Thomas M. Doherty, Chair
Tom is currently Chief Operating Officer of Domino, Inc., a designer, manufacturer and wholesaler of equestrian rider apparel in Boulder, Colorado. Prior to Domino, Inc., Tom spent 11 years at Classic Sport Companies, a high growth developer and marketer of innovative sporting goods products. As the first employee of the company, Tom was involved in all aspects of the company from sourcing, product development, procurement, sales and operations. In 2001, Tom was part of the executive team that successfully completed the sale of the company to Endeavour Capital, a private equity firm in Oregon. In 2005, Tom joined the not-for-profit National Inventors Hall of Fame, a national provider of fee based after-school programs and summer science camps for elementary school children. As the National Manager of Elementary School Programs, Tom was responsible for the development and implementation of the national camp strategy. During his tenure at NIHF, Tom was also responsible for streamlining procedures and the creation and successful execution of a national fundraising program.
Joél Contreras, Product Development
For nearly 19 years, Joél Contreras was employed in the Information Technology area of pension fund giant TIAA-CREF and played significant roles in almost every area of the company's technology division including Database Management System, Network Infrastructure, Project Management, Disaster Recovery, and Systems Programming. In 1995, he was selected as one of two IT managers to help expand TIAA-CREF's business operations from New York City to Denver, Colorado.
Together with his wife (Giovanna), Joél started a language interpretation and translation company in 2004. The company, named Cesco (pronounced "Chesco") Linguistic Services, Inc., has become a viable local entity contracting hundreds of local language professionals. In addition to his work with Cesco Linguistic Services, Inc.., Joél is part owner and the President and CEO of an online foreign language learning company called Learning Like Crazy, Inc..
Kyle Henderson, Treasurer
Kyle currently works for FirstBank of Colorado. Prior to this he attended the University of Oregon where he worked with a number of non-profit agencies geared towards helping disadvantaged families both domestically and abroad. These agencies assisted people from Oregon, India, Kenya, Peru, and Brazil. Since moving to Colorado he has found a calling from the at-risk youth of Denver. Many schools in the area are subject to the same pressures he was exposed to throughout school. This connection has inspired his efforts to improve children's situation in Colorado public schools.
Justin Krieger, JD, PR & Marketing
Justin Krieger is a Senior Advisor at Pinnacle Real Estate Advisors and specializes in representing investors in the acquisition and disposition of commercial real estate investments throughout the Rocky Mountain Region. Justin grew up in New York City, earned a bachelor’s degree in Industrial & Labor Relations from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and moved to Denver to attend the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver, where he earned a Juris Doctorate. Justin is a licensed real estate broker and attorney in Colorado. In addition to being on the Y.E.S.S. Institute’s Board, Justin has volunteered and raised funds for other organizations, such as the Denver Rescue Mission, Brokers Benefitting Kids, and the Little Orchestra Society.
Yung Vu, PR & Marketing
Yung Vu is Vice President of Acquisitions at The Simha Group, a real estate investment and management firm, where he is responsible for originating and executing commercial and residential real estate acquisitions. Previously, Mr. Vu worked at KeyBanc Capital Markets, where he provided capital raising and mergers and acquisitions advisory services for both public and private companies in the diversified industrial and transportation & logistics sector. Prior to KeyBanc, Mr. Vu worked at a boutique mergers and acquisitions firm in Shanghai, where he was a founding member of their China M&A practice. Mr. Vu earned a B.B.A. in Finance from Emory University's Goizueta Business School and completed academic programs at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's School of Business and Management and at Beijing Language and Culture University. Mr. Vu is a Denver native and speaks English, Vietnamese, and Mandarin.
Portia Prescott, PR & Marketing
Portia Prescott is a proud Denver native and committed to giving back to our community. As Principal of TPG Solutions, she is recognized as a creative decision maker and operational leader; skilled at taking concepts, projects, and organizations from vision to execution. Prescott specializes in online technology, human resources sourcing and recruiting, and entertainment media. Currently, Prescott is featured as a guest host, Sundays on Sports Live at the Barbershop on the Fox Sports network.
Prescott also is extremely active in promoting the arts and education in Denver and Aurora, by connecting worthy organizations with an extensive network of corporate, entertainment, and philanthropic leaders from Denver to Los Angeles. Prescott also recently entered a dual masters program at the University of Denver, while still finding time to support her young daughter, Priya (8), a member of the Broadmoor Figure Skating Club in Colorado Springs, CO.
Terri Slivka, Curriculum
Terri Slivka has been a volunteer in the Denver community for over 25 years. Her involvement has spanned groups as diverse as the National Kidney Foundation of Colorado, Colorado Fourteeners' Initiative, Junior League of Denver, and the Cherry Creek Schools Parents' Council. Currently serving on the Dean's Advisory Board for the School of Arts and Sciences, University of Colorado, she also volunteers for the Bridge Project of the University of Denver as a tutor and still maintains a relationship with her mentee from Denver Kids, who is now in her 30s and has a child of her own. She has two degrees from the University of Colorado, a BA in Biology and a MA in Counselor Psychology and Counseling Education. Her most recent employment was as a high school counselor at Cherry Creek High School (2003-2007).
Tal Edelstein, PR & Marketing, Product Development
Tal works for Staples Advantage, the business to business division of Staples, and manages the display advertising, paid search, and search engine optimization strategy for their lead generating website. Prior to her online marketing role, Tal has been involved in many aspects of marketing including product, brand, direct mail and promotional marketing. Tal is from Los Angeles, California and earned her BA in Business Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. Tal has volunteered at a number of non-profit organizations and in many capacities, including: American Youth Soccer Organization, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, and Jewish Free Loan Association. She also walked 60 miles for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure 60-mile walk and rode her bicycle more than 650 miles for the AIDS/LifeCycle 7-day bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
Regan Byrd, Development
Regan is currently the administrative assistant at the Arc- Jefferson, Clear Creek & Gilpin Counties, an advocacy non-profit serving persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Coloroado chapter of 9to5: National Association of Working Women, and the Aurora Human Relations Commission. Regan is an alumni of the University of Denver's public policy and sociology undergraduate programs, receiving a dual B.A., and during her time as a student served in many capacities, including as a student senator and President of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars- DU Chapter. She is also herself a former mentor with the YESS Institute, with its very first class. Regan has also gained additional insight into mentoring at-risk youth through her time with the Aurora Youth Options non-profit, as an Americorps volunteer. Regan is also a graduate of the Grassroots Institute of Fundraising Training and the Center for Progressive Leadership's Washington D.C. Internship program. Regan comes to the YESS Institute board of directors with a passion for social justice, educational equality, and grassroots policy.
Kathy Orth, Development
Kathy Orth is retired from the City and County of Denver where she worked for thirty two years. Her career has included supervisory leadership at Denver Department of Human Services in Early Childhood, Child Welfare and Youth Services Divisions. For eight years she worked with teenagers who were either involved with child protection or delinquent. Other programs over the years have included administrative positions with the Division of Environmental Health, Public Health Inspection Division and seven years with Head Start as a Family Service and Community partnership administrator. Her expertise in community agencies and grant administration have included board president of the Sara Brown Fund and formal partnerships with many resources. She brings cumulative experience and an abiding interest in providing comprehensive services to at risk youth. She is married and has two children.
