About Denver Kids

Mission

Mission, Vision, & Values

Denver Kids empowers students to positively shape their lives, successfully complete high school, and pursue postsecondary options.
Vision
Every student graduates. Every student is prepared with life skills, equipped with a greater understanding of self, and empowered to pursue their meaningful pathway post-graduation.
Values
Integrity
We are truthful, equitable, and accountable in words and actions – even when it is hard.
Learning
We foster an environment of continuous learning with a growth mindset and train staff to be their very best.
Excellence
We focus on evaluating and strengthening our impact to be a center of excellence.
Leadership
We actively listen with curiosity, welcome feedback, practice empathy and hold each other accountable to bring out the best in others and ourselves.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity
We develop respectful relationships by embracing all individuals with their unique backgrounds and contributions on our path towards equity.
Founded in 1946

History

In 1946, Denver Public Schools (DPS) and the Rotary Club of Denver partnered to form Denver Boys with the purpose of providing academic support, mentorship, and job skills for boys who were dropping out of school to work and provide for their families when their fathers did not return from WWII. Denver Girls was founded in 1970 to follow the same model of academic and mentor support. In 1993, Denver Kids became the merged entities of Denver Boys and Denver Girls to consolidate programs and funding.

Our unique public/private partnership with DPS continues today. Specializing in Educational SEL Counseling—a one-to-one, relationship-based, long-term approach dedicated to building character, academic achievement, and positive development of the whole child—Denver Kids strives to help students use education and the development of social and emotional skills as tools to create career and college pathways.

As we work through the impacts of an ongoing global pandemic, and strive to meet the academic, social and emotional needs of our students, our model is stronger than ever. And our students need us more profoundly than ever before.

In 2021, Denver Kids celebrated 75 years of serving youth in our community. Click on our timeline above to take a walk through the history of our organization by decade, and learn how you can support our next 75 years.

Team

Leadership
Jay Grimm (he/him)
CEO
Lynne Peterson (she/her)
Director of Operations
Michelle Maldonado (she/her)
VP of Development
Phuong Phan (she/her)
VP of Programs and Inclusion
Staff
Allegra Bell (she/her)
Community Engagement Manager
Ariane Brown (she/her)
Denver Kids Advisor
Bailey Pattison (she/her)
Communications Officer
Dat Bui (he/him)
Denver Kids Advisor
Haley Laidlaw (they/them)
Denver Kids Advisor
Jayme Jefferson (she/her)
Denver Kids Advisor
Jenn Gordon (she/her)
Denver Kids Advisor
Jessica Gardner (she/her)
Denver Kids Advisor
Jordan Evans (he/him)
Program Manager
Josh Segura (he/him)
Denver Kids Advisor
Justin Protentis (he/him)
Denver Kids Advisor
Kandace Wilkins (she/her)
Youth Pathways Advisor
Katrina Zamudio (she/her)
Denver Kids Advisor
Kendal Osborn (she/her)
Development & Events Coordinator
Kennedy Laidlaw (she/her)
Denver Kids Advisor
Kerry Rhea (she/her)
Program Manager
Kylee Adolfson (she/her)
Youth Pathways Program Manager
Marcie Smith (she/her)
Denver Kids Advisor
Mariah Law (she/her)
Community Partnerships Coordinator
Marisol Valentin (she/her)
Denver Kids Advisor
Millicent Ratliff (she/her)
Program Manager
Missy Hermosillo (she/her)
Associate Director of Learning and Evaluation
Omar Gonzalez (he/him)
Denver Kids Advisor
Rachel Holterman (she/her)
Denver Kids Advisor
Rosa Castle (she/her)
Denver Kids Advisor
Stephanie Sandoval-Rivera (she/her)
Denver Kids Advisor
Tina Cabazos (she/her)
Denver Kids Advisor
Veronica Paz Baca (she/her)
Denver Kids Advisor
Xavier Brown (he/him)
Denver Kids Advisor

