THE STEAD SCHOOL - Key Persons
Aidan grew up in Longmont as the middle child of a family of seven, and has known he would be a teacher since 3rd grade. Aidan attended the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs as a Chancellor's Leadership Class Scholar, and graduated from the UCCSTeach program with a BS in Mathematics, a concentration in secondary education, and minors in piano performance and leadership studies. In his free time, Aidan enjoys playing board games, cooking, chocolate making, crocheting, volunteering, and playing cards (especially bridge). Aidan is very excited to be a part of the STEAD community!
Originally hailing from southeast Michigan, Alex has extensive experience helping youth develop socially and academically. He has worked at a number of day camps and summer camps, led environmental education in 3 different states, and developed youth programming in library and recreation settings. He holds a BA in Biology and Education from Ohio Wesleyan University, where he was first inspired to connect his love for culture, food, environment and living organisms. This led him to get involved in urban agriculture, founding a garden program for students at a charter high school in Columbus, Ohio. Since moving to Colorado in 2020, he has worked as a behavior technician, delivering one-on-one therapy to youth with special needs. When not helping youth, you can find Alex performing improv comedy,
cooking, hiking, or playing music with friends. He is beyond thrilled to be a part of the STEAD community, and is excited to share his passion for living things and the arts with students!
Alexis Walker, one of our Co-Office Managers, is the personable face you will encounter as you enter and leave The STEAD School. She was born and raised in Colorado almost her whole life and is passionate about making a difference in our youth. She graduated in Aurora and attended college at University of Northern Colorado. New to 27J but had been with Denver Public Schools for 8 years. Her work in education began at another startup school as a paraprofessional in a kindergarten classroom, where she quickly realized that she wanted to impact as many students, across all grade levels, as possible. After 2 years, this passion has moved her out of a single classroom and into the wider arena of education administration. She believes that together we can all make a difference in the life of a child and their family. She thrives on building positive relationships with both students and their families. She takes pride in welcoming every person who enters our building. When not at school she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her niece, nephew, and her fur pup, Auggy. She also enjoys trying new things in the kitchen while baking and cooking. awalker@thesteadschool.org
Job Titles:
- Member of the PAC Leadership Team
- Secretary
Job Titles:
- Member of the SAC
- Principal
- STEAD Principal
Job Titles:
- Member of the SAC
- Secretary / Parent of 9th Grader
Job Titles:
- Community Member
- Member of the SAC
- Vice Chair
Job Titles:
- ELA Lead & Adventure Coordinator
- Lead
Before joining the team, Annabel taught Environmental Ethics at the High Mountain Institute in Leadville, and led her students on expeditions in the Colorado and Utah wilderness. Annabel recently received her Master's of Education degree from Harvard, where, at her graduation, Elmo gave the commencement speech. Before settling in Denver, her first home was England, where the highest "mountain" is 10,000 feet shorter than Colorado's (it's a hill). Outside of teaching, Annabel is passionate about writing creative nonfiction, trail running, graphic design, cooking vegan food, fostering neonatal animals, and learning new things! aparker@thesteadschool.org
Ashley is a Talent Acquisition Team Lead at Korn Ferry/Ardent Mills dedicated to building both client and candidate relationships. With over 10 years of successful experience in talent acquisition, Ashley has experience developing and implementing hiring processes, creating best practices and providing support across multiple industries, with her most recent focus in agriculture. Ashley is excited to connect current and future recruiting professionals with the tools and network to further their career in the recruiting space and build long-lasting relationships with other recruiting professionals in the Denver area and sits as an active member on the Denver Recruiter Advisory Board. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, reading, gardening, and running the trails in the open spaces of her community. As a Reunion homeowner, Ashley is passionate about the community's future growth and development. The STEAD school combines her career passions in agriculture and developing the next generation of talent, along with her personal passion and commitment to future sustainability, innovation and community development.
