Project Worthmore’s staff comes from a diverse array of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. Our team of 40 speaks 29 languages and comes from a dozen countries.
Jen resides in Denver and is a full time employee at The Children’s Hospital Colorado where she serves as a speech-language pathologist. Prior to becoming board president, she served as board secretary from 2015-2017. She has been involved with Project Worthmore since its inception and helped establish the English Language program.
Jamie Laurie
Vice Chair
Jamie is Emcee for the internationally recognized band the Flobots and lives in Denver. His interest in serving the disadvantaged and marginalized was a perfect fit with the mission of Project Worthmore, and he was brought onto the board in August of 2015.
Amber Hill
Secretary
Amber resides in Denver where she serves as the Owner & Mediator at Hilltop Mediation.
Scott Frisbee
Treasurer
Scott resides in Adams County and serves as Director of Systems Engineering at Distributed Foodservice Supply, LLC.
Hawzienawit Gebremedhin
Board Member
Hawzien Gebremedhin is the Assistant Vice President of FirstBank’s Treasury Management Development department. Hawzien has worked for FirstBank since 2009; starting as a Teller in college, Hawzien has worked in consumer and commercial lending, and now develops and retains the bank’s commercial banking division. As a refugee from Ethiopia, Hawzien is passionate about supporting members in the refugee community.
Tamara Smith
Board Member
Tamara is the Owner and Chief Financial Officer of Gibson Athletic, a manufacturer of fitness and therapy equipment. Tamara has been involved with Project Worthmore as a Family Partner and English language volunteer for several years. She resides in Denver with her husband and three boys.
Camille Howells
Board Member
Camille is a nonprofit consultant and former development director who brings fundraising and community relations expertise to the board. She has a heart for the marginalized and has worked on community development and educational equity issues over the course of her career. She resides in Wheat Ridge with her family.
Daphna Kapnik
Board Member
Daphna is a Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Little Kickers Swim School, which promotes water safety and a lifelong love of swimming for children of all ages. Prior to starting Little Kickers in 2014, Daphna worked both in Denver and Washington, D.C. on various international leadership and women’s empowerment programs.
Michael J. Schwab DMD
Board Member
Dr. Schwab graduated from Tuft College ofDental Medicine in 1980. During his 35 years of private practice in Denver Colorado, he spent 5 years as a Dental Director for two major insurance companies advocating for both dentists’ and patient’s rights. He has been a clinical instructor at CU School of Dental Medicine using the Worthmore Clinic as a teaching and research facility. His area of expertise for the JCNDE is Dental Ethics and Practice Management.
Susie Lewis
Board Member
Susie served as Project Worthmore’s Director of Marketing & Events for three years before joining the Board in summer 2019. Her experience also includes working on issues of social and environmental justice within the food system, designing and leading experiential learning programs for executives around the globe, and overseeing software teams in her current role as Product Owner at CKD Technology Partners. She is fluent in Spanish, an aspiring potter, and happiest taking walks in the woods. Susie has a BS in Advertising from the U of Florida, and an MBA from the U of Colorado, Boulder.
Noelle Shearer
Board Member
Noelle became involved with Project Worthmore upon moving to Denver in 2016. Her passion is to see unity developed by people learning from each other in authentic relationships. She has served in pastoral ministry and the arts in Columbus, Ohio for many years, and in Denver since 2016. Noelle holds a B.A from The Ohio State University and an M.A. from Ashland Theological Seminary. She resides in Denver with her husband and three teenagers.
Mia Ariela Allen
Board Member
Mia Ariela Allen is focused on improving programmatic structures and creating equitable learning opportunities for English Language Learners. Mia is a consultant, coach, teacher, and provides professional learning in-service opportunities throughout the United States, Canada and Central America. Mia is currently working in both the traditional and digital publishing industries reviewing and creating student-centric English Language Development literacy-based resources.
Melissa Theesen
Board Member
Melissa is an entrepreneurial professional with leadership experience across four continents. As Executive Director, she led the ECDC African Community Center of Denver and Children’s Future International toward new and sustainable revenue streams and partnerships. Melissa has built successful enterprises, fostered innovation in refugee resettