LEADERSHIP TEAM:

Steve Halstedt
Board President
Steve is Managing Director of Denver's Centennial Ventures. He is the Founding President of the Venture Capital Association of Colorado and has previously served on the board of the National Venture Capital Association. As a venture capitalist, Steve provides capital funding and strategic direction to start-up companies. He has drawn on his for-profit and start-up experience to shape OpenWorld Learning into a replicable non-profit program capable of reaching national scale.

Barb Youmans
Chief Executive Officer
Barb has worked for OpenWorld Learning since 2004 when she joined the team as the Operations Director.  Barb's dedication to youth enrichment and her passion for high quality education programs have translated into a bold vision for expanding future services to children throughout the country.  She received her Bachelor's Degree in mathematics with a teaching certification, has completed additional coursework in Instructional Design and Technology, and has recently received her MBA from CCU.  Barb has over 30 years of experience in the education and management arenas.

Chris Myers
Founder
Chris is a social entrepreneur with a background in elementary school teaching. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Latin American History from Harvard College and a Master's Degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Colorado at Denver. Before founding OpenWorld Learning, he taught elementary school for five years, including two as a bilingual teacher in the Denver Public Schools. Chris managed a $5 million capital campaign to develop the Stanley British Primary School's Lowry Campus. He co-led development of a teacher training program at the Stanley School that was named a Program of Excellence by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. Chris also led development of the British Primary School program in the Denver Public Schools.

Larry Beer
Operations Director
Larry loves interacting with youth and is said to be a kid at heart. Before joining OpenWorld Learning and after graduating from the University of Colorado with a degree in Psychology, Larry served in the U.S. Air Force as an educator, program manager for training research, occupational analyst, and student pilot. During his service he earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and also volunteered time tutoring and mentoring children and young adults. His innate passions for helping youth achieve and for technology led him to OpenWorld Learning where he is excited to be part of an organization that positively impacts the lives of youth.

Lea Ann Reitzig
Managing Director
Prior to joining OpenWorld Learning in 2009, Lea Ann worked in software development and project management for Qwest (US WEST), McDonnell Douglas and Andersen Consulting. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and her MBA from the University of Colorado at Denver. Lea Ann has over 20 years of experience working in information technology and volunteering with education focused nonprofits.

SUPPORT TEAM:

Daniel Ajoy
IT Specialist
Daniel is a computer systems engineer who graduated from the Escuela Politecnica Nacional of Ecuador in 2000 and works full-time for OpenWorld Learning from Quito. Daniel leads OpenWorld Learning's web development, programming, and database development. He has co-led the development of OpenWorld Learning's print and web-based curriculum materials. Daniel also translates OpenWorld Learning's curriculum and parent outreach materials into Spanish. He has co-led development of OpenWorld Learning's MicroWorlds in Action and ePortfolio web sites and co-moderates the OpenWorld Learning-hosted MicroWorlds Forum.

Lindsey Bush
Executive Assistant
Lindsey has worn many different hats at OpenWorld Learning. She started in Fall 2006 as a Site Teacher and was quickly promoted to the Site Leader position and 6 months later, upon completing her Bachelor's Degree in Business at the University of Denver became a Multi-Site Manager. Her passion is for youth and she is proud to know hold the position of Executive Assistant and Events Project Manager. During her spare time, Lindsey is pursuing her MBA at CU Denver. She also loves the outdoors and cooking.

Tiffany Deines
Development Specialist
Tiffany is one of the newest members to join OpenWorld Learning’s team. She holds Bachelor degrees in Marketing and Human Resource Management from Kansas State University and a Certificate of International Business from the Consortium of Universities for International Studies in Italy. After completing her studies, Tiffany became a Peace Corps Volunteer in Romania working with the organization Fundatia COTE helping them develop and enhance their marketing, fundraising, and grant writing strategies. Tiffany is an avid traveler, and has been to over 25 countries. She also loves volunteering for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and HIV/AIDS awareness organizations.

Natalie Renko
Business Manager
Natalie grew up in Michigan where she earned her BBA at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and her MBA at Wayne State University in Detroit. She moved to Chicago in 2005 and worked and volunteered for various non-profits including ACCION Chicago and the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago. In 2009, Natalie continued her trek west and moved to Denver. She is thrilled to be part of the OpenWorld Learning team and contribute to its success in the lives of children. In her free time, she enjoys playing softball, basketball, volleyball, and billiards to get her exercise. She also loves music, reading, volunteering, and spending time with her family and two cats.

Lysa Stewart
Multi-Site Manager
Lysa began providing services for children in 1997 working for Denver Public Schools after- school program, Kaleidoscope Corner. As the KC Area Supervisor, she was responsible for staff supervision, training and development of over 200 employees at 38 sites in the district. Lysa also piloted several successful projects, including a partnership providing homeless children with free educational after school programming. Lysa has developed and provided professional staff trainings for many organizations, including Colorado Alliance for Quality School Age Programs (CAQSAP). She served on the city wide committee which created the Denver Guidelines for Quality Youth Programming, a set of standards used to improve the quality of care during out of school time, which is used throughout both the city and nation. Lysa believes that by combining resources we can better serve the children in our communities. To achieve that goal, she is a member of Denver Quality After School Committee (DQUAC) and partners with other providers to ensure that the needs of children and schools are meet. She is also a member of the Denver-CAMP (Collaboration Among Many Partners) management team and assisting with the implementation of a city-wide summer camp partnership providing care to over 120 youth in Denver during the summer of 2007.

