Alumni Council

Michael D. West spent twenty eight years with Arthur Andersen, the last ten as Director of Human Resources, Administration and Recruiting for the Denver office. He was responsible for administrative and financial operations of the office as well as recruiting all new and experienced hire personnel and dealing with employee personnel related issues.  His final act with the Firm involved finding opportunities for almost all of the remaining 600 Denver Arthur Andersen employees, closing the Denver office facility, and having the distinction of being the last Arthur Andersen employee in Denver. Subsequent to the Arthur Andersen experience, Mr. West co-founded a firm providing project and permanent placement opportunities for senior level individuals in finance and accounting.  Moving on from that opportunity, in 2006 he joined Cheyenne Capital/Millennium Bridge Capital and is currently the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of that $1 billion private equity fund of funds and Registered Investment Advisor based in Denver.

Mr. West is a CPA and his business and professional activities include memberships in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants. Civic involvement includes past service on the Board of Directors of the Mental Health Association of Colorado and on the Board and as Chairman of the Board and Treasurer of Historic Denver, Inc., past service on the Board and as Chairman of the Board of the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants Educational Foundation, past service on the board of the Colorado Society of CPA’s including serving as its chair, on the local and previously serving as chair of the regional board of the American Lung Association-Southwest and at the University of Denver with past service on the Board and as Treasurer and President of the University of Denver Alumni Association, and current service on the School of Accountancy Advisory Board previously as its chair, past service as Treasurer of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity House Corporation and as a current Board member of the Lower Downtown Neighborhood Association. He was appointed by the mayor of Denver to the Lower Downtown Design Review Board and served from 2007 to 2014 and to the Denver Union Station Project Authority Board (DUSPA) in 2008 serving as a board member and as the secretary of the organization during the entire term of its existence. DUSPA was a public/private partnership responsible for the financing and build out of the $450 million Union Station redevelopment project.  For his involvement at the University of Denver, Mr. West was the 2003 recipient of the Randolph P. McDonough Award for Service to Alumni. 

Mr. West was co chair and completed a capital campaign to build a new $3.4 million Kappa Sigma Fraternity house at the University of Denver as well as a $1.2 million campaign to build the scholarship endowment base of the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants Educational Foundation, and served recently as a member of a capital campaign committee raising over $2 million for Historic Denver. Mr. West was the chair for the inaugural Run the Register, an innovative stair climb event raising $125,000 for the American Lung Association –Colorado. He also chaired the second year event attracting over 1,700 participants and raising over $220,000.

Mr. West received a BSBA degree in accounting from the University of Denver.  Upon graduation he joined Arthur Andersen in 1975 and began his career in the audit practice. He returned part time to the University of Denver and obtained and MBA in 1981.

His outside interests include sports, especially baseball and the Colorado Rockies, golf, traveling, real estate, and investing.  His interest in historic preservation led to active involvement with several other partners as pioneers in one of the first redevelopment projects involving conversion of a warehouse space in Lower Downtown into residential lofts and commercial space.  He and his wife Etta reside in another historic Lower Downtown loft project where they were involved in the original design and renovation of their residence.  In 2000, they satisfied a lifetime dream building a log cabin in a remote and scenic setting outside of Fraser in Grand County, Colorado. 

Theo Chapman is a Colorado native who earned both his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Master of Business Administration from the University of Denver in 2008. He graduated from the University Honors Program and earned a minor in Leadership Studies from the Pioneer Leadership Program.  He serves as a Boettcher Foundation Alumni Ambassador, providing scholarship presentations at high schools and college fairs, and he is also an Alumni Board Member for the Programming Committee.  Chapman is a member of the Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism (YAASPA) Board as well as the Denver Kids Development Committee.  

At DU, he is the President of the Black Alumni Affinity group (BAA), a Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science Equity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (E-STEM) Volunteer, a Young Alumni Professional Advisory Board Member, and he was recently accepted to the Pioneer Leadership Program Alumni Board.  Chapman is a 2009 Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado Chamber Connect Graduate, a 2017 New Leaders Council Fellowship Alum, and a member of the 2020-2021 Colorado Governors Fellowship Program.  In his free time, Chapman enjoys spending time with family and friends, volunteering, mentoring, cooking, and playing video games, basketball, tennis, and flag football.
 

Katherine Easter is a 2019 graduate of the University of Denver (B.A. Communication Studies and Socio-Legal Studies). After graduating, she joined City Year Denver, a national service AmeriCorps program aimed to lower the drop-out rate in the United States. She currently serves in a middle school in North Denver. After City Year, Katherine hopes to continue to work within the education field in Denver. 

