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Board of Trustees

Biographies

Our Board of Trustees
	Robert Cohen, Chair Chair and CEO, The IMA Financial Group, Inc. Reappointed January 17, 2012 (4 year term) Chair, Presidential Evaluation Committee Robert Cohen is chairman and CEO of The IMA Financial Group, Inc., a diversified financial services company comprising three primary businesses: a retail insurance brokerage, a wholesale insurance brokerage and a discretionary money manager. He is also founder and executive chairman of the Metro Denver Sports Commission. Cohen has a wealth of board experience, including service on the boards of for-profit companies UMB Bank Colorado, Intertech Plastics, ccintellect and USR, Inc. His nonprofit board experience includes Adventures Within, the I Have a Dream Foundation, the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Community College of Denver, the Denver Art Museum, Junior Achievement and the University of Colorado’s Student Leadership Institute. He also chaired the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and served on the Metropolitan State College of Denver Foundation. His degree is from the University of Texas at Austin.
	Michelle M. Lucero, Vice Chair Chief Legal Officer, Children’s Hospital Colorado Reappointed January 4, 2011 (4 year term) Chair, Academic and Student Affairs Committee Vice Chair, Presidential Evaluation Committee Michelle M. Lucero is Chief Legal Officer for Children’s Hospital Colorado where she is responsible for leading Children’s Colorado’s Legal Affairs (including all contract and legal matters), Corporate Compliance, Information Security, and Risk Management teams. At Children’s Colorado Michelle works closely with the senior management team and physicians, Board of Directors and University of Colorado key stakeholders to seek out creative and legally appropriate solutions to opportunities and challenges. Prior to joining Children’s Hospital Colorado, Michelle was Vice President – Employee Relations for Centura Health for 6 years where she was responsible for strategy and resolution regarding all employee-relations issues for more than 13,000 associates; and then prior to that Lucero served for three years in the mayor-appointed position of deputy city attorney for the City and County of Denver. A native of Ignacio, Colo., Lucero holds a J.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she received the Edward C. King Award for leadership and scholarship. In addition to MSU Denver’s board, she is on Kroenke Sports’ Hispanic Advisory Council, the Winter Park Advisory Council and the Career Service Board for the City and County of Denver. Among her many accolades are 9News Leader of the Year finalist in 2006 and the 1992 Outstanding Young Lawyer from the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association. Her bachelor’s degree is from Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Mo.
	Dawn P. Bookhardt Founding Partner, Bookhardt & O’Toole Reappointed January 17, 2012 (4-year term) Finance Committee Metro Representative to the Auraria Board of Directors Dawn Bookhardt is a founding partner in the law firm of Bookhardt & O’Toole, which specializes in complex municipal bond financing and transactions. Two of Bookhardt’s noteworthy achievements include representation of Forest City in the development of the former Stapleton Airport site and representation of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray and UBS PaineWeber as underwriters for the Denver Convention Center Hotel. She is also working on the $1 billion redevelopment project at Union Station in Denver. Bookhardt is the founder and owner of Odd Tale Books, a retail book store. Among the numerous awards she has received are the National Leadership Award from the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Business Advisory Council and the Woman of Distinction Award from the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. She holds degrees from Oakwood College in Huntsville, Ala., and the University of Denver Law School.
	Hon. Terrance Carroll Attorney, Greenberg Traurig, LLC Appointed January 4, 2011 (4-year term) Academic and Student Affairs Committee Terrance Carroll is an attorney with Greenberg Traurig, LLC. He served four terms in the Colorado House of Representatives (2002-2010) and was Colorado’s first African American Speaker of the House from 2009-2010. During his legislative tenure, Carroll chaired the Metro State caucus from its 2006 formation through 2011, chaired the House Judiciary Committee and served on the Legal Services and the State, Veterans, and Military Affairs committees. Prior to joining the legislature, Carroll worked as a police officer, a nonprofit executive and a minister. He received the 2011 Outstanding Young Alumni award from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and the 2009 Denver Business Journal Power Book Award. He was named a 2006 Marshall Memorial Fellow by the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the 2005 Legislator of the Year by the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association. He was a member of the Colorado Secretary of State’s 2005 Blue Ribbon Election Panel and the Colorado Criminal and Juvenile Justice Reform Commission, and has served on numerous nonprofit boards. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College, a master’s of divinity from the Iliff School of Theology and a law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
	William Hanzlik CEO, Gold Crown Foundation Reappointed January 1, 2013 (4-year term) Metro State Foundation Board William Hanzlik played 10 years in the National Basketball Association with the Denver Nuggets and the Seattle Supersonics. He helped the Nuggets reach the NBA Playoffs eight times during his nine years in Denver, and was the Nuggets head coach in 1997-98. In recognition of his athletic achievements, Hanzlik was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. In 1986, Hanzlik co-founded the Gold Crown Foundation, dedicated to improving the lives of Colorado’s children through athletics and education. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the State Colleges in Colorado before its dissolution in 2003, and served on the Board of Trustees at Western State College from 2003-08. His other charitable works have included service on the boards of the Samaritan House, Colorado Christian Home and All Saints School. Hanzlik holds a bachelor’s of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.
	Melody Harris Vice President and General Counsel, MyTeleHealth Solutions Reappointed January 17, 2012 (4-year term) Chair, Governance Committee Academic and Student Affairs Committee Ms. Harris is Vice President and General Counsel of MyTeleHealth Solutions, LLC, a connected care health data platform start-up technology company. In 2006, Ms. Harris served as chief energy policy advisor and writer of the Bill Ritter for Governor campaign’s New Energy Economy. Ms. Harris also served on Governor Ritter’s Energy Transition Committee and Governor John Hickenlooper’s Natural Resources Transition Committee. Ms. Harris also served as leader of the Sustainability Policy Committee for Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and infused the campaign with the ideas behind Denver Seeds, a sustainable food initiative within the City of Denver. Ms. Harris has a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Political Science from the University of Denver and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Harvard Law School. She is the proud parent of two children, ages 16 and 13.
	Walter Isenberg Appointed January 17, 2012 (4-year term) Finance Committee A longtime supporter of MSU Denver, Walter Isenberg is the president, CEO and co-founder of the Denver-based Sage Hospitality, which owns and operates hotels in 23 states and specializes in the operations, development and capital transactions of hospitality real estate. An inductee in the Denver & Colorado Tourism Hall of Fame, Isenberg serves on the Marriott International and Starwood Owner advisory boards as well as the boards of Visit Denver, the Downtown Denver Partnership, The Children’s Hospital Foundation and Colorado Concern. He is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.
	John (Jack) Pogge Reappointed January 1, 2013 (4 year term) Governance Committee Jack Pogge comes to MSU Denver’s board having served as the president and COO of CSG International, a provider of outsourced billing, customer care and other services supporting North America’s broadband and direct broadcast satellite markets. Prior to working for CSG, he was the chief counsel of mergers and acquisitions and vice president of corporate development at the former US West and vice president and general counsel for Applied Communications Inc. Pogge earned his bachelor’s in business administration and finance from the University of Houston and his juris doctorate from Creighton University School of Law.
	Ellen S. Robinson Principal, Ellen S. Robinson and Associates Reappointed January 4, 2011 (4-year term) Chair, Finance Committee Governance Committee Ellen S. Robinson is Principal of the Robinson Coaching Group (RCG), an executive coaching practice she launched in 2012. She works with professionals across industry and civic and community organizations to guide their leadership development and personal growth. Ellen founded RCG upon a successful track record of leadership in both Fortune 100 and entrepreneurial companies including Frito-Lay, Pepsi Cola, Ascent Sports (Colorado Avalanche/Denver Nuggets), EventConnex (her own technology start-up) and ScholarCentric (K-12 educational publishing). Robinson sits on the boards of Colorado Uplift, Get Smart Schools, and The Denver Jewish Day School. Among several awards that she has received throughout her career and community involvement, she was an Outstanding Woman in Business award winner in 2001. She is a graduate of The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and holds a certificate in international business from the University of Colorado Executive Program and in Integral Coaching from New Ventures West.
	Rob Morrill, Alumni Trustee Partner, Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP Appointed September 2012 Rob Morrill specializes in mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters as a partner with Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP. He graduated from MSU Denver in 1997 with a degree in political science and from the University of Michigan Law School in 2001. Following law school, Morrill lived and practiced in Chicago. Since returning to Denver, he has re-engaged with MSU Denver, establishing the MSU Denver Pre-Law Scholarship Endowment and serving on the Alumni Association Board of Directors since 2008. He was named one of The M&A Advisor’s 2012 “40 Under 40” for the Western U.S. Region and was recognized by Colorado Super Lawyers magazine as one of Colorado's 2010 “Rising Stars”.
	Jesse Altum, Student Trustee Elected April 2012 (1-year term) Jesse Altum is a major in political science, with a minor in business economics and entrepreneurship with the Center for Innovation. He has been involved with MSU Denver’s Student Government Assembly since 2010, and most recently served as SGA president in 2011-12. He is involved in MSU Denver’s Urban Leadership Program as a member for two years and represents the program on the Student Scholar Board at the Colorado Leadership Alliance with the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. He is also vice chair of the Metro Student Media Board and represented MSU Denver on the Associated Students of Colorado Board of Directors. Outside of MSU Denver, Altum is also a board member for Alpine Leadership International and was on the MSU Denver Alumni Association Board. He served as an advisory board member at Young Americans Center for Financial Education, where he also worked previously. He also served as the co-chair of the Safe City Youth Leadership Team from 2006 to 2008 under the Denver Department of Safety to engage youth in their communities for change. He has owned two businesses, in clothing design and production and in electronic hardware engineering. He was the MSU Denver Center for Innovations 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year and won their 2011 Product Idea of the Year award as well. Jesse most recently studied aboard in Ethiopia at Axum University during summer 2012 with MSU Denver and through a state department grant awarded to the university. Altum hopes to get involved in politics and banking and attend law school.
	David Sullivan Ph.D., Faculty Trustee Elected May 2012 (One-year term) David Sullivan started at MSU Denver in 1995. He earned tenure in 2000 and became the chair of the Philosophy Department in 2003. Sullivan has been a member of the Faculty Senate, the Honors Council, the Letters Arts and Sciences’ Assessment and Grievance Committees as well as the Faculty Evaluation Task Force. He also is the vice president of the Auraria Faculty and Staff Club. Sullivan started his career at the College of the University of Chicago as a lecturer for the Humanities Collegiate Division, where he also earned his bachelor of arts degree. He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago.