Board Members

ranilionis@coloradomesa.edu

Ray Anilionis has been the president and owner of Landmark Realty Advisors, a real estate consulting and asset management firm in Centennial for the past 23 years. He has held executive positions in mortgage banking and real estate development.

Anilionis has served on the Colorado Mesa University Real Estate Foundation Board of Directors for more than 10 years, which has given him knowledge and insight into the workings of CMU.

“At this stage of my life, I've tried to give back as much as possible and I feel there is no better way than to support higher education, especially at the college level,” he said.

His real estate experience has included the acquisition, development, construction, and management of commercial and residential properties in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas. He has taught courses in real estate finance and appraisal at the college level, as well as continuing education for real estate professionals. He has arbitrated and served as an expert witness in various real estate disputes and legal proceedings.

In addition to serving as board member of the CMU Real Estate Foundation, Anilionis serves on the boards of the Wisconsin (Whitewater) Foundation and the Warhawk Real Estate Foundation. He is a licensed Real Estate Broker and formerly was a Certified General Appraiser. He was a member and former chairman of the Cherry Hills Village Planning and Zoning Commission; a past board member for three commercial banks, various municipal and special districts; and a past member of the Mortgage Bankers Association, the Home Builders Association, and the American Arbitration Association.

He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and a Master of Science degree in urban land economics from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

A resident of Colorado since 1971, he divides his time between his family ranch in Grand County and his business in Centennial, where his wife, Deb, is an elementary school teacher.

bbechtel@coloradomesa.edu

Betty Bechtel graduated with honors from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a BS in business in 1967. While her husband, Joel, attended medical school, she worked as a statistician for the telephone company, then attended Lewis and Clark College, Northwestern School of Law, attaining her JD cum laude in 1978. From 1979-1980, she worked in the employment law section of Dykema Gossett law firm in Detroit, Mich.

Returning home to Colorado in 1980, she practiced primarily employment law with Dufford, Waldeck, Milburn & Krohn, in Grand Junction, for 25 years. In 2005, she and Michael Santo began the firm of Bechtel & Santo, LLP, emphasizing employment law for businesses. She has served as President of the Mesa County Bar Association, and received its Professionalism Award in 2010. Betty retired from active practice as of Jan. 1, 2011, but continues with the firm in an "Of Counsel" status.

Betty has chaired the boards of several non-profit organizations in the community, including the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, Mesa County Economic Development Council (now known as Grand Junction Economic Partners), the Business Incubator Center, Hilltop Rehabilitation Hospital and Hospice of the Grand Valley. Additionally, she has served as a board member of the Mesa County Pro Bono Association, Cinema at the Avalon, the Art Center, Glade Park Community School and Mesa Developmental Services Foundation.

kbrough@coloradomesa.edu

Kelly Brough is the President and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, which represents more than 3,000 businesses with 300,000 employees.  
Before joining the Chamber, she served as chief of staff for the City of Denver and Mayor John Hickenlooper, overseeing a general fund of $857 million. She also served as deputy chief of staff and director of the Denver office of accountability and reform for the city.

As the first female director of human resources for the City of Denver, she successfully moved the human resource department from an authoritarian culture to one based on service delivery and focused on outcomes. During her two years in this role, she led significant reforms including moving the city to a full pay-for-performance system and established the city’s first bonus plan program. 

She directed an internationally recognized leadership program at the University of Colorado at Denver—the Rocky Mountain Program and has served as a consultant to many local governments facilitating decisions, managing large public processes and comprehensive planning efforts, mediating disputes and providing strategies to build stronger public/private partnerships.

She currently serves on the board of directors of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, the Denver Zoological Foundation; the Denver Scholarship Foundation and VisitDenver; the Graduate School - Bioscience Advisory Board for University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, the Corporate Board of Delta Dental as well as the Colorado Mesa University Board of Trustees. She is also a member of the Women’s Forum and The Chamber 100 with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Brough earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Colorado at Denver in 1989 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology, Criminal Justice from Montana State University in 1986.

Brough was named as one of Colorado’s 10 most influential women by The Denver Post and one of Denver’s most influential people by 5280 Magazine. In 2012, Brough received the University of Colorado Denver Campus Alumni Recognition Award. She has attended a number of leadership programs including the JFK School of Government’s program at Harvard for state and local public officials. She was also named an American Marshall Memorial Fellow in 2001.

agriffin@coloradomesa.edu

Alison R. Griffin has nearly twenty years of experience working at the intersection of education and employment, policy, and practice.

