Dillon, CO
President 
Governance Committee 

Ed is a first-generation college student who feels fortunate to have attended Colorado College. At CC, he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, the baseball team, and the Business and Economics Student Advisory Board. After graduating, he attended The Council on Legal Education Opportunities (CLEO) program at the University of Arizona College of Law before attending The Ohio State University College of Law. Upon graduation and passing the Colorado Bar exam, he worked for a civil law firm in Denver, then as a prosecutor in the 4th, 9th, and 5th Judicial District Attorney's Offices. Along the way, he was lucky enough to meet his wife and start a family. They have two boys and feel blessed to enjoy the Colorado mountain lifestyle. Ed retired after 24 years as a Summit County Court judge in 2024. He is a trustee on The Summit Foundation Board, a policy council member for Summit County Head Start, treasurer for the Summit Lake Dillon Optimist club, and a lacrosse coach for the Summit Stix lacrosse program. He assists CC by locating highly qualified students from non-traditional backgrounds and from rural areas of Colorado.

  
Nashville, TN  
Secretary
Awards Committee
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At CC, Jeffrey was an Economics major and an English minor, but (like any liberal arts student) he enjoyed taking a variety of classes beyond those fields - Forest Ecology of the Colorado Front Range comes to mind as a particular favorite. Outside of the classroom, Jeffrey served as President of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and President of the Interfraternity Council. He also served on the student conduct committee and was one of two students selected to be part of the Dean of Students Search Committee.   

Following graduation from CC, Jeffrey returned to his hometown of Nashville to attend Vanderbilt Law School, graduating with his JD in 2013. After law school, he spent two years as a judicial law clerk for two different judges before joining the law firm of Neal & Harwell in Nashville where he is now a partner.

Dallas, TX
President-Elect
Governance Committee Chair, Scholarship Committee
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At CC, Allie majored in Classics, History, and Political Science and minored in Art History. She was fortunate to be able to take multiple blocks abroad including 19th Century French Art in Paris and Crossroads of the Ancient Mediterranean in Italy. Outside of the classroom, Allie served as an Empty Bowls Co-Chair and a CCSGA Student Representative and worked at the Art Department. Upon graduating from CC, Allie worked as an El Pomar Foundation Fellow in Colorado Springs. In 2018, Allie received her MBA from TCU’s Neeley School of Business. After business school, Allie joined IBM and has held various sales and marketing roles. Allie is eternally grateful to CC for the opportunities, knowledge, and people that Colorado College has brought into her life.

Park City, UT
Past-President
Governance Committee, Scholarship Committee
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While at CC, Jen enjoyed contributing to CC Women's Soccer history as a member of the 1987-91 teams. After graduation and with her anthropology degree in hand, she moved back to Costa Rica, where she studied abroad, to be a fourth grade school teacher. Upon return to the states, she continued on to graduate school, earning aN M.B.A. from Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. Throughout her professional career, Jen has had the fortune to work in marketing, where she has traveled the world capturing voice of customers to improve products and strengthen global brands. She is currently the Head of Marketing & Industry Engagement at St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Jen lives in Park City, Utah, with her husband, four children, and two dogs.

50 Year Club Co-Presidents

Dan and Beth were classmates at CC in the class of 1966, engaged in May of that year, and married in December 1966. They spent three years in Berlin, Germany while Dan served in the Air Force, arriving only six years after the wall went up. Daughter Julie was born there. Son, Clay (Class of '96,) was born after they returned to the States. The Coopers lived in the St. Louis area until Clay's senior year in high school, when they were transferred to Brussels. After returning from Brussels, Dan worked in the academic health care field in St. Louis and Philadelphia. They returned to Colorado in 2008, moving to Buena Vista where they started COOPER LLC, their real estate company, which is still active today. In 2020 they moved closer to campus, now living in the Kissing Camels area and enjoying all that CC has to offer, particularly a nationally ranked hockey team. In addition, Beth and Dan continue their international travels, real estate in Chaffee County, and volunteering for Silver Key Senior Services.

Beth and Dan have been active in the affairs of Colorado College since the mid-1970s. In 1995, Dan was asked to join the CC Board of Trustees as a Charter Trustee and now continues as a Trustee Emeritus. They are pleased that they have been able to establish two endowments, The Bethany Anneberg Cooper Endowment in Art History (income provides funds for seniors to go on the annual New York City art trip), and the Marie Coleman Cooper '26 Scholarship for legacy students.

Tuscaloosa, AL
Awards Committee Chair
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A Colorado Springs native, Wes was a Political Science Major. While at CC, he played varsity football, served as Class of 2000 president, and was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. After graduation, Wes worked for Kappa Sigma Headquarters in Charlottesville, VA, then held a variety of sales and marketing roles within consumer goods companies like Stanley Black & Decker, Crayola, and Whirlpool, working with the largest retailers in the world to deliver innovative, profitable commercial strategies. He is currently the Vice President of Retail Sales at Radians, a leading manufacturer of Industrial PPE.

Wes and his wife, Shelly, were married at Shove Chapel in 2003. Since then, they have lived in Phoenix, AZ, Charlotte, NC, Baltimore, MD, Bentonville, AR, St. Joseph, MI, and currently Tuscaloosa, AL, where they have three kids: Logan, Peighton, and Carson.

Ben was a theatre major at Colorado College and participated in intercollegiate debate (ranking 11th in the nation!), was an editor of one of the student publications, and directed, acted in, designed and managed student-led theatre workshop productions and theatre department productions, including directing one of the department’s shows his senior year. Ben served as a student-member of the selection committee where Richard Celeste was chosen as President of the college.

After CC, Ben received a Master’s in Media from the New School and then received his JD/MBA at Duke, where he was president of the graduate student body and a young trustee. He is now an attorney at the Denver office of Hogan Lovells. In addition to serving on the CC Alumni Association Council, Ben is the co-chair or the Duke LGBTQ+ Alumni Network board and an active member of Duke’s Colorado alumni board and the Duke Alumni Association board, where he is the co-chair of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion regional subcommittee.

Denver, CO
Scholarship Committee Chair
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Elliott Williams came to CC from his small hometown of Norwich, Vermont. He majored in political science and wrote his thesis on the possibility of human happiness in modern society. His fondest CC memories include classroom discussions on justice and free will, cutthroat rugby games and goofiness, participating in Relations the Play, and connecting with CC leadership and alumni through his work as Student Trustee. After completing El Pomar Foundation's Fellowship program in Colorado Springs, Elliott moved to Denver to start Elliott Mitzi Consulting, which supports mission-driven organizations with communications, strategy, and stakeholder engagement.

Truckee, CA
Scholarship Committee 
Awards Committee
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Julia graduated from Colorado College with a degree in art history, then immediately began working on the $43.4 million expansion project at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. After the successful completion of the campaign, she relocated with her husband Tom Collins '05 to the San Francisco Bay area. For more than a decade, Julia held various positions in fundraising at Cal Performances, the performing arts presenter at the University of California, Berkeley. Currently Julia is the Director of Development for the JMT Wilderness Conservancy, connecting philanthropists with projects to restore and protect the high Sierra Nevada backcountry. Now based in Truckee, CA, Julia enjoys all that the mountains and lakes have to offer with her husband, Tom, and their son Booker. She has served on the 5, 10, 15 and 20-year reunion committees for her class and acted as a class agent, deepening engagement and encouraging giving from her friends and classmates.

Chappaqua, NY
Scholarship Committee

Sean was a Physics major at CC and played on the football team for four years. He was senior class president, co-led the student health advisory council and occasionally worked on campus washing dishes. After CC, Sean attended Tufts University School of Medicine where he received a Master of Public Health and a Doctor of Medicine. He trained as an Internist with a subspecialty in Infectious Diseases from Columbia University. Sean works in the pharmaceutical industry today to develop medicines and vaccines that can benefit more patients than he could treat as a physician. He has been married to his wife for 31 years and has two college-age sons.

Commerce City, CO
Governance Committee
Scholarship Committee
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Lynda Duran is a first-generation Chicana MotherScholar and researcher in higher education. She was an El Pomar Scholar at CC where she served as a Public Interest Fellow. She earned a B.A. in psychology from Colorado College in 2008, a Master's in counseling psychology at the University of Colorado Denver in 2012, and a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Denver in 2023. Her research and practices lie in asset-based scholarship that explores institutional and systemic factors that promote or hinder the engagement and inclusion of historically marginalized populations in higher education. Lynda lives in Commerce City with her family and enjoys reading, writing, and playing poker. Her experience at CC has empowered her to advocate for meaningful change through critical dialogue, research, and practice.

Brooklyn, NY 
Awards Committee 
Alumni and Student Engagement Committee
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Orren Fox came to CC from Newburyport, Massachusetts in the fall of 2016.  He majored in Economics and was a member of the CC Prison Project, the Conduct Committee, and a captain of the men’s ultimate frisbee team.  Upon graduating in the spring of 2020, he soon moved to New York and began working as a Paralegal at Harry Jho LLC, where he negotiated derivatives agreements.  He later transitioned to Morgan Stanley as an Analyst in the Alternative Investments group.  While not working, Orren can be found road biking, skiing, or in the cockpit working on his pilot’s license.  He is happy to connect with current and former CC students in the New York area and is always willing to help students gain a foothold in financial services, especially at Morgan Stanley.

