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Disparities Leadership Committee MembersKatherine Delgado, chair Corey D. Johnson, vice-chair
Chair Katherine Delgado graduated from Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colo., with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and history in 1979. She graduated from the University Of Denver College Of Law in 1983 and was licensed to practice law in 1984. She practiced corporate law and was a chief deputy district attorney in the Boulder County District Attorney's Office prior to her appointment as a district court judge in July 2002. Judge Delgado began working as a district court judge in the Domestic Division, followed by a term in the Criminal Division. She rotated to the Juvenile Division in July 2006. Judge Delgado took on the role of lead judge for the Model Court Project through the National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges and provided judicial leadership for numerous collaborative initiatives to undergo continuous evaluation and improvements to the juvenile justice system. Some of her project priorities included impacting issues related to disproportionate minority contact in the child welfare and delinquency systems; process improvements to the delinquency and neglect system, such as ensuring timely assessment and resources for respondent parents; allowing children to have a voice and thorough information in the delinquency and neglect process; and the development of a drug court model specifically for respondent fathers. Additionally, she was appointed by Gov. Bill Ritter to the Child Welfare Action Committee. She spearheaded a project for early intervention and treatment for mental health offenders and has organized a committee to create a mental health court for juveniles. Judge Delgado was selected to serve on the National Task Force for Minority Overrepresentation in the Child Welfare System through the National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges and Casey Family Programs. In October 2008, she was recognized as the Colorado CASA Judge of the year. Vice Chair Corey Johnson began his career 19 years ago, working with adolescents and children in shelter settings. Mr. Johnson came to the Denver Department of Human Services in 1995 as a social caseworker and specialized in the areas of drug-exposed newborns and child fatalities. He served on the Denver County Child Fatality Review team for several years before becoming a social casework supervisor in 2000. Mr. Johnson has supervised the crisis hotline and child and adolescent intake units, and currently supervises the team decision making unit. Mr. Johnson also serves as a data analyst for the Child Welfare Division in Denver and chairs the Disparity Action Committee for Denver County. He has presented at several local, state and national conferences regarding child welfare outcomes and minority overrepresentation in Denver County. Mr. Johnson received his undergraduate degree in sociology and religion from Hastings College in Hastings, Neb., and his master’s in social sciences from the University of Colorado at Denver. Ralph Bayard, senior director for systems improvement/strategic consultation, Casey Family Programs Ralph Bayard is a senior director for systems improvement/strategic consultation at Casey Family Programs. He leads and coordinates the organization’s national efforts on addressing and reducing disproportionality and disparities for children of color in the child welfare system. Dr. Bayard also serves as Casey Family Programs’ lead representative to the Alliance for Racial Equity in Child Welfare, an alliance of Annie E. Casey/Casey Family Services, Marguerite Casey, Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative and the Center for the Study of Social Policy. He currently serves as a member of the Race Matters Consortium, a national think tank focusing on disproportionality and disparities from both the research and practice perspectives. Dr. Bayard co-chaired the Casey Family Programs national Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC) on Disproportionality, and currently serves as a faculty member of the California Disproportionality Project and the Iowa BSC on Disproportionality. Dr. Bayard received his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in communications and his doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Washington. Barbara Bosley, family court facilitator, Denver Juvenile Court Barbara Bosley has held the position of family court facilitator at the Denver Juvenile Court for more than 10 years. Prior to her work in Denver, she was the family court facilitator in Greeley, Colo. As part of her responsibilities, Ms. Bosley co-chairs the Court/Denver Department of Human Services Disparities Action Committee, and supervises the Dependency and Neglect Mediation Program. She was also a member of the Governor’s Child Welfare Action Committee’s Subcommittee for Cultural Competence. Ms. Bosley is a graduate of Kansas State University and the Washburn School of Law, where she received her juris doctor degree. Lucille Echohawk, Indian child welfare consultant Lucille Echohawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, has worked in the Indian child welfare field for more than 20 years, the last twelve as Strategic Advisor with Casey Family Programs. She retired from Casey at the end of 2010. She is a founder and served as board chair of the Denver Indian Family Resource Center for six years, where she and her family established the Jewel LittleSoldier EchoHawk Memorial Endowment Fund in remembrance of her daughter, Jewel, whom she adopted from the public child welfare system when Jewel was 7 years