Job Titles:
- Co - Chair
- Member of the PAC Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the SAC
- PAC Rep / STEAD Parent Member 10th Graders
Job Titles:
- Counselor
- School Counselor
Job Titles:
- Director of Programs & Partnerships
- School Pedagogical Design Team & Launch Team Coordinator
Candace has over 15 years of experience in alternative education and now leads STEAD's Partnerships and Programs. She has served as an elementary teacher, a secondary math and humanities teacher, an elementary and secondary Program Director, and an elementary Principal. Candace's experiences have been in private and public innovation, charter, and traditional models in rural, urban, and suburban schools. Candace has developed and led a successful public secondary agriculture hands-on program and she specializes in program redevelopment, total school design, and creating cultures of work. Candace holds an MEd, a BA in English, Colorado state certifications in Elementary and Secondary education, credentials in Elementary and Secondary Montessori education, and she is a veteran of the US Air Force. ccheung@thesteadschool.org
Chandler is a Colorado born local who has taught, performed, and traveled across the nation as an award winning artist. As a certified teacher with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, he hopes to share his love and determinable will to fulfill the universal need to connect through language, study, play, and emphasize health and wellness at the center of all interaction. His passion abounds by creating a safe, creative, and connective environment for students to lead and pursue their passions as their authentic selves; empowered, and accelerated by un-learning, and strengthening their capability to overcome barriers of status quo, self limitation, and social/cultural/political boundaries within this unique and exciting community. When he's not at STEAD he can be found outside; gardening, hiking, traveling, and exploring the Front Range with his partner, their daughter, and cat, and performing in the community as a singer, songwriter, actor, and musician.
Job Titles:
- Director of Innovation and Technology
Christian comes to STEAD with experience in 3 different schools in 3 very different environments. Originally from Kentucky, Christian has also lived in Georgia, New York, Colombia (the country), and now Colorado. He has extensive experience in Project-Based Learning and progressive educational methodologies, with particular interest in blending the social sciences with the STEM fields in authentic ways using real-world problems as the driving force behind the learning design. He is very excited to start a new role at STEAD this year, shifting his focus to helping school-wide implementation of Project-Based Learning and teaching courses in technology and media. Since the last bio update, he has indeed decided to start watching the Rapids, but can't claim true fandom at this time. Christian is also pursuing his Ed.D. at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Learning Design and Leadership focusing on authentic, student-driven projects.
Job Titles:
- Member of the SAC
- Chairman / Parent of 9th and 11th Grader
Danny grew up knowing he wanted to be a teacher. In High School and College, he gained experience with several tutoring opportunities. He then began his career, immediately after graduating, by becoming the High School ESOL teacher for New Garden Friends School in Greensboro, NC. Following that school year, Danny went on to be a study hall advisor and one of their Math teachers. In his 3.5 years there, he taught ALG I, ALG II, Honors ALG II, AFM, and Geometry. After the 2019-2020 school year, Danny took a break from teaching to run his own Travel baseball program. He learned a lot from his time running his own business, but missed being in the classroom. Danny looks forward to becoming a part of the STEAD School community!
Job Titles:
- Member of the SAC
- STEAD Student Member - 9th Grade
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- Vice President of the Board
- BuildStrong Education As Executive Director
Dr. Amy Schwartz joined BuildStrong Education as Executive Director in 2008. During her tenure, she has led many community-based educational initiatives for the organization including the development of The BuildStrong Academy, Z Place and several new school projects.
Before BuildStrong, she worked with First 5 LA School Readiness Programs for four years, bringing comprehensive early childhood programs to children and families across Los Angeles. In total, Amy has more than twenty years of experience working with various communities and educational programs. Her work has centered on the goal of increasing student outcomes in under-resourced, low-performing school communities through collaboration, family support and public-private partnerships.
Dr. Schwartz currently serves on the boards of Steps to Success, the Construction Education Foundation and Executives Partnering to Invest in Children. She was a founding board member of the Lyons Valley Preschool which opened after the devastating Colorado floods of September 2013. And she is currently the co-founder and board chair of The STEAD School.
