CCCS State Board Members

Home » SBCCOE » Members of the State Board

Members of the State Board

SBCCOE members may be reached at SBCCOE@cccs.edu


	Bernadette Marquez, Chair At-Large, (D) Term Expires: 12/31/2011
	Bernadette Marquez, SBCCOE Chairman, is a Registered Nurse in a hospital setting working primarily in the Peri-Operative area with over 20 years of experience. Read more »

	Maury Dobbie, Vice Chair 4th District, (R) Term Expires: 12/31/2012
	SBCCOE Vice Chairman. An entrepreneur all her life and long before it was popular, Maury started her first company at the age of 19. Read more »

	Ruth Ann Woods 3^rd District (U) Term Expires: 12/31/13
	Ruth Ann Woods served as the President of Trinidad State Junior College 2004-2009 and Vice President of Trinidad State's Alamosa Campus ... Read more »

	Wanda Cousar 5^th District, (D) Term Expires: 12/31/2010
	Ms. Cousar is a graduate of Rutgers University's Cook College, Piscataway, NJ, with a BS in Human Nutrition and Foods, and holds a Diet Tech Registered (DTR) license, and Business Management... Read more »

	Meg Porfido 2nd District, (D) Term Expires: 12/31/2012
	Meg Porfido is currently taking some time off professionally, after careers in the private and public sector. From September 1998 to December 2008, Meg was part of the management team at Level 3 Communications... Read more »

	Ledy Garcia-Eckstein At-Large, (D) Term Expires: 12/31/2011
	Ledy is the Executive Director of the Metro Denver Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Initiative and Senior Policy Analyst for Denver's Office of Economic Development (OED). Read more »

	Rich Martinez 6^th District, (U) Term Expires: 12/31/13
	President and CEO, Young Americans Center for Financial Education and Young Americans Bank, Denver, Colorado Read more »

	John Trefny 7^th District, (Unaffiliated) Term Expires: 12/31/2010
	Dr. John U. Trefny is President Emeritus of Colorado School of Mines, having retired in the summer of 2006. Read more »

	Tamra J. Ward 1^st District, (R) Term Expires: 12/31/2010
	Tamra Ward is the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. Read more »


Non-Voting Board Members

	Todd Bergren SFAC Representative Term Expires: 06/30/2010
	Dr. Todd Bergren is Chair of the State Faculty Advisory Council (SFAC) for the community college system of Colorado. Dr. Bergren is also a full time biology professor at the Community College of Aurora (CCA). Read more »

State Board Member Bios

Bernadette Marquez, Chairman

Bernadette Marquez, SBCCOE Chairman, is a Registered Nurse in a hospital setting working primarily in the Peri-Operative area with over 20 years of experience. In addition, she manages the Community Partnership Program for an independent oil company which provides industry grants and is one of the founding board members of the Timothy and Bernadette Marquez Foundation creating, implementing and managing their grant process. Bernadette co-founded the Denver Scholarship Foundation, which works with Denver's high school students, and currently serves as the Chair of their Board of Directors. She is a member of the Denver Foundation's Health Committee which distributes grants to various health organizations. Previously, she has served as a member of the Santa Barbara Foundation's Health and Human Services Committee, Board Member and Vice President of the Lobero Theater Foundation, Family Service Agency and Noah's Anchorage in Santa Barbara, CA.

Bernadette holds a BSN degree from Michigan State University as well as the CNOR – Certification Board Perioperative Nursing.

Maury Dobbie, Vice Chair

SBCCOE Vice Chairman.

An entrepreneur all her life and long before it was popular, Maury started her first company at the age of 19. She quickly built and owned a commercial property, locating her business there. Maury has owned six diverse companies since 1977. Her latest company, MediaTech Productions (an award-winning multimedia company) in Fort Collins, was founded in 1994. In her early thirties, Maury wanted to earn a higher education degree. She started her first few classes at a community college and then went on to earn a Business Administration degree at a four year college. She felt the choice to get back into higher education starting at a community college before transferring to a university, helped her succeed at a faster and more affordable rate. Her dedication and belief in higher education has been evident for many years as she has served her community in both community colleges and universities.