old. Ms. Echohawk currently serves on the board of directors of the Child Welfare League of America and the American Humane Association as well as its child welfare advisory committee. She also serves on the national advisory council for the newly created National Resource Center for Tribes (NRC4Tribes), a service of the Children’s Bureau. She also serves as an executive consultant to the NRC4Tribes. Ms. Echohawk earned a bachelor’s degree at Brigham Young University and a Master of Education at Loyola University, Chicago. John Gillies, deputy division manager, Children, Youth and Family Division, Larimer County Department of Human Services John Gillies currently serves as deputy division manager with the Children, Youth and Family Division at the Larimer County Department of Human Services. He has worked in Larimer County for 11 years as a paired team supervisor and adoption caseworker. Prior to this, Mr. Gillies worked for more than 10 years with the Colorado Outward Bound School as program director with the Mental Health Project Center. He has also worked for many years with Renaissance Business Associates and Educo, where he provides experiential leadership seminars and multicultural leadership programs, including programs in Russia and South Korea. Mr. Gillies has a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Northern Colorado and did his undergraduate work at the University of Michigan. John Jewett, executive director, Denver Indian Family Resource Center John Jewett has over 20 years of experience in nonprofit management, fundraising and program service delivery. Mr. Jewett has worked for international, national and local nonprofit organizations. As an adoptee, a former family preservation case manager and a foster parent, he is dedicated to reducing disparities in the child welfare system, and is committed to achieving positive permanency outcomes for children. Mr. Jewett has a master’s degree in counseling and is a nationally certified psychotherapist.
Robert Lowenbach, best practice courts judge in residence, Court Improvement Program, Office of the State Court Administrator Judge Lowenbach is a child trauma fellow and judge in residence with the Colorado Judicial Branch, and a consultant dedicated to improving court and agency practices for dependent children and their families. Prior to his retirement in January 2009, he was a district court judge in Greeley, Colo. At the time of his retirement, he was the lead judge of the Weld County Model Court through the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Victims Act Model Court project. Judge Lowenbach remains a member of Colorado’s Court Improvement Program and is a member of the national training team of the National Center on State Courts initiative to help state courts address implicit bias. Tamisha Macklin is a representative for young people who have experienced the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Growing up in Denver, Ms. Macklin was in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems from the age of 7 to 19. She is a committed advocate for youths involved in both systems and participates in a number of youth advocacy programs, including the Colorado Children and Youth Information Sharing Committee, the Breakthrough Series Collaborative on Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Integration, the Denver Collaborative Partnership, the Child Welfare Practice Model Workgroup and the Colorado Youth Leadership Team. Ms. Macklin also works with the Denver Department of Human Services, sitting on youth panels and helping recruit foster parents. In addition, she is a peer worker for the United Way Bridging the Gap program and works at the Denver Juvenile Youth Development Court, where she connects clients with other programs and community resources that help guide them to successful independence. Currently, she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at the Community College of Denver. David Menefee, associate director of child welfare operations, Division of Child Welfare, Colorado Department of Human Services David Menefee is currently the associate director of child welfare operations for the Colorado Division of Child Welfare. Prior to holding this position, Dr. Menefee was the director of data and evaluation for the Division of Behavioral Health. He has extensive experience in organizational research and development, and has served on the faculties of Columbia University, the University of Maryland, the University of Tennessee and the University of Washington. Dr. Menefee has numerous scholarly publications in the fields of organization and management, and has been a consultant for many health and human service organizations throughout his career. Nathan L. O’Neal, founder and pastor of Light of the World Discipleship Church of Christ Jesus and program director for the Men Behaving Dadly Program Nathan O’Neal is the founder and pastor of Light of the World Discipleship Church of Christ Jesus, a faith-based organization that provides leadership training, mentoring, organizational development, spiritual guidance and coaching, assistance with navigating human services, and scholarships for youths in underserved communities. Through his establishment of LightSpeed Ministries, Pastor O’Neal developed a Mentor/Protégé program whereby young people learn resume writing skills and techniques for job interviewing. Pastor O’Neal has worked on several organizational projects for churches large and small and has developed models that empower leaders to be better equipped for ministry. His current community involvement includes a commitment to diverse businesses, socially disadvantaged populations, faith-based organizations, youth