Minneapolis, MN
Alumni and Student Engagement Committee
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Lisa grew up hearing about Colorado College from her father, Ken Hartwell '61 and Uncle Ron Hartwell '52, who both played hockey for CC. Lisa met and fell in love with her husband, Anj Gardner '89, while at CC. She was active in her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, and graduated in 1990 with a degree in theater. After living and working in Boulder, Salt Lake City, and Dallas, they decided to raise their family in Minnesota, where Lisa is from, and have enjoyed living in Edina.

Lisa has been involved in many volunteer opportunities, including the Junior League of Minneapolis, Edina Public Schools, and Colonial Church of Edina. Her passions include traveling, boating, water and snow skiing, as well as attending group fitness classes. She is proud of her three children, Zach, Emily '19, and Abby. It is very special to have a third-generation Tiger (Emily) in the family.

Oakland, ME
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While at CC, Heather earned an international political economy degree, ran cross country and track for two years, and wrote articles for the Catalyst about cross country and track competitions. Additionally, she was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority, and served as the sorority’s environmental chair and secretary, while also being involved in volunteer work at the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind. After graduating, Heather returned to her hometown of Portland, Oregon, where she worked as a nanny and in various administrative roles. A year later, she moved to Boston to be with her now husband, and earned her MEd at Boston College in elementary teaching. She taught elementary and middle school in Boston and then Maine for a combined six years. For the next sixteen years she stayed home to raise her three children.  

After briefly returning to teaching, Heather changed careers to follow her passion for health and fitness by becoming a health coach, personal trainer and yoga instructor. She now runs and manages her own health coaching and personal training business online. As a lifelong athlete, she truly loves working in this field and feels fortunate to share this passion with her clients, as supporting them in reaching their health and wellness goals and transforming their lives is an experience like none other!  

Her time at CC was a truly wonderful four years of her life, and her two oldest children agree, as Gabe ‘25 and Adriana ‘29 are proud to be second generation Tigers, and her youngest, Zachary already has his sights set on attending CC, which will always have a special place in her family’s heart! In her free time, Heather enjoys gardening, coaching their youngest son’s soccer team, serving as a volunteer in their children’s schools, and spending time together outdoors as a family, skiing, hiking, biking, swimming, boating and running, even competing in obstacle course races together in the summer. 

Denver, CO
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Mindy Klowden graduated in 1994, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. While at CC she was very involved in the Center for Community Service. Since that time, she has devoted her career to improving systems and services for underserved populations through policy, systems change and organizational development. Mindy is a national consultant and strategist with over 25 years of experience in community behavioral health and health care policy. She is also a skilled facilitator with expertise in all aspects of strategic planning, including stakeholder engagement, facilitation, landscape reviews, and writing actionable, impactful plans. As the Managing Director of Third Horizon, she oversees the firm's public sector and behavioral health business development and consulting services. Over the years Mindy has also held leadership positions with the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council, the National Council for Mental Well-Being, the Jefferson Center for Mental Health, Colorado Community Health Network, and Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. 

A few fun facts about Mindy… 
Mindy was an extra in the movie Sixteen Candles. Her favorite hobbies are Nordic and downhill skiing in the winter and hiking the rest of the year. She loves to travel and got engaged on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. She is also a proud mom to her son Cody Klowden Lima (16). 

Socorro, NM 

Andy graduated from CC in 1993 with a degree in English.  After graduation, he started his teaching and coaching career in the rural areas of Colorado and northern New Mexico.  Although he was a head coach at the high school varsity level for basketball, football, volleyball and track, his sole state championship came in chess, where his team from the reservation shocked the competition.  After the birth of his daughters, he became a lobbyist in New Mexico where he focused on early childhood education and programs for parents of children with special needs.  He soon transitioned into his role with county and municipal governments and he currently serves as the County Manager for Socorro County, NM. 

He recently started a welding program in the county detention center where he has created a pathway to help detainees break the chains of drug and alcohol dependency.  Throughout the years, he has assisted CC by encouraging students from non-traditional backgrounds and rural areas of New Mexico and southeastern Colorado to become Tigers.   

Washington D.C.
Awards Committee
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Maria's work has been rooted in seeking systemic change for challenging social issues by leading funding and fundraising strategy in the nonprofit and political arenas. As a Fellow and Program Director at the El Pomar Foundation, Maria coordinated regional programs and served as a regional representative. Maria served as a Colorado Deputy Finance Director for U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet. After consulting for Colorado College, where she coordinated a nationwide alumni re-engagement initiative, Maria joined The Knowledge is Power Program Colorado Schools' team, serving as director of development.