Formerly, Maury was the President/CEO of NCEDC (Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation), a not-for-profit 501 (c)(6) organization dedicated to stimulating economic development by strengthening existing primary employers, support expansion projects and market to new primary employers. During that time she also served on the board of directors for the state-wide Economic Development Council of Colorado. Currently, Maury has returned to her entrepreneurial roots in private industry and is Vice President of CATSHOT Group, a Denver company focused on Enterprise Risk Management and corporate security.

Maury has been a women business leader for over two decades, dedicating herself to working on programs that advance women, men and youth. She has been appointed in the past to state boards including Colorado Women's Economic Development Council and Motion Picture and Film Commission. She helped found "Young Women of the West" with the Governor's Women's Business Office. The state-wide program focused on teaching young women between the ages of 15 and 18 how to think entrepreneurially and how to start their own businesses.

Among many awards, Maury was named 1995 Woman Leader of Excellence award in Colorado, awarded "Emerging Entrepreneur" in Northern Colorado and Wyoming in 2002 by NCBR, selected as "Top 10 Women Making a Difference" in 2005, awarded a prestigious national award by Office Depot, "2005 Businesswoman of the Year", "Women in Business Champion" by Small Business Administration (SBA) in 2007, "Creative Vision for Women" award by Crossroads in 2008 and recently as a Woman of Vision by Colorado Women of Influence.

In the mid-1980s Maury earned a second degree black belt in Taekwondo, a martial art she studied for 18 years, earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic Taekwondo Team and traveling on a demonstration team. Maury is married with two grown children (daughter with a Masters in Social Work specializing in medical social work in hospitals and a son who is a decorated Marine serving his country in the Middle East) and four grandchildren.

Ruth Ann Woods

Ruth Ann Woods served as the President of Trinidad State Junior College 2004-2009 and Vice President of Trinidad State's Alamosa Campus 2002-2004. Under Woods' leadership, tireless work ethic and a shared governance approach to management, the college began adding new programs, seeking partnerships with private industries securing updated equipment and renovating the campuses.

AS TSJC's President, Woods developed significant partnerships with industry to create programs that provided industry specific and relevant education in order to prepare highly trained workers for various industries. These programs included the Energy Production and Industrial Construction Program (EPIC), the Phil Long Ford Automotive Service Program, the Southern Colorado Line Tech Program in partnership with San Isabel Electric and the Rocky Mountain Lineman School in partnership with Colorado Springs Utilities and Pikes Peak Community College. She also initiated the "Captains of Industry" recognition program to thank the college's industry partners. Woods earned a statewide reputation for these innovative partnerships and was appointed by Gov. Bill Ritter as co-chair of the Colorado Jobs Cabinet charged with aligning Colorado's economic development strategies, educational programs, and regional workforce needs to produce an exceptional labor force for Colorado businesses.

Realizing the need for alternative and supplemental funding sources, Woods responded by establishing an assertive grant writing office. TSJC funded new programs, scholarships, instructor's salaries, stated-of-the-art equipment, technology based education, building renovations and operations with over 7.5 million in successful grants.

Woods received the Colorado ACTE Educator of the Year Merit Award in 2009; voted Colorado Community College President of the Year – 2006; Businesswoman of the Year by the Trinidad Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce – 2006; and Woman of the Year in the San Luis Valley – 2004.

In honor of being a true visionary, a rock in the community, and her commitment to students, The Woods Student Success Center was established in June 2009 at Trinidad State Junior College. The center's mission is to enhance academic opportunities and support for all students to increase retention, graduation, articulation agreements, and transfer of TSJC's diverse student population.

Wanda Cousar

Ms. Cousar is a graduate of Rutgers University's Cook College, Piscataway, NJ, with a BS in Human Nutrition and Foods, and holds a Diet Tech Registered (DTR) license, and Business Management certifications. She received an Executive MBA degree from Colorado Technical University, March 2006. While employed in the charter school industry since 2001, she has been an administrator to at risk youth and adjunct professor to high school college ready students.

In 2006 she received the Vera Gang Scott Education Award named after the first African American Social Worker and Principal in Colorado Springs, from the African American Voice local newspaper.