Katherine is passionate about civic engagement and helping young people make change within their communities. Her previous experience includes working with The Blue Bench, a nonprofit located in Metro Denver, and DU’s own Ritchie Center. Outside of work, Katherine enjoys skiing, hiking, and seeing all the beautiful sights Colorado has to offer.
 

A graduate of the University of Denver’s undergraduate college as well as the schools’ Sturm College of Law, Leslie Fields is the Executive Director of Owners’ Counsel of America, a national business association consisting of the leading eminent domain and takings lawyers in the country. OCA members devote a significant portion of their practice representing and defending private property owners in various eminent domain and taking cases across the country. Prior to becoming the Executive Director of OCA, Leslie practiced in Denver at Faegre Baker Daniels (now Faegre Drinker), where she served on the firm’s management board and became a national legal expert on eminent domain and property rights issues, co-chairing for many years the longest running ALI-ABA conference on eminent domain and land valuation, and presenting on the subject in locales as distant as Tsinghua University in Beijing China, where she spoke at the law school’s first property rights conference.

Over a span of some 33 years, Leslie was involved in every major governmental project in the state of Colorado including: the Denver International Airport, the Colorado Convention Center, Highways C-470 and E-470, the I-25 Transportation Expansion Project (T-REX) and the Fastracks Lightrail project. She has argued many precedent-setting cases before the Colorado Court of Appeals and the Colorado Supreme Court, resulting in numerous published decisions. Additionally, Leslie has testified as an expert witness, presented before Colorado judges at their annual Colorado Judicial Conference, published extensively on eminent domain law and procedures matters, and in 2007, authored the leading textbook on Colorado Eminent Domain Practice.

In recognition of her trial experience and expertise, Leslie was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers. In 2014 the Sam Cary Bar Association awarded Leslie the King Trimble Lifetime Achievement Award for her professional achievements and in 2016 Leslie was honored as a Law Star by the Sturm College of Law for her alumni and professional achievements. Leslie has been a longtime member of the Alumni Council for the Sturm College of Law and in 2019 served as the Chair of the Alumni Council.

Kay Fillingham participated in the 4+1 program through the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies, receiving her BA in International Studies and Spanish and her MA in International Development in 2006. She was a member of the Pioneer Leadership Program and a Puksta Scholar, and she has been active in DU alumni groups in nearly every city she’s lived since graduating.

Fillingham is the US Regulatory Liaison at BMO Financial Group in Chicago. She has also held roles in BMO’s treasury and payments group and its anti-money laundering office. Prior to joining BMO, Fillingham served in a range of national security, intelligence, and policy roles in the US Government. 

Fillingham is actively engaged with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, a non-partisan think tank focused on international issues and was in the Chicago Council’s 2021 class of Emerging Leaders. She also serves as a mentor to first-generation college students through Chicago Scholars. 

Gayor Geller has been a resident of Colorado ever since arriving at the University of Denver as an undergraduate scholarship baseball player. At DU, he earned a BSBA Finance and several post graduate degrees: Masters International Management, MS Real Estate Construction Management and Juris Doctor. 

For over a decade, Geller has been active in Colorado’s Real Estate Industry both as a broker and as an investor (residential income and commercial properties). One highlight of his real estate career included his conversion of a 1950s garage into one of Denver’s most beloved neighborhood establishments, Maddie’s Restaurant. Today, Geller enjoys a practice that has grown throughout the Front Range and Summit County.

Prior to entering the real estate industry, Geller managed and tour managed national musical acts, promoting special events throughout the country. He was also an adjunct professor at both CU Denver and at DU, teaching Music Business and Sports & Entertainment Contracts respectively. Geller continues to be active in the Colorado music scene with his annual productions of the Last Waltz Revisited, benefitting the Denver Rescue Mission.

A dedicated family man, Geller loves spending time with his wife, Stephanie, their daughter, Maddie, and their son, Asher. He also enjoys Colorado’s outdoor activities such as golfing and skiing.
 

Craig Harrison is the Managing Director of Teton Partners LLC, a diversified investment firm focused on water and natural resources. Prior to Teton Partners, Craig co-founded and sold Hydro Advisors – a water infrastructure firm, HouseFront – a real estate technology company, US Capital – a financial services firm, and Scout Cleaning – a residential and commercial cleaning company. Craig serves on the Board of Trustees for the University of Denver, the Advisory Board for the Denver Art Museum’s Petrie Institute of Western American Art, the Metro Council for the El Pomar Foundation, the Advisory Committee for the Coors Western Art Exhibit, the Board of The Center for Expeditionary Economics, and the Executive Advisory Board for Millennium Bridge Capital and Cheyenne Capital. Craig received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Denver.

