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
Lynne Peterson (she/her)
Director of Operations
Jay Grimm (he/him)
CEO
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)
Educational SEL Counselor
Bailey Pattison (she/her)
Communications Officer
Dat Bui (he/him)
Educational SEL Counselor
Diter Mejia (he/him)
Educational SEL Counselor
Estelle Molitor (she/her)
Development Coordinator
Haley Laidlaw (they/them)
Educational SEL Counselor
Jayme Jefferson (she/her)
Educational SEL Counselor
Jenn Gordon (she/her)
Educational SEL Counselor
Jessica Gardner (she/her)
Educational SEL Counselor
Jordan Evans (he/him)
Program Manager
Josh Segura (he/him)
Educational SEL Counselor
Justin Protentis (he/him)
Educational SEL Counselor
Katrina Zamudio (she/her)
Educational SEL Counselor
Kendal Osborn (she/her)
Development & Events Coordinator
Kennedy Laidlaw (she/her)
Educational SEL Counselor
Kerry Rhea (she/her)
Program Manager
Kylee Adolfson (she/her)
Youth Pathways Program Manager
Marcie Smith (she/her)
Educational SEL Counselor
Mariah Law (she/her)
Community Partnerships Coordinator
Millicent Ratliff (she/her)
Program Manager
Missy Hermosillo (she/her)
Associate Director of Learning and Evaluation
Omar Gonzalez (he/him)
Educational SEL Counselor
Rachel Holterman (she/her)
Educational SEL Counselor
Rosa Castle (she/her)
Educational SEL Counselor
Tiffany Edwards-Jordan (she/her)
Youth Pathways Advisor
Tina Cabazos (she/her)
Educational SEL Counselor
Veronica Paz Baca (she/her)
Educational SEL Counselor
Xavier Brown (he/him)
Educational SEL Counselor

Board of Directors

Leadership
Craig Mills
Chair
UBS, Senior Vice President
Mary Penny
Treasurer
Quiat Companies, Chief Financial Officer
Kristen Roth
Secretary
Community Volunteer
Members
Antonio Jaramillo
Karcher North America, Tax Manager
Ashi Geberkidane
BPX Energy, Head of Performance Optimization
Blythe Kingsbury
Director
Bryant Mazzetti
Ex-officio
Powers Brown Architecture, Principal
Camille Moore
Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Judge Dorancy
Coco Criste
Lifetime Windows & Siding, Director of PR & Strategic Partnership
Debbie Beasley
Retired, Banking Management Technology
Dennis Buelow
CliftonLarsonAllen, Principal
Eric Gutknecht
Co-Chair, Development Committee
CharcūtNuvo, CEO
Grace Berman
DaVita, Senior Director Learning & Development
Jason Krause
Ex-officio
Denver Public Schools, Director of Schools, Elementary
Jennifer VanBerschot
Northrop Grumman, Behavioral Researcher
Jon Underkofler
Co-Chair, Development Committee
Alliance Bernstein, Vice President Research and Investment Manager
Kathryn Dickinson
AILLEA, Owner
Kendall Godley
Davis Graham & Stubbs, Associate
Kyle Orr
Alera Group, Senior Benefits Consultant
Mark Clouatre
Chair, Governance & DEI Committee
Nelson Mullins, Partner
Michael Macias
Propeller Consulting, Consultant
Nick Lauters
The Opus Group, Project Executive
Nigel Daniels
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, J.D. Law Clerk
Noel Wickwar
Morgan Stanley, Senior Vice President
Roy Kim
TNTP, Director of Organizational Strategy
Stephanie McCoy
Wazee Street Capital Management, Chief Operating Officer
Steve Jenks
Ex-Officio, YPC Chair
University of Denver, Adjunct Faculty
Ward Cerny
Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, Executive Director

Young Professionals Council

Leadership
Estelle Molitor
Staff Liaison
Denver Kids, Inc.
Kendal Osborn
Staff Liaison
Denver Kids, Inc.
Steve Jenks
Chair
MeasuringU and University of Denver
Members
Adam Southall
FirstBank
Alexa Greenfeld
2U, Inc.
Alexis Lopez
Project Invent
Amanda Reeves
Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C.
Amy Belknap
BIG HEALTH
Andrew Gormley
Propeller Management Consulting
Caiti Glasgo
Colorado School of Mines Foundation
Chance Hofmann
Colorado Youth for a Change
Endiya McDaniel
Mile High United Way
Erin O'Neill
Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher
Gayane Atanesyan
Your Castle Realty
Harmony Neal
FirstBank
Henry Farrell
Armstrong Teasdale LLP
Jade Martinez
Denver Health
Jen Cwik
Colorado Department of Human Services
Jordan Spector
Xero
Lauren Wallace
Google
Lexi Dunnells
University of Colorado - School of Dental Medicine
Marcos Caballero
Colorado Legal Services
Matt Ederer
Comerica Bank
Nate Bartell
Lumen Technologies
Sara Galenbeck
Denver Public Libraries
Sarah James
University of Denver
Shayla Jablon
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.
Denver Kids does not currently have any career opportunities available.
Denver Kids Reports
Download annual reports, audits, and other financial data for Denver Kids
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