Representative James Coleman, House District 7

James Coleman is a native of Denver. After growing up in the Park Hill neighborhood, James represents the citizens, families, and communities of District 7 in Colorado’s House of Representatives.

James is a passionate champion for excellent education and quality options. It’s driven by his formative years growing up in the Park Hill neighborhood and experiencing the full range of educational options. He attended Smiley Middle School, a traditional Denver Public School. Later, through a need-based scholarship from ACE Scholarships, he attended a private high school. And as a parent, he sends his own young children to a public charter school in Northeast Denver. He understands that different students and families have different needs, and every parent deserves the opportunity to choose the school that works best for their child.

James’ professional career has been dedicated to empowering families and engaging the community to improve the quality of life for Colorado residents. He serves as the CEO of FaithBridge, a local nonprofit mobilizing the faith community to improve education in Colorado. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors at Highline Academy, a tuition-free public charter school with a custom liberal arts curriculum and rigorous academic program.

James earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, with a minor in Business Administration, from Oral Roberts University. He currently lives in Green Valley Ranch with his wife, Shayna, who he has been together with since the 8th grade, and their two amazing children (twins), James Jr. and Naomi.

Representative Leslie Herod, House District 8

Leslie Herod was elected to represent House District 8 in 2016 as the first LGBTQ African American in the General Assembly.

In her first term as a state representative, Rep. Herod directed over $18 million in the state’s budget and sent 20 bills to the Governor’s desk, marshaling through numerous pieces of legislation addressing criminal justice reform, mental health & substance abuse, renewable energy, youth homelessness, and civil rights protections. Her legislative agenda underscores her commitment to improving the lives of all Coloradans, especially those caught in the cycle of poverty or mired in the criminal justice system.

In addition to winning reelection in 2018, Rep. Herod championed a ballot initiative - Caring 4 Denver - that will raise $45 million annually for mental health and substance abuse treatment and services for children and adults in Denver. The initiative passed overwhelmingly with nearly 70% support from Denver voters and will create the largest mental health foundation in the state. While a student at CU Boulder, Rep. Herod co-founded New Era Colorado- the state's leading organization focused on the engagement of young people - with Congressman Joe Neguse, Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg, and Lisa Kaufmann, now Chief of Staff for Governor Polis. She has served as a mentor for high school students, delivered commencement remarks, and is a frequent guest at high school and college campuses.

Herod’s notable achievements have been recognized by numerous organizations. In 2019, she was featured in 5280 Magazine. In 2018, the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado awarded Herod with the “Force for Good” award, Urban Peak presented her with its “Maverick Thinker” award, New Leaders Council honored her as their “Progressive Hero,” and she was chosen to give a TED talk on the importance of providing free tampons to female inmates. In 2017, the Colorado Democratic Party honored Representative Herod with the 2017 “Rising Star” award, Out Front Colorado honored her with a 2017 “Power Award,” she was named a “Champion of Choice” by Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado, and she was featured in Marie Claire Magazine’s “Power Issue.”

Mike Johnston, ULF Founder, Candidate for U.S. Senate

Mike began his work in public service as a teacher in one of America’s poorest counties. He returned to Colorado where he worked as a school principal in a juvenile prison and helped turn around a struggling school for immigrant families, making it the first school in state history where 100% of seniors graduated and earned acceptance into college. He served as a top policy adviser to President Obama, and in 2009 decided to run for State Senate.

As a State Senator, Mike co-sponsored legislation mandating universal background checks and proudly supported the measure that imposed a 15-round limit on magazines. Additionally, he spearheaded the passage of a bill that enabled undocumented high school students to pursue college by granting them the right to pay in-state tuition at all public Colorado colleges. Mike successfully pushed to increase the state’s renewable energy standards to exceed those outlined in the Paris Climate Accord.