Board of Directors

Leadership
Michael Macias
Chair
Expedia, Senior Program Manager
Kristen Roth
Secretary
Community Volunteer
Ward Cerny
Treasurer
Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, Executive Director
Members
Adam Southall
Ex-Officio, Young Professionals Council
FirstBank, Assistant Vice President
Alexander Cmil
Eide Bailly, Senior Manager
Ashi Geberkidane
BPX Energy, Head of Performance Optimization
Blythe Kingsbury
Community Volunteer
Cally Lever
CRS Insurance, Director of HR
Camille Moore
Furtado Law PC, Associate Attorney
Coco Criste
Lifetime Windows & Siding, Director of PR & Strategic Partnership
Craig Mills
UBS, Senior Vice President
Debbie Beasley
Retired, Banking Management Technology
Dennis Buelow
CliftonLarsonAllen, Principal
Ethan Gilbert
Ex-Officio, Denver Children's Foundation
Prologis, Director, Global EDG
Grace Berman
DaVita, Senior Director Learning & Development
Hossein Tabrizi
Ulteig, Chief Operating Officer
Jason Krause
Ex-Officio, Denver Public Schools
DPS, Director of Schools, Elementary
Jon Underkofler
Alliance Bernstein, Vice President, Research and Investment Manager
Kendall Godley
Davis Graham & Stubbs, Associate
Kyle Orr
Alera Group, Senior Benefits Consultant
Lisa Kislak
Chief Outsiders, Chief Marketing Officer
Mark Clouatre
Nelson Mullins, Partner
Michael Lopez
Array, VP of Business Development
Nick Lauters
The Opus Group, Project Executive
Nigel Daniels
Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Judge Moses
Roy Kim
TNTP, Director of Organizational Strategy
Sarah Rappe
IMA Financial Group, Director of Strategic Projects
Sofia Pedraza
Bottom Line Development, Owner
Stephanie McCoy
Senior Finance, Accounting & Investment Professional
Steve Jenks
MeasuringU,  UX Researcher

Young Professionals Council

Leadership
Adam Southall
Chair
FirstBank
Kendal Osborn
Staff Liaison
Denver Kids, Inc.
Members
Alexa Greenfeld
2U, Inc.
Allie Holton
Center for Work Education and Employment
Amanda Reeves
Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C.
Amy Breaux
Stride Community Health Center
Andrew Gormley
Charles Schwab
Claira Gilchrist
Denver District Court
Endiya McDaniel
University of Colorado Denver
Erin O'Neill
Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher
Estelle Molitor
CFOx
Gayane Atanesyan
Your Castle Realty
Harmony Neal
FirstBank
Henry Farrell
Armstrong Teasdale LLP
Ian Kelly
Scott Fong Tennis
John Tank
-
Kate Sumerfield
Denver Health
Kenna Fraiser
First Western Trust
Leah Schultz
United Airlines
Marcos Caballero
Colorado Legal Services
Margarita Gomez
Denver Public Schools
Matt Ederer
Comerica Bank
Sara Galenbeck
Denver Public Libraries
Shayla Jablon
Credit Union of Colorado
Sydney Reichert
-
Yari Gaona
Credit Union of Colorado
Job Openings

Join Our Team

At Denver Kids, you’ll find a team that’s diverse in skills, knowledge, perspectives, and experience – united in its commitment to our students and living our Core Values.
You can expect to be part of an organization with all the right ingredients for growth and success: a powerful mission, a 75-year track record of graduating more than 80% of our high school seniors, a productive partnership with Denver Public Schools, more than 200 volunteers, a committed 40+ person staff, and an active 30-person board.
As one team, we’re making a difference. Join us.
Director of Major Gifts
Denver Kids Reports
Download annual reports, audits, and other financial data for Denver Kids
2025-2027 Strategic Plan
2022-2023 Annual Report
2021-2022 Annual Report
2021 Strategic Plan
2020-2021 Annual Report
2019-2020 Annual Report
2018-2019 Annual Report
2017-2018 Annual Report
2016-2017 Annual Report