About Us

Grant Besser, Vice President of Community Health & Engagement and BCH Foundation President

Grant came to BCH from Teach for America, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening equity and excellence in education. As Chief Marketing Officer, Grant was instrumental in expanding that organization’s national brand presence, developing key partnerships, and supporting the organization’s teacher recruitment and fundraising efforts. Prior to Teach for America, Grant served in senior management positions at Warner Bros. and Yahoo.

Grant became the Vice President of Community Health & Engagement in 2018 and has served as the President of the BCH Foundation since 2016. As BCH Foundation President, Grant is responsible for managing the Foundation grants program, donor relations and spearheading all fundraising efforts to enhance the quality and availability of health care in the community.

Ona Wigginton, Director

Ona Wigginton is a lifelong resident of Colorado who has worked in the non-profit sector for more than 20 years. Ona began her nonprofit work as a counselor at Gemini House, which is part of Family Tree, Inc. While most of her non-profit career since then has been spent in museums (Denver Art Museum and Denver Museum of Nature & Science), Ona has held leadership positions and fundraising positions in higher education, human services, and health care as well. Ona joined the BCH Foundation as Director in September 2017.

Ona is the daughter of Lithuanian immigrants and grew up in Adams County. She currently lives in Mead with her husband Joe and daughter Holli. An animal lover to the core, Ona has two dogs and two miniature horses.

Beth Smith, Director of Development

Born and raised in Hampton, VA, Beth lived in Virginia Beach, VA before moving to Boulder in April of 2013. Beth served as Program Manager at the BCH Foundation for four years before transitioning into the role of Director of Development. Before joining the Foundation, she worked at the Dairy Arts Center for 5 years as Development Director where she helped lead their transformative Capital Campaign, created a children’s program for Title I kindergartners called Kids at the Dairy, and formed many relationships within the community. Prior to the Dairy Arts Center, Beth worked as a mentor/lifeguard at the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula and served as a Development Coordinator at CHIP of South Hampton Roads.

Beth lives in Westminster with her husband Andy, daughter Cora, and their cat Gus.

Riley Bright, Program Officer

Riley has deep roots in the community, for she was born and raised in Boulder County. With a wealth of experience in health policy, healthcare systems, and grassroots nonprofits in the Denver Metro area; Riley brings both best practices and significant experience to the Foundation team as it relates to health equity, community collaboration and public health. Prior to joining the Foundation team, Riley was the Executive Director for the City of Boulder’s Food Pantry, Harvest of Hope; and before that, worked with both Denver Health and CU Anschutz Medical Campus on Bioethics, Research and Health Equity initiatives.

Riley lives in Longmont with her husband and son.

Jenna Brethauer, Associate Development Officer

Jenna Brethauer is originally from Northern Colorado and moved to Boulder in 2017 to attend the University of Colorado Boulder where she graduated with her BA in 2021. During college, Jenna worked in different capacities at a variety of non-profits, including Teach for America and Mediator’s Foundation. An involved member of her school community, she was also a part of the 2017 President’s Leadership Class and an intern with CU Conference Services. She joined the BCH Foundation team in September of 2021.

Jenna currently lives in South Boulder with her boyfriend Nathaniel.

Sara Baker, Coordinator

Sara is a health advocate with a passion for improving the health and wellness of others through education and communication. She is a graduate of Clemson University, with a degree in Spanish Language and International Health, B.S. with an emphasis on Community Development, and a minor in Nonprofit Management. She is from Charleston, South Carolina, and moved to Denver in the Fall of 2022!

Sara holds skills in Project Development, Volunteer Coordination, Integrative Public Health Review, and Human Resources. She has worked with the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children, the Community Foundation of Greater Clemson, and the Joseph F. Sullivan Health Outreach Clinic. During her collegiate years, Sara served as a mentor for college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, helping them achieve goals related to employment and independent living (ClemsonLIFE). She also served in a student organization hosting +300 memberships as the Local Philanthropy VP, New Member Educator, and chartered their Diversity and Inclusion Committee in 2020.

Sara has always been, and continues to be, a passionate, resourceful individual who strives for inclusivity in and out of the workplace.

