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Cindy Skalicky, Owner and Head Coach at On Point Communications, LLC
Cindy provides expert public speaking coaching and brand consulting to entrepreneurs and small businesses who seek to master their message on stage, online and in publications. Her passion for crafting, analyzing and presenting messages developed through over 25 years in the corporate, academic and entrepreneurial worlds. Cindy coaches clients on pitch decks, TED talks, storytelling, presentation presence, brand messaging, PR strategy and more. Cindy earned her graduate degree in Rhetorical Criticism from The University of Georgia. Cindy frequently provides communications-based workshops to teams and also delivers motivational talks and keynotes to large audiences.
Denny Otsuga, Director of Venture Community Development Fort Collins at Rockies Venture Club
Denny is a builder, who thrives on building a new company, department or process. He was the founding director of technology transfer office at South Dakota State University (500% increase in revenue in 3.5 years) then a co-founder of the startup company EnConnect Holdings, which was acquired by a publicly traded Japanese investment firm (more than 20x ROI in 18 months). Denny continued to work for the acquirer and launched three new subsidiary companies, FVCA Holdings (investment holdings company), FVC Americas (venture capital investment and investment management company) and FVC Mesh Fort Collins (venture community building co-working space) for them and brought more than $7.5M investment to Colorado from Japan.
Denny is constantly looking for the opportunity to build a great and new company, department and process.
Niki Camarena, Program Officer at Anschutz Family Foundation
Niki joined the Anschutz Family Foundation in 2017 and has spent her entire career working in Colorado’s nonprofit sector helping empower people and organizations to reach their full
potential. From fundraising, to communications to program management and design, Niki’s experience allows her to help nonprofit organizations reach their goals in her role as Program
Officer. Niki holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Colorado Boulder and a master’s degree in International Studies, with concentrations in Nonprofit
Management and Human Rights, from the University of Denver. In her spare time, Niki enjoys traveling, gardening and spending time with her husband Brian and their three dogs.
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Mara Holiday, Program Officer at Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation
Mara Holiday joined the Buell Foundation in 2017. In her role as Program Officer for the North Front Range, as well as the Western Slope and El Paso and Teller counties, Mara sees herself as a partner to nonprofit organizations and a champion for the good work in early childhood education and teen pregnancy prevention that is being accomplished across the state.
Before joining the Buell Foundation, Mara worked as Manager of the San Diego Women’s Foundation (SDWF) and supported SDWF’s efforts to educate and inspire women to engage in strategic philanthropy. Mara provided program area and committee oversight, managed the annual grantmaking process, oversaw educational and member events, and managed foundation operations. She also served in an interim director capacity for several months, overseeing the entirety of foundation operations while the SDWF Board recruited and transitioned to a new executive director.
Mara has held positions in a variety of nonprofits since 2008—from homeless service organizations, to mental health providers, to programs serving transition age youth, to arts organizations. She believes that being a “generalist” has helped her on her journey to bring an intersectional perspective to her work in philanthropy.
Mara holds a BA in Arts Management from the University of San Francisco and an MA in Rhetoric and Writing Studies from San Diego State University.
Mara relocated to Colorado from San Diego in early 2017. For Mara, life imitates work, as she and her husband are continually learning and navigating through the early childhood systems in metro Denver on behalf of their two preschool-age daughters.
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Julia Lawton, Director of Communications at El Pomar Foundation
Julia Lawton is the Director of Communications for El Pomar Foundation, and serves as the senior staff member for the Empty Stocking Fund and North region. Julia began working at El Pomar Foundation in 2015 as a participant in the Fellowship program. Upon completing the Fellowship, Julia served as Manager of Operations for the United States Olympic Museum, coordinating communications and marketing, financial and philanthropic tracking and reporting, and administrative management.
Julia grew up in Durango, Colorado and earned a bachelor's degree in mathematical economics from Colorado College.
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Alejandra Major, Program Officer at Adolph Coors Foundation
Alejandra is a sixth-generation Coloradan on her mom’s side and a first-generation American on her dad’s side, giving her a deep love for every corner of the state and a profound appreciation for the freedoms our country affords. Growing up, her family was divided on two things: politics and the CSU and CU rivalry. This taught Alejandra a unique form of multitasking…how to stand in her convictions and disagree well, while taking bites of grandma’s pie in between. Prior to joining the Foundation, Alejandra worked at the Colorado House of Representatives and served on the Washington, D.C. staff of U.S. Senator Cory Gardner. As a program officer, Alejandra is your personal liaison to our board and enjoys sharing the work of nonprofits with our trustees. Her favorite place to be is out of the office and in a site visit with you! A graduate of Pepperdine University, she spends her free time crocheting, binging on any of the Real Housewives, and going on (easy) hikes with her rescue dog Bolo and husband.
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Owen McAleer, Grants Program Officer at Daniels Fund
Owen McAleer joined the Daniels Fund in 2010. He is currently a Grants Program Officer, but also worked in the Communications department as the Special Events Manager and coordinated the Daniels Fund Meeting Space, which is offered free of charge to local nonprofit organizations. As a Grants Program Officer, Owen specializes in the Drug and Alcohol Addiction funding area in the Denver Metro market. In addition, he is responsible for working with nonprofit organizations in all eight funding areas throughout the western half of Colorado.
Prior to joining the Daniels Fund, Owen owned and operated his own businesses. Most recently, he produced seminars, workshops, and special events in the addiction recovery and self-help markets, along with managing conferences for national organizations working in the fringe science and consciousness fields. Past businesses include 12 years in real estate development in Arizona and California, and five years as a magazine publisher in Austin, Texas.
Owen graduated from the University of Denver with degrees in Journalism, Biology, and Psychology. He has four children and three grandchildren.
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Dianne Myles, Grants Manager at AJL Foundation
Dianne is the Grants Manager for AJL Charitable Foundation. She is excited to have the opportunity to be a part of an organization that gives back to Colorado youth and families and to keep
John and Amy's vision alive.
Dianne is also the owner of Dope Mom Life, a creative content agency that helps organizations and brands build authentic relationships with multicultural communities. Dope Mom Life understands that representation matters, and that digital content can effect change and inspire action.
Copyright 2015 United Way of Larimer County