Shelley VanDelinder
Outcomes Specialist
Shelley has worked in the education field since 1991. She first began as a teacher and then moved to administration, for over ten years serving as both a Center Director and a District Manager, in the field of Early Childhood Education. Prior to joining the team at OpenWorld Learning, Shelley was a Quality Rating Specialist for Qualistar Early Learning, a non-profit organization that supports quality initiatives for Early Childhood providers. During this time Shelley worked with programs throughout the state, striving to improve the quality of the programs offered to children and families. Shelley earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2007, and she plans to pursue her Master's Degree.

TEACHING TEAM:

LeAndrea Walter
Senior Site Leader, Kepner Middle School
LeAndrea began working with OpenWorld Learning in 2003 and has recently been promoted to Senior Site Leader, a position in which she assists the Chief Operating Officer and supports site operations. She is an established freelance photographer and graphic designer and has been widely published in magazines and local newspapers. LeAndrea has traveled extensively in Central America where, besides touring, she volunteered and took lots of photographs. Her passion is working with children, to help them achieve their hopes and dreams.

Mariam Asgari
Site Leader, Trevista at Horace Mann
Mariam started working for OpenWorld Learning January 2008 as a teacher at Ford, since then she has been promoted to Site Leader, at College View. She is currently pursuing her BA in History at Metro State University, with a minor in Education. Mariam loves teaching and working with children. She is passionate about working with students and empowering them. She believes that OpenWorld Learning is a great opportunity for students to learn leadership and will as self esteem. She is born and raised in Denver, Colorado. Her passions outside of work include traveling, art and music. Mariam also loves spending time with her family and friends

Lindsay Craig
Site Leader, Creekside
Lindsay has been working as a teacher for OpenWorld Learning since 2006, when he moved to Colorado. Initially a teacher at Western Hills in Thornton, Lindsay is now a Site Leader at Creekside Elementary in Boulder. He believes whole heartedly in the importance of technology related learning, humor and spontaneity. In his free time Lindsay enjoys the mountains, reading, writing poetry, cooking, beat boxing (making percussion noises with one's mouth) and thinking about stuff

Lannis (Ed) Fason
Site Leader, Archuleta Elementary School
Lannis was born in a small town in East Texas, where he joined an Army family and traveled the world.  Lannis attended elementary schools in thirteen different states before he graduated from Berlin American High School in Germany.  Lannis joined the Air Force and got to visit Vietnam. After that, he moved to Colorado to work on the world’s first multi-processor computer and also spent some time working with robotics. His hobbies include digitizing old radio programs from real-to-real tape and converting them to MP3’s (who’s on first, "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!")  Lannis is married with two son’s, a grandson and a granddaughter.

Tiffany Lloyd
Site Leader, Ellis Elementary School
Tiffany is a student at CU Denver majoring in Psychology. She worked with children in summer PomPom and Cheerleading camps. In her free time she enjoys traveling and playing golf.

Alicia Martinez
Site Leader, College View
Alicia received her Associate of Arts degree in 2003 from the Community College of Denver in Behavioral Science. In December, she will be graduating from the University of Colorado at Denver with her BA in Behavioral Science and Philosophy. As a mentor, Alicia has worked with a variety of children from different age groups. She enjoys drawing and listening to music.

Amy Nigh
Site Leader, Castro
Amy started working for OpenWorld Learning in late 2005 as a teacher. Since then she has been promoted to Site Leader, and she has opened two very successful sites. Currently Amy is enrolled at Metro State University and is pursuing a career in social services. Amy loves teaching and working with children. Her passions outside of work include outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and traveling. Amy also likes to find spare moments to cuddle up with her animals and a good book.

Joanna Pollack
Site Leader, Colfax
Joanna Pollack graduated in May 2007, with her B.A. in Women’s Studies, minor in Ethnic Studies from Humbolt State University.  She previously worked with the Healthy Start EXPLORE after-school program, in which she was a kindergarten teacher.  In her spare time, Joanna enjoys reading, listening to music, and spending time with friends.

Miguel Urdiales
Site Leader, Munroe
Miguel is currently employed at Lincoln High School during the day and has worked in the education field for the past nine years. He is looking forward to returning to college in the future and furthering his knowledge.

Cecilia Aguirre
Teacher, Castro Elementary School
Cecilia Aguirre is fifteen years old, and currently attends Lakewood High School. Cecilia has been a part of OpenWorld Learning since she was eleven years old. She started as a regular participant, got promoted to student leader, and then became a volunteer. Now she is a paid staff member. Cecilia enjoys teaching younger children and has a love for learning. Cecilia hopes to become a site leader in the future.

