Four dynamic women founded Smart-Girl so future generations of girls would have the tools to successfully navigate the obstacles of adolescence and emerge confident and capable women.

Alma Lantz, Ph.D., Founder, President Emeritus and Board Member
Ms. Lantz holds a Ph.D. in the psychology of learning and statistics and is largely responsible for the development of Smart-Girl's session structure and plans. With an emphasis on women in math, science and technology, she has spent 20 years creating and evaluating educational and social programs for a broad assortment of agencies such as the Carnegie Foundation, the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institute for Education. Ms. Lantz is widely published, and she has long been involved in Colorado education. She serves on many state educational boards, is a trustee of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, and was the first Executive Director of Girls Count. Ms. Lantz earned her B.A. and M.S. from Denver University and her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Rutgers University.

Debra McKenney, Founder and Board Member
Ms. McKenney was a telecommunications executive providing vision and direction in for corporate and project missions, developing leading edge products and services, and defining objectives and strategic plans for market success. She supervised software development projects both nationally and internationally, and oversaw negotiations with key decision makers and policy planners. Ms. McKenney was a board member of US West Advanced Technologies and led a strategic development team to create the vision which led to the merger with Time Warner Telecommunications. She is passionate about helping young women succeed in business and in life, and she co-founded Smart-Girl to assist her daughters in making smart choices. She is an active philanthropist and community volunteer in many local nonprofit and youth serving organizations. Ms. McKenney has a B.S. in Marketing from Colorado State University.

Becky Orr, Founder
After 18 years in marketing and communication research with companies in the telecommunications, advertising, legal and consumer sectors, Ms. Orr currently provides communication and marketing research consulting services to organizations in both the profit and nonprofit arenas. She is active in community educational organizations, having served on the Rocky Mountain Children's Choir board and the Kepner Educational Excellence Program board.  She is also an affiliate faculty member in the M.B.A. and M.A. Communications programs at Regis University.  Ms. Orr holds a M.S. in communications from Iowa State University and is the mother of one smart daughter.

Kristine Shaw, M.B.A., Founder
Ms. Shaw combines her business savvy and her passion for youth mentoring in her leadership role with Smart-Girl. She was an Officer and Senior Vice President of Sales at DexMedia and on the executive team that orchestrated the leveraged buyout from Qwest Communications that formed DexMedia LLC. At Dex, she led more than 1,500 employees to achieve industry record growth with 1.6 billion in revenue. Ms. Shaw has won numerous honors for her business acumen, including being named one of Colorado's “Top 40 Under 40” by Denver Business Journal and earning membership in the “Committee of 200,” an organization of the nation's most powerful female executives. She received her M.B.A. from the University of Denver.

Smart-Girl is operated by a diverse and dedicated group of professionals. Their responsibilities fall into four committees: Programs, Development, Finance and Marketing.

Edric Starbird, M.B.A., Chair
Mr. Starbird is Managing Partner of Starbird & Associates, a boutique management consulting firm. Prior to creating his own company, he served as Executive Director for US West and was Vice President of Operations for MediaOne and Verio. He also worked for the consulting firms A.T. Kearney/EDS-MGMT and Ernst and Young. He has expertise in all aspects of corporate operations from product development to marketing and sales. Mr. Starbird received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his M.B.A. from Columbia Business School. He is the father of three daughters.

Abby Ferber, Ph.D., Program Chair
Dr. Ferber is Professor of Sociology and of Women's and Ethnic Studies, as well as Director of The Matrix Center for the Advancement of Social Equity and Inclusion at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.  In 2005, she received the university's Community Service Award, and in 2007, the college's Outstanding Research Award.  She has published seven books and numerous articles on the issues of gender, race and sexuality, and writes a blog for the Huffington Post.  She is active on several committees and boards centered on women, girls, diversity and volunteerism.  Dr. Ferber received her B.A. from American University and her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Oregon .

Stephanie Ohnmacht
A partner at Starbird & Associates, Ms. Ohnmacht specializes in marketing operations. She was a marketing executive at MyFinancialAdvice.com, ICG Communications and Media One Group. Dedicated to the nonprofit sector, she is also involved with Metro Volunteers and is former co-chair of the Impact Advisory Council. Ms. Ohnmacht graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a B.A. in Business Administration. She is honored to be a part of an organization that provides young girls the skills and role-models they need to become empowered and self-reliant.