Mike is running for U.S. Senate in 2020 focusing on issues like climate change, immigration, health care, and guns. Mike was raised in Eagle County, Colorado, and lives in Northeast Denver with his wife Courtney, a Chief District Attorney, and three children, Emmett, Seamus, and Ava.

Fellows

Abril Dozal

Abril Dozal was born in Las Vegas, Nevada to working-class, Mexican immigrant parents. She double majored in Hispanic Studies and Human Rights at Columbia University in the City of New York. After college, she joined Teach For America as a special education teacher in Los Angeles. She is currently a fourth grade general education teacher at KIPP Raíces Academy in East Los Angeles. Abril enjoys camping, visiting museums, and dancing banda. She is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and an alumna of the New Leaders Council Engage fellowship.

Alicia Ruffin

Brea Zeise

Originally from Minnesota, Brea Zeise moved to Denver in 2015 after graduating from James Madison University with a Bachelor's degree in Marketing and a minor in Sociology.

Through her sociology courses, Brea found her passion for civic health and social change. She joined AmeriCorps VISTA to work with Project VOYCE, a Denver-based grassroots youth activism nonprofit that trains, employs, and organizes youth to address the root causes of social inequity. She saw firsthand the power of popular political education and its ability to increase political agency in historically marginalized communities.

She continued her work with Project VOYCE over the next 3 years serving as the Co-Executive Director. Brea is also a Chinook Fund Giving Project alumna, and a current member of the Young Invincibles Youth Advisory Board. Brea joins Urban Leaders Fellowship with a desire to learn the ins and outs of the policy-making process and how policy can be used as a lever for social change.

Claire Shaw

Claire Shaw is between her first and second years of the MBA program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

The summer before starting business school, Claire helped raise a record breaking $2 million dollars as the deputy finance director for Alyse Galvin’s congressional campaign in her home state of Alaska. For nearly five years prior, Claire managed strategic business development partnerships from San Francisco and Singapore for Twilio, a Bay Area telecommunications software start-up that went public in 2016. Claire is passionate about how the public and private sectors can unite to make a positive impact on local communities.

As a 2019-2020 Venture Capital Fellow at Tuck, Claire will work with the Vermont Center on Rural Innovation to bring equitable economic opportunities to overlooked parts of the country.

She spent her second favorite college summer interning at USA Swimming in Colorado Springs ten years ago, an incredible experience topped only by the six weeks she spent translating for the USA swimming team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Claudia Freeland

Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Claudia has a Bachelor’s degree in architecture and urban planning from the University of São Paulo. Since graduating, she worked as an architecture project manager for Itaú-Unibanco, a major Brazilian bank, and also at as a volunteer English teacher and Communications and Events coordinator at an NGO called Cidadão Pró-Mundo in São Paulo. The experience with education brought her to Columbia University where she is  currently pursuing her masters degree in public administration. Now, Claudia is interested in entering education space through public policy to become an agent for social transformation and ensure equitable access for quality education in Brazil.

Dana Parke

A native Michigander, Dana Parke earned her Bachelor of Arts from Oakland University's Honors College with a triple major in International Relations, African Studies, and French, where she also spent a semester in Dakar, Senegal.

Since 2013, Dana has been working at the Global Health Initiative at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit where she leads GHI's medical education and training initiatives globally. These initiatives include training Haitian medical students to conduct surveys on healthcare utilization in internally displaced communities in Haiti, leading an educational needs assessment of physicians in India, designing a nursing exchange program in Jamaica, exploring partnerships and the health landscape in Ethiopia and Ghana, organizing the Annual Global Health Symposium, and more.

Dana’s leadership merited her one of Oakland University's 2017 "10 Within 10" Young Alumni Awards. She is currently a Sié Fellow and MA candidate in International Development at the University of Denver. Dana is interested in the intersection of public health and urban planning, and is dedicating her career to strengthening US and African cities' capacities to provide equitable access to health.

