BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. Dean Carlson
Senior Partner, Eye Associates of Colorado Springs

Dr. Carlson is an ophthalmologist and senior partner of Eye Associates of Colorado Springs. He has also served as Medical Director of United Ambulatory Surgery Center since 1999. Dr. Carlson earned his Bachelor's degree form the United States Air Force Academy, his MD from The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and completed an opthalmology residency in San Antonio, TX followed by a glaucoma fellowship at the University of Iowa. He has participated in two eye surgery mission trips to Mexico, as well as one trip to Peru and one trip to Honduras.

Heather Carroll
President and Executive Director, Joseph Henry Edmondson Foundation

Ms. Carroll has played a central role in the philanthropic efforts around education throughout the state. She worked directly with the Colorado Department of Education serving as a consultant for a comprehensive school reform initiative developed to support and enhance local school improvement efforts throughout Colorado to ensure that all students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to reach high academic standards. As the Executive Director of a major private foundation, she continues to work closely with many of the region's best nonprofit organizations, focused particularly on improving educational opportunities for students. She is a graduate of The Colorado College and the Institute of Educational Leadership's Colorado Education Policy Fellowship.

Christopher Cipoletti
President, Christopher Cipoletti, P.C.

Mr. Cipoletti is a lifelong entrepreneur with experience as a leadership trainer and business consultant. He has spent years as an attorney working in the areas of governance, ethics, employment law and policy. Mr. Cipoletti is very active in the Colorado Springs community, and has a BA and JD from Notre Dame.

Dr. Sandra Elliott, Board Secretary
Founder & Managing Partner, Gnowhow-Educational Strategy & Implementation

Dr. Elliott is a lifelong educator who has taught and been a principal for traditional and charter schools. She has started and led schools for two of the largest for profit school management organizations in the US and has been a program officer in charge of the charter portfolio for the Texas High School Project. She currently works with the Colorado Department of Education and other national organizations to improve education for all students. She has her B.A. and M.Ed. from the University of Florida and her Ph.D. from the University of Colorado-Denver.

Roberto Garcia
Director of Admission, The Colorado College

Papelitos. Pieces of paper. Mr. Garcia's parents, not unlike many citizens without a college education, often wondered if the inherent value of his Princeton A.B. degree and Harvard Ed.M. diploma would translate into a good paying job. It was only after he served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps that his parents witnessed the incalculable privileges that higher education bestows on its graduates. As a first-generation college graduate, his high school counselor was instrumental in teaching him the transformative effect that these "pieces of paper" can have on an individual's life. Never having forgotten this lesson, Mr. Garcia continues to champion the importance of higher education in his role as an educator; especially among low-income, first-generation families.

Richard Mueller, Board Chair
President and CEO, Peak Investment Advisors, Inc.

Mr. Mueller has extensive experience in business financial management, having served as CFO of the largest charter school in Colorado, The Classical Academy, and is currently the CFO of a dynamic, high growth software firm, Cherwell Software. He also founded and manages Peak Investment Advisors, a financial services company that provides investment management and tax advisory services based in Colorado Springs. Mr. Mueller earned a B.S. in Accountancy from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Chicago, and is a licensed CPA and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.

Violet Perez
Community Philanthropy Leader

Ms. Perez recently moved to Colorado Springs after living in Mexico City for over 10 years where she served as Chairman of the Board of the American School Foundation, A.C. and as Board Chair for the institutional advancement committee. She brings expertise in the areas of independent schools, new funding development, and donor relations. Ms. Perez also worked for Westinghouse Electric Corporation's Power Generation Business Unit for over 15 years in strategic planning, marketing and international customer service. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA from the United States International University, Mexico City. Ms. Perez also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Colorado Springs School.

Steven Vela, Board Vice-Chair and Treasurer
President, Ramsay, Stattman, Vela & Price, Inc.

Since 1989, Mr. Vela has been a portfolio manager for Ramsay, Stattman, Vela & Price, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor with offices in Colorado Springs and Princeton, New Jersey. He holds a BA in Business/Economics from Colorado College and an MBA in finance from Southern Methodist University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder. Mr. Vela has served on the boards of several community non-profit organizations, and is currently a Trustee for the Nutrition Camp School Foundation.