CGEA Board
Mike Bennett , president of Heritage Bank, Boulder Region, brings solid financial expertise to CGEA. Former Chief of Staff for US Senator Wayne Allard, Mike is active in the nonprofit community. Mike serves as Treasurer of CGEA.
Carl Bonnett, MD, Maj (USA Reserve) provides emergency care at Denver Health when he is not in Iraq or Afghanistan providing care for our troops. Dr. Bonnet has a special compassion for those who are hurting as a result of loss.
Susan Fox Buchanan, Esq. is a member of the Buchanan & Stouffer law firm in Lakewood, completed a Masters Degree of Bioethics in Europe. She was actively involved in the development of the statute that permits the use of medical advance directives in Colorado. Ms. Buchanan is a member of The Colorado Lawyer Board of Editors and of the Colorado Health Ethics Forum Board of Directors. She also serves as a trustee of the Kilimanjaro Children's Hospital, a charitable primary care facility for children of the Maasai Tribe in Tanzania, East Africa.
Nancy Doty, CPA served as CFO for the governor's office from 2000 until elected to be Arapahoe County Clerk. She brings sensitivity to the issues of bereavement as well as public sector finance experience.
Beth Long, MSW serves as a hospice social worker with Centura Health Care at Home. She is a graduate of the University of Denver, where she completed an intership with CGEA's Lighthouse Program. Prior to her social work career, Beth was active in the insurance industry.
Mary Lyles, MSW, LCSW , Executive Director, Children's Grief Education Association, successfully developed two Denver bereavement support group programs prior to co-founding CGEA. She serves on the Advisory Board for Centura Home Care and Hospice and provides grief support training for numerous community organizations.
Kevin McVaney, MD , is an emergency room physician with Rose Medical Center, where he sees trauma on a daily basis. His expertise and compassion contribute to the strength of CGEA. He is founder of the Leptas Foundation.
Marcus Mollman is a partner in Chirripocapital, a real estate investment firm. He is active in both the for-profit and nonprofit community. He has a special interest in helping at-risk children and teens.
Shane E. Phillips , Chairman of the Board of Directors, is Vice President of Mortgage Lending with First Western Trust Bank, Denver. Shane knows the impact of loss all too well. At 16, his parents and only sibling, Mindy, were killed in a plane crash. His personal struggle has imbued him with fortitude and dedication to bringing support and encouragement to grieving children. Shane's story was featured in Kiplinger's Magazine in 2002. Shane is a co-founder of CGEA.
Dawn Whitmer is national sales manager of Protecto-Wrap. Dawn is actively involved in supporting the needs of bereaved children in the Denver area.
Board of Directors Emeritus
John Andrews , Fellow, Claremont Institute and former State Senator, served as president of the Colorado Senate in 2004. He is a media commentator and church elder. John, an educator, is a strong advocate of community service and sensitive to the concerns of grieving families.
Bob Hatch , former corporate data center manager for Nordstrom, offers IT expertise and years of volunteer work with bereaved families, at both Hospice of Metro Denver and Judi's House for grieving children and families . He served as a board member of the Economic Development Group with the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce.
Jerry Kaplan is Vice President of Cherry Creek Mortgage Corporation, Inc. A successful businessman, Jerry brings his business acumen & entrepreneurial success in the financial services industry to CGEA. He is committed to fundraising and opening doors of service for CGEA.
Don R. Lyles, M. Div., BCC (Board Certified Chaplain) continues a life-long ministry through his service as a chaplain at St. Anthony's Central Hospital, where he sees trauma on a daily basis. As a CGEA co-founder, he continues to support the organization. Don also teaches and practices Tai Chi for health.