Emily Yu

Emily Yu is a high school English teacher in Baltimore City. She grew up in a suburban town in eastern Pennsylvania and then attended the University of Pittsburgh where she earned her BA in English literature with a minor in Philosophy and a certificate in Children's literature. She then continued her education at Pitt and subsequently earned her MAT in Teaching secondary English. After graduating, she moved to Baltimore to begin her teaching career with Teach for America. Emily is most passionate about pushing her students to become more conscious about their city and community so that they can become informed leaders. Emily is most interested in learning about education policy, racial identity, and service oriented organizations.

Jacob Harnist

Jacob Harnist is a special education English teacher at Harlem Park Elementary Middle School, a Baltimore City Public School in West Baltimore. He was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio where he attended public schools and, eventually, a public university. In 2017, Jacob graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy and another in Political Science.

Understanding the role education played in his life and following in the line of the many mentors he had throughout college, Jacob joined the Teach for America Baltimore 2017 corps.

He is currently finishing up his second year of teaching and the last bit of his education at Johns Hopkins University. He is interested in understanding and developing pathways that lead to meaningful public schooling and where those pathways intersect with race, class, culture, and policy.

Kelly O’Brien

Kelly Marie O’Brien is currently pursuing her MS in Urban Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she was named a Distinguished Graduate Student Fellow. Born and raised in Niagara Falls, New York, Kelly graduated summa cum laude with a BA in American Studies from Fordham University in 2013. Following graduation, she completed a U.S. Fulbright Student research grant on graffiti and street art in Montréal, Canada. She has worked in arts administration at the University of Chicago since 2014.

Kelsey Longmuir

After graduating from Occidental College in Los Angeles in 2011, Kelsey Longmuir moved to Denver and began her teaching career in a 7th grade language arts classroom. After two years learning life lessons from 12-year-olds, Kelsey switched to teaching 10th grade composition at KIPP Denver Collegiate High School. Kelsey is currently working as a high school English curriculum specialist for Denver Public Schools. In her free time, Kelsey enjoys cross-country skiing, hiking, and reading.

Kristy Pinedo-Pimentel

Kristy Pinedo-Pimentel is a Dominican-American graduate of the University of Florida. She is a second year high school Spanish teacher - as a Teach for America Corps Member. She also serves as a Policy Advisor Fellow with Leadership for Educational Equity conducting research to turnaround the ineffective characteristics of a school board.

Kristy is passionate about the intersections of education, policy, and the role of students to affect change. Marie is her 3 year old Chihuahua and the absolute love of her life! They both enjoy lounging and watching musicals.

Marianne Manzler

Marianne Manzler is a Filipina-American writer who was raised in the heartland of Cincinnati, Ohio. Before this, she was a teacher, research project coordinator, curriculum designer, tutor, and copyeditor.

She has a BA in English from The Ohio State University and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Washington, where she held the distinguished Grace Milliman Pollock fellowship, organized several literary series, and served as the Prose Editor for the Seattle Review.

She was a 2015 U.S. Fulbright scholar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her writing has received support from the Vermont Studio Center, Kenyon Review Writers Workshop, the University of Washington, and The Ohio State University. Currently, she’s at work on Mercy, a memoir about illness, travel, womanhood, and loss told through three generations of her matrilineal line. Hodge and Jax are her very photogenic dog-children, and she looks forward to taking the pups out to the mountains!

Megan Ives

Megan Ives is a recent graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in Anthropology, and minors in Physics, and Leadership Studies. As a recent professional in the work of advocacy, equity, and direct service, Megan is eager to harness the power of the ULF community to learn all she can about public policy. She has spent the last year serving with the educational nonprofit, City Year Denver, as a student success coach in a Denver public middle school. She aims to learn more about areas of policy that intersect with gender, race, and economic opportunity.

In her free time, Megan plays competitive Ultimate frisbee (both nationally and internationally), loves to watercolor, and spends time with the assorted animals on her parents' farm.

Michelle Kayosa-Ajayi

Michelle Kayosa-Ajayi is a Zambian/Nigerian hailing from the Washington D.C. Metro area. She received her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, with a minor focus in Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution from Mary Baldwin College (University).