She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Wittenberg University, her Master of Arts in Social Research Methodology from the University of California, Los Angeles and her Doctorate in Education from the University of Denver. In 2021, Dr. Schwartz was honored as a David L. Clark Scholar by the University Council for Educational Administration and the American Educational Research Association.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Board Member of the Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman Office
Dr. Patterson has over 20 years of experience in Colorado social work, successfully developing innovative approaches in child protection, family functioning, and education. She has also devoted her career to creating and implementing mental health initiatives in education and human services across the Denver metro area.
As a graduate of the University of Denver with a Doctor of Philosophy in Education, Dr. Patterson has experience conducting quantitative and qualitative research. She partnered with the Colorado Department of Education in completing a dissertation that focused on developing action steps to address social injustice in education. The results of the quantitative analysis were reported on over 17,000 student cases. She is an alum of the DU Graduate School of Social work, and she is a Colorado Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Dr. Patterson has over 20 years of social work experience creating and deploying mental health initiatives in education and human services. She has completed mixed methods studies evaluating family and student needs. She has functioned in ways to believe that data better defines problems and their potential solutions.
Dr. Patterson has served as Board Member of the Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman Office appointed by former Governor Hickenlooper. She currently serves on the CASA Board of Directors for Adams and Broomfield counties. She has demonstrated an ability to see the value of indirect practice while also knowing of the fulfillment and challenge of collaborating directly with people struggling with daily issues to be more successful in life. Dr. Patterson has project coordination, professional development, policy development, and policy analysis experience. She promotes a positive, intentional culture and a climate supporting high expectations. The University Council of Education Administration has recognized her as a Barbara Jackson Scholar and the Denver Department of Human Services for outstanding performance.
Dr. Patterson successfully functioned as a leader of district-wide initiatives that were foundational to the education of all students within the Denver Public school system and the future of the district. She served as a liaison between Denver Public Schools, the Denver Department of Human Services (DDHS), the Denver Police Department, and the Denver District Attorney's Office. Dr. Patterson was the point person responsible for crisis intervention, consultation, and professional development for all District staff on student safety and mandated reporting policies and procedures. She planned and organized Human Trafficking Conference with the FBI, Denver District Attorney's Office, Denver Human Services, Denver Police, and school district personnel. Dr. Patterson created and implemented mental health initiatives in education and human services across the Denver metro area while functioning as a liaison and appointed expert for the State of Colorado. She led the Denver Public School Superintendent's $4.5 million Mental Health Expansion Program, providing oversight of expansion to K-12 schools district-wide over two years. Dr. Patterson created the Needs-Based Assessment Data Collection Tool identifying students' mental health needs, available student support and services, and wrote the Mental Health Support, Services, and Resource Guide disseminated across the school district.
Edward was born in England and moved to Colorado 20 years ago. Ed attended CU Boulder (CU), starting out as an engineer and then switching to an English major with a focus in Creative Writing and Electrical Engineering minor. He still writes actively, and his stories have been published online and in print. After graduating from CU, he worked at NetApp in Boulder before deciding to teach for a year in Suzhou, China. He then worked as an engineer in Fort Collins before traveling Madrid to teach English. He is currently student-teaching at Polaris Expeditionary Learning School in Fort Collins. In his free time Ed loves to run, play soccer (not his strong suit), read and write, play guitar and play at open mic nights (during non-Covid times). eking@thesteadschool.org
Job Titles:
- Director of Student Support
Prior to joining STEAD, Geoff was a special education teacher at Johns Creek High School in Atlanta Georgia. He was born in Maine but moved to Georgia when he was nine, splitting his time between the two. Geoff holds a B.A. in History with a minor in education, a M.S. in instructional design and technology and holds a special education certification. Geoff's teaching philosophy is excitement equals engagement: getting students excited and engaged with their learning is half the battle. In his free time, he travels and camps with his partner Nicolle, is a huge movie buff and an avid gamer. grice@thesteadschool.org
Job Titles:
- Education Specialist from Alamosa
- Music
