– STAFF –
J.R. Lapierre,
Managing Director
M.S., Sports & Recreation Management, Northeastern University
J.R. earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and a Master’s from Northeastern Univeristy. He has an extensive history of working with youth in the non-profit field via schools, sports & recreation and outdoor education programs. J.R. has a passion to help develop the overall well being of kids and has been able to collaborate and bridge gaps in the community. Through a variety of partnerships with local organizations, he has been instrumental in expanding the reach of Lincoln Hills Cares and growing programs throughout the state of Colorado.
Contact J.R.
jr@lhcares.org
720-504-9754
Tim Flynn,
Director of Programs & Education
M.S. Outdoor Recreation/Env. Education, Southern Connecticut State University
Tim’s passion for the natural environment, conservation and education originated at an early age through exploration of the outdoors. By combining his passion with degrees in natural and social sciences, his personal and professional focus is to engage individuals and communities through outdoor education and recreation pursuits. As an outdoor enthusiast, Tim and has worked in natural resources, education and outdoor recreation for municipal, private and non-profit organizations for almost two decades. From 2012-2013, he received the Inspire By Example award, along with the Youth Engagement award from the City of Boulder for his youth development and leadership efforts. Tim’s purpose is grounded in bringing communities together to expand natural resource awareness, involvement and stewardship, while improving equity in accessing outdoor resources.
Contact Tim
Maggie Gillard,
Program Coordinator
B.S., Zoology, Illinois State University
Maggie comes to Lincoln Hills Cares with a bachelor’s degree in zoology that she earned from Illinois State University. She is now pursuing a master’s degree in environmental science from the University of Colorado Denver. Spending the majority of her time outdoors, Maggie finds joy in passing along the lessons she’s learned through environmental education and recreation. Maggie’s passion for the outdoors stems from her childhood curiosity for discovering how the natural world works. She is now dedicated to inspiring that same curiosity in youth with the hope of fostering environmental stewardship throughout younger generations.
Contact Maggie
Madi Shaheen,
Environmental STEM Pathway Coordinator
M.S. Secondary Science Ed., City University of New York, Lehman College, NY
M.S. Counseling, Alfred University, NY
After two great summers as outdoor science educator here at Lincoln Hills, Madi joins us as program coordinator for the Environmental STEM Pathway.
After graduating from East high school and then attending CU Denver, Madi taught in New York City. There, she taught experiential and inquiry-based secondary science and then went on to obtaining Counseling licensure and has practiced school and personal counseling in Colorado since.
Her passion for the outdoors and for environmental science education find her at home at Lincoln Hills Cares where she enjoys sharing Leave no Trace, Connecting Youth to Nature, Wildlife Protection initiatives, and Environmental STEM.
In her free time, Madi enjoys rock climbing, mountain biking, snowboarding, and white-water sports. She also enjoys flora/fauna identification in the Colorado high-country, and aspires to learn fly-fish soon!
Contact Madi
– BOARD OF DIRECTORS –
Sid Wilson,
Board Member
CEO, A Private Guide Inc.
Sid is President and CEO at A Private Guide, Inc. For more than twenty years, Sid has been in the leisure, travel & tourism business. A Private Guide has become one of the largest and most respected tour companies in Colorado. He has served on many boards and currently serves on the boards of Visit Denver, the Denver Zoo, the Aurora Plains Conservancy and the Denver Public Library. Sid’s contributions to the tourism industry have not gone unnoticed. In 2013, Sid Wilson and A Private Guide, Inc. was inducted into The Denver & Colorado Travel Hall of Fame.
Beale C. Tejada,
Board President
Trial Attorney, Crane & Tejada P.C.
Beale is a Trial Attorney with Crane & Tejada, P.C. and opened their Denver office, which focuses on Criminal Defense, Workers Compensation, Personal Injury and Employment Law. He currently serves on the statewide board of governors for the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Association (CCDB). He directed fundraising efforts for El Pomar Foundation, and has run numerous charity events. Beale has served as the Class of 2012 Class President in law school along with conducting numerous leadership programs.
Alton Dillard,
Board Member
Senior Public Information Officer with Denver Elections Division
Alton has more than 20 years as a communications professional. He has previous experience as a talk show host, anchor, reporter and former sportscasts producer. He previously served as Press Secretary and a Senior Aide responsible for U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell. His specialties are as a Spokesperson and Media Strategist.