Michelle has been working as a Consultant in the Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Units at the World Bank for the past three years. She is an active team-member in transport projects in Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe; associated projects include rapid transit development, aviation modernization, and improving rural connectivity through road enhancements and urban transport improvements.

Simultaneously, Michelle received her Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from Georgetown University with a final Capstone thesis that explored foreign direct investments’ impacts on land use practices and planning in Lusaka, Zambia.

True to her community advocacy roots and her passion for people, Michelle eagerly awaits working with the Denver communities and gaining hands-on local experience.

Nathan Golden

Nathan Golden received his bachelor's degree from Penn State University where he studied economics and education policy. Upon graduation he joined Teach For America Charlotte and works as a middle school math teacher at Northridge Middle School. Next year, Nathan will continue his teaching career at Eliot-Hine Middle School in Washington D.C.

Nathan is devoted to his students and the communities they come from. He hopes to empower his students in the classroom while advocating for policy that can provide all students with a chance to succeed and reach their goals.

Nathan Obaid

Nathan Obaid is a former educator who will be enrolling in the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program at UC-Berkeley in Fall 2019. He plans to use his MPP degree to prepare for a career finding solutions to problems at the intersection of education, labor, and fiscal policy. He graduated from Pomona College in 2011 with a BA in Economics, with Distinction.

After moving to Chicago, Nathan taught high school math at public and charter schools from 2012 to 2018, serving as the Rauner College Prep math department chair from 2016 to 2018. At Rauner he helped to develop a student discussion-based curriculum focused on conceptual understanding; co-led his campus staff’s unionization efforts; and advised a cohort of about 15 boys from 9th grade through graduation.

Nathan then shifted gears to manage an aldermanic (city council) campaign for the February 2019 Chicago election. The candidate, 23-year-old Ugo Okere, ran as a Democratic Socialist in a five-way race to unseat an incumbent who had been an entrenched part of the “Chicago Machine” for 35 years. Though Okere eventually lost, he garnered the most votes per dollar spent and contributed to the incumbent’s eventual downfall in a run-off.  In his spare time, Nathan enjoys running, reading fiction, and masochistically following Arsenal (an English pro soccer team).

Ngeri Nnachi

Ngeri Nnachi is a current PhD student in the Language, Literacy and Culture program at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County with a focus on inequality in Education. She obtained her J.D. and M.A. in Public Policy and Leadership at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2016. Ngeri’s educational experience has come full circle in that she obtained her B.A. in American Studies also from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County in 2011. She has spent the past ten years working in Education, Human Rights, Law, Leadership and Policy. As an Activist, Ngeri works to improve the quality of life for those in marginalized communities through spreading awareness and volunteer work.

In her spare time, Ngeri enjoys maintaining her business, Designs by Ngeri, which is the result of her teaching herself to sew. She also loves spending time with children; she was a nanny for four years and worked in childcare for seven. She is excited to work with ULF Denver to work on behalf of those most deserving of advocacy in partnering with community members to bring about high quality change.

Nicole Stafford

Nicole Stafford has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Non-profit and Public Management from the University of Minnesota. She has spent the last 5 years as a Strategy Consultant in Minneapolis, MN with Accenture helping both private and public sector clients with their most pressing HR, Finance, and Marketing challenges. Nicole is interested in the intersection and partnership between private and public sectors and is interested in learning more about government policy development. Born in Denver, she is excited to return for the summer!

Paula Gallegos

Paula Gallegos is a Denver Public Schools alum and a long-term resident of the Denver community. She earned a PhD from the University of Colorado Denver in the department of Educational Leadership and Innovation.

Her research focused on successful non-Spanish speaking Hispanic American Meso American urban public high school students, earning her the Outstanding Graduate award. Her conceptual framework and research focus was and still includes the study of urban public comprehensive education using Critical Race Theory and Social Justice frameworks.

