Colorado School of Mines.   Earlier in his career, Jahi worked as a structural analyst for Ball Aerospace.  Jahi holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an MBA from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

COLORADO ADVANCED MANUFACTURING ASSOCIATION

• Tim Heaton

Tim Heaton is the President of the Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Association (CAMA). As President of CAMA, Tim is leading the industries efforts to Rebrand, Restructure, Rebuild and Revitalize manufacturing in Colorado.

Tim brings more than twenty years of manufacturing experience ranging from proof-of-concept to institutional capital development, turnaround, and product development, along with his economic development and governmental affairs experience to CAMA.

Mr. Heaton began his professional career in Washington, D.C. working for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Tim has served as a Sub-Center Director for the Small Business Administration’s Small Business Development Center and as the Manager of the Small Business group for the Denver Chamber of Commerce. He has also received the Federal Laboratory to Industry Technology Transfer Award from the Colorado Technology Transfer Society.

WHITING-TURNER

• Mark Faul

Mark Faul is the division vice president of Whiting-Turner’s Colorado offices. He has 36 years of construction experience, all with Whiting-Turner. Mark opened the Denver office in 2002 and has been instrumental in the development of several diverse construction markets; including higher education, healthcare, science + technology, mission critical, retail, industrial and office buildings. He is known within Whiting-Turner and with clients throughout Colorado for his experience and effectiveness in overseeing complex projects in a variety of delivery methods, including CM at risk, design-build, Integrated project delivery, and design/bid/build. He is a member of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Denver Partnership, Hispanic Contractors of Colorado, and Black Chamber of Commerce. He is also a board member for the Colorado Village Collaborative a charity he personally supports along with The Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado and Earthlinks.  He and his wife of over 30 years, Joanne, have three grown children and two grandchildren.

LOCKHEED MARTIN

• Kerrie Van Horne

UNITED AIRLINES

• Cindy Seffair

COLORADO BIOSCIENCE INSTITUTE

• Meg John

TERUMO BCT

• Nathan Frank

SWINERTON BUILDERS

• Josh Leen

BARBER NICHOLS

• Amanda Smith

EPA – REGION 8

• Andrew Mutter

DENVER SHERRIFF’S OFFICE

• Cameron Doelling

BLUE ORIGIN

• Justin Darnall

NORTHROP GRUMMAN

• Branden Chiclana

PINNACOL ASSURANCE

• Julie Wilmes

HAYNIE CPAS

• Cindy Van

Cindy Van, CPA, is an Audit Manager at Haynie & Company. Before joining Haynie & Company, she was a teacher in the Denver Public Schools for eight years. She attended the University of Colorado at Denver where she received her Bachelor’s in Accounting and Spanish, and then later attended Denver University where she received her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction.

Although Cindy has left a career in the formal education system, she still enjoys incorporating her passion for teaching into the business world. She believes that just because someone leaves an educational institution doesn’t mean that the learning stops. Even adults need effective teaching/learning strategies.

As a Colorado native, Cindy enjoys using her gifts of teaching and connection to make the Denver Community a better place!

HCA/HEALTHONE

• Nicole Hill

NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR MENTAL WELLBEING

• Anthony Carter

CTA

• Erin Mercer-Nieheus

GOVERN FOR AMERICA

• Sophanite Gedion

WINTRUST

• Malcolm Evans
• Christian Espinoza

INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTH

• Katie Koblenz

DYNATRACE

• Katie Broz

DENVER HOUSING AUTHORITY

• Annie Hancock

MI CASA RESOURCE CENTER

• Brent Edwards

HENSEL PHELPS

• Erika Anderson

OFFICE OF THE FUTURE OF WORK, CDLE

• Melissa English

FLINTCO

• Anthony Oyewole

In the construction industry for 23 years building projects ranging from $15k to $1.5bil. Been with Flintco for 21 years as a project manager as well as superintendent. Have been on civil, schools, light industrial, arena, gaming, Federal, and healthcare projects in eleven states and Mexico. Currently helping Flintco get established in the Denver market as well as surrounding states. Anthony graduated from the University of Texas El Paso with a M.S. in Construction Management.

UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE

• Chris Deel

Chris Deel is the vice president of Engineering and Advanced Programs for United Launch Alliance (ULA). In this role, Deel leads the team responsible for all engineering functional areas (propulsion and mechanical engineering; electrical engineering and engineering services; operations engineering; systems engineering and chief engineers). Deel is responsible for designing the product evolution roadmap from concept definition through detailed design. Deel most recently served as the chief engineer for Vulcan Centaur development and director of Advanced Programs.

Before joining ULA, Deel served as the launch vehicle integration lead for Lockheed Martin’s Orbital Space Plane development program. Other key roles include supporting the Space Launch Complex-41 and Space Launch Complex-3 pad activations, Delta propulsion chief engineer and the Atlas program deputy chief engineer. Deel began his career with Martin Marietta in 1994 as a light dynamics engineer on the Atlas program.

Deel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Mississippi State University and a Master of Business administration from the University of Denver.

DENVER SOUTH

• Christine Shapard

Chris leads the organization’s economic development strategy to grow jobs in the Denver South region. She and her team communicate with companies across the globe and down the street, to tell the Denver South story and connect them to the region’s people, places, policies and partners that will enable their success. 

With over 20 years of experience in Colorado’s economic development, public sector and business communities, she brings with her a wealth of knowledge regarding Colorado’s business climate, industry sectors, government programs and the people responsible for them. She recently led the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association as founding executive director, helping to grow the industry with policy, innovation and partnering initiatives while managing the organization’s operations and staff. Previous stints included leadership positions in the Colorado BioScience Association and serving Colorado Governor Bill Owens in the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. 

THE BOEING COMPANY

• David Eddy

David Eddy has been with the Boeing Company for 33 years and is the Boeing Site Director for the Aurora and Colorado Springs locations. He is the Boeing Program Manager on the GPS OCX Program and also serves as the President of the Boeing Leadership Network Association for the Colorado Chapter. Prior to moving to Denver eleven years ago from Southern California David was a Senior Manager on the National Systems Program and other Proprietary Programs. His responsibilities have included Element Systems Engineering, Mission Manager for Space Vehicle Launch & Initialization, Mission Operations Lead and Technical Subcontract Manager. He is an avid golfer and has coached a variety of sports at the High School and Club level.

UCLA OF COLORADO

• Deanna Hirsch

Deanna Hirsch is the Communications Officer at the ACLU of Colorado. Deanna graduated with a Master of Science degree from Columbia Journalism School and was awarded honors in reporting, media law and the master’s project. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Metropolitan State University of Denver where she graduated Cum Laude and was the recipient of The Denver Foundation Colorado Press Association Scholarship.

Prior to joining the organization, Deanna was the editor-in-chief of Metrosphere magazine and co-host and producer of Daytime Duo. She has reported and published articles for Evergreen Newspapers; Canyon Courier, Columbine Courier and High Timber Times, Recovering Yogi, and The Uptowner. Deanna also wrote and helped publish, Not Who I Pictured, a collection of non-fiction short stories that became a number one new release on Amazon.

She was the principal investigator and author of the ACLU Colorado report, Cashing in on Cruelty: Stories of death, abuse and neglect at the GEO immigration detention facility in Aurora. A New York native, she now lives in Denver with her husband, daughter and Yorkie.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

• Kim Salvaggio

Thanks to her father’s love of PBS NewsHour, at a very young age, Kim wanted to be part of the media world. Studying Mass Media and Communications with a focus on Labor Industrial Relations at Penn State University, which is the studying of media professionals at work, helped guide a 20-year career in media organizations. Kim has held positions in Human Resources, with a focus on Diversity, at BBH New York, Public News Service and Rocky Mountain Public Media where she is currently one of the Chief DEI Officers.Kim works across all departments at RMPM as a lead trainer and is also a certified mediator, able lead resolution focused training.  Kim and her partner have a very active home life with 4 kids and 4 pets, which is slightly controlled chaos. Kim is also an active community member and advocate for the LGTBQIA+ Community with a focus on Trans Youth.  