Travis Long,
Board Member
Statewide Hunter Education Coordinator, Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Travis Long has more than a decade of experience in conservation and education. As a member of the Education, Volunteer and Partnership section with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), he oversees a large volunteer program that educates about 20,000 students each year. In previous positions with CPW, Travis worked as a Park Ranger at two State Parks on the Western Slope of Colorado. Prior to CPW, he spent several years working with Walking Mountains Science Center, Ute Springs Experiential Learning Center, and Peace Corps Paraguay, focusing on outdoor and natural science education. A passionate outdoorsman himself, Travis’s goal is to facilitate the connection to the natural world through the creation of opportunities for all.
Nneka McPhee,
Secretary & Treasurer
Director of Development, American Associates, Ben-Gurion University
Nneka McPhee is an executive-level professional with over fifteen years of experience in resource development and non-profit management. Ben-Gurion University is committed to raisng awareness and support for an innovative and inclusive University in Israel. Prior roles have included Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff for JEWISH Colorado. A Denver native, Nneka is passionate about giving back to her community. In addition to being a co-founder and active member of the Sisterhood of Philanthropists Impacting Needs (SPIN), she sits on the board fo Colorado High School Charter and serves on the Crime Prevention and Control Commission (CPCC) of the City & County of Denver. Nneka is a 2017 graduate of Leadership Denver and a 2013 graduate Chamber Connect, a program of the Urban Leadership Foundation. She holds a BS in Marketing from Metropolitan State University and has four children.
Allan Smith,
Board Member
Independent Management Consultant, Invictus Management Consulting Ltd.
Allan Smith is the Founder and Managing Director of Invictus Consulting Services Ltd., a St. Kitts and Nevis based management consulting and global investment company. Mr. Smith has supervised consulting engagements for various private foundations, HNW and UHNW individuals and family offices in real estate management, luxury residential construction, open-ocean mariculture, and philanthropy. In addition, Mr. Smith also manages holdings which include companies operating in Renewable Energy, Hospitality, and Citizenship by Investment industries. Prior to founding Invictus, Mr. Smith served in senior management positions with several Fortune 100 multinational firms in industries that include Commercial and Residential Construction, Food and Beverage, Aerospace, and Defense Weaponry manufacturing. In these positions, Mr. Smith was responsible for developing new businesses and directing diverse project teams in international geographies that include Eastern and Western Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Caribbean. Mr. Smith holds several advanced university degrees from noted U.S. institutions in the fields of Mechanical Engineering, Masters of Business Administration (MBA) and Masters of Hospitality Administration (MHA).
– FUNDRAISING & DEVELOPMENT –
Shane Wright,
Development Director
Masters in Nonprofit Management, Regis University
Shane Wright is a husband and a father whose personal and professional life has revolved around connecting people to nature for over twenty years. Shane received his Master’s in Nonprofit Management from Regis University in Denver and his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Western State University of Colorado. Over the last decade he worked to represent the changing face of America’s future in conservation and the environment with Groundwork Denver where he built the youth, food, water and natural resource programs and assisted in raising over three million dollars for the organization. Shane is an awarded and recognized leader in youth development, healthy eating and active living, nonprofit management and urban watershed restoration. He came of age guiding the rivers and mountains of Colorado and Washington State and is an advocate for the conservation of our land, air and water. He and his wife Erin and their three boys; Aidan, Noah and Griffin, live in West Colfax, Denver with their old dog Hazel. Shane is honored to join the team at Lincoln Hills Cares and is committed to continuing the growth of the organizations impacts for youth from our urban Colorado backyards to the great Rocky Mountain backcountry and beyond.
– FOUNDERS –
Matthew Burkett,
Co-Founder
Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Flyfisher Group
A businessman with a passion for enriching the lives of families, elderly, and the youth, Matthew Burkett is the founder of The Flyfisher Group, a consulting and holding company. He has served his community through The Burkett Family Foundation, which works to advance social change in Denver, Colorado, as well as Lincoln Hills Cares, which he co-founded with Robert F. Smith.
Robert F. Smith,
Co-Founder
Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners
A pioneer for propelling inclusion and opportunity across education, business and finance, the STEAM industry, as well as the environment, Robert F. Smith has dedicated much of his life to creating change. In addition to co-founding Lincoln Hills Cares with Matthew Burkett to provide leadership opportunities for minority youth, Smith has also made a large impact through Fund II Foundation and many other philanthropic endeavors.