Inspired by her family's humble roots and her experiences as a Panamanian immigrant to the U.S., Maria founded and leads DESDE, a social enterprise that empowers marginalized Latin American artisans by providing them market access and the tools to navigate it. She is an alumna of the International DO School Fellowship and a NextGen Leader for the international FRED Leadership Forum.

She holds a B.A. in political science and history from Colorado College. Maria lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband Dermot.

Washington, D.C.
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Brigid Maher graduated from Colorado College in 1995 with a degree in Philosophy and International Affairs and a minor in Film Studies. She went on to earn her MFA in Radio, Television, and Film from Northwestern University. Brigid is now a full professor in the School of Communication at American University in Washington, DC. 

She is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work focuses on women’s stories and social justice, with films exploring everything from midwifery in the U.S. to female religious leaders in the Middle East. Her most recent film, Experimental Curator: The Sally Dixon Story, aired on public television during Women’s History Month. She also founded the Anacostia Youth Media Festival to support diverse young storytellers and amplify community voices. 

A former Fulbright Scholar, Brigid is active in academic and media circles, serving on juries for film festivals and contributing to various scholarly publications. She lives in Washington, DC with her two children and four cats. 

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At Colorado College, Christina “Chrissie” played on the women’s soccer team, skied for the club racing team, served as editor for The Catalyst, studied abroad three times, led service trips, and worked in the Admissions and Advancement offices.  

After graduating, she returned to Massachusetts (where she grew up) to marry her high school sweetheart. She worked as a reporter outside of Boston before moving to Costa Rica to write for an English language newspaper and freelance for North American and European news outlets.  While in Central America, she was tapped to serve as the executive director of a small healthcare nonprofit, overseeing three healthcare clinics and opening an afterschool center. She later earned a graduate degree from the Harvard Kennedy School and has since built a career in public finance, holding roles with S&P Global, the MBTA, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

Christina has run a marathon in all 50 states and enjoys traveling and being outdoors with her husband and three children. She is committed to helping build the CC alumni network in and around Boston. 

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Crestina double majored in Sociology and Spanish at Colorado College, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and studied abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico. A first-generation college graduate and lifelong advocate for equity and rural communities, she currently serves as Principal at Public Alignment Communications, advising mission-driven organizations on strategic communications, public affairs, and stakeholder engagement. Her career spans over two decades across federal, state, and local government, including service as Colorado State Director for USDA Rural Development, Senior Advisor to the Colorado Governor, and Chief of Staff to the Colorado Lt. Governor. At age 26, Crestina became the youngest county commissioner ever elected in Colorado history. She also earned executive certificates from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business. Crestina owns and operates her family’s multigenerational cattle ranch in the San Luis Valley and is passionate about uplifting community voice in public policy. She has proudly served on her 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th Colorado College reunion committees. 

Denver, CO
Awards Committee
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At CC, Dan was an English major who enjoyed playing intramural sports, leading NSO trips, organizing Shabbat dinners at the Interfaith House, and driving the Safe Ride van for his work study job. He loved his educational experiences, so he dedicated his career to ensuring that others have the same opportunities. After graduating CC in 2012 and getting his Ed. M. in Education Policy and Management, he was a teacher in Colorado, a school administrator in Massachusetts, and a scholarships provider in California. In 2017, Dan reached out to his CC friends and they started a giving circle. Every month, they contribute $75 each, pool their funds, and give to good causes. To date, they have donated nearly $70,000.

Lamar, CO

Chris chose to attend Colorado College, following in the footsteps of his family, where CC is a tradition. His father, two uncles, three cousins and a sister also attended CC. 

Chris graduated with a degree in history. While at CC, Chris was a member of the football team and an active participant in the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, where he held several leadership positions. He also worked in the sports information department. 

After graduation, Chris worked as a history teacher in La Junta and Lamar, Colorado, while also coaching football and track. In 2007, he married his amazing wife, Kristen, who currently works as a special education instructor. The couple have two children, Maverick and Tynleigh, who are both currently in high school. 

In 2018, Chris earned his master’s degree from the University of Colorado system and became an assistant principal and athletic director at Lamar High School. He is active in the world of high school athletics, serving as president of his league and participating in the Legislative Council of the Colorado High School Activities Association. In this role, he has helped shape the future of high school sports in Colorado, including expanding opportunities for female athletes through the sanctioning of girls wrestling and flag football. 

Chris also serves as the Region Six Director for the Colorado Association of Secondary School Principals, working to impact statewide academics alongside athletics. 

