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Community leaders with experience in education, business, philanthropy, and government.
Lance holds bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees from the University of Georgia. He joined PPSC in 2011 after serving as President of Northeastern Junior College (NJC), and prior to higher education his professional background included extensive experience in technical support and sales, as well as research and development for a Fortune 500 corporation. Lance has been an active community volunteer and board member for numerous non-profit organizations including the Chamber and EDC, the El Pomar Foundation Pikes Peak Regional Council, Discover Goodwill, and Atlas Preparatory Schools.
Vance is a graduate of Wake Forest and North Carolina University. He currently serves as Principal at Thrivers Leadership Institute, a mentoring, consulting, and speaking company for entrepreneurs and leaders. Prior to Thrivers, Vance was CEO of the National Cybersecurity Center, Founder of Cherwell, CEO of GoldMine Software Corporation, and Co-Founder of the Classical Academy Charter School. Vance was named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014 Award winner and is a student of what makes up a great company culture, entrepreneurship, and what gives meaning to life.
Deborah is a graduate of Howard University and has served as a leader in education for over 20 years. She has worked for Junior Achivement, served two terms on the Harrison School District Two board (including several years as President), and helped found Colorado Springs Early Colleges Charter School. Deborah has led Parents Challenge for nearly a decade, with a mission and passion to empower all parents to choose the school that is best for their children.
Bart is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, former Air Force officer, federal civil servant, venture capitalist and philanthropist. As a cadet at the USAFA, he was a varsity athlete, class president, Cadet Wing Commander and earned a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University. He was an industry leader for more than 20 years as a venture capitalist, and as a philanthropist founded the Dakota Foundation, a foundation dedicated to funding entrepreneurial, non-profit organizations that help people help themselves in achieving greater economic self-sufficiency.
Maureen is a graduate of Carlow College and University of Denver. Following a clerkship with Chief Justice Luis Rovira on the Colorado Supreme Court, she practiced municipal law for eight years with the Denver law firm of Gorsuch Kirgis LLP. Maureen now enjoys a robust practice of local government representation and has significant experience with complex intergovernmental agreements and commercial contracts, election matters, sales and use tax, and TABOR issues. She is a member of the Steering Committee for PlanCOS and serves as Commissioner for the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority.
Kelsey is a graduate of Scripps College and serves as the President and CEO of the Dakota Foundation. In this capacity she humbly collaborates with the foundation’s whip-smart board to pursue Program Related Investments (PRIs) that get the highest social return out of programs fostering self-sufficiency. Kelsey comes with a background in corporate event management and venture-backed start-ups, including helping to launch an e-commerce site and supporting the missions of social enterprise and B-corp companies.
Ryan is a graduate of Colorado College and Regis University, and serves as the Chief of Staff for the City of Colorado Springs. Prior to joining the City, he spent eight years in the private sector working for a global manufacturer, Holcim, working in procurement, commodities, project management and renewable energy. Ryan also serves on the Board and Executive Committee for the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance and is an honorary commander for the United States Air Force Academy.