Michael Repucci, Chairman

Michael J. Repucci is a founding Partner of the Boulder, Colorado law firm of Johnson & Repucci LLP. Prior to forming his current firm, Michael was a partner in the Boulder law firm of Porzak Browning & Johnson LLP and was President, Chief Executive Officer and Project Manager for Winter Park Village, Inc. Michael was a member of the University of Colorado Law Review and served on First Western Trust Bank’s Boulder Advisory Board. Michael has been a speaker at several seminars sponsored by the American, Colorado and Boulder Bar Associations.

Michael is married to his wife, Mimi, and has two sons, Alex, and Peter. Mr. Repucci is an avid skier, fly fisherman and historian, who also struggles to find time to learn Italian in his remaining free time.

Janet Martin, Vice Chair

Janet Martin joined the BCH Foundation Board in 2019. Her 37-year business career in Boulder began at the nationally recognized design firm, Communication Arts Inc., where she served as Principal and Managing Partner. She then held the role of Managing Principal at Stantec, a global engineering firm. Community and career have always been intertwined for Janet.

She was elected to the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame and has served on the boards of the Boulder Chamber, Museum of Boulder, and CU Art Museum. In 2017, she was recognized as one of the Women Who Light the Community and was awarded the Extraordinary Volunteer Service Award by Boulder Community Health. One of Janet’s most meaningful accomplishments was serving as Chair of the BCH Governing Board from 2016-2017.

Caleb S. Sevian, Treasurer and Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee

Caleb has over 25 years in the financial services industry, including nearly a decade at a multi-strategy hedge fund, where he worked as a Proprietary Trader and later as a Portfolio Manager. Caleb went on to found Tenet Capital, a quantitative equity investment firm where he managed a long-short equity strategy and developed a risk management system based on advanced econometric models.

Caleb then joined the University of Colorado Foundation, where he worked as the Senior Portfolio Manager for the endowment. He then moved to Perella Weinberg’s outsourced Chief Investment Officer platform before taking a role at a single-family office, where he spent nearly a decade as the Chief Investment Officer, managing an internally macro strategy through Focus Point Capital as well as oversaw their externally managed multi-asset class portfolio.

Caleb graduated from the University of Colorado with his degree in Mathematics and currently serves on several institutional investment and finance committees.

Leslie Burns, Secretary

Leslie Burns, a long time Boulder resident, began to build her professional career in Marketing Strategy and Brand Development in the Consumer Package Goods space on the East Coast, culminating as the Director of Marketing for Panera Bread. Her undergraduate degree in Political Science and French and master’s in business contributed to her business experience and enabled her to become a well-rounded and accomplished individual.

As Leslie and her husband, Peter’s careers ramped up and their three daughters matured, Leslie imposed a self-inflicted exile from the paid workforce. She then transitioned her energy into being a full-time mom, wife, and community service volunteer.

Her volunteer efforts were at first targeted around her daughter’s interests, serving on many PTO Boards, Boulder Valley Lacrosse Board, Girl Scout Leader, Book Fair coordinator extraordinaire and numerous Team Mom roles. As her family matured, so did her community service and philanthropic interests. She turned toward advocacy in the fields of mental and physical health, adult literacy, and children’s health.

Leslie has served for three years on Boulder Community Health’s Patient Family Advisory Council. As the Co-Chair of this committee, she led the effort to better serve and improve the patient experience through the continuum of care. She also continues to work as a court-appointed advocate for Voices for Children, speaking up for abused and neglected children going through Boulder County’s court system and as an active member of NAMI which provides support, education, and advocacy for those affected by mental health conditions.

Leslie also enjoys hiking, reading, spending time with family and managing the Burns Family Foundation.

Brad Bernthal

Brad is an Associate Professor at Colorado Law. He specializes in startups, entrepreneurial law, and early-stage finance. His research studies finance instruments used in startup investment. Brad is the Founder and Director of the Silicon Flatirons Center's Entrepreneurship Initiative. The Entrepreneurship Initiative is closely involved with the CU New Venture Challenge and Startup Colorado. In the classroom, Brad teams with co-professor Trish Rogers to lead the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic, and he also teaches Venture Capital and Corporations.

Outside of the workplace, Brad is a tennis enthusiast.