Paula currently works at the University of Colorado Denver as a faculty in Educational Foundations and Teacher Education. Previously, she worked in Denver Metro public schools for 15 years as an English teacher, concurrent enrollment instructor, program manager, and a teacher leader. She is also currently the site professor for student teacher interns at Hinkley High School in Aurora Public Schools.

Shelby Lawson

Shelby Lawson is a native of Kentucky and completed her undergraduate degrees in Economics and Spanish. After graduating, she headed to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas to teach high school math with Teach For America. Later, she took to teaching abroad in Indonesia where she taught English for one year and then served as the Program Coordinator.

This past year she has been backpacking through the Eastern hemisphere, practicing her photography skills and learning how to ride motorcycles.

Shelby is thrilled to be in Denver this summer to work with Rep. Coleman, the ULF cohort, and her partner organization. She looks forward to being outside, reading good books, and honing her cooking skills.

Tawny Spinelli

Tawny Spinelli is pursuing her JD/PhD in clinical psychology in the Mental Health Services and Policy Program (MHSPP) at Northwestern University where she researches how to best mitigate the effects of trauma in child welfare and juvenile justice populations through prevention, intervention, and policy. As a former foster youth, Tawny is incredibly passionate about improving systems that serve youth and families.

Beyond research, Tawny is completing an advanced practicum doing therapy and assessment with young offenders, teaching yoga to young offenders on a volunteer basis in the Cook County Temporary Juvenile Detention Center (CCTJDC), and teaching an undergraduate class at Northwestern titled Field Studies in Public Health. Prior to graduate school, Tawny worked with the Tennessee Department of Health, the Tennessee Governor’s Children’s Cabinet, the United States Senate Finance Committee in Child Welfare, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, and the United States Department of Justice. Additionally, Tawny has served as a board member for Tennessee Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), National Foster Care Alumni of America, and the Cook County CASA Associate Board for Young Professionals.

Tawny received her Bachelor’s Degree from Vanderbilt University with departmental honors in psychology.

Ted Delicath 

Ted Delicath grew up in the midwest in a single-parent household and credits his mother (Momma D) with cultivating anything worthwhile in his character, outlook, and passion to serve. Ted's thankful for his collegiate experience at Illinois Wesleyan University where he graduated from in 2013.

After graduating, Ted took part in the CORO Fellows Program in Public Affairs in St. Louis. Shortly thereafter, he followed through on a long-standing desire to serve in the military. Over nearly four years, Ted served as an Army officer. Thanks to the tutelage and leadership of others, Ted found his way through Ranger School, led two platoons, and acted as the Army Liaison in Cameroon. Following his time in the Army, Ted received his Masters in Ireland as a George S. Mitchell Scholar.

Through all of this, he believes resumes and bios (this one included) are misleading and biased toward perceived successes. He's fonder of growth experiences, which others often label as failures--e.g., failing a basic aptitude test at State Farm his freshman year of college (the internship that got away...). Such decision points provided him the ability to choose how to shape his future. He looks forward to his summer with ULF and for the decision points that will manifest. He has no doubt his cohort and experience will leave him better prepared to make the most of those decisions.

Tiffany Alexander

Tiffany Alexander was born and  raised in rural Ohio. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a degree in psychology and sociology. After graduating in 2013, she attended The Ohio State University and received a degree in Counselor Education with a specialization in school counseling. During her time at OSU, she was a counseling intern in Columbus City Schools. She has been a School Counselor in Columbus City Schools for the past 4 years. She also interned for several years at the Ohio Department of Higher Education where she worked to develop pathways for adult career technical students. In her spare time, Tiffany enjoys volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters, playing sand volleyball, and reading books.

