Casey Cortese has been with Janus Capital Group since January 2000.  As assistant vice-president of corporate sponsorships and events, Casey is responsible for the strategic selection, development and implementation of all national sponsorship and community relations initiatives.  Her role also encompasses the development of client relationship-building events for the national sales force and the execution of sales-specific business meetings.  In addition, Casey is president of The Janus Foundation, the firm's charitable giving arm.  Throughout her career Casey has worked with a diverse range of nonprofit organizations, and currently sits on the board of directors of the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts and Colorado Succeeds.  She is a past board member of Curious Theatre Company, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, Junior Achievement, and the Colorado Festivals and Events Association.

 

Renny Fagan is President/CEO of the Colorado Nonprofit Association.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Melinda Higgs became the first President/CEO of Colorado Nonprofit Development Center in 1999. Since opening in 2000, CNDC has grown into a $4.5 million organization enhancing the efficient and effective use of community resources in Colorado.  Melinda has spent her career in the nonprofit sector, including as the Executive Director of the Partners Association and the Coordinator of Regis University’s Center for Service Learning.  Currently, she serves as Vice President for the Montessori Academy of Colorado and on the Steering Committee of the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors.  In 2006, Melinda was named a Livingston Fellow by the Bonfils Stanton Foundation.  Melinda holds her Masters in Public Administration.
 

    

Christopher Leach is the Managing Partner of Contract Furnishings, Inc., a new, used and custom office and commercial furnishings business.  He is active in the Colorado nonprofit community.  He serves as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Colorado (The Center), is a Commissioner on the Denver GLBT Commission and is an active volunteer with Project Angel Heart, Hope Communities, Social Venture Partners, Colorado Youth at Risk and the LoDo District.  When not working on his business or attending nonprofit committee meetings, you can find him working in his yard or throwing a ball for his dog Schuyler.

  

 

 

 

Maureen McDonald is the Executive Director of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation.  A native Denverite, Maureen is active in the community, and was honored by the Mile High Girl Scouts as a Woman of Distinction in 2007.  She serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Metro Volunteers, on the advisory board of the Community Leadership Initiative at Johnson & Wales University, and as a trustee at Regis Jesuit High School. She is serving her second term on the DOSP Commission. She also currently chairs the selection committee for the 9News Leader of the Year Awards.

 

 

Toya Nelson is the Executive Director of the Governor's Commission on Community Service.  Toya was raised in Denver and attended Colorado State University as a Political Science major.  Upon graduation she began her career in state government in Wisconsin where she served as a state budget analyst in the Governor’s budget office and administrator in various state executive agencies, including the department of labor, workforce development, transportation and administration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charley Shimanski joined the American Red Cross as Regional Chief Executive Officer in November, 2008.  In this role, he works with a team of 55 dedicated staff and nearly 2,000 registered volunteers providing disaster response and other services to the people of Colorado and throughout the United States.  Prior to this assignment, Shimanski served as President and CEO of the Colorado Nonprofit Association from 2004 to 2008.  A volunteer since the age of eight, Mr. Shimanski is a 22 year veteran of the Alpine Rescue Team, a mountain search and rescue group in Evergreen.

 

 

 

 Christine Soto is a consultant to the philanthropic community, providing high-level management assistance to nonprofits and grantmaking counsel to funders.  Christine previously served as the Vice President of Programs at The Denver Foundation from 1997-2006, where she had oversight of three grantmaking programs awarding over $4 million annually to a wide range of nonprofits in the metro Denver area.  Her 37-year career in the nonprofit world has included 12 years as an executive director, 15 years of varied fundraising experience, and extensive volunteer management.  In 2002, she was honored as one of the Girl Scouts-Mile High Council’s Women of Distinction, and in 2004 she received the “Face of Success in NPO Administration” award from the Metropolitan State College of Denver Alumni Association.