Tim Hartwig joined ERES in 2019 serving as Vice President of Property Management, an important leadership position within the Asset, Facilities and Property Management division. In this role he oversees company-wide property and facilities management services across all offices and the full property portfolio, which totals over 4,000 units and four million square feet. Tim has over 20 years of diverse experience in real estate operations, asset management, investment and development. Prior to ERES, he spent ten years as the National Director of Asset Management for University Communities(UCOMM), where he led efforts in operations, asset and risk management, development, construction, due diligence, and financing and investment. Before that, Tim held leadership roles at AIMCO and Archstone Smith. At ERES, Tim is responsible for managing and growing all aspects of property and facilities management business across every market and asset classes. Working closely with the leadership team, he will provide strategic direction for the business line, while ensuring all property performance metrics, occupancy targets and budgets are met. In addition to full portfolio property oversight and leading strong relationships with our clients, Tim will also help develop and grow our team of supporting professionals. He holds a BS in Environmental Engineering from Michigan Technological University and an MBA from The University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business. For over ten years, Tim has held numerous certifications and is active in instructing the FEMA Community Disaster Response Preparedness Courses (C.E.R.T) throughout Colorado. In addition, he is the President of the Board of Directors for Spark the Change Colorado, an active Rotarian, chairs the Denver Southeast Club’s Community Service Committee and sits on the Club’s Board, is the Vice Chairman of the Daniels College of Business Alumni Advisory Board, is a Director of the Michigan Technological University Alumni Association Board, and sits on the Arapahoe County Board of Review. Tim has resided in Denver, CO for over 20 years and is married to the love of his life, Jayme.

Donald “Boomer” Hogoboom (BSBA ’74) is a passionate ambassador for the University of Denver – some say he bleeds Crimson & Gold. He and his wife consistently support DU’s student-athletes, holding season tickets for hockey and lacrosse, and he frequently hired students when he owned the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop by campus. His previous professional ventures also include being Senior Vice President of the Koll Real Estate Company, Newport Beach, CA. 

His work and volunteer service benefit disadvantaged individuals in numerous ways. He is the founder of Serena Food Bank and Gardens Food Bank, both in Aurora, Colorado. He also serves on the board of LOCO Foods, a nonprofit farm-to-table business in Fort Collins, and he is a board member and treasurer of VCCA Home Owners Association. Over the past 14 years, Hogoboom has renovated older apartments in distressed locations, earning recognition from the City of Aurora as the “Power of One” for creating housing for at-risk residents.  

In addition to his fervent support of DU Athletics, he has also participated in the Ammi Hyde interviews of undergraduate students, mentored incoming Japanese students and their parents, and served as president of Southern California DU Alumni Club. 

Dr. Matthew Brinton joined the DU Alumni Council in the spring of 2022. He is excited to connect fellow Pioneers back to their alma mater and to create opportunities for network building across the greater Seattle area and the broader DU family. He also currently serves as a member of the development committee for the Seattle Derby Brats, and as a member of the executive committee for District VIII of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He believes passionately in the importance of educational attainment and growing a network of strongly connected community members and alumni. He credits his DU degree with getting him into a field that he loves.

Matthew is a higher education professional with more than 16 years of experience working in advancement, academic affairs, student affairs, and athletics. He currently works at the University of Washington as the Director of Advancement for the Division of Student Life. In his role he helps lead advancement efforts in support of student access, diversity and success across more than 15 units in the divison. Matthew and his wife relocated to the Seattle area in the summer of 2021 and have a high school aged daughter. Matthew holds a BS in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), an MA in Higher Education with an emphasis in Student Development from DU and a PhD in Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership from UNC.

Paul Brooks is a retired professional trombonist and music educator. He is a graduate of East high school in Denver. As an undergraduate at The Lamont School of Music at DU, he was a founding member of the Colorado Brass Quintet, playing bass trombone, along with Lamont Trumpet Professor, Legh Burns, CSU Trumpet Professor, Jacob Larson, CSU Horn Professor Carlberg Jones, and Robert Funk, trombone, also a Lamont undergrad. Paul, as a freelance bass trombonist, was first call in Denver through the 70s, performing for Broadway shows, nightclub acts, The Denver Municipal Band, the Denver Bronco Band, and the Denver Symphony. For 26 years Paul was the bass trombonist for the Central City Opera Company Orchestra. From 1980 to 1985, Paul was the Adjunct Professor of trombone, euphonium, and tuba at the Lamont School of Music. In 1985, Paul started a new career in the Phoenix area as a middle school Band, Music, and Technology Lab teacher, from which he retired in 2004. Upon returning to Denver, he became active with the Lamont Alumni Association, serving as President for three years, and also served  as liaison between the Alumni Association and the Lamont Society Council. Paul is a Past President of the Lamont Society Council.