Victoria James

Victoria James holds a Master of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University and two Bachelor’s degrees in English and International Studies from Virginia Tech. Victoria is also an alum of the Hollyhock Fellowship at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, a two-year program of professional development for early-career high school educators dedicated to education equity. After college, Victoria moved to Colombia to teach English in support of the Ministry of Education’s bilingualism initiative in the city of Neiva where she partnered with the British Council and the University of Southern Colombia. She returned to the U.S. to join Teach For America in the D.C. Region where she taught secondary English for four years and coached girls’ soccer.

Currently, Victoria is a Literacy Coordinator and secondary English and Social Studies teacher at an alternative school in Washington, DC. She is serving in the classroom for a fifth year and works each day to elevate her students’ literacy skills, along with their voices. She is also participating in a year-long Project-Based Learning program with the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. She is looking forward to spending the summer in Denver as a ULF fellow to work in support of the city’s many stakeholders. After half a decade of teaching, Victoria is seeking new opportunities in education outside of the classroom and is excited for the next challenge.

Whitney FitzPatrick

Whitney FitzPatrick grew up on the east coast and went to Dartmouth College to study Environmental Studies and International Relations.

After graduating in 2013, she moved to NYC to start Teach for America and teach 6-8th grade special education science in the Bronx and get her Master's of Education from Fordham University.Upon completing her two years with TFA, she moved to Denver, CO to work with DSST Public Schools to continue teaching special education at DSST: Cole High School.

Outside of school, Whitney enjoys spending time outside skiing, hiking, camping, reading and completing DIY projects.

Staff

Rebecca Kisner, Regional Director

A social worker by training, Rebecca’s career has bridged direct service, public policy, and systems-level advocacy. Most recently, Rebecca worked at the Donnell-Kay Foundation on a multi-year initiative called ReSchool Colorado. In this capacity, she managed a team of advocates implementing a parent empowerment model. Prior to this role, Rebecca served as the founding Director of Community Engagement at Rocky Mountain Prep, a network of public charter schools. Before that, she was an Education Policy Fellow at the Donnell-Kay Foundation, where she researched and developed the basis for her strategic vision at RMP.

Rebecca served on the Board of Directors for The Gathering Place, Denver’s only daytime drop-in center for women, children, and transgender individuals who are experiencing poverty or homelessness. She was selected to be a member of the New Leaders Council class of 2018, as well as the Impact Denver class of 2015. Rebecca graduated summa cum laude from the University of Vermont with a degree in social work and Spanish.

Rebecca can be reached at rebecca@urbanleadersfellowship.org

Katherine Marulanda, Co-Executive Director

Katherine hails from Medellín, Colombia and moved to Florida with her family when she was eight years old.

She taught as an elementary school bilingual teacher in San Antonio Public Schools as a Teach For America corps member. Prior to joining the Urban Leaders team, Katherine was a legal intern with Florida Legal Services providing legal aid to clients with cases concerning issues affecting people in institutions – prisons, jails, juvenile detention centers, mental health treatment facilities and immigration detention centers.

She attended the University of Florida on a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, where she graduated cum laude with a focus in Spanish Literature, Family, Youth and Community Sciences, and International Relations. 

Katherine is a 2015 alumna of the Urban Leaders Fellowship. She can be reached at katherine@urbanleadersfellowship.org.

Kris Frye, Co-Executive Director

Kris’ career in public service began as a classroom teacher in St. Louis, Missouri, after which he moved to Honduras to teach at a local bilingual school. Following his time in the classroom, Kris attended law school to explore the intersection between policy and practice.

Kris has worked as a policy advisor to school board members of the Indianapolis Public Schools, in the Office of the Indiana Governor, and the law firm Church, Church, Hittle & Antrim. Most recently, Kris served as the Chief of Staff at Teach For America-Indianapolis, supporting the regional staff as well as over 500 alumni and corps members in the city.

He is a graduate of St. Ambrose University, with a degree in Journalism and Public Relations, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, with a Masters in Education, and the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Kris lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Carole, and daughter Nora.

Kris is a 2014 alumnus of the Urban Leaders Fellowship. He can be reached at kristopher@urbanleadersfellowship.org.