Odyssey Board Matrix 2014-2015 Board Composition
On-Boarding 2014
Amanda Brown
Community Representative - Vice President - Augenblick, Palaich & Associates (APA)
board@odysseydenver.orgAmanda Brown recently joined the Odyssey School Board in July 2020 as a Community Representative. Amanda is Vice President and an owner at Augenblick, Palaich and Associates (APA), a Denver-based consulting firm. Over the past fifteen years she has worked nationally to develop equitable and adequate school finance systems and address education policy issues, including working in Colorado and with metro area districts. She previously served as a board member at PS1 Charter School in DPS between 2009 and 2011. Amanda holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Colorado, Denver, and Bachelor’s degrees in Advertising and Sociology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Amanda and her husband live in Park Hill with their four-year-old daughter. They love living in the city and taking advantage of all Denver has to offer.
Christina Carlson, Chair
Community Representative - CEO - Urban Peak
board@odysseydenver.orgChristina is the CEO at Urban Peak. Before joining Urban Peak, Christina served as the Vice President of Development at The Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Prior to that, she worked as the Director of Development at DSST Public Schools and the Executive Director of the Family & Intercultural Resource Center in Summit County, Colorado. Christina’s professional background includes teaching, child protection case work, and fundraising. She has served on numerous non-profit boards and is currently the Chair of The Civic Canopy. She is passionate about education and creating inclusive equitable learning environments for all children. Christina was named Newsmaker of the Year in 2005 by the Summit Daily for her work surrounding immigrant integration. She holds a B.A. in Art History from Willamette University and an M.S.W. from The University of Denver. Christina spends her free time with her family which includes her children John and Samson.
Alison Hadden
Program Officer
board@odysseydenver.orgAlison Hadden is a 2021 addition to the Odyssey School Board as a Parent Director. Alison is currently a Program Officer managing the grant portfolio of the John F. and Mary A. Geisse Foundation, a foundation focused on supporting organizations that have demonstrated success in breaking the cycle of extreme poverty in the developing world. She partners with domestic NGOs working internationally in the education, justice, agriculture, and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) sectors. Alison also enjoys teaching group fitness classes part time at The Fit Collective in Denver. Before her current work, Alison was a Kindergarten teacher in both private and public Denver schools. She holds a Masters in Educational Psychology from CU Denver, a BA in Psychology from the University of Denver, and received her teacher training through the Stanley British Teacher Preparation Program. Alison lives in the Cole neighborhood with her 4 children, 3 of whom are currently attending Odyssey (Medea, Wendell, and Pax). Their family enjoys biking, hiking, art projects, spending time with their animals, and generally trying to take advantage of what Denver and the mountains of Colorado have to offer.
Travis Haley, Treasurer
Community Representative - Manager of Investments & Transactions
board@odysseydenver.orgTravis Haley joined the board as an independent community representative in early 2018 after becoming interested in Odyssey’s mission through a friend, a parent of an Odyssey student. Travis works for the Colorado Department of Revenue managing investments and transactions for the marijuana industry. Travis’ prior experience includes Main Street Capital as a Managing Director and Ernst & Young. He has served in various board capacities for non-profits, including educational institutions with non-traditional curricula, and he is highly supportive of EL. Travis has a Masters in Accounting and a Bachelors in Business from Trinity University. Travis resides nearby to Odyssey with his two children and two dogs, Cooper and Kimmy Gibbler.
Jonathan Helfgott
Community Representative - Asst. Attorney General Consumer Protection
board@odysseydenver.org
Hyungjoon Jin
7th/8th Grade Science Teacher
hyungjoon@odysseydenver.orgHyungjoon (he/him/his) is a humane educator and the 7/8th grade science teacher at Odyssey School of Denver. He has previously taught at international schools in Asia and Central America, as well as worked and consulted for various nonprofit organizations, from supporting professional development of educators to developing permaculture projects. He is passionate about social justice, human rights, and protecting and restoring the environment.