Robin Glickstein, Ed.M.
Ms. Glickstein is a Research Associate with Beatrix Research and Consulting, LLC, focusing on strategy and creative development for companies such as Proctor and Gamble, Hallmark Cards, Inc. and Think Like a Genius. In addition to Smart-Girl, she serves on the board of Rose Women's Organization and is an active volunteer for the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado. Ms. Glickstein received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado and earned her master's in educational technology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has a daughter who wants to grow up to be a really smart girl.

Mary Coussons-Read, Ph.D, Vice Chair
Dr. Coussons-Read is Associate Dean for Research and Curriculum in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado, Denver. She is a recognized scholar in behavioral science and a proven leader in organizational development and communication. A special focus of her career is the fostering of undergraduate research and the incorporation of experiential and service learning into undergraduate programs. Dr. Coussons-Read has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles in behavioral and health science and has over 15 years of mentoring experience. She is an award-winning teacher and scholar with a broad and deep skill set at both the faculty and administrative levels of the higher education system. She received her Ph.D. in Biopsychology and Neurobiology from the University of North Carolina. Dr. Coussons-Read has been twice nominated for CASE Professor of the Year, and has received college and campus-wide awards for both service and teaching.

Jeannine Carter
Ms. Carter has been a consultant and trainer in the diversity and organizational change fields for over 15 years. She has helped numerous organizations implement their cultural change efforts by providing organizational change and diversity consulting services. Her experience includes managing large organizational change initiatives; conducting cultural assessments; training client internal facilitators and conducting one-on-one and group training for a variety of profit and non-profit organizations in across industries. Jeannine started her career at IBM in San Francisco. She then decided to follow one of her passions, which is working in the area of diversity and multi-culturalism, and co-founded The Kaleidoscope Group. She also held senior management positions at Deloitte & Touche and Monster.com. She has established strategic partnerships with key firms, such as Red Bead Solutions Consulting, and continues to do her life’s work. She is a highly sought after speaker and panelist on the topic of diversity and inclusion. She has extensive international experience including having lived in Germany as a child and studying in Italy and Germany while completing her undergraduate work. She has a B.A. in international relations from Stanford University and is a graduate of Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management. She is very involved in various charity organizations and schools. She is also the mother of a beautiful daughter and dedicated to inspiring young girls, and enhancing their confidence and self-esteem and assisting them with developing the appropriate coping skills to deal with life's challenges.

Erin Landeck, M.S., C.P.A., Treasurer
Ms. Landeck has 18 years of experience working in nonprofit organizations as an accountant, consultant, author, instructor and publisher. Currently, she owns her own business providing editing and management-consulting services for nonprofits and small businesses. Ms. Landeck is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver, where she teaches nonprofit financial management and fundraising in the Graduate School of Social Work. Her community involvement focuses on leadership and economic self-sufficiency for women and girls through organizations such as Smart-Girl, Denver Kids and the Women's Foundation of Colorado. She is a Certified Public Accountant with an undergraduate degree in business management from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a M.S. in accounting from the University of Colorado, Denver.

Kevin Kearney, Marketing and Development Chair
Mr. Kearney, past founder and Corporate Executive Officer for Point-of-View Survey Systems, and past President and operating partner for the Liver Research Institute, has been integrating computer technologies and healthcare for more than 20 years.  His expertise is in collecting end-user-derived data and in partnering with clinicians to bring healthcare professionals credible and useful patient surveys.  Recently retired, he is currently involved with starting a sports apparel business. Mr. Kearney is married and has four children ranging in age from ten to twenty-five.

Michael Mirabella, Esq., Treasurer
An attorney with Overturf & McGath, P.C., Mr. Mirabella has a long and successful career serving the Front Range in the arenas of general liability defense, insurance law and commercial litigation. He argues before all the state and federal courts in Colorado and is admitted to practice at the highest level – the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Mirabella represents some of the nation's largest insurance carriers and his professional affiliations include the Defense Research Institute, the Colorado Defense Lawyers Association, the Colorado Bar Association and the Second Judicial District Bar Association. A longtime Colorado resident, Mr. Mirabella earned his Juris Doctorate at the University Of Colorado School Of Law and his undergraduate degree at the University of Denver.