Jane Butcher

Jane graduated in 1966 from the University of Colorado Boulder with a BA in International Affairs. At the University she has served on many boards including Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board for Arts and Sciences, The Campaign for the Women’s Studies Cottage and several search committees, and the past Chair of Conference on World Affairs and member of Committee for the Conference on World. Jane currently serves on the Advisory Board for the BioFrontiers Institute and Co-Founder, with husband Charlie, of the Butcher Symposium and Seed Grant program at BioFrontiers.

Jane is also the past President and current Board Member of the Foundation for National Progress. This Foundation is a media organization and publishes ‘Mother Jones’ Magazine. She is the Co-founder and President of the Women of the West Museum which merged with the Autry National Center. An involved member of the Boulder community, she has also served on other local boards such as The Chautauqua Association, the Boulder Library Commission, and currently President of the Local Theater Company.

Jane has a family of seven children, eleven grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Virginia Carducci

Virginia Carducci joined the Board of Trustees as the liaison representative of the Ambassadors Leadership Council January 2019. Virginia retired from BCH after 39 years of service in the capacity of Director of Rehabilitation, Behavioral Health, and Integrative Care. She served as the Executive Director of the Foundation from February 2016 to July 2017.

She became a BCH volunteer in January 2017 to supervise Urban Zen candidates. Virginia served as Board Chair of the Chanda Plan Foundation from 2008-2015 and Chair of their Capital Campaign 2014-2016. She has also worked with Empowering Global Communities, Hospice of Broomfield and Boulder Counties and volunteered as a Reiki provider at the Chanda Center for Health.

Bruce Dierking

Bruce Dierking is a life-long resident of Colorado who has lived in Boulder County for over 30 years. He currently serves as the General Manager of Hazel’s Beverage World, a retail liquor store he co-founded in 2012. Bruce is also Of Counsel with the law firm of Packard and Dierking, LLC, though he is retired. He has a small real estate and investment company he manages on the side as well.

Bruce grew up in Colorado Springs and then received his B.A. in English and Philosophy from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. After teaching high school and coaching basketball in small towns in Northern Colorado for a couple of years, Bruce graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law. He went on to practice real estate and transactional law in Boulder over the next 27 years and taught Real Estate Law as an Adjunct Professor at the CU Law School for several years.

Bruce has been married to Carleen for over 32 years, and they live in Hygiene in the same home where they raised their children. They have an adult daughter who now lives in Colorado Springs and works at Colorado College and an adult son who lives in Littleton and works at 3D Systems.

Matt Fargo

Matt Fargo co-founded and serves as Managing Partner of Kurtz Fargo LLP, a public accounting firm based in Colorado. His firm specializes in providing assurance, tax, and advisory services to emerging growth, small and mid-sized businesses, as well as successful individuals and family offices.

He is an active member of the entrepreneurial community in Boulder and the Front Range, serving as a mentor for TechStars, BoomTown, as well as working with many of Colorado’s most prominent entrepreneurial companies. He attended the University of Colorado, Boulder where he served as a board member for the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship from 2011 through 2016. He is also served as an Executive Board Member and Treasurer for Impact on Education from 2012 through 2021.

Andrew Franklin

Andy is retired from a 30-year career in product R&D positions at Hewlett-Packard and Bell Labs/Lucent Technologies/Avaya as a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff. The bulk of his career was spent developing business telephone systems (PBXs) where he created software architectures for Voice over IP telephony products. After his retirement, he worked as a web and e-commerce application developer helping small businesses acquire a web presence. In 2011, he co-founded ShelfX, an automated retail technology company based in Boulder, where he continues as VP of Software.

Andy has served on not-for-profit boards including the Emergency Family Assistance Association, where he served as board president in the early 2000s. He served on the board of Congregation Har Hashem where he continues to serve on the finance committee. For 16 years Andy served on the Jewish Colorado board where he took on various positions including Boulder campaign co-chair and Treasurer and member of the Financial Oversight Group. He currently serves on the board of the Colorado Snow Sports Museum and Hall of Fame and the Boulder Jewish Community Center.

Andy lives primarily in Boulder with his wife Audrey and their golden retriever, Georgia. His recreational activities include skiing, hiking, golf, and travel. He has a grown son and daughter-in-law living in Den Haag, Netherlands.