Halie Padilla is a music education specialist from Alamosa, Colorado. She received her bachelor's degree in music education and vocal performance from Adams State University. After a year of teaching music to elementary students in the San Luis Valley, Halie moved to State College, PA with her now husband, Mario, to help him follow his dreams of pursuing a graduate degree in Entomology from Penn State. From 2012 to 2015, she worked as a learning specialist to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders at Mount Nittany Middle School. In 2015, Halie was hired as the music specialist in Littleton, CO and moved back to Colorado with her husband. She taught in the Jeffco School District for two more years and then found her home at Blue Mountain Elementary in the St. Vrain Valley School District. In 2019, Halie and Mario welcomed a baby boy named Gus and in 2022, Halie was hired to be the founding music specialist at the STEAD school. Her hobbies include traveling, spending time with her family, reading, and gardening. hpadilla@thesteadschool.org
Prior to joining the STEAD team, Hannah received her graduate degree in Sustainable Food Systems from the University of Colorado. During her time in graduate school, she studied the importance of agriculture-oriented, project-based learning for high schoolers. Prior to that, she served as an Americorps member in Southern Colorado. In this role, she taught environmental education for the Rio Grande Farm Park and taught at a local middle school. This role offered hands-on learning, including curriculum building, and game creation! Hannah has also partnered her passion for holistic food systems with her background in environmental science, conducting research on urban agriculture nutrient retention and nutrient pollution. She has loved learning about different forms of agriculture, and is passionate about zero-waste initiatives, and pollinators! In her free time, you can find her enjoying the outdoors with her dog, Lola. This is just the tip of the iceberg for Hannah's passions, background, and interests. She is excited to continue growing as a part of the STEAD community!
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Deputy Commissioner of Operations for the Colorado Department of Agriculture
Hollis Glenn is currently Deputy Commissioner of Operations for the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA). Previously, he served seven years as Director of the Inspection and Consumer Services Division at the CDA. Hollis recently served on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Feed Control Officials and the Federal Food and Drug Administration's Governing Council for the Partnership for Food Protection. In 2021, Governor Polis appointed Hollis to serve on the Colorado Food System Advisory Council. And he was a "Who's Who in Agriculture" honoree by the Denver Business Journal in 2020. Hollis has over 15 years of dedicated public service for the state of Colorado.
Jamie Prijatel is a national education consultant with two decades of experience in education reform, including various management roles held within the New York City Department of Education, including the role of charter school authorizer. Jamie specializes in charter and small district school design, start-up, implementation, replication, oversight, renewal, and closure. Jamie's passion is project management, school operations, and partnership development. Her clients include(d) BuildStrong Education, Colorado League of Charter Schools, Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), The Riordan Foundation, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, the New York City Charter School Center, the Walton Family Foundation, Green Dot Public Schools, Central Michigan University Center for Charter Schools, Catalyst Inc., Cat Alexander Consulting, and Ford Research & Solutions.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition for Denver Public Schools
Jeremy Eddie received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the Siena Heights University in Michigan and later pursued his Master of Arts in Teaching from Clemson University and later received his Education Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Oakland University. He began his career in education by teaching middle school social studies for 4 years in Greenville, South Carolina.He transitioned into school leadership as a school administrator, serving as a school leader in Career and Technical Education in North Carolina. He then relocated his family to the Metro Denver area where he has been fortunate to serve in two of the states' largest school districts.
Jeremy obtained his teacher preparation through Clemson University as part of the nationally acclaimed Call Me MiSTER program which is an initiative to increase the pool of available male educators of color among the State's lowest performing elementary schools. While in North Carolina and South Carolina, Jeremy served on several committees and national organizations: Association for Career and Technical Education, Association for Middle Level Education, Big Brother Big Sister, National Alliance of Black School Educators, National Council for the Social Studies, National Interscholastic Athletic Administration, South Carolina Association of Athletic Administration, South Carolina Council for the Social Studies. Jeremy is passionate about ensuring that ALL students have what they need in order to be successful! Jeremy has a history of working to ensure that schools are fully staffed with the best and brightest talent. However, this talent must also represent the diversity of the community.