Alison’s experience on the implementation side of higher education and workforce development, and as a grant-maker, is reflected in her practical understanding of how policy shapes outcomes. Her career in postsecondary education policy includes two terms as a policy advisor to the Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, as well as a policy advisor role with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), where she guided state policy development. Alison managed her own higher education government relations and policy practice in Denver, Colorado for four years before joining Strada Education Network. During her tenure with Strada, Alison was a member of the senior leadership team, leading external affairs, government relations, and national engagement activities.

Bringing a deep sense of mission to her work on behalf of Whiteboard Advisors, Alison believes the solutions to our most pressing education challenges, from affordability to access, require thoughtful collaboration among a growing community of policymakers, impact investors, entrepreneurs, practitioners, and philanthropists.

kiwaniczko-macleod@coloradomesa.edu

alentz@coloradomesa.edu

Amy Lentz is a business leader and entrepreneur who owns and operates Fixture Studio, a design consulting firm based out of western Colorado. Fixture Studio executes interior and architectural designs, manages short-term rental properties across Colorado, and manufactures modern furniture. The company's work has been featured in REI retail locations across the country, at West Elm in Denver, and in publications such as Red Tricycle and local magazine Spoke + Blossom.

Lentz is an NCIDQ-Certified Interior Designer and earned a BS in Interior Design from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO in 2003. After graduation, she worked in San Diego before returning to her hometown of Grand Junction where she helped launch the interior design department for local architecture firm Chamberlin Architects. As part of her work with Chamberlin, Lentz designed several spaces on the Colorado Mesa University campus.

"CMU is truly remarkable in terms of the campus' facilities and learning spaces," said Lentz. "I am excited to lend my skills in the design industry and bring my experience in the construction industry to assist in creating an elegant campus environment that is highly conducive to learning."

She and her husband Steve enjoy raising their family in western Colorado, and her hobbies include skiing, swimming, and reading.

smotter@coloradomesa.edu

Stephanie Motter serves as the chief executive officer of Monument Health, LLC, a clinically integrated healthcare network in Grand Junction.

She previously served the kidney care organization DaVita as vice president for quality and clinical strategy, where she led national teams focused on topics such as quality measurement, pay for performance, value-based care and clinical program design and implementation.

“As a business leader and healthcare executive, I am interested in serving to help ensure the most robust academic programs and other preparatory opportunities for students,” she said.

Motter serves on the boards of Back the Badge and the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra. She has served as a mentor for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy and a youth basketball coach for Grand Junction Parks and Recreation. She is a member of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American Nurses Association.

Motter earned her undergraduate degree in economics from Smith College and a master’s degree from Yale University. She worked as a nurse practitioner at Partners in Women’s Health in Denver, PMG Physician Associates, in Plymouth, Mass., and at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless in Boston.

She and her family live in the Grand Valley. She enjoys the mountains, skiing and RV camping.

dquimby@coloradomesa.edu

Doug Quimby is a native of Grand Junction currently residing in Colorado Springs, Colo., He is a seasoned real estate executive and proven leader with deep ties to community service and economic development organizations.

After winning the prestigious Denver Post Golden Helmet Award in 1970, Quimby went on to play varsity football and rugby at Harvard College where he earned an AB in history magna cum laude. After earning his JD from Stanford Law School, Quimby returned to Colorado to practice law specializing in real estate transactions, development and management.

He is currently President, Chief Executive Officer and principal owner of La Plata Communities, Inc. He and his wife, Courtney, have two adult children.

dramos@coloradomesa.edu

Daniel Ramos is the Executive Director at One Colorado. Before taking on this role, Daniel served as Deputy Director, Director of Safe & Inclusive Schools, as well as the Political and Organizing Director — managing our safe schools program and leading One Colorado's work to mobilize, educate, and engage the LGBT community around important issues.

Prior to joining One Colorado, Daniel served as an Organizer for the Stonewall Democrats' "Elect-Equality" Initiative. As an Organizer in Palm Springs, CA, Daniel worked to execute an aggressive field plan to recruit, train, and manage volunteers to facilitate voter engagement.

Throughout Daniel's college career, he was involved in many local, state, and national organizations. After years of involvement in the University of Colorado Student Government, Daniel was elected as a Student Body President in 2009. During his term, he advocated for many diversity and sustainability initiatives, including a program that established CU-Boulder as the First Zero-Waste Student Government in the United States.

Also during college, Daniel was active in the Associated Students of Colorado and the United States Student Association, organizations that advocate for access and affordability in higher education. Serving on USSA's National Board of Directors and Executive Board, Daniel worked as a Regional and National Outreach Officer to develop outreach plans to build membership across the country. Recognizing barriers that exist in higher education, Daniel educated and mobilized students in Colorado around issues like Student Aid Reform and the DREAM Act.

Growing up in northeast Colorado, Daniel graduated from Sterling High School and went on to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder. He graduated with a Degree in Sociology and Spanish and holds a Certificate in the Study and Practice of Leadership as a scholar in the President's Leadership Class. Outside of work, Daniel enjoys traveling, spending time with his family, being active outdoors, and exploring his interest in Spanish language & culture.

jdareed@coloradomesa.edu

David is the current chairman of the Board of Trustees at Colorado Mesa University.

David Reed graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and from South Texas College of Law at Houston, attaining his Juris Doctor magna cum laude.

For more than 25 years, the law firm of J. David Reed, P.C. has provided general and specialized legal counsel to clients throughout western Colorado with offices in Montrose, Telluride and Ridgway.

Reed has participated in community development, charities, local volunteer organizations and projects throughout the region. He has formerly served as Montrose, Colorado, City Council Member and as Mayor, President of the Montrose Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Montrose County School Board.  He currently serves as President of the Board of the San Juan Healthcare Foundation and as Treasurer of the Board of the Montrose Community Foundation.

jringel@coloradomesa.edu

Joan D. Ringel has been involved in public policy since 1979. She served as Assistant to the Executive Director of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education from 2002 to 2004, where her responsibilities included research, writing, media relations, management and strategy. She was a partner in Ringel, Boyle & Weist Policy Strategists, Inc., a consulting, research, lobbying and public relations firm for 13 years. Mrs. Ringel has an MPA in public policy from the University of Colorado, Denver and an AB in English literature from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is currently working on a short story collection.

Ringel currently serves on the Colorado Judicial Performance Commission and volunteers at Project Angel Heart. She has frequently been a literacy tutor, most recently a mentor and tutor for a high school student. She previously served on the Regional Air Quality Commission, the Winter Park Recreation Association, the Colorado Judicial Institute Board of Directors, the CANPO-ASI Board of Directors and the Denver Sunrise-Sunset Committee. Her publications include "Not So Cut and Dried," The Human Touch; "Academic Libraries and Regional Economic Development," Libraries and the Search for Academic Excellence; "Sophie's Victory," Women's Words, and "Regulatory Reform in Colorado," Colorado Lawyer.

Ringel has lived in Denver for 36 years. She is married with two adult sons, who also live in Denver. She enjoys reading, gourmet cooking, traveling and has recently resumed playing the flute.

G. Suzanne Owens teaches Principles of Financial Accounting, Ethics for Accounting Professionals, Professional Preparation and Audits. Her focus at Colorado Mesa University is to provide excellent instruction in the classroom which is consistent with the focus of CMU as a teaching institution.

As an associate professor in a professional program, she draws upon a decade of experience as an auditor in public accounting at one of the Big Six (now Big Four) accounting firms, Deloitte & Touche, LLP, and private industry accounting at a Fortune 100 company, Sprint Corporation (now Sprint Nextel) as well as her formal education and continuing professional education to bring the best instruction to her students. She is a licensed certified public accountant, which is the goal of most of the students in the public accounting program. Her experience and licensure help her to realistically prepare students to enter the profession.

Read her full profile. 

Amara Hobbs is a junior majoring in Social Work at Colorado Mesa University. She is from Strasburg, Colorado and chose to attend CMU for its small class sizes, professional development, and the academic merit opportunities.

Amara has experience on campus as the former Student Event Coordinator for the University Center where she made many connections with community members. She is currently an Administrative Assistant in Career Services and a Peer Academic Coach within the Office of Student Success. Amara served as the Social & Behavioral Science Senator in the Associated Student Government, and is an active member of the CMU Student Center for the Public Trust where she develops her knowledge of ethics within institutions and at the work place.

She enjoys being active in her community through volunteer work; and is always looking for ways to improve the well-being of others. She ran for Student Trustee for the opportunity to see the growth and potential this university has from the inside and to advocate for the students. She strives to bring kindness and institutional knowledge to those around her and is excited and thankful for this experience.