Meet The Team

Alyssa Chavez
Administrative Assistant

Alyssa Chavez is a part-time administrative assistant for YouthRoots while earning her bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Relations at the University of Colorado Denver. A YouthRoots alum, Alyssa has always had a passion for youth empowerment. At home, she enjoys spending time with her friends and her dog. Alyssa also has a love for traveling, reading, and movies. 

Aariyah Johnson
Youth Voice Specialist

Aariyah is an Activist and Youth philanthropist. She is a Colorado Native and alum of Eaglecrest High school. She is passionate about amplifying the voices of the youth and those in her communities. Since graduating she has engaged herself in many events around Public health and equity. In addition to her role with YouthRoots, Aariyah is a Youth leader with EYE For Prevention and a speaker.  She enjoys working in spaces centered around healing, expression, and equal opportunities in the workplace.

Jenn Ragain
YouthScan Implementation Manager

Jenn received her Masters of Social Work from the University of Denver in 2017 after completing her practicum with YouthRoots. Her expertise is in operations and program development with a passion for youth voice. In her spare time, she enjoys being outside with her partner and dog or snuggling with her cats. 

Anna Regan
GIV Program Manager

Anna (she/her) earned her Master of Arts in Teaching in 2020, and her Bachelors of Arts in Feminist and Gender Studies from Colorado College in 2018.  After teaching elementary and high school for 4 years in Denver and Aurora, she brings her passion for equity work and liberation to the YouthRoots team. Originally from the DC area, Anna has been in Colorado since 2014. She loves her cats, Goose and Lentil, being in the sunshine, and eating noodles of all varieties. 

Carla Manger
Council Program Manager

Carla discovered a passion for youth empowerment and social justice while serving with an AmeriCorps program in the San Luis Valley in 2016. This passion led her to earn a Master of Social Work at the University of Denver in 2023. At DU, she interned with YouthRoots and studied positive youth development, program development and evaluation, and social policy analysis. Carla enjoys running around the mountains with her dogs, playing games with her siblings, and eating lots of popcorn.

Sheila Van de Graaph
Executive Director

Sheila is a dedicated non-profit leader with over 12 years of experience in executive and strategic leadership. Her journey has taken her to 10 countries around the world where she's had the privilege of impacting communities and individuals. Sheila holds a Master of Arts in International Development and Development Economics from the University of Denver, a Master of Arts in Gender and Development Studies, and a BA in Anthropology from University of Nairobi.

 

Susie Roman
YouthScan Director

Susie Roman has been leading collaborative teams for 15+ years to advance the impact of nonprofit organizations in mental health, gender-based violence prevention, LGBTQ+ advocacy, positive youth development and social justice. Susie holds a master’s degree in Gender Studies from the University of British Columbia. When she is not working, Susie loves roller skating, dancing, aerial, lounging in hot tubs, and spending time with her friends and family.

Isaac Winchester
Grantmaking Coordinator

Isaac Winchester is a recent college graduate. He received recognition from his college for leading an initiative to rectify menstrual inequity on campus in 2021 and again for dedication to inclusive excellence in 2022. Isaac is a passionate proponent of lifelong learning and utilizing the expertise of youth today to improve the quality of tomorrow. He has participated in YouthRoots as a GIV fellow and YouthCharge facilitator. Offline, he enjoys watching scary movies and making playlists for every mood imaginable.

Angela Adams
Facilitator

Angela began working with youth in 2001 during her year with AmeriCorps. After moving to Cortez, CO with her husband in 2005, Angela went into the education sector and taught for 12 years. She enjoys spending time with her wonderful daughter and amazing family and friends, swimming in natural bodies of water, listening to music, dancing, cross country skiing, reading, watching movies, and traveling. Angela is currently a Program Coordinator at SCYC Listens.

Ann Kolbrek
Facilitator
Ann Kolbrek Is a CEI YouthCouncil Facilitator.
Joey Williams
Facilitator

Joey Williams is a Youth Action Council (Pueblo YouthBoard) Facilitator.

Javon Brame
Facilitator

Javon was born and raised in Colorado and grew up in Northeast Denver (Park Hill). He is ardent about advocating on behalf of others and being a conduit for the voices of constituencies, as well as seeking to disrupt traditional notions of philanthropy by giving his time, talent, treasure and testimony. He is the past board chair and grant chairman for Denver African American Philanthropists and served on the non-profit internship committee at the Denver Foundation. Most recently, Javon was appointed to serve as a founding advisory committee member for the Black Resilience in Colorado Fund (BRiC) at the Denver Foundation.