Jeremy currently serves as the Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition for Denver Public Schools. In this role, he leads all of the recruitment efforts for school-based positions within the district. Jeremy is currently completing his doctoral dissertation at the University of Michigan whereby his research is focused on the lived experiences of Black males who earn industry credentials within career and technical education programs.
Jeremy enjoys spending time outdoors, visiting local museums, and spending time with his wife and one daughter.
Job Titles:
- Member of the SAC
- Member - STEAD Parent of 10th and 11th Grader
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Special Event Manager
Jody Neumann is the Special Event Manager for the Daniels Fund, a private charitable foundation dedicated to making life better for the people of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through grants and scholarships. Prior to the Daniels Fund, Jody was the Director of Community Engagement for Shalom Park, a retirement community in Aurora. Previous to Shalom Park, Jody owned a custom design formalwear business, Chloe Originals.
Jody holds a BA in Speech and considers connecting with people one of her greatest joys. Her passion for choice in education began 30 years ago when her four children went through Core Knowledge schools. Jody is married and lives near her family in Centennial.
Jody is very excited about bringing her farm roots and contemporary event experience to serve on the STEAD board.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager
- Program Director & Art Guide
Kaitlyn moved to Colorado from Columbus, OH where she worked for a ceramic glaze company providing professional development support and workshops to Art Educators in her community. She's had the opportunity to work with students from Pre-K to adults in various educational environments throughout her career. As a working artist, Kaitlyn primarily focuses on abstract painting and ceramics and has shown work in New York, Buffalo, Chicago, and Columbus. She received her BFA from Alfred University with a minor in both Art Education and Art History. When she is not teaching or working in her home studio you might find Kaitlyn experimenting with a new home baking technique, an interest that she picked up while managing a Chicago area bakery. She also enjoys traveling and being outdoors exploring new hiking trails with her husband and their dog Athena. kgilham@thesteadschool.org
Job Titles:
- Founding Team Member
- S Bio
Prior to joining the STEAD community, Kate was a Middle School Fellow and taught French and English at the Kent Denver School. In addition to teaching, advising, coaching, and running a gardening elective, Kate helped start the Kent Denver Tiny Farm and subsequent Tiny Farm Camp. Each week, the camp was home to two ponies, two goats, six hens, three rabbits, and 50 elementary-aged day campers. Before moving to Colorado, Kate served as Farm Manager for the Pomona College Organic Farm, managing 20 student employees and facilitating research and academic collaborations. She also developed curriculum and taught an Environmental Analysis course for Pomona undergraduates. Kate is an enthusiastic learner-both in the classroom and in the fields, coop, and greenhouse. Beyond teaching and farming, Kate enjoys reading contemporary fiction, experimenting with fermentation in the kitchen, experiencing live music, and soaking up the beautiful Colorado sun! kmiller@thesteadschool.
Katy was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. She attended the University of Denver and graduated with a B.A. in Psychology. She took part in the Public Education and Business Coalition's teaching licensure program in the 2022-23 school year. Katy has a passion for supporting students any way possible, meeting them where they're at and pushing them to the next level. Her husband and two cats live in Commerce City. In her spare time, she reads and spends time with her husband, cats, friends and family members.
Job Titles:
- Communication & Recruitment Coordinator
Keely is passionate about helping people, especially teens, thrive as the person they were created to be. Born and raised in Montana, Keely obtain ed her BA in Social Work and Sociology at Pacific University in Oregon. She moved to Boston, MA to do social work in the BIG city while studying graduate level social work at Salem State College and the n University of Montana before moving to Colorado with her family. With over 20 years of experience working with teens and young adults, she is most excited working with youth in hands-on settings helping them find and build their strengths to become strong leaders for our community and our future. She passionately believe s in the STEAD model and the opportunities the school provides for our kids. The Thompsons are a founding family of STEAD and her daughter is part of the inaugural class. In her free time Keely love s hanging out with friends over a good cup of coffee and traveling with her husband and daughter, in and out of the United States.