Lisa Granat, Chair of the Grants Committee

Lisa Granat has lived in Niwot for the past 16 years with her husband and three children. After years of volunteering in her children’s schools, she was inspired to join a parent grassroots campaign to support the first successful mill levy override in the St. Vrain Valley School District in 2008. After incorporating the group as Grassroots St. Vrain, a 501(c)4 non-profit, Lisa served as Treasurer for seven years and Communications Director for the last three years. Her work with GSV includes managing volunteer campaigns and collaborating with state legislators, the State Economist’s office, and multiple state-level advocacy organizations to promote understanding about school finance issues statewide.

She has presented to school groups and other school districts on behalf of GSV, as well as participated in several Colorado ballot initiatives to increase school funding. Lisa co-wrote the GSV suite of videos explaining school funding in Colorado. GSV won the “Communicator of the Year” award from the Colorado School Public Relations Association in 2017.

She received her BBA at Emory University and is a former Certified Public Accountant.

Kaye Howe

Kaye came to the University of Colorado as a faculty member in Humanities and Comparative Literature in 1968. Over time she became Chair of the Graduate Program in Comparative Literature and Chair of the Boulder Faculty Assembly, a role that involved me in collaborative work with high level administration. Kaye served as Interim Director of the Henderson Museum and soon after that accepted the position of Vice Chancellor for Academic Services in 1981. In 1991, she became president of Western State College, now WSU, where she instituted an academic reform calendar that completed extensive renovations to the entire physical plant, created a professional alumni association and foundation, and revamped administrative and financial departments. In 1997, Kaye became Executive Director of the National Science Digital Library (NSDL), a large Nation Science Foundation grant under the auspices of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

In service to the community, Kaye has been involved in many boards such as the Boulder United Way, I Have a Dream (Chair), the Boulder Arts Commission, Boulder Community Health (Chair of the Planning Committee), Boulder Center for the Visual Arts, YWCA (Chair) the Museum of Boulder (Chair), Frasier Retirement Community (Chair) and, most recently, the Development Advisory Board of the College of Education at CU.

Clarissa King

Clarissa King joined the BCH Foundation Board of Trustees in 2020. She has served on the BCH Red Lipstick Advisory Board since 2013. She also participated in the BCH Mental Capital Campaign from 2018-2019. As the Development Director for the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, she secured funding from foundations, corporations and private individuals for programing and exhibits.

Throughout her twenty-nine years as a Boulder resident, she has engaged in leadership roles in Boulder Valley Schools, Blue Sky Bridge, and the Boulder Children’s Museum. She is currently a Class Agent for the Mount Holyoke College Alumnae network. Clarissa earned an MA in Art History for the University of Colorado and a BA from Mount Holyoke College.

As an avid walker, hiker, cyclist her passion for walking has developed a keen eye to photograph the small details of life that slowing down affords.

Grace Koo Wickersham

Grace began her professional career at Goldman Sachs in New York, then joined Cisco Systems in San Jose, California. As a member of the in-house mergers group, she led acquisition teams evaluating and negotiating the purchase of new business lines and products. Following Cisco, Grace served as Vice President at Garnett & Helfrich Capital, a middle-market buyout fund, structuring and managing networking technology investments. She has been a resident of Boulder for the past twelve years, raising a daughter with her husband, Nick. Grace graduated from Princeton University, with an AB from the School of Public and International Affairs, summa cum laude.

Grace enjoys cooking and reading, is currently terrible at golf, but aspires to improve.

Catherine Moll

Catherine is a marketing and strategy professional with experience in developing successful marketing strategies and client relationships in consumer, technology, and business-to-business markets. She has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Boston University.

She joined Arch11, an architecture firm, to lead their marketing and strategy efforts. Prior, she was actively involved as a volunteer for The Dairy Arts Center. She helped develop their strategic plan, program expansion, and manage the $6 million facility renovation. She has worked in brand strategy with Volan Design in Boulder, where she was responsible for new business development, brand strategy development and project management, working with companies such as Samsung, Nokia and Hansgrohe; as an account manager with Oden Marketing and Design in Memphis, where she worked with the firm’s top client, FedEx; and in positions with Insight Services in Memphis and Cleveland in the oil analysis business. She also was a TV producer and assignment editor with WKYC in Cleveland.