Paul holds BME and MA degrees from the University of Denver.

Dave Cable is Assistant Treasurer at Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI), a global manufacturer of technically advanced specialty materials and complex components focused on the aerospace and defense industry. Dave joined ATI in 2018 with over 15 years of treasury and finance experience.  He leads ATI’s global treasury function, which includes capital management, pension investments, hedging, and risk and cash management.  Additionally, he is an advisor to the business on complex financial topics.

Prior to joining ATI, Dave was Director of Global Treasury for Walgreens Boots Alliance, based in Deerfield, IL.  He was responsible for global funding as well as bank and rating agency relationships.  Dave also spent 13 years with Western Union in Denver where his career spanned a variety of roles including treasury, M&A, and new product development.  He oversaw the company’s capital markets activities and investment portfolio, was integral in the 2011 $1 billion acquisition of Travelex Global Business Payments, and the financing of Western Union as a stand-alone company after its spin-off from First Data in 2006.

Dave received his undergrad in Business Administration from Youngstown State University and his MBA from Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver.  He is active with DU’s alumni network, and currently sits on DU’s Alumni Council, Daniels’ Alumni Advisory Board, and is chair of the Board’s Ambassador Committee. 

Dave, his wife Niki, and their two daughters, Allegra and Teagan, live in Pittsburgh, PA with their one free-loading cat.  In his free time, he enjoys reading, running, and skiing. 

Catharina Hughey is the Executive Director of DIRT, a nonprofit social enterprise whose mission is to increase meaningful, integrated employment opportunities for neurodivergent folks in the workforce. In the Denver Metro Area, DIRT trains, employs, and empowers neurodivergent folks while systemically revolutionizing inclusive hiring practices. 

Catharina received her MSW in Organizational Leadership and Policy Practice from the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. She utilizes evidence-based practices and impact-focused data to create innovative human-centered workspaces and programs that promote disability justice and economic equity. With over a decade of experience advocating for marginalized communities, Catharina has had the opportunity to work with a diverse clientele through her work in clinical child welfare to a consortium of foundations and policy reform.

She is passionate about the DU community’s commitment to fostering long-term engagement and its positive impact on the communities we serve. Since graduating, Catharina continues to actively engage with DU alumni, faculty, and students, from speaking events to being a Graduate School of Social Work field internship site for DU students at the DIRT Coffee shop.

Catharina resides in Englewood with her partner, Scott, and their two dogs, Alice and Watson. She enjoys civic engagement and is an Advisory Board member for Issue Voter, and co-founded a small business affiliation for local employers in Littleton, CO.  She has become a travel planning spreadsheet expert while traveling was restricted and is an inspired ‘chef’ in training.  

Dr. Caryn Honig received a Bachelor of Arts from University of Denver in 1988.  She then earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition/Dietetics from University of Texas Health Science Center, a Master of Education from University of St. Thomas (Houston) and a Doctor of Education from Walden University.  She is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian and owns Dr. Caryn Honig Nutrition, a private practice offering nutritional counseling to patients who struggle with eating disorders and disordered eating.  She chose this career because of her past struggles with anorexia and bulimia.  She has been in recovery for over 25 years.  She has also been an adjunct clinical professor at University of Houston for the past 17 years.

Caryn was a scholarship tennis player for the University of Denver (1983-1987) and was University of Denver Female Athlete of the Year in 1987, chosen to be on the Silver Anniversary Team for Women’s Athletics (1999) and was inducted into the University of Denver Hall of Fame (2004).  Caryn and her husband, Scott Schepps, established the Caryn Honig Women’s Tennis Endowed Scholarship Fund to be awarded yearly to a female tennis player.  

Caryn is an avid runner and triathlete.  To date she has completed 40 full marathons, numerous triathlons, one full Ironman triathlon and one 50-mile endurance running race.  When she is not working or running, she spends time with her husband, Scott, and daughters, Samantha and Natasha.  The love of her life is her Great Pyrenees rescue dog, Brooklyn.  

David Karimi is a 2018 graduate of the University of Denver where he studied Real Estate and the Built Environment with a concentration in Property Development and a minor in Finance at the Daniels College of Business. He has worked closely with the Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate with Dr. Barb Jackson on the new Marion J. Crean Collaboratory Space located in the Daniels College of Business. David has been active on campus as a guest speaker and lecturer in the Burns School. His success as a teacher has earned him an adjunct professorship within Burns. David is a passionate ambassador of all things DU. He credits his success and career readiness to the time he spent as a Daniels student and hopes to provide that same high-level experience to future Pios.