Kelly Watson is a horticulturist focused on creating localized food systems and using sustainable landscape practices. She is originally from Annapolis, Maryland, and received her B.S. in Environmental Horticulture from the University of Maryland, College Park. She took her passions into her work as a groundskeeper and greenhouse grower. Following her desire to work with youth, she pivoted into education. She began as a substitute teacher in the 27J school district for local middle and high schools. Most recently, she taught Environmental Horticulture at Pickens Technical College in Aurora, Colorado. Outside of the classroom, you can find Kelly gardening, camping, or cheering on the Nuggets! Kelly is ecstatic to share her knowledge and love for the natural world with STEAD students.
Job Titles:
- Member of the PAC Leadership Team
- Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Mathematics Department
- Science
Mandi Miller is a recent transplant to Colorado from Texas. She has been teaching social studies, English, PE, and art there for the last ten years. Although only in the Denver area for a short time, she and her daughter have been excitedly exploring the surrounding mountains. She received her degree from Texas A&M University and is currently working on earning her Master's in history. She is very interested in all things English and history, especially the literature from Ancient Greece. In her free time, she enjoys construction projects, outdoor adventures, and animal training.
Manny is one of our agricultural guides. After obtaining his bachelor's degree in Agricultural and Extension Education with a minor in international agriculture, Manny served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal as an urban agricultural extension agent, working with small-hold farmers to increase food security. Before joining the STEAD Team, he also worked in Ghana as a science teacher and 4H advisor in Batanyaa, a rural village in the central region of Ghana. Manny is passionate about working with youth and connecting them to agriculture. He is originally from New Hampshire and wicked excited to make Denver his new home. On weekends you can find Manny hanging with friends, hiking, traveling, or watching movies. A new hobby he is excited to learn is snowboarding! mcatala@thesteadschool.org
Mario Padilla is an entomologist from Alamosa, Colorado. While pursuing his undergraduate degree at Adams State University he became extremely interested in entomology, especially insects in the order Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps). After obtaining his bachelor's degree in Organismal Biology, he attended Pennsylvania State University to pursue a master's degree in Entomology under the advisement of Dr. Christina Grozinger. His thesis, Social Mechanisms Regulating Reproductive Division of Labor in Bumble Bees (Bombus impatiens) explored how queen bumble bees regulate worker reproduction via pheromone signaling and aggressive behavior. Shortly after defending his thesis, Mario was hired as the laboratory manager in the Grozinger lab, where he managed 40+ colonies of honeybees and was the primary contact for all researcher needs. In 2015 Mario was hired as the entomologist at Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, CO, and in 2019 was promoted to Director of Animal Collections. His job duties included; managing honey bee colonies, teaching beekeeping courses, overseeing multiple research and conservation projects all over the world, and managing all animal care. His work has taken him to Mongolia, Tanzania and Nepal. In 2021 Mario has decided to pursue his passion of education and transition to the STEAD school where he will be supporting the apiaries, greenhouse and sharing his passion for insects and animals with students. Mario has been married to his amazing wife, Halie, since 2015 and in 2019 they welcomed a baby boy named Gus. His hobbies include, traveling, spending time with his family, building LEGOs, watching movies, and reading. mpadilla@thesteadschool.org
Job Titles:
- Athletic Director
- Athletic Director and Wellness Guide, Boys Soccer Coach
Matthew Guglielmo is a father of 5: Luke, 20, Shane, 18, Juliette, 17, Kieran 15 and Greer, 12. He currently resides in Lakewood but hails from New England and was born in Queens, New York.
After high school, he played Soccer at Adelphi in Garden City, New York and then one year at Salem State University in Massachusetts. He received a bachelor's degree in English from Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut. He has been coaching Soccer for over 25 years in both Connecticut and here in Colorado in some elite high school programs and clubs. He has taught English and Health and Wellness over the last 12 years and looks forward to working his new role at STEAD at Athletics Director while continuing to teach classes and coach boys and girls soccer. In his spare time, he loves to read, SUP, train for Spartan races, enjoy all the outdoor activities that Colorado offers and naturally spending time with his kids.
