Board of Directors

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My name is Alex Hannum and I have been an Odyssey parent since the fall of 2020. This year our daughter Bria will be in Lori’s 4th Grade Crew and our son Maxwell will be in Anne’s First Grade Crew. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to see our kids learn, grow and thrive at Odyssey! I’ve been lucky enough to accompany both on adventure trips, where I’ve been able to see the Odyssey “Special Sauce” in action! In addition I’ve been a member of the Family Council since 2020, which my wife Sara will be co-chairing this year. Outside of Odyssey, I’m a Vice President/Senior Project manager for a large commercial roofing contractor that focuses on high end projects like hospitals, schools and prisons. In that role I get to lead multiple teams manage project budgets, to ensure they are completed on time and on budget. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Colorado State University and am a graduate of the Future Executives Institute, an intensive 3-year Masters level course at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. In our free time, our family loves to hike, visit the pool and enjoy relaxing evenings together watching movies.

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As a Professor of Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, I manage a research program focused on infectious disease biology and the immune response to infectious agents. My training includes a B.A. in Microbiology, a Ph.D. in Immunology, and postdoctoral studies on microbial pathogenic mechanisms. I have also been heavily involved in teaching and training of graduate and medical students and currently direct the University of Colorado Immunology graduate training program. My wife, our three children, and I enjoy camping, hiking, biking, and various other outdoors activities. We joined the Odyssey community in 2014 and I was elected a parent representative to the board in 2019. I transitioned to a community director in 2022.

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Dr. Melia Repko-Erwin joined Odyssey School Board in July 2024 as a Community Representative. She is an education researcher at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), specializing in literacy and language development, teacher professional learning, educator well-being, and education policy. She is committed to fostering more just and equitable learning opportunities for all students, and cultivating more humanizing, caring, and sustaining work environments for the teachers and leaders who serve them. In addition to her research experience, Melia has served as a PK-12 teacher and team lead, college instructor at the undergraduate and graduate levels, an instructional coach and teacher educator, and a school leader in Arizona, California, Washington, D.C., and Colorado. She earned her bachelor's degree from Penn State University, her master's degree from Stanford University, and her PhD in Literacy Studies and Research on Teaching and Teacher Education from the University of Colorado Boulder. Melia lives in Park Hill with her husband and two DPS middle schoolers.

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Emily Wheat is an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and a licensed clinical psychologist. She leads quality improvement initiatives aimed at reducing barriers to care, improving health outcomes, and advancing health equity, and is grateful to serve as a community representative on the Odyssey School of Denver Board. She is deeply committed to fostering healthy, supportive communities where all young people can thrive.

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