David has also served as a mentor for several student group competitions such as ASC, DBIA, Solar Decathlon, and NAIOP. Additionally, at his former employer PCL Construction, he assisted in managing the construction of the DU AOB and Burwell Center for Career Achievement Buildings. During his time at DU, he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and served as treasurer. He enjoyed playing pickup hockey and attending DU sporting events.

David currently works as the Development and Finance Manager for Tetrad Property Group (TPG), a full-service real estate development company that specializes in implementing innovative and fiscally responsible real estate and construction solutions. TPG places a special emphasis on developing public-private partnerships and relationships with the philanthropic community as an opportunity to create value, promote change and enhance efficiency.

On a daily basis, David works as a liaison in the day-to-day contact for owners on their projects from initial concept through operations and maintenance. He is responsible for establishing and maintaining a clear and accurate direction for the project while leading the front end development, oversight of design, construction, and estimating. His current focus is to assist in managing the Public-Private Partnership relationship between Colorado State University and TPG. David also oversees investment underwriting, deployment of capital, and strategic divestment for TPG’s Capital Partners, as well as strategic reporting and forecasting of investments.

David also serves on the Amy L. Scott Family Foundation board. He currently lives in the Lohi neighborhood of Denver and enjoys cooking, skiing, and hunting. David is originally from Omaha, Nebraska and a devoted Husker fan.

Solomon Malekou (he/him/his) is a 2005 graduate of the University of Denver (B.A. International Studies). A Native of Ethiopia, Solomon came to America as an International Student to attend DU. He found out about DU when a recruiter from the International House showed up at his school.  That is when Solomon fell in love with DU, and it is the only college he ever applied for. During his undergraduate years at DU, Solomon served as President of The International Studies Student Association (ISSA) and held several jobs on campus, including being a student caller/fundraiser at the Crimson Call Center.

Post-graduation, Solomon embarked on an International HR career as an International Operations Supervisor for Graebel. Soon after he was promoted as the International Expansion Lead where he helped Graebel open a branch office start-up in Singapore expanding their business into the Asian market.

Upon his return from Singapore, Solomon went to work for the Xerox Corporation as Team Lead of International Operations where he authored brand new Standard Operation Procedures thereby optimizing the firm’s HR Operations.

He then joined the HR Team at CH2M Hill (which is now Jacobs) as Global Mobility Consultant. During his time at Jacobs, Solomon was one of the key founding fathers of a workplace inclusive culture. He served as the Global Chair of the Jacobs LBGTQ+ Employee Network and the Diversity Executive Council Global Representative with a seat in the C-Suite. As one of the key founders of an inclusive corporate culture, he served as a strategic thought leader, innovator, and influencer for the creation of an inclusive corporate culture where employees understood the importance of being able to bring their whole selves to work. He was responsible for Jacob’s Corporate Equality Index Score to rise from a failing 30% to a perfect 100%.

Solomon currently has taken an early retirement from the workforce and is highly engaged in his philanthropic endeavors. He is a volunteer English/French/Spanish translator, and meal delivery driver for a local non-profit, Project Angel Heart. He also volunteers on the University of Denver Alumni Council and on the DU Pride Alumni Affinity Group in an effort to help the University meet and exceed its social responsibility goals.

When not volunteering, Solomon enjoys dancing (which is how he met his husband) and traveling the world with his amazing husband of 14 years. 

Linda Rockwood has been an active supporter of the University of Denver for a number of years, most recently as President of the Alumni Council for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.  During her tenure, the Council was expanded and energized with a focus on mentoring, alumni engagement and aiding CAHSS programs and goals.

Linda’s affection and admiration for the University began when, as a first generation college student, DU offered her a full scholarship and housing that allowed her to pursue her higher education dream.  She was also introduced to ice hockey (cheering in the glory days of two national championships, and earning needed extra money as a tutor!) and has loved and followed the sport ever since.

After graduation, Linda worked as an economist first in the corporate headquarters of a large, national retailer in St. Louis and then as Assistant Director of the Center for the Study of American Business, an interdisciplinary think tank at Washington University in St. Louis.  She then moved to Washington state and managed a regional symphony orchestra.