Sue Seserman
Ms. Seserman is Principal of The Mighty Pen, a public relations and communications consulting firm. She was Public Relations Director for LucasArts Entertainment Company, the interactive entertainment arm of Lucasfilm, Ltd., in San Rafael, CA. At LucasArts, Ms. Seserman developed the company's communication and media strategy, wrote marketing and public relations materials and supervised the execution of events and trade show participation. She also served as Senior Account Executive for Edelman Public Relations in Chicago focusing on sports marketing. Ms. Seserman earned her B.S. in communications and her M.S. in journalism and corporate public relations from Northwestern University. She has twin middle school-aged daughters who know first hand how beneficial Smart-Girl skills can be.

Nell Rivera
Mrs. Rivera is the owner and event extraordinaire for Stellar Events, LLC, a boutique event planning firm. Prior to starting her own business, she worked as the Development Manager of Individual Giving and Major Gifts Manager at the Children’s Museum of Denver. In addition to planning events, her experience includes building relationships with donors, managing gifts from procurement to acknowledgement, fostering corporate relationships, marketing, sales, and strategic planning. Mrs. Rivera received her B.F.A. from Indiana University, Bloomington, and continues to make art a prolific part of her life through photography, graphic design, and painting. Mrs. Rivera is dedicated to many organizations focussed on women and children’s issues, Smart Girl being the most paramount.

Liliana Flores
Ms. Flores is a Denver native and a Colorado College alumna. She graduated with a degree in Anthropology and two minors in Spanish and American Cultural Studies. During her time in Colorado Springs she worked as a program assistant for the Pikes Peak Immigrant and Refugee Collaborative. Ms. Flores has also held various student leadership positions at Colorado College. She also participated in a three week service-learning trip to India where the focus was health education. She is a member of the 2009 Circle of Latina Leadership class. Liliana has also recently become a volunteer Writing Coach for College Summit which strengthens college-going culture and increases college enrollment rates among low-income and minority students. She is presently the Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator for Latina Initiative.

Karen Silverman, Executive Director
Ms. Silverman has spent her professional and volunteer life working to improve the lives of children and families in Colorado. For many years, Ms. Silverman lobbied on domestic violence and child welfare issues and served on many state committees. She comes to Smart-Girl with a wealth of experience in human services and education issues including teen parenting and early childhood education. She has served as the executive director of several Colorado nonprofit organizations and is excited to bring her experience and enthusiasm to Smart-Girl. She holds a BA from the University of Colorado and a JD from the George Washington University School of Law. She is the mother of two daughters and can’t wait for them to be old enough to participate in Smart-Girl programs.

Sameen DeBard, Director of Programs
When Ms. DeBard was introduced to the Smart-Girl program as a guide in 1999, she discovered her passion for working with youth.  Inspired by the program's impact, she stayed active in the organization while earning her Business Administration and Management degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. With Smart-Girl, she has been a group facilitator, program coach, public speaker, and now, Director of Programs. She is a Smart-Girl trainer with the Leadership Institute, teaching positive youth development, leadership, facilitation and program management skills. She had a significant role in the development of the training manual, implementation guide and other publication materials. In 2007, Ms. DeBard was featured as one of six positive role models of the year in Denver Woman Magazine. 

Rhonda Williams, Program Director
Ms. Williams has been in public education for 25 years. She is Program Director for Smart-Girl in Colorado Springs, where she helped to develop the training manual and curriculum. Currently an Assistant Professor in Counseling and Human Services at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, she helps school districts to implement the American School Counselor Association national standards. Her areas of focus are counseling programming, experiential education, cultural competency and gender issues. She has been very involved in state and national school counseling associations, serving as President for the Colorado School Counselor Association and Kansas School Counselor Association. She has received Colorado Middle School Counselor of the Year and National Middle School Counselor of the Year.

Liz Otero, Office Manager
A Denver native, Ms. Otero recently moved back to Colorado after earning her B.A. in Social Movement Theory and Politics from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. She was the recipient of the Joanne Woodard Scholarship in Public Policy, studied for a semester at the University of Havana, and hopes to attend law school in the next several years. She has worked with organizations such as the Institute for Policy Alternatives, The World Organization for the Right of the People to Health Care, SEIU-1199 Health Care Workers' Union, ACORN, Working Families Party and Planned Parenthood Federation of America.