Ms. Cousar has served as a State Community College and Occupational Education Board member for the second term since 2004 by appointment of Governor’s Owens and Ritter. She has served as national delegate on social action issues for the Colorado Springs Branch of the NAACP and is the corresponding secretary and Protocol and Traditions committee chairperson of Colorado Springs Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She earned a Graduate Fellowship with Temple University for writing The Biology Curriculum entitled "Modeling Literacy in the Biology Classroom" and graduated from the El Pomar Foundation’s Leadership Plenty program. Wanda currently is a Doctorate of Management candidate in CTU's Institute for Advanced Studies and is adjunct faculty in management with Colorado Technical University’s Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Online divisions. Her curriculum vitae includes Business, Management, Social Science, English, and Professional Communications instruction.

Meg Porfido

Meg Porfido is currently taking some time off professionally, after careers in the private and public sector. From September 1998 to December 2008, Meg was part of the management team at Level 3 Communications, a global company, based in Broomfield, Colorado, providing communications services over one of the world's largest fiber-based networks. Meg reported to the President and Chief Operating Officer for eight years and to the Chief Legal Officer for the last two years, when she served as the Chief Human Resources Officer. As the CHRO, she was responsible for compensation, benefits, HR systems, recruiting, talent management and development, engagement, an employee call center, and internal communications. Prior to that, she served in various roles, with a focus on communications, integrations, performance management and reporting.

Prior to joining Level 3, Meg served as Chief of Staff to Governor Roy Romer. In that role, she managed a sixteen-person cabinet, which oversaw all state government operations and services. She advised the Governor and senior managers on legal, budget, operations, personnel, and policy issues, and served as liaison to the business community. She also supervised the Governor's Office staff. Prior to that position, she served as the Governor's general counsel, where she worked with the Attorney General providing legal support to the Governor and cabinet, and as legislative liaison, where she served as the lead lobbyist with the state legislature.

Prior to joining the Governor's office, Meg practiced law at the private law firms of Brownstein, Hyatt in Denver, Colorado, and Skadden, Arps in Washington, DC. She began her career as a legislative assistant to Congressman Mike Synar in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, DC.

Meg earned a BA, majoring in political science, from the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware, and a law degree from George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC. She was named one of the "top 40 business leaders under 40 years of age" by the Denver Business Journal, and participated in Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.

Ledy Garcia-Eckstein

Ledy is the Executive Director of the Metro Denver Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Initiative and Senior Policy Analyst for Denver's Office of Economic Development (OED). She has an extensive background in government, having served in the Administration of former Governor Roy Romer for eight years, as Policy Advisor and Executive Director of the Colorado Workforce Coordinating Council. She has also been a Community Planning and Development Representative for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Indianapolis Area Office. She has worked for the City and County of Denver since 2000, as Assistant Director for Business Services and Contracts for the City's Division of Workforce Development, prior to accepting the position in OED's Policy Group.

Ledy also has eight years of private sector experience in the banking and insurance industries. She has been a Certified Financial Planner and has held securities and insurance licenses. She has a long history of community involvement and is currently on the Latino Advisory Committee for the Rocky Mountain News, the Colorado Public Defender's Commission, the board of the Insight Center for Community and Economic Development, and the National Network of Sector Partners' Advisory Committee. Ledy has a B.A. from the University of Iowa and a Masters Degree in Government from the University of Virginia, where she also completed all requirements but the dissertation for a Ph.D. She was a Fannie Mae Fellow at the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in the summer of 1999.

Richard E. Martinez Jr.

President and CEO, Young Americans Center for Financial Education and Young Americans Bank, Denver, Colorado

Young Americans Center for Financial Education is home to Young Americans Bank, the world's only bank specifically designed for young people. Young Americans also conducts hands-on lessons in free enterprise, global economics, and entrepreneurship. To date over 440,000 youth have benefited from the programs Young Americans offers.

Martinez joined Young Americans in 1999 and has held several roles including VP/Audit, VP/Young Americans Bank, and Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer. He was named President and CEO in November 2007. Martinez is responsible for the oversight of Young Americans Bank and the nonprofit programs of Young Americans Center for Financial Education.

He began his banking career in Colorado in 1990 as an intern at the Norwest Bank of Fort Collins (now Wells Fargo bank) while pursuing a finance degree from Colorado State University. During his two-year internship, he worked in all aspects of commercial bank operations.

Upon graduation from college in 1992, Martinez accepted a position at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Denver Branch as a bank examiner. His responsibilities included conducting examinations of financial institutions and inspections of bank holding companies to determine financial safety and soundness. He earned the commissioned examiner distinction in 1998.

He holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from Regis University. His degree emphasis was in computer information systems. Martinez was appointed by Governor Bill Ritter to serve on the board of CollegeInvest, Colorado's 529 College Savings provider. Martinez also serves on the Colorado Nonprofit Association Board of Directors and the University of Denver – Bridge Project scholarship committee.

John Trefny

Dr. John U. Trefny is President Emeritus of Colorado School of Mines, having retired in the summer of 2006. Prior to his appointment as President in 2000, Dr. Trefny served for nearly five years as CSM's Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty. Earlier, he served Mines as Professor of Physics and Head of the Department of Physics. Dr. Trefny has been active in pre-college education, serving for many years as Coordinator of Teacher Enhancement Programs at Mines.

Born and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, Dr. Trefny received his undergraduate education at Fordham University and the Ph.D. in Physics from Rutgers University. Subsequently he held appointments at Cornell University and at Wesleyan University before joining CSM in 1977. He has published widely in various fields of condensed-matter physics including amorphous materials, liquid and solid helium, high- and low-temperature superconductivity, and photovoltaics. He was recognized by the School in 1983 with the "Brown Innovative Teaching Award" and in 1984 with the "Amoco Outstanding Teaching Award." He has also received the "Excellence in Science Teaching Award" (1992) and the "Friend of Science Education Award" (1990) of the Colorado Association of Science Teachers. In 2006, following his retirement, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Colorado School of Mines.

Dr. Trefny serves on the boards of the Golden Civic Foundation, the Community First Foundation, the Rocky Mountain Regional Center of the Institute of International Education and the Red Rocks Community College Foundation.

Tamra J. Ward

Tamra Ward is the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. Tamra joined the Chamber staff as Director of Public Affairs in December 2000.

A 1990 graduate of Baylor University with a degree in Journalism and Slavic Studies, Tamra's career began on Capitol Hill, where she served as Assistant Press Secretary for Senator Alan Simpson, Press Secretary for Representative Craig Thomas, and Deputy Chief of Staff following Thomas' election to the Senate in 1994. Prior to moving to Denver, the Wyoming native served as the Vice President of Marketing & Development for Columbia Hospital for Women, a private, not-for-profit hospital in downtown Washington, D.C.

Building on a personal interest in serving the greater Denver community, Tamra has been involved with the Daniels Career Coaching Program, the Junior League of Denver, and serves on the Board of Directors of Hope Communities. She is a graduate of the Chamber's Leadership Denver Program, and was named by the Denver Business Journal as one of Denver's "40 Under 40" – an annual list of Denver's up and coming business leaders. Tamra also was appointed by Governor Bill Owens to represent the first congressional district (Denver) on the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education. Ward was also recently appointed by Mayor Hickenlooper to the City of Denver's Commission to End Homelessness. She is also Vice Chair of the Foundation Board of Porter Adventist Hospital. While in Washington, D.C. she volunteered for several organizations including the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Easter Seals Society, and the EverybodyWins! Literacy program; as well as served on the Board of Directors of the American Heart Association and The Campagna Center.

Non-Voting Board Member Bios

Todd Bergren, SFAC Representative

Dr. Todd Bergren is Chair of the State Faculty Advisory Council (SFAC) for the community college system of Colorado. Dr. Bergren is also a full time biology professor at the Community College of Aurora (CCA). This is his first term as the chair and a member of the state board. He teaches General College Biology I and II, Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Nucleic Acid Techniques and Molecular Cloning (a biotechnology course), Microbiology, and General Genetics, Molecular Biology of the Cell (both of these at Metropolitan State College of Denver (MSCD).

Dr. Bergren received his first Bachelor's Degree in Veterinary Science at Colorado State University. He received his second in Mechanical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. He earned a Masters Degree and PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Upon receiving his PhD, Dr. Bergren worked as a part-time instructor for CCA, MSCD and the University of Denver for four years before being hired full-time.

He has been the principle investigator on a pair of grants from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Labor, both dealing with training high school teachers to perform molecular biology labs in their classrooms. Dr. Bergren also has an ongoing research project he is working on with a colleague at MSCD, dealing with wastewater treatment on the Yucatan peninsula.

Dr. Bergren and his wife have been married for 17 years and currently live in Denver. He loves to read about many different subjects, but is especially interested in evolution, cellular and molecular biology and the history of science. He also enjoys woodworking and playing his guitar.