In 1984, Linda graduated from the University of Texas Law School, and returned  to Denver to begin her practice of law as an environmental lawyer;  first at Holland & Hart, then Parcel Mauro Hultin & Spaanstra, and finally 20 years with Faegre & Benson (now Faegre Drinker).  At both Parcel Mauro and Faegre, Linda had tenures as chair of the environmental practice and in firm management.  Her national environmental practice emphasized environmental remediation and air quality.  Linda had a lead role in numerous Superfund cases, including high profile sites, negotiating settlements with hundreds of parties and stakeholders .

Linda is a member of the American College of Environmental Lawyers and was recognized in a number of state, regional and national rankings.  Linda’s volunteer work included a number of legal organizations, as well as the Downtown Denver Partnership, and the Mayor’s Councils for the Convention Center Expansion and for the new Justice Center.  Linda retired in 2018.

Lynnea Louison Hutton earned her MBA from the University of Denver, and she graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Spanish.  

In 2019, Hutton joined IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, a nonprofit research center at DU. With more than 18 years of experience in human resources, business operations, business development, and strategic planning, she is senior director of operations and oversees communications, development, human resources, IT, event planning, facilities, and project management. Before joining IAALS, Hutton was the director of operations at the Boettcher Foundation, a Colorado -based large private family foundation with strong ties to the University of Denver.

Hutton grew up in the Philadelphia area and still cheers for her favorite football teams—the Philadelphia Eagles and Penn State. In her spare time, Hutton loves to salsa dance (which is how she met her husband), enjoy gourmet food (both eating at restaurants and cooking at home), and run in local 5K races. She also loves to play and watch all kinds of sports, including golf, tennis, and skiing with her husband, David (EMBA ‘21). Her son, Miles, is a college student in Atlanta at Morehouse College.

Maggie Kirchhoff (BSBA ‘05) has worked with individuals, people in business and families for many years as a Certified Financial Planner and owns the financial planning firm True North Partners. Her approach has always been comprehensive, as she takes into consideration her clients’ entire financial picture including taxes, insurance, estate planning, investments, retirement planning, and cash flow.

Kirchhoff is a member of the Financial Planning Association, participating in financial literacy campaigns including Junior Achievement, Money Smart Week, and Denver Financial Planning Day, and she also speaks to many different companies about financial planning. She is a published author, a judge for InvestWrite, a board member for the Girls on the Run organization, and a member of the Women’s Estate Planning Council. Kirchhoff is a proud graduate of the University of Denver, where she was a Division I athlete and continues to give back by serving as the chair of the Daniels Alumni Advisory Board and member of the Executive Advisory Board. Kirchhoff continued her academic career in the Accelerated MBA Program at The University of Colorado at Denver.

She lives in Golden and enjoys fishing, skiing, backpacking and any activity off-grid.

Fay Matsukage, one of the first Asian‐American female attorneys admitted to practice law in Colorado, began specializing in corporate and securities law early in her career. She currently practices at the Doida Crow Legal LLC representing both private and public companies with formation, capital-raising, compliance, and exit strategies, and holds a BA summa cum laude from Colorado College and a law degree from the University of Denver.

With a passion to help those of Asian descent in Colorado, Fay was a founding member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado 1990 and a founder of the Colorado Asian Pacific American Bar Foundation, which has endowed law school scholarships at both DU and CU.  She remains an active board member of both organizations.  Fay also devotes time and energy on behalf of the Asian Pacific Development Center, a Denver-based non-profit that serves and supports the immigrant and refugee communities with a whole health, community-based engagement approach through health, education, and advocacy.  She is also the vice-chair of the Sturm College of Law Alumni Council.

Her many honors include the 1999 Trailblazer Award from the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, the 2006 Minoru Yasui Community Service Award from the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado, the 2006 Mary Lathrop Trailblazer Award from The Colorado Women’s Bar Association, and the 2010 Outstanding Alumni Award from DU’s Sturm College of Law, and induction to the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 2018.

Brian Peagler is a 2005 dual graduate of the University of Denver (B.S. Computer Engineering, MBA). A Denver native and Boettcher Scholar, Brian has most recently completed a term on the Pioneer Leadership Program Alumni Association Board at DU and is currently serving on Boettcher Scholar Alumni Association Board and on the Board of the Colorado Enterprise Fund, the first Community Development Financial Institution certified in Colorado.

Brian currently works as the Director of Information Systems for goldbug, a company that designs, manufactures, and distributes infant and children’s apparel. Brian resides in the Platt Park neighborhood with his wife, Megan and they are expecting their first child later in 2020.

Philip Nickerson is commercial litigator at Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP in Austin, Texas. He has experience representing clients in financial, tech, real estate, and energy industries in matters involving government investigations, commercial contracts, construction and product defect, trade secrets, professional malpractice, and bankruptcy creditor rights.