Atlanta, GA
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Justin Nguyen is a first-generation college graduate who double majored in Economics and Molecular Biology, with a minor in Biochemistry. At Colorado College, he competed on the Track & Field team for four years, serving as captain for three, and held work study jobs supporting Athletics and Intramurals. He also served as Co-Chair of the Economics Student Advisory Board, Co-President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Vice President of the Health Professions Club, and Chair of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference SAAC. 

After graduating, Justin worked as a financial advisor and then a data analyst at Apple before joining Invesco in Atlanta, GA. There, he has held roles across technology, operations, and strategy, and now works in the Office of the CEO, leading firm-wide strategic initiatives. 

Grateful for the CC community, Justin has stayed involved by mentoring students and serving on the Young Alumni and 5-Year Reunion Committees. 

Denver, CO
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A native of Colorado, Shawna followed her brother, Rylan North '94, to Colorado College.  She was one of the first two Environmental Science majors at CC, also completing the pre-medicine track.  While at CC, she enjoyed being a member of club ultimate frisbee, club women's ice hockey, multiple intramurals, CCCA (the student council), and the class officer committee.  She also met her husband, Blaine Olsen '96, while at CC.  Upon graduating, she attended the University of Colorado Health Sciences and earned her Masters in Physical Therapy in 2002.  She is currently practicing at Blue Sky Physical Therapy in Denver, Colorado and enjoys seeing all ages in an outpatient setting. 

Shawna has been involved in many volunteer opportunities, both in her community and at her daughters' schools over the years.  She is excited to become more involved with CC again as her oldest daughter, Tessa Olsen '28, has become a Tiger!  Shawna and Blaine have enjoyed returning to CC, as parents, and seeing her flourish as a student athlete.  In her spare time, Shawna is busy cheering on their youngest daughter, Lucy (17), on the soccer field and spending time traveling, skiing, hiking, and backpacking with her family. 

Embarking on a diverse journey from Colorado College, Sophie graduated with a Biochemistry degree and a minor in French and Music in 2017. While at CC she enjoyed being a part of the Black Student Union, SOMOS, Interfaith, intramural Hockey, among other clubs. After CC, she pursued a Master’s in Molecular Chemistry at Paris Sciences Sorbonne. After that, Sophie ventured into the world of medical research at the NIH in DC. Fascinated by the world of international development, she then served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco until she was evacuated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now residing in Jordan, she dedicates her time to English Teaching with Fulbright, and actively engaging in volunteer programs funded by USAID. Passionate about global development, she eagerly contributes to the international community, recognizing the importance of collaborative efforts in fostering positive change.

Albany, NY
Governance Committee
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Mark Schlessman is a member of CC's centennial class of 1974, the class that arrived with the Block Plan. At CC he sang in the college choir, participated in Mountain Club, worked for the SAGA food service, and figured out how to major in biology while his professors were learning how to teach on the Block Plan. After graduation, he earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in botany from the University of Washington, and then joined the faculty of Vassar College, where he taught Biology for 42 years. Both recently retired, Mark and his wife Laura are busy traveling, hiking, cycling, kayaking, and looking after their dogs Loki and JoeJoe. Mark serves on the Board of Albany’s Buckingham Pond Conservancy.

 
Lee’s Summit, MO
Scholarships
Alumni and Student Engagement Committee
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Dave graduated in the Class of 1996 from CC, whose motto was: "no internet, no cell phones, no problem!"  At CC, Dave was a member of the Big Cat swim team, Sigma Chi fraternity, CCCA, Class Officer, and Livesounds Committee.  Upon graduating, he attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry where he graduated with a DDS in 2000.  Following his residency in General Dentistry in 2001, he joined his father's dental practice in Independence, MO, just outside of Kansas City.   

Dave has been heavily involved in the dental community in his over 20 years of private practice, acting as President of the Kansas City Dental Society in 2013, Chairman of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry's Foundation from 2020-2022, and is currently the program planner for the Midwest Dental Conference, Kansas City Dental Society meetings, and the Missouri Dental Association summer conference.  He volunteers his time treating patients from Hope House, a shelter for abused women and their children and also treats medically compromised patients from the Dental Lifeline Network.  In his spare time, Dave enjoys traveling, biking, snow skiing, swimming, going to movies, playing water polo, wake surfing, and watching the KC Royals, KC Chiefs, Sporting KC, and KU Jayhawks.  Dave and his wife Kelly (who is also a dentist) have an 18-year-old son named Jacob who is a first year at Davidson College in North Carolina.  Even though Jacob chose Davidson over CC, Dave still loves him!