Job Titles:
- President of the Board
- Communications and Media Relations Manager at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Maura is the communications and media relations manager at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Prior to the Museum, Maura worked as a research associate for the University of Colorado and as a client service partner at dovetail solutions. She has lived in Commerce City, Colorado, since 2005 and has served on numerous community boards and advisory councils, including the Commerce City Cultural Council, the Commerce City Economic Development Advisory Council, the Commerce City Capital Improvement Projects Advisory Council, and the Adams County Art and Culture Master Plan Steering Committee. She also serves as the grants chairperson for The Christian Foundation and as a member of the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts' Leadership Arts Alumni Network Committee. Maura received her bachelor's degree from Colorado State University and her master's degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Job Titles:
- Business Office Manager
- HR Manager and Business Assistant ( Non - Voting Member )
Michelle is our business office manager, and a founding STEAD family member. She has an associate degree in business administration, a medical assistant diploma and 20+ years in business management and human resources. Her biggest joy in life is helping other and making people smile. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, paper crafts, cooking and traveling. moray@thesteadschool.org
Nicole Booten-Gutierrez grew up in North County San Diego, California. She was heavily involved in 4H and her high school agriculture program, raising many market livestock projects to show at the San Diego County Fair, as well as participating in numerous public speaking and leadership events. Nicole attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo where she got her Bachelor's degree in Agriculture Science and her Master's in Agriculture Education. She spent 3 years teaching agriculture in Salinas on the Central Coast of California, then moved to San Marcos High School in San Diego to teach agriculture. She likes being outside with her partner and her dog, Brix, and exploring new places. She also likes candle making, baking, reading, and bowling. She is excited to see all that Colorado has to offer on this next part of her journey.
Job Titles:
- School Design & Launch Team Member
Sofia Romero Campbell, a native of Denver, is a senior at Smith College majoring in government with a minor in Latin American studies and a concentration in sustainable food. As the granddaughter of farmworkers and ranchers with deep roots in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, Sofia is committed to creating a more just food system by focusing on equity and resource concerns. Sofia's previous experiences include work at the Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farm, the New Mexico Acequia Association, and the National Western Stock Show. As a member of the STEAD design team, Sofia is proud to be collaborating on school planning and student recruitment in order to ensure continued diversity and sustainable design features within the STEAD community.
Tim is a resident of Reunion in Commerce City since 2003 and former US Air Force and United Airlines pilot. Tim began working with the Reunion community to bring a new school to the community in 2006. In that effort he helped found Landmark Academy at Reunion, a charter school serving 750 K-8 students and operated by National Heritage Academies. Tim continues to serve as the founding board president of Landmark Academy from which two of his grandchildren have graduated.
Weather Gardner is an ichthyologist from Louisville, Colorado. Although spending her years before college pursuing acting and theater, she quickly fell in love with zoology during her undergraduate years at Colorado State University. In the summer of 2019, she completed an internship as an aquarist at Butterfly Pavilion, with her individual research project being focused on how to reduce aggressive mating behavior between the male horseshoe crabs. This research won her the College Honor's award at the CURC conference. After obtaining her degree in Zoology, she was hired on as an aquatic toxicologist at Colorado Parks & Wildlife. During her time with CPW, she conducted research on how zinc and copper can affect algae growth as well as olfactory senses in local fish. At the same time, she was also a Learning Assistant for Brian Jones, helping with the Physics 121 and 122 classes at Colorado State University. Her experience teaching and Brian's guidance led her to pursuing a Master's in Education Sciences. Weather's student teaching took place at Polaris Expeditionary Learning School, where she got to learn about the value of project based learning and applied sciences. She graduated with her Master's and teaching license in May 2022, and is excited to apply all her learning to her position at The STEAD School, and sharing her passion for fish with the students. When she isn't gushing about science to students, she can be found biking, playing video games and Dungeons and Dragons with her friends, and baking sweets with the Waitress soundtrack playing. wgardner@thesteadschool.org