CJI Welcomes New Board Members
May 17, 2022 At its Annual General Meeting held May 17, CJI welcomed the 12 new members elected to its Board of Directors. The incoming members, who took office immediately, are a diverse mix of legal professionals, business leaders, and a university professor who reflect CJI's diversity as a community organization. They are:
Nick DeWeese
Sherman & Howard L.L.C.
Kelley Duke
Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, PC
Lori Halverson
The Halverson Group & Vistage
Hon. Sueanna Johnson
Colorado Court of Appeals
Thor Nelson
Holland & Hart
Alexander Sediva
Employers Council
Michael Siebecker
Sturm College of Law, University of Denver
Eliza Steinberg
Griffiths Law, PC
Azra Taslimi
Rathod | Mohamedbhai
Ryan Urbach
American Pacific Mortgage
Valorie Waldon
Employers Council
Thomas Werge
Werge Law Group
Meet CJI Executive Director Jeff Rupp
April 11, 2022 CJI is thrilled to welcome our new Executive Director, Jeff Rupp. Jeff joined CJI on April 11. He has worked in nonprofit leadership and management his entire career, most recently at the Association of Fundraising Professionals international headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. He earned his BA in history and political science at St. Olaf College and an MA in American Studies at the University of Maryland. He lives in Denver and enjoys skiing, coaching youth rugby, reading, and playing guitar. Jeff has an adult daughter who lives in New York City.
Colorado Judicial Institute Board of Directors
Board Officers and Board Members of the Colorado Judicial Institute are all volunteers. The board plays an active role in determining the direction, priorities, and projects for the organization. Board members who chair various committees, along with CJI staff, are responsible for seeing projects through to fruition.
Board Members are recruited through the efforts of the nominating committee. New board members are sought throughout the community, both legal and non-legal. Requirements for new board members are a dedication to judicial independence and the desire to work for the best possible judicial system for the citizens of Colorado. Board members are required to be members in good standing of the organization and to participate on at least one active committee. The CJI bylaws mandate that at least 50% of board members not be in the full-time practice of law. The nominating committee recommends nominees to the membership and there is a vote to fill board positions at the annual meeting. The annual meeting is traditionally held in May.
Board Officers are elected each year at the annual meeting by existing board members. Current board officer positions include the board chair, board chair-elect, secretary, treasurer and past chair. The board officers, also known as the executive committee, are charged with the oversight of the organization's activities, staff and daily operations.
For more information about the CJI board, please contact us via email or at 303-766-7501.
2022-2023 CJI Board of Directors
Michael Dabbs
Gill Foundation
Nicholas M. DeWeese
Sherman & Howard L.L.C.
Faye Diamond
RBI Strategies & Research
Celia Dietrich
Dietrich Partners
Kelley B. Duke
Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, PC
Selena L. Dunham
Classique, LLC
Nickolas D. Fogel
Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, P.C.
Keo Frazier - Secretary
KEOS Marketing LLC/New Thinkers/KEOS Marketing Consultancy
Denver Housing Authority
Jeffrey B. George - Treasurer
Baker Tilly US, LLP
Jonathan Goldberg - Chair Elect
LIV Sotheby's International Realty
Lori Halverson
Vistage Chair | The Halverson Group
Hon. Robert D. Hawthorne
Colorado Court of Appeals
Eric L. Hilty
Tuff Shed, Inc.
Hon. Gary M. Jackson
Denver County Court - Retired
Hon. Sueanna P. Johnson
Colorado Court of Appeals
Hon. Lino S. Lipinsky de Orlov
Colorado Court of Appeals
Bob Manzi
Clarity Media Group, Inc.
Hon. Cynthia D. Mares
18th Judicial District
Thorvald Nelson
Holland & Hart LLP
Britton Nohe-Braun
One Earth Future Foundation
Chris Oltyan
Compliable
Patrick T. O'Rourke
University of Colorado
Christopher R. Reeves
Waltz | Reeves
Kathryn A. Reilly
Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell LLP
Donald L. Samuels - Chair
Polsinelli PC
V. William Scarpato
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado
Alexander Sediva
Employers Council
Michael R. Siebecker
University of Denver, Sturm College of Law
Eliza R. Steinberg
Griffiths Law PC
Shannon W. Stevenson
Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP
Azra Taslimi
Rathod | Mohamedbhai LLC
Ryan Urbach
American Pacific Mortgage Corp.
Valorie Waldon
Employers Council
Hon. Elizabeth A. Weishaupl
18th Judicial District
Thomas Werge
Werge Law Group
Gwyneth Whalen
Caplan and Earnest LLC
Heidi Williams
Colorado Attorney General's Office
Emeritus Directors
Stephen J. Burg
Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, P.C.
E. Michael Canges
Senn Visciano Canges P.C.
Hon. Russell E. Carparelli
Conflict Resolution Services, Inc.
Colorado Court of Appeals - Retired
Marilyn S. Chappell
Sweetbaum Sands Ramming PC
Mark T. Clouatre
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
Laurence W. DeMuth Jr.
US West – Retired
George D. Dikeou
COPIC Companies - Retired
Robert Ewegen
The Ewegen Law Firm, PLLC
Denver Post - Retired
Mark A. Fogg
Childs McCune LLC
Hon. Richard L. Gabriel
Colorado Supreme Court
Michael J. Gallagher
Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP
K.C. Groves
Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, PC
John B. Grow
LawToolBox.com, Inc.
Sheila M. Gutterman
Griffiths Law, PC
David A. Hall
Alvarez & Marsal Disputes and Investigations, LLC
Hon. Melissa Hart
Colorado Supreme Court
Hon. Robert J. Kapelke
Judicial Arbiter Group, Inc.
Colorado Court of Appeals – Retired
Hon. Lynn J. Karowsky
Weld County Court - Retired
Peter G. Koclanes
Sherman & Howard L.L.C.
Gary Lozow
Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher, LLP
Hon. Gale T. Miller
Colorado Court of Appeals - Retired
Robert N. Miller
Perkins Coie LLP - Retired
James E. Nelson
The Law Office of James E. Nelson
Michael L. O’Donnell
Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell LLP
Mark W. Pedigo
Baker Tilly US, LLP
Barbara B. Randell
Future Image Group, Inc.
John E. Sosville
Platform Brokerage
Ralph G. Torres
The Law Office of Ralph G. Torres
Yvonne E. Zuber
Zuber & Domaille LLC
CJI Staff
Jeff Rupp
Executive Director
Cynthia Ophaug-Johansen
Director of Marketing and Administration
Laura Rothenberg
Executive Assistant
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