XCEL ENERGY

• Lacey Golonka

Lacey Golonka is currently an HR Inclusion and Diversity Consultant with Xcel Energy and is responsible for veteran and diversity recruitment, hiring, programs and partnerships ensuring a smooth transition for service members in the workplace.  She is still currently serving as a First Sergeant in the Colorado Army National Guard.   

She came to Xcel Energy having served 17 years in the Army National Guard where she has four combat tours. As the Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for Xcel Energy, Ms. Lacey has worked to increase veteran hires at the company in order to maintain the CEO hiring goal of one in ten of new hires being veterans  

For the last 15 years, Lacey has worked to serve military service members and veterans having worked as a DoD contractor for the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) to bring back remains of POW/MIAs, and as a Congressional Staffer for U.S. Senator Michael Bennet.  She served as U.S. Senator Michael Bennet’s Veteran’s Constituent Advocate and Outreach Coordinator, where she addressed prominent issues in the veteran’s community. 

Lacey continues to serve on the board for the Asian Chamber of Commerce, Arapahoe/Douglas County Workforce Economic Development board, Colorado School of Mines Diversity, Inclusion & Access External Advisory Board, Colorado Governor Appointed Board of Veteran Affairs, and has been recently appointed a board member for the National Veteran Owned Business Association (NaVOBA).   

Ms. Golonka is a born and raised in Hawaii. Her interests include surfing, hunting, and hiking.

BROOKSOURCE

• Mary Blackburn

Mary Blackburn is the Program Coordinator and Professional recruiter for Brooksource. Brooksource’s goal is to find candidates opportunities in the IT sector, partnering with many companies in the Denver Metro Area.

Mary’s role specifically is geared towards finding opportunities for students and Veterans coming from various backgrounds and skill sets.

She has been in this space for 3 ½ years and is really eager to continue Brooksource’s partnership with MSU. In her spare time she loves to hike, snowboard, and hang out with her goldendoodle Bella.

RAYTHEON INTELLIGENCE & SPACE

• Nicholas Lowing

Senior Software Engineer at Raytheon Intelligence and Space with over half a decade of software development and defense industry experience specializing in the modernization of legacy systems, enterprise messaging, and algorithm development.

DAVITA, INC.

• Nikki Whinrey

Nikki Whinrey is Assistant General Counsel at DaVita Inc., where she serves as lead counsel for DaVita Labs. Nikki is responsible for the oversight of the DaVita Labs legal team and for providing legal counsel to DaVita Labs leadership on a variety of healthcare regulatory, business, corporate, and commercial matters including, but not limited to, issues relating to Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), False Claims Act (FCA), Stark Law, HIPAA, and the Clinical Laboratory Improvements Act (CLIA). In addition, she manages dispute resolution, commercial litigation, or government inquiries, as necessary.

Prior to joining DaVita, Nikki was in Compliance and Privacy at Ochsner Health, where she advised on topics such as AKS, FCA, Stark Law, EMTALA, and regulatory matters for pharmacy operations and served as a leader on the Opioid Stewardship. Before joining Ochsner Health, Nikki served as a Deputy Attorney General in the Indiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), where she oversaw investigations of providers for prescription drug abuse statewide and was a founding member of the Indiana Attorney General’s Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force, under Attorney General Greg Zoeller.

She received her Juris Doctor from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law with a certificate of concentration in health law. She received her Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Computer Information Systems from Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

COLORADO DEPT OF LAW

• Patrick Warwick-Diaz

Patrick Warwick-Diaz (Behavioral Science, 2011) has spent his career as a public servant working in the field of higher education. Currently, Patrick serves as an assistant attorney general in the Higher Education Unit of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, where he represents and advises the state’s public colleges and universities and other state agencies. Before attending law school in  Boston, Patrick served as a campus police officer at a large public university. Patrick completed his bachelor’s degree at Metropolitan State University of Denver while working full-time as a police officer, juggling coursework with his night-shift work schedule.

Patrick was born in the Philippines, but he immigrated to the United States as a toddler, growing up in Aurora. He saw firsthand the sacrifices his family made for education, and he experienced how education can open doors to new opportunities. Patrick enjoys sharing this passion for education with anyone and everyone. Patrick also enjoys spending time with his growing family and relearning the clarinet after nearly twenty years away.