Philip received his JD/M.B.A from DU in May 2017.  In addition to his service on the Alumni Council, he has served as an adjunct professor of International Practice and Procedure at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and a Coach of its International Moot Court Team. 

Outside of his service to DU, Philip served on the Colorado Bar Association Young Lawyers Division’s Executive Committee, co-chairing its DEI Committee, and in various roles of with the Sam Cary Bar Association. He also serves as a Board Member and mentor for Law School Yes We Can!, a Colorado-based law school pipeline program that targets high-achieving college freshmen from diverse backgrounds and provides mentorship through college. 

He met his wife, Laura López Nickerson (JD 2017), while a student at DU, and he claims he is forever indebted to DU for bringing them together.

Dr. Kori Novak is helping change the narrative around compassion and aging, driving both conversation and action to ensure that no one dies alone. Her unique expertise in gerontology combined with a broad range of executive level experience in elder care, hospice services, and healthcare strategy has positioned her as an internationally sought-after expert and lecturer in places such as Oxford University and the University of Suffolk.  In addition, she often speaks at international healthcare and correctional conferences in Asia, Australia, and Central Europe. Novak has been a guest eldercare and prison expert on radio and television programs. 

Novak credits much of her professional success to her foundational education.  After earning her bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Denver, she went on to get her MBA from Pepperdine University, PhD from Capella University and Post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford School of Medicine. Along with her research and publication duties, she has served as CEO of Health and Human Services for several California Native American Tribes. Currently, she oversees a hospice program in Santa Barbara, CA. 

She lives in Oxnard, CA, with the two loves of her life, her rescue dogs Abigail and Winston.

Vice President, Strategic Initiatives & Enterprise Programs

Daniels Alumnus, BSBA International Business 2002, EMBA 2017

Tracie Sheppard has over 17 years of experience in leading strategic initiative teams across financial services, non-profits, and service delivery industries. With a proven track record of leading complex global change and transformation programs, Tracie has become a trusted change catalyst across multiple Fortune 200 companies.

Having received her Executive MBA from the University of Denver in 2017, Tracie is a Vice President for a major financial institution, leading their Strategic Initiatives and Enterprise Programs team. Recently, she led the enterprise-wide change initiatives including COVID Response & Recovery efforts, Workplace Utilization programs, Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, line of business integrations, and is passionate about creating diverse and inclusive workspaces.  

A native of Denver, CO, Tracie first graduated from the University of Denver in 2002 with her BSBA in International Business.  Tracie discovered her passion for community impact and volunteerism while serving as Vice President of Development for a national non-profit. Tracie’s passion for philanthropy and community development flourished, and after returning to the corporate sector, philanthropy and volunteering in the community remain critical components to Tracie’s daily life.

Tracie lives in southeast Denver with her husband, Wade, and their two amazing daughters, Lillie and Ellianna.  When not working, volunteering, or cheering on DU’s D1 teams, the family loves everything the Colorado outdoors have to offer, and you can often find them camping or hiking across the Rockies.

Andrea retired in 2013 after 25 years with State of Colorado working as a budget analyst with the Colorado Departments of Revenue and Public Health/Environment.  She earned her B.A. in Anthropology and Political Science from the University of Denver in 1985 and her J.D. in 1988, also from the University of Denver School of Law. 

Andrea is an active alum of the University of Denver.  She has been in leadership roles in the Latino Alumni Affinity (since its inception in 2004); she sits on the Chancellor’s Diversity and Equity Advisory Committee (2015 to present); is a member of the Latino Law Alumni Affinity (since its inception in 2016); participates in the Community and Values Initiative (since 2019), was a member of the Alumni Council Task Force in 2019 and is now a member of the newly formed Alumni Council.  She is actively engaged in mentoring and fundraising for the DULAA scholarship.

Andrea was a board member at El Centro Su Teatro March 2014 – March 2020.  She has volunteered with Reading Partners for 4 years at Joe Shoemaker Elementary and was named the 2019 Tutor of the Year for that school.  She has also participated in the Mujeres Valiente (Latino Community Foundation of Denver) program from 2018 to present.

Erika Ross, PhD, earned her BS in Biology, Cognitive Neuroscience and MS in Molecular Biology at the University of Denver. She completed her PhD in Neuroscience studying neural stimulation at the Mayo Clinic. 

Ross is currently Director, R&D Applied Research for Neuromodulation at Abbott. She is responsible for leading applied research strategy, external partnerships, portfolio, and execution. Applied research includes computational modeling, pre-clinical, clinical feasibility & safety trials that feed new products and indications. 