development, and mentoring. Pastor O’Neal is also currently employed with the Denver Department of Human Services as the program director for the Men Behaving Dadly father and family engagement program, which provides services to fathers in an effort to fight poverty through employment and empowerment. Pastor O’Neal recently visited the White House where he provided feedback on President Obama’s Father, Marriage, and Family Innovation Fund. He has received several commendations for his achievements and has served as a keynote speaker, guest lecturer and visiting professor at a number of meetings, conferences, churches, revivals, colleges and universities across the country. Pastor O’Neal has earned several degrees, including a doctorate in theology with an emphasis on family therapy and Christian counseling. Maija Schiedel, administrator for youth and family services, El Paso County Department of Human Services Maija Schiedel is currently the administrator for youth and family services at the El Paso County Department of Human Services. She has more than 30 years of experience in a variety of areas within the department, including participation on numerous state and local committees and initiatives. Ms. Schiedel has been a member of several state advisory councils, such as the Post Adoption Advisory Council, the Homeless Youth Advisory Council and the Child Welfare/Juvenile Justice Committee. Ms. Schiedel is also a member of many local committees dealing with permanency for youths, including the HB1451 Collaborative Management Steering Committee, the Permanency Task Group, the SB94 Oversight Committee, the Family to Family Partnership Committee and the Teen Self Sufficiency Partner Committee. She has also served on the Fountain Community Services Collaborative for many years. Currently, she serves on the 4th Judicial District Best Practices Court and co-chairs the Minority Overrepresentation Committee, which supports the Educating Children of Color Summit. Ms. Schiedel’s areas of special interest include community organization and collaboration, community resource identification and development, and training and using volunteers, interns and youths in leadership roles. Jerri Spear, Northeast field administrator, Colorado Department of Human Services Jerri Spear is the Northeast field administrator for the Colorado Department of Human Services, a position she has held for the past two and a half years. Her early career experiences include working in mental health, substance abuse, probation and community corrections. Over the past 19 years, Ms. Spear has worked in the social services field, first as a child protection caseworker and then as a county director. Throughout her career, she has served on many local, regional and state committees and boards and was a technical work group member for the Rural Assistance Center, a national information and resource center for rural health and human services. Ms. Spear received her degrees in psychology and social work from Colorado State University. Joe Sprague, president, Center for Governmental Training Joe Sprague has spent his professional career in service of the children and families of Colorado through child welfare training oversight and management, statewide development and facilitation of regional resource meetings, and contract work in program and fiscal management of youth corrections programs. Mr. Sprague has been a 13-year member of the State Institutional Abuse Review Team and has served as a member of the Governor’s Child Welfare Action Committee’s Subcommittee for Cultural Competence. He also has extensive volunteer experience with the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver. Mr. Sprague holds a master’s in business administration from the University of Denver and is a grateful father of three. Patrick B. Sweeney, child welfare division manager, Douglas County Department of Human Services Patrick Sweeney has served as the child welfare division manager at the Douglas County Department of Human Services since 2004. His professional experience includes work as a social caseworker, supervisor, intake division administrator and treatment services administrator. He has also worked in private practice and as an adjunct instructor at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work. Mr. Sweeney has served on a variety of committees and work groups, including the Child Welfare Conference Committee, the State Institutional Abuse Review Team and the Adams County Minority Overrepresentation Committee. Currently, he is a member of the State Fatality Review Team and the Child Protection Task Group, and works with the Applied Research in Child Welfare Project. Mr. Sweeney received his master’s degree in social work from Boston University. Jim Tucker, supervising psychologist for Prowers County Department of Social Services Jim Tucker has been a licensed psychologist in the state of Colorado for 28 years, specializing in childhood psychopathology. Currently, Dr. Tucker is the supervising psychologist for Prowers County Department of Social Services, a position he has held for more than 10 years. He was also chief psychologist with the CBR YouthConnect (formerly known as Colorado Boys Ranch) for nine years. Dr. Tucker maintains a private practice, serving clients of various ethnic, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. He also provides supervision to psychologists-in-training and frequently serves as a consultant for diverse institutions ranging from education to law enforcement. Dr. Tucker has developed in-services regarding team building and racial awareness and is motivated to seek the “fair treatment” in our society. |
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