Brian Johnson
5th/6th Grade Math Teacher
brian@odysseydenver.org
Laurel Lenz
Parent Representative - Professor
board@odysseydenver.orgI grew up in Kansas and obtained a B.A. in Microbiology from Kansas State University before heading off to Seattle to complete a Ph.D. in Immunology then to Berkeley for postdoctoral studies. I moved to Denver for a faculty position in 2004 and was promoted to the rank of full Professor at University of Colorado School of Medicine in 2015. My day job primarily involves training professional and graduate students and running an externally-funded research lab focused on defining how inflammatory and immune responses are regulated in the context of infections and other diseases.
Outside of work, I enjoy camping, hiking, biking, and pretty much anything else done outdoors or in the company of my wife, Carrie, and our three children. Our family has been a part of the Odyssey community since 2014. The expeditionary learning model and focus on fostering a love of learning and growth of the whole child initially brought us to Odyssey. Our participation in the adventure program and other activities here has enabled us to witness firsthand the empowering of our children and their crew-mates. It has also been inspiring to see the commitment of Odyssey's families and staff towards sustaining this wonderful community and school. As a parent representative on the Board of Directors I have the opportunity to work with other members of the community to help ensure that Odyssey School of Denver continues to excel as an EL institution that educates and grows children to their fullest potential.
Danielle Lucas-Adam
Manager of Academics
board@odysseydenver.orgDanielle supports curriculum and development at an elementary charter network in Denver and Aurora. She specializes in early literacy and has worked in schools and educational non-profits in Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Denver. Danielle recently spent some time teaching at an expeditionary school in Denver and is thrilled to have her two kids attending Odyssey! Danielle and her family love biking to all the amazing spaces near their South City Park home, hanging with their quarantine pup, Hank, and enjoying time with friends and neighbors.
Keri Melmed
Community Representative - Executive Director High Point Academy
board@odysseydenver.orgKeri Melmed is High Point Academy’s Executive Director. She has been working in education for over 25 years, both as a classroom teacher and in school leadership; in various schools in California, New York, and Colorado. Since Fall of 2013, Keri has led the High Point Academy community. Prior to High Point Academy, Keri was a school leader in DPS and most notably was the Administrative Director at Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning (RMSEL). RMSEL is a flagship Expeditionary Learning school as well as a hub of innovation focused on student character development and building strong school culture. Keri saw firsthand the ways EL empower staff and families to work together to ensure that the needs of students are met academically, socially, and emotionally to graduate passionate civic minded individuals. Ms. Melmed graduated Magna Cum Laude in history from University of Colorado, Boulder and later attended Columbia University, Teachers College where she earned her Master of Arts degree in Education. Keri has two boys that share her love of mountain biking, skiing, and hiking. Her husband is a ceramic artist and teaches visual arts at Smoky Hill High School in Aurora.
Yumi Perkins, Secretary
Community Representative - Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist
board@odysseydenver.orgI am thrilled to be entering my 4th board term at Odyssey. I have always admired Odyssey as an inspiration for EL schools around the country. I am eager to continue to support the school's passion for adventure, diversity, and character building. I currently work at BehavioralSight, a boutique behavioral science business consultancy. Prior to that, I was the Director of Counseling at Annunciation Catholic School (also a proud EL school) for 7 years. I live in Central Park with my husband and two kids (8 and 6). I have a BA in economics from Colorado College and a MA in counseling psychology from the University of Denver.
Meredith Wenskoski, Past-Chair
Parent Representative - President at Livable Cities Studio, Inc.
board@odysseydenver.orgMeredith joined the Board as a Parent Representative in 2018. She is the President of Livable Cities Studio, Inc., a Denver based urban design and landscape architecture firm. Meredith’s work focuses on urban redevelopment, parks and public space design and significant public outreach processes with an emphasis on developing responsible and innovative designs that respond to the needs of the place and community. She is distinguished for her leadership, design and project management of large-scale complex efforts. Meredith’s work highlights the role of public space as a way to stimulate redevelopment and creates socially active spaces that provide long-term benefits for cities. She is passionate about creating diverse and inclusive communities for everyone. Meredith lives in Congress Park with her husband and children.