Prior to her role at Abbott, Ross was the Neuroscience Director at Cala Health, a Stanford Biodesign incubated Bay Area start-up that developed a non-invasive, digitally-enabled neuromodulation solution for Essential Tremor patients. She held roles of increasing leadership at Cala Health as the company completed development and prepared for commercialization and played a major role in developing their digital health architecture and team. 

Prior to Cala Health, Ross held the roles of Assistant Professor of Neurologic Surgery and Deputy Director of the Surgical Device Innovation Accelerator at the Mayo Clinic where she developed invasive and non-invasive solutions to unmet needs in the neuromodulation and other surgical practice areas.

Dr. Raquel Wright-Mair is Assistant Professor of Higher Education at Rowan University in New Jersey. She conducts research that is grounded in social justice, equity, and inclusion in higher education. Her research seeks to transform and advocate for the creation of more equitable and inclusive campus environments for underrepresented populations, specifically racially minoritized faculty members.

Wright-Mair works collaboratively with the National Institute for Transformation and Equity (NITE) as a faculty researcher, conducting work focused on cultivating supportive campus environments that maximize success among diverse populations. She has produced several publications and conference presentations focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and she is actively involved in several national organizations. Wright-Mair consults with colleges/universities, and other organizations nationally that seek to transform and cultivate more inclusive and equitable environments. She also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Higher Education Politics & Economics. 

Wright-Mair received her Ph.D. in Higher Education from the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver, and she is a proud DU alumna.

Santiago is the Secretariat (CEO/CIO) of the Fondo de Ahorro de Panamá (Panama’s Sovereign Wealth Fund), a ~$1.5 billion investment vehicle for stabilization and intergenerational wealth-creation; the Fund invests in global public and private markets, and in a variety of financial instruments.

He has over 22 years of financial experience in the financial sector, including executive roles in equity investment research, investment banking, restructuring and financial regulation.

Prior to his current role, he was an equity investment research executive at Morgan Stanley in New York covering the energy and industrial sectors (over $270 billion in market cap.) and worked in teams that consistently ranked No. 1 in equity research.  Earlier in his career, Santiago served as a financial analyst at the US Securities & Exchange Commission overseeing financial/regulatory matters at broker-dealers and asset managers, and also served in the US Air Force. 

Santiago is a Board Leadership Fellow with The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), Washington, D.C.

He is currently onboarding as a member of the board of an energy-focused publicly-traded entity.

Santiago received an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver.

John Rutherford Seydel III (John R.), an Atlanta native, is the Director of Sustainability for the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Resilience. Seydel works with department leads within the City of Atlanta, as well as with external community partners, organizations, and leaders to achieve Atlanta’s sustainability and resilience goals.

While in his role, Seydel has worked through two administrations, currently working under Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on sustainability efforts including projects supporting waste diversion, urban agriculture, energy and water efficiency, alternative fuel vehicles, and renewables. When Atlanta was chosen to be in the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities Program, the Mayor’s Office of Resilience was tasked to create a resilience strategy, representing a means to address the shocks, stresses, and greatest vulnerabilities in Atlanta based on feedback from thousands of Atlantan stakeholders. Seydel shares the responsibility with the Mayor’s Office of Resilience team to implement the actions listed from the Resilient Atlanta Strategy.

Seydel received his Bachelors in Political Science from the University of Denver. He is a conservationist and an environmental justice advocate, previously serving as the CEO of Revolution Nation, an organization which aims to empower and connect millennials with their elected representatives. He has also worked in the renewable energy space with the United Nations Foundation and Southern Company. In addition, he has worked with the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, and is a board member for The Turner Foundation, Ideas for Us, and the Captain Planet Foundation, organizations which promote hands-on environmental stewardship, ecological conservation, and education projects worldwide for youth.

Lindsay Smart, Ph.D. is an Associate Vice Chancellor for Leadership and Faculty Equity & Inclusion in the UNM HSC Office for Diversity Equity, and Inclusion, and also an Associate Professor and Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the UNM School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.  She is also the Training Director for the American Psychological Association (APA) Accredited Clinical Psychology Internship Training Program at UNM.  Dr. Smart received her B.A. degree in Psychology at the University of Portland where she was a Division 1 student-athlete on the women’s soccer team, and her M.A and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Denver.  During her time as a graduate student at the University of Denver, Dr. Smart was an American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program Fellow.  Dr. Smart completed her Clinical Psychology Internship in New Mexico at the Children’s Psychiatric Center and her post-doctoral training was completed with the UNM Division of Community Behavioral Health.   Currently, Dr. Smart  is involved in initiatives that contribute to the promotion of diversity among faculty, students, and staff within the UNM Health Sciences Center.