SE2 COMMUNICATIONS

• Susan Morrisey

Susan Morrisey is president and CEO of SE2, a Denver, Colorado-based integrated marketing agency that specializes in public issues and social marketing. At SE2, Susan leads a staff of 15 creative and content professionals from diverse backgrounds, helping to develop and drive campaigns for nonprofit and government clients on public health, education and environmental issues.

Susan has worked in communications for the public and nonprofit sectors for more than 25 years. Prior to joining SE2 two decades ago, she directed Colorado’s statewide tobacco control coalition; worked in public affairs for National Jewish Health; and served as a congressional aide on women, children and family issues for a member of Congress.

Susan was born in Colorado and lives in the Denver area along with her husband, two young adult children, and two Labradors.

MILE HIGH UNITED WAY

• Dr. Francisca Angulo-Olaiz

Received her Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), with an emphasis in Medical Anthropology. Her area of expertise is Latina sexual health, specifically as it relates to cervical cancer. For the past 20 years, she has worked to address health disparities and infuse community voice in organizational decision-making. Currently, Dr. Angulo-Olaiz is Vice President of Strategy Development & Community Engagement at Mile High United Way, Denver, CO. She developed the organization’s long-term community strategy that centers community voice, resilience, and assets.

Prior to joining Mile High United Way, Dr. Angulo-Olaiz worked for health and research organizations in California including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Public Health Institute. She also partnered with Planned Parenthood Los Angeles to implement and evaluate a sexual health curricula for high school students. The combination of her lived experience, formal training as a researcher and community advocacy skills has prepared her to negotiate a variety of perspectives, building common ground and harnessing innovative ideas to address the needs of under-resourced communities. Dr. Angulo-Olaiz has extensive experience working alongside Latinx, African-American, Native American, and LGBTQ communities to address issues such as cervical cancer, HIV, and obesity. She has also partnered with the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention to scale an HIV intervention for urban youth nationally and train nonprofits and faith-based organizations in its implementation and assessment.

CDOT

• Emily Harp

Emily Harp has worked for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) as an HR Specialist and business partner for the last 15 years, supporting managers and supervisors in ensuring quality hires and retention of a valued workforce through recruitment, selection, job evaluation, compensation evaluations, personnel research, personal services contract review and personnel record-keeping.  She guides and coaches applicants, employees, supervisors, and appointing authorities through all phases of the mission critical areas of recruitment and staffing.

Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a master’s in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and Personnel Certifications through the State of Colorado in Job Evaluation, Selection and Personal Services.  Through her work, she hopes to further CDOT’s mission, making a positive impact on public safety and transportation in Colorado.

TIAA

• Charla Candy-Kadlubar

Charla Candy-Kadlubar is the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for the Denver office of TIAA, a Fortune 100 company dedicated to serving the financial needs of people who work in the academic, government and nonprofit fields. Charla manages partnerships with nonprofit organizations in the local Denver community to help impact issues surrounding hunger, education and environment. She also runs enterprise campaigns to promote TIAA’s philanthropic programs and volunteer opportunities across the country to an internal audience of over 16,000 employees. Charla’s strong passion for employee engagement is also utilized through her management of the Denver Leadership Council, the Denver Volunteer Council and the Denver Culture team. Charla leads each of these groups in efforts to elevate the office culture by creating a sense of belonging for each employee and to enhance TIAA’s presence in the Denver community.

Charla began her TIAA career as a contract worker in 2007, quickly converting to a full time employee. She has worked in the Operations department, Wealth Management department and the Marketing and Creative Services department before landing her dream position on the CSR team. She has created and maintained strong business relationships with each department role and has become an advocate for associate engagement and retention.

Prior to serving at TIAA, Charla spent six years in the mortgage and real estate industry in Southern California. She helped clients buy and sell homes while also processing their mortgage loans to provide a seamless customer experience.

Charla lives in Arvada, CO with her husband James and their two daughters Victoria (four) and Violet (one). They can be found frequenting the local splash pads, trails, breweries and anywhere that serves ice cream.