Sydney Zorensky
Facilitator

Sydney Zorensky is a Denver YouthCharge Facilitator

Melissa Heston
Facilitator

Melissa has more than 40 years' experience as a competitive athlete, fitness professional, and dance/theatre artist. She holds a BFA and MFA in Dance and has worked with several nonprofits, universities, and schools in the US in a variety of positions.  During her free time, Melissa enjoys partaking in outdoor activities - from gardening to hiking, biking, kayaking, and just sitting by water and watching the waves roll by. Melissa is the wife of Mary Kay Smith (a local business owner) and a mother of 3.

Board of Directors

Javon Brame
Board Member

Javon was born and raised in Colorado and grew up in Northeast Denver (Park Hill). He is ardent about advocating on behalf of others and being a conduit for the voices of constituencies, as well as seeking to disrupt traditional notions of philanthropy by giving his time, talent, treasure and testimony. He is the past board chair and grant chairman for Denver African American Philanthropists and served on the non-profit internship committee at the Denver Foundation. Most recently, Javon was appointed to serve as a founding advisory committee member for the Black Resilience in Colorado Fund (BRiC) at the Denver Foundation.

Brent Hubbell

Brent Hubbell grew up in Colorado and attended the University of Colorado at Boulder wh ere he earned a BS in Finance. Brent works as a Senior Vice President at FirstBank. He has spent his time volunteering for various non-profits. When Brent is not at work, he enjoys spending time with his family, attending sporting events, and traveling.

Miguel In Suk Lovato
Board Chair

Miguel has a bachelor’s in Psychology and a master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado-Denver. He has worked directly with low-income and at-risk youth in various capacities. Miguel currently works for the Donnell-Kay Foundation. At home, he enjoys watching Star Wars movies with his daughter.

Laura Mangels
Board Member

Laura lives in Richmond in the San Francisco Bay Area. She received her PhD in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley in 2018. Her research interests include structural inequality, racism, care-centered models for public safety, and mental health. She is currently a research fellow at the Colorado Children’s Campaign.

Katie Peterson
Vice Chair

Katie Peterson is a Senior Principal in Accenture’s Communications and High-tech Strategy practice. Her experience includes consulting to software and telecommunications companies where she has helped clients in the areas of growth strategy, go-to-market strategy and merger integration.

Lisa Rucker
Secretary

Lisa Rucker joined the Gates Family Foundation in April of 2014. She is the primary Foundation staff for the capital grants program, and oversees the Foundation's grant management system. Lisa is a graduate of Towson University in Maryland. In her free time, Lisa enjoys playing outside with her family and perfecting her Pho recipe.

Teah Selkin
Board Member

Teah is a rising junior at Columbia University studying Financial Economics with a concentration in Educational Studies. After serving on the South Denver YouthRoots Board from 2017 to 2019, she became passionate about leveraging education and philanthropy to drive positive social change. Teah is a strong advocate for youth empowerment and dedicates her time as a mentor to younger students in both Denver and New York.

Steve Szymanski
Treasurer

Steven grew up in Winnetka, Illinois and attended the University of Denver for business. After serving in Vietnam, he completed a 40 year career as a Commercial Real Estate Developer. Steven is married and has a daughter who is currently a CSU student.

Nina Vendhan
Board Member

Nina is a native of Colorado. She attended Kent Denver and later graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in economics and mathematics. She was the editor of two best-selling economics textbooks and is passionate about providing quality education to children worldwide. In addition to volunteering and fundraising in her local community, Nina has conducted award-winning economic research on how to improve India's school system. She is also an advisory council member of the inaugural Women and Girls of Color Fund. Nina enjoys skiing and hiking in her free time. 

Aimee Yan
Board Member

Aimee Yan is a first year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill pursuing degrees in Public Policy and Social and Economic Justice. Her time as a Jefferson County YouthBoard member and YouthRoots intern inspired her passion for social justice, equitable education access, and youth empowerment. She is involved in the community as a Development Officer for the Institute of Politics, volunteer for the Asian American Center, and research assistant studying the impacts of COVID-19 on first-generation college students. She spends her free time cooking, reading, and hammocking in the Rocky Mountains.