Four dynamic women founded Smart-Girl so that future generations of girls would have the tools and skills necessary to navigate the obstacles of adolescence and emerge confident and capable young women.
Alma Lantz, Founder, President Emeritus and Board Member
Ms. Lantz holds a PhD 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 BA and MS from Denver University and her PhD in Experimental Psychology from Rutgers University.
Debra McKenney, Founder and Board Member
Ms. McKenney was an executive in the telecommunications industry, providing vision and direction in formulating and articulating corporate and project missions, developing leading edge products and services, and defining objectives and strategic plans for market success. She supervised telecommunications software development projects both nationally and internationally, and oversaw negotiations with key executive decision makers and international 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 organizations and youth serving programs. Ms. McKenney has a BS 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 non-profit arenas. She is active in community and local 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 MBA and MA Communications programs at Regis University. Ms. Orr holds a MS in communications from Iowa State University and is the mother of one smart daughter.
Kristine Shaw, Founder and Board Chair
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 MBA 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, Vice 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 MBA from Columbia Business School. He is the father of three daughters.
Stephanie Ohnmacht, Treasurer
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 non-profit 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 BA 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.
Abby Ferber, Programs Chair
Dr. Ferber is Professor of Sociology, Director of Women's Studies and former Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Diversity and Development for the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. She also is Director of The Matrix Center for the Advancement of Social Equity and Inclusion. In 2005 she received the university's Community Service Award. She has published five books and numerous articles on gender and race issues, and is active on several other committees and boards centered on women, girls, diversity and volunteerism. Ms. Ferber has her BA from American University and her MS and PhD from the University of Oregon.
Christina Carosella, Development Chair
As the President of Bold Strategies, Ms. Carosella helps companies create innovative strategies, lead operational turnarounds, and increase profitability while improving productivity. She was formerly Senior Vice President for GE Capital, the financial services division of General Electric, where she managed a business unit with over 40 million in net income. Ms. Carosella has more than 20 years of experience volunteering for non-profit organizations in the areas of financial literacy, leadership development for women and girls, education, domestic violence and child abuse. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Saint Louis University with a degree in organizational psychology. Ms. Carosella joined the Smart-Girl board because she's committed to helping girls develop the self-esteem and confidence to become leaders.
Robin Glickstein, Marketing Chair
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.
Sue Seserman, Public Relations Lead
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 and edutainment 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 BS in communications and her MS in journalism and corporate public relations from Northwestern University. She has twin middle school-aged girls who know first hand how beneficial Smart-Girl skills can be.
Melanie Gilbert, Secretary
Ms. Gilbert is a District Court Magistrate for the Denver Juvenile Court presiding over dependency and neglect, juvenile delinquency and truancy cases. She works to order appropriate services for children and their families in an effort to steer them toward being productive members of the community. Previously, Magistrate Gilbert was a Deputy District Attorney in Arapahoe County. She has a B.A. in Women's Studies and Sociology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and her Juris Doctorate from the University Of Denver School Of Law. She has a passion for the issues that face young girls in this community and believes that Smart-Girl is helping young women grow to be strong, independent and self-confident leaders
Mary Coussons-Read
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 PhD 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.
Rashin D'Angelo
Ms. D'Angelo is a highly organized and self motivated professional with strong leadership skills. Currently a Senior Account Manager for BCBGirls footwear, a women's fashion brand, she has more than 18 years of experience in sales, management and brand development. Her skills have been employed by numerous well-known retailers, including Nordstrom and Kenneth Cole. The mother of a Smart-Girl graduate, Ms. D'Angelo brings her professional strengths in leadership and creativity to the development of Smart-Girl programs. Ms. D'Angelo has a MA in Spiritual Psychology, and is working on her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute.
Kevin Kearney
Mr. Kearney, Corporate Executive Officer for Point-of-View Survey Systems, has in integrating computer technologies and healthcare for more than 18 years. His expertise is in collecting end-user-derived data and in partnering with clinicians to bring healthcare professionals credible and useful patient surveys. Data from these surveys enables physicians to efficiently analyze patient-reported information in real time to effectively measure and manage patient outcomes. Mr. Kearney is also President and operating partner for the Liver Research Institute. Mr. Kearney is married and has four children ranging in age from nine to twenty-five.
Michael Mirabella, Esq.
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.
Vivian Vanden Oever
Ms. Vanden Oever is a committed leader with a background in sales and marketing, specifically in developing strategies and tactics which drive accountability and results. She has over 25 years of experience in the yellow pages and wireless industries, which includes sales management , product management, marketing, sales training and strategic selling . She is a proven communicator with well-developed presentation and negotiation skills and the ability to unify while maintaining a balance of high energy and results. Her knowledge of diverse markets helps to bring Smart-Girl's programming to girls of many cultures. She is fluent in Spanish, and earned her degree from Regis University.
Nicky Marone, CEO
Ms. Marone has dedicated her career to improving the status of girls and women worldwide. She is a recognized expert, national speaker and respected author of four books on resilience in girls and women. Her books are published in 11 languages and have worldwide distribution. Ms. Marone was a guest on Oprah and was featured in the New York Times and USA Today, as well as many additional broadcast and print outlets. She won the Boulder Chamber of Commerce “Women Who Light Up the Community” Award, and her YWCA program to graduate teen mothers in the public schools won the NOVA Award for “Innovations in Education” from the Community Foundation of Boulder County. Ms. Marone has her MA in Education from the University of Denver.
Sameen Noorulamin, Director of Programs
When Ms. Noorulamin was introduced to the Smart-Girl program 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 and writing of the training manual, implementation guide and other publication materials. In 2007, Ms. Noorulamin was featured as one of six positive role models of the year in Denver Woman Magazine. She plans to obtain her MBA with a focus in nonprofit.
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 as an Assistant Professor in Counseling and Human Services at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, she is the school counselor program coordinator where 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.