Courtney Avery
Teacher, Archuleta
Courtney is currently attending Front Range Community College in Westminster, CO, and eventually plans to get her degree in education. She also volunteers with September High School in Boulder, CO, and is a part of the school's board of directors. She is very interested in drawing, painting, and anything having to do with art. Courtney also enjoys the outdoors.

Alonzo Barron
Teacher Alternate
Alonzo is a native of Mexico, but has lived and participated in various communities throughout his short life. He lives and learns and tries to live the simple existence of a human-being. Alonzo likes to eat and read, especially at the same time. He feels very fortunate to have an opportunity to work with OpenWorld Learning and all the wonderful children we encounter every day

Kate Beall
Teacher, College View Elementary
Kate obtained her degree in Comparative Literature and Literary Arts from Brown University. She loves to hunt for treasure, in books or in the woods. She is a writer and explores her own world and others through her stories and poems.

Victor Chea
Teacher, Colfax Elementary School
Victor is currently a student at the University of Colorado Denver, where he is pursuing a degree in business management. He was recognized as an amazing leader in the Landmines Taskforce Organization. Victor's interests include photography, traveling, and snowboarding.

Julio C. Dominguez
Teacher, Trevista at Horace Mann
Julio is a 2007 graduate of North High School.  Julio has also received a certificate for Web Applications from the program Computer Magnet, which he attended for four years.  This program really helped his achieve his educational goals for learning computer graphics and design.  Currently, Julio is attending college at the Community College of Denver, on the Auraria Campus.  He is also a really creative person and has a love for art and photography.  Julio also has a love of learning he wishes to share with other Denver students.

Lori Emmons
Teacher, Archuleta Elementary School
Lori earned her Literacy Instructor Certificate- Metropolitan State College of Denver 2000. Additional studies in Creative Writing, Spanish, & Business at Community College of Aurora, with plans to take classes for teaching English Language Acquisition beginning in 2008. Lori has been an AVID (Achievement Via Individual Determination) Tutor with Aurora Public Schools. Also, having served two school terms at Swansea Elementary as Paraprofessional Reading Tutor and one season with Summer Scholars, has further developed her desire to encourage, promote and improve the literacy and proficiency skills and abilities of our community's youth. Being a native to Colorado makes her truly appreciative our beautiful state, she enjoys the outdoors in all seasons, is an aspiring writer, caregiver, admirer of all art forms, and mother of two successful, grown children.

Benjamin Engelsberg
Teacher Alternate; Ellis Elementary School, Kepner Middle School & College View Elementary
Benjamin is a current senior at the University of Denver where he studies Spanish and Geography. He just spent his senior year studying abroad at the National Autonomous University of Costa Rica in order to practice Spanish. When not working or studying, he enjoys skiing and rock climbing

Brady Hagerman
Discovery Team Teacher, Kepner Middle School
Brady received his Bachelor's degree from James Madison University in Virginia. He has been working with Denver youth since arriving in Colorado at the beginning of 2009. He currently works for Outward Bound Colorado as well, teaching disenfranchised Denver students leadership and cultural awareness through outdoor excursions. During leisure hours, Brady enjoys reading, hiking, running, writing, and consuming delicious foods.

Joel Kingsbury-Roth
Teacher Alternate; Creekside Elementary School, Archuleta Elementary School
Joel graduated from Northglenn High School in 2006. Since then he has worked at a church camp, where he loved to teach kids about nature and rock climbing. After that he took off on a non-profit adventure where he traveled the country with Americorps NCCC. On his adventure he responded to a tornado and two hurricanes. Joel loves kids, teaching them and being a positive influence in their lives.

Clint Lathinghouse
Teacher, Ellis Elementary
Clint received his degree in Mass Communications from the University of North Carolina at Asheville in the spring of 2008. After working as a horseback riding instructor with Cheley Colorado Camps in Estes Park, he moved to Denver and began working in the public school system. Clint spends his spare time in the mountains, either on his snowboard or on his mountain bike.

Erica Reynolds
Teacher, Munroe
Erica Reynolds is From Denver, Colorado. She received her diploma from Overland High School in 2006 and is currently attending Rutgers University where she is studying for a certificate in medical billing and coding. While in High School, Erica most enjoyed her computer science studying and volunteering with younger students, making her a perfect fit for OpenWorld Learning! Erica also works as a tutor when not at Munroe.

Jana Shaw
Teacher, Creekside Elementary School
Jana graduated from Eastern University with a degree in Elementary Education. She grew up in New York, completed college in Pennsylvania and moved to Colorado in 2004. She enjoys teaching children of all ages and greatly enjoys what they teach her in return. Jana loves to cook, travel, run and spend time with her husband Tony.

Katey Trauth
Teacher, Ellis
Katey just graduated from the University of Colorado- Boulder in May of 2009 with a degree in Psychology. She is just beginning her MA in Non-Profit Management from Regis University. Her passions include working with both children, and animals. She is interested in helping those in nee, whether it be by volunteering, teaching, or being involved in community activities.