Colorado Campus Compact

Paul Alexander is Director of the Institute on the Common Good at Regis University. He has extensive experience in facilitating community dialogue and collaborative processes and teaches in both the CPS School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Regis College Departments of Religious Studies and Peace and Justice. He served for eight years as the Degree Chair for the Master of Nonprofit Management Program (MNM) at Regis and has over twenty years experience in the nonprofit sector. He has traveled extensively and lived and worked in Spain and Latin America. Alexander serves on the boards of Advocates for Younger Generations, Colorado Campus Compact, the Colorado Nonprofit Loan Fund, and the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation. He also serves as an advisor to Governor Hickenlooper on public engagement for statewide public policy development. He has a BA from Williams College, an MA in Economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Ph.D. in Community Dialogue from the Union Institute and University.

Paul Baumann is Director of ECS’ National Center for Learning and Citizenship. Paul earned his Ph.D. in Education Policy from the University of Maryland (UMD) – College Park, where his research focused on issues of teacher quality, teacher education and teacher compensation. Prior to attending UMD, Paul taught vocal music for 10 years at a private high school in suburban Maryland and in the District of Columbia Public Schools. He was elected to two terms on the Board of Directors of the Organization of American Kodály Educators, a national professional association of music educators, and served as its Secretary from 2002-07.

As Assistant Director for Parks, Wildlife and Lands, Lisa Dale works to develop and implement policy regarding parks, wildlife and forestry resources. She advises and coordinates with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Colorado State Land Board, the Colorado State Forest Service, and the Governor’s Office.

With a background in environmental policy, Lisa completed her graduate work in 2003 and went to work for The Wilderness Society, where she conducted post-doctoral research on the National Fire Plan. From there, she went on to serve as the Director of Governmental Affairs for the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition, a state-federal coalition of forest managers. Returning to academia in 2006, she taught full time at the University of Denver for five years, offering courses that included Public Lands Management, The Global Politics of Climate Change, and Global Environmental Policy.

In 2010 she came to work for the State of Colorado, initially as the Legislative Program Director for the (then) Division of Wildlife. Lisa is a published author, having written several peer-reviewed articles and a textbook on environmental policy. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, a Master’s from Regis University, and a Ph.D. in environmental policy from Colorado State University.

On December 1, 2011, Lesley A. Di Mare became the 14th president of Colorado State University – Pueblo. Dr. Di Mare earned a bachelor’s degree in theatre arts from California State University Chico (1972), a master’s degree in speech communication from California State University Hayward, East Bay (1981), and a Ph.D. in speech communication from Indiana University (1984).

Before becoming the first permanent female president in CSU-Pueblo’s history, Di Mare served as the Interim President & CEO at Nevada State College after first serving for three years at the Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs. While at NSC, Di Mare spearheaded a number of initiatives to enhance the college’s academic standing and visibility in the community. Working with faculty and administration, she developed NSC’s Standards of Academe which provides the campus community clear expectations and criteria for making progress towards promotion and tenure as well as merit. Dr. Di Mare also led the development of the Technology Fellows Institute, a program that affords faculty and staff the opportunity to produce and deliver innovative pedagogy in the classroom through technology. As the college’s chief academic officer, Di Mare was also responsible for overseeing the institution’s path towards accreditation.

Before joining NSC as provost, Dr. Di Mare held administrative positions at California State University Los Angeles and at Arizona State University where she served as Department Chair of Communication Studies for eleven years, Interim Dean of the College of Human Services for two years, and Associate Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies for two years. In her administrative capacity, Dr. Di Mare implemented the Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, the Communication Learning Assessment Lab, and the Japan Business Library.

She has published articles on American and Japanese communication styles, gender and communication, and rhetoric and persuasion. Dr. Di Mare has worked closely with many community agencies and consulted with the Japan External Trade Organization (Los Angeles), the Ministry of International Trade (Tokyo), and other international organizations. She was a visiting fellow at Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK and at the Japan Studies Institute, San Diego State University, 2003. From 1988-1990, Dr. Di Mare served as Communications Advisor to the Representative of the Nagano Prefecture, JETRO.