Dee Perry, Chair of the Engagement Committee

Dee Perry joined the BCH Board in 2011. She enjoyed a successful business career in a variety of roles in sales, marketing, and financial management. She retired from McDATA Corp after leading a successful public offering of that company.

Continuing her focus on business operations and management, she has volunteered her time on company and community governance boards, including Boulder Community Health, I Have a Dream Foundation of Boulder County, the Center for Education on Social Responsibility Advisory Board at the CU Leeds School of Business, TRU Community Care and WAVi Inc. She also has served as an executive coach for business classes at the Leeds School. Dee served as Interim President of the BCH Foundation for nine months in 2016 and the chair of the BCH Board of Directors in 2018 and 2019.

Anie Roche

Anie K. Roche is a Life Sciences attorney with significant experience in providing legal support for the development and commercialization of drug therapeutic programs. She has developed and implemented patent strategies for a wide variety of companies in areas such as protein chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacology, neuroscience, bioinformatics, and molecular biology. She was an Adjunct Professor at USF Law School and has held senior management roles at several pharmaceutical companies, including Adamas Pharmaceuticals and Menlo Therapeutics (now Vyne Therapeutics). Previously, she was a Partner in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's intellectual property and patent practice as well as an Associate in the law firm of Cooley Godward LLP. Currently, she is the General Counsel at an AI-driven drug development company, X-37 (x37.ai).

Anie has also conducted research in the fields of pharmacology, neuroscience, anatomy, electrophysiology, and biochemistry. Specifically, she has researched neurochemical modifications in the central nervous system during inflammation and has also studied the interactions between opioid receptors and pain-transmitting neurons.

Anie received her bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Mumbai, her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in the fields of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, and her J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

She recently moved to Boulder with her family so that her husband could start a clean energy start up and they could raise their children in a town that provides a balance of a stimulating academic environment along with easy access to beautiful mountains and rivers. She is the proud mom of two children - her daughter is a passionate political activist, and her son enjoys biking, kayaking, and skiing in the great Colorado outdoors. The causes she is passionate about include increasing representation of women in all levels of the corporate world, protecting the rights of refugees, and non-biased news sources such as, NPR. Anie enjoys gardening, cooking, hiking, and spending time with her dogs.

Molly Ware, M.D.

Dr. Molly Ware is board certified in cardiovascular medicine, echocardiography, and nuclear cardiology, and has been practicing in Boulder since 2007. Dr. Ware received her bachelor's degree in Anthropology from Harvard University in 1995. She earned her medical degree from the University of Colorado in Denver in 2000, where she was presented with the Gold-Headed Cane Award for promise as an outstanding physician.

She completed her internal medicine residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School in 2003 and finished her cardiology fellowship at Boston Medical Center in 2006. While there, she received the American Heart Association's Laennec Young Clinician Award, recognizing clinical acumen, analytic skills, and teaching ability in future cardiologists. Dr. Ware is an active member of the American Heart Association and the American Society of Echocardiography. She treats all types of cardiovascular disease and has a special interest in heart valve problems, preventive cardiology and cardiac issues in women and athletes.

Tim Wojtalik

Tim is a Senior Advisor and managing partner at BSW Wealth Partners. As an Advisor, Tim focuses on people. Tim focuses his practice on people, emboldening their relationships around money. He thrives on the uniqueness of each individual and works hard to create a clear path for them to identify and achieve their personal and financial goals. It’s within this framework that he finds satisfaction by being both a partner and resource through the journey.

Tim earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he studied Organizational Psychology and English – a combination that often revealed why people do what they do! He has an MBA from the University of Denver and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. and expanding his credentials to include Financial Therapy. He has served locally on the I Have a Dream Board of Directors and has a passion for community health. Tim lives in Louisville with his wife Laura, children Zack and Audrey, and their two English Labs, Routt, and Zeus. Together, they race triathlons, play in the mountains, and travel.

One of his favorite outsides of work activities is to “cruise” the world with his family, an opportunity to experience the world economy in person.