When Andy Dorsey became FRCC’s seventh president on July 1, 2009, it was another milestone in his journey of service to the college and its communities. Dorsey joined FRCC in 1993 as an instructor, teaching psychology and economics at the Boulder County Campus. He also has served as a member of the faculty (and was named Boulder County Master Teacher of the Year in 1999), chair of the Arts and Communications department, associate dean of instruction and director of online learning, dean of instruction, and associate vice president for advancement. Before becoming the president of FRCC, Dorsey was vice president of the Westminster Campus/North Metro Area and chief academic officer.

Among Dorsey’s many accomplishments is launching Gateway to College at FRCC, a program to help young people who have recently dropped out of high school (or are at risk of dropping out) simultaneously earn a high school diploma and work toward a college degree. FRCC’s Gateway to College was the first such program in Colorado—and one of 18 programs nationally when it was instituted in the fall of 2008.

Dorsey also helped create two other key high school partnerships: Front Range Early College with the Mapleton School District and an extensive Post-Secondary Education Options program with Adams District 14. In 2005, he helped with much of the planning to found the Adams County Education Consortium, a partnership between Adams County school districts, community organizations, community colleges, and the business community designed to teach skills in school that better prepare Adams County students for the workforce.

Before joining FRCC, Dorsey worked in a variety of capacities at the YWCA of Boulder County, including finance director and executive director. He has been a legislative director for an Ohio congressman and worked in research and development in the recycling and energy field.

Dorsey earned a Bachelor of Arts (magna cum laude) in economics and an MBA from Harvard University. He also earned a Master of Arts in counseling psychology from Lesley College in Denver. He is a board member of the Metro North Chamber of Commerce, the St. Anthony’s North Foundation, and the Adams County Education Consortium.

John P. Fitzgibbons, S.J., is the 24th President of Regis University in Denver, CO. Fr. Fitzgibbons was the Associate Provost for Faculty Development at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, a post he held until June 1, 2012. He served on the University of San Francisco Board of Trustees from June 2001 through June 2008. In addition, he was elected to the Gonzaga University Board of Trustees in July 2008 and continues to serve. John joined the John Carroll University Board of Directors in December 2011. He served as Vice President for Administration and Interim Dean of the College of Professional Studies at USF from June 2007 to June 2009.

He was appointed Superior and Director of Novices at the Novitiate of the North American Martyrs in St. Paul, MN, from 2001-2006. Father Fitzgibbons taught English at Marquette University from 1993 to 1996 and at Creighton University from 1996 to 2001. While at Creighton, he was Director of the Jesuit Humanities Program and served on the Executive Council of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Fr. Fitzgibbons holds a Ph.D. in English from Loyola University Chicago; an S.T.M. in moral theology from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley; an M.Div. from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology; an M.A. in English from the University of Chicago; and, a B.A. in philosophy and English from Saint Louis University.

He entered the Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus in 1973. He was ordained a priest in 1985. He continues to be active in research scholarship, especially in the relationship of religion and culture.

Dr. Michele Haney is the president of Red Rocks Community College, and has been with Colorado Community Colleges since 1992. Since joining RRCC in 2008, Dr. Haney has worked to improve the creative use of technology and web-based resources to expand teaching and learning opportunities. RRCC has also taken the lead on a plan to facilitate a seamless transition of high school students into dual enrollment programs in all the counties that RRCC serves. The renewable energy programs at RRCC have rapidly expanded over the past two years, gaining recognition from both the Colorado Governor and City of Lakewood. During Dr. Haney’s tenure, grant funding has significantly increased, including hundreds of thousands of dollars to support workforce development in the energy fields and jobs for veterans. Between 2008 and 2010, enrollment at RRCC has increased by over 35%. In addition, retention, graduation, and minority enrollment have increased.

Prior to RRCC, Dr. Haney served in vice president and chief executive officer roles at Front Range Community College from 1992 to 2003. From 2003 to 2007, Dr. Haney served as president of Morgan Community College, with the state's largest service area of 11,500 square miles. During Dr. Haney’s time at Morgan, the college ranked number one in the state for retention and graduation rates within the community system.

Rev. Michael J. Sheeran, S.J., Host, has served as the president of Regis University since 1993, and prior to that served as academic vice president since 1982. Fr. Sheeran received his doctorate in politics from Princeton University in 1977. He entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1957 and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1970. He also holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology and in Philosophy, master’s degrees in political science and Moral and Pastoral Theology, and a bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Letters, all from St. Louis University. A former chair of Mile High United Way, Fr. Sheeran has served on the boards of Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Rockhurst College, Creighton University, and the University of San Francisco. He is currently a board member of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. Throughout his 17 years as Regis University President, Fr. Sheeran has taken special pride in promoting service learning through the course options in all three colleges of the University.

Dr. Svaldi is a Colorado native. He was born in Grand Junction Colorado and graduated from Grand Junction High School. He graduated from Mesa Junior College in 1968. Dr. Svaldi completed his BA degree with honors in English and Speech at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley in 1970. He accepted a Graduate Fellowship at UNC and earned an MA in Speech Communication in 1972. That year he was appointed an Instructor in Communication Studies at Washburn University of Topeka.

In the fall of 1976, Dr. Svaldi accepted a Graduate Fellowship at Northwestern University in Evanston where he studied for his PhD and coached a National Championship Debate squad. Between 1979 and 1995 he taught and successfully coached intercollegiate debate at several Colleges and Universities. During this time he also completed his PhD (1983) at Northwestern and published an award-winning book and several articles. In 1986, Dr. Svaldi and his family moved to Alamosa and Adams State College, where he earned tenure and was promoted to Full Professor in 1989. While at ASC, Dr. Svaldi was active in faculty governance, serving in several faculty leadership roles including Faculty Trustee of the State Colleges in Colorado. In 1996 he was selected as American Council of Education Fellow and spent the year studying leadership in American Higher Education. Upon his return to ASC in 1997, he was appointed Vice President of Academic Affairs and served as VPAA and Provost until January of 2006. After serving as Interim President, he was appointed President of Adams State College in June of 2006.

Dr. Jill M. Tiefenthaler is the thirteenth president of Colorado College. Before becoming president of Colorado College, she served as provost and professor of Economics at Wake Forest University. During her tenure there she led a strategic planning process, which culminated in the University’s 10-year strategic plan, “The Collegiate University.” She also instituted several major initiatives, including the administrative realignment of the University’s two business schools under the leadership of one dean; enhancement of the undergraduate admissions process which resulted in more than a 50 percent increase in applications; the capping of loans to Wake Forest’s neediest undergraduates; and the development of many institutes and interdisciplinary research centers.

Prior to Wake Forest, President Tiefenthaler taught economics at Colgate University from 1991 to 2007, during which time she also served many administrative roles. Her research interests focus on labor economics, economics of the family and development economics. Some of her academic work has been cross-cultural and includes studies conducted in the Philippines and Brazil, including a study for the World Bank in the 90s.

Tiefenthaler has also been a leader in university/community engagement. She was founding director of Colgate’s Upstate Institute, designed to bring together the resources of Colgate with the needs of the region. She was also on the board of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, a community group that raises funds for the arts, provides educational opportunities, strengthens cultural resources, and aides in economic development.

President Tiefenthaler has characterized her first year plans at Colorado College as a ‘Year of Listening.’ She says, “My most important goal in the first year is to understand the college and really listen to a lot of different people. Every culture is so different…A year of listening is critical, to understand our greatest strengths, our blemishes, and our opportunities for the future.”

Tiefenthaler is married to Kevin Rask, a college research professor at Colorado College. They have two children, Olivia, 13, and Owen, 10.

John Trujillo is a Senior Portfolio Manager for the Colorado and Arizona regions. Mr. Trujillo is responsible for the portfolio construction of institutional and high-net worth individual client accounts. Additionally, he is also a voting member of the UMB Asset Allocation Committee.
Mr. Trujillo earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from the University of Denver, and a master's degree in business administration from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida.
In addition to his work with CCC, Mr. Trujillo currently serves as the treasurer, executive committee member and investment committee member for the Arapahoe Community College Foundation. He also is a member of the Investment Committee for the Women's Foundation of Colorado, and supports INROADS, Inc., a national organization which develops and places talented underserved youth in businesses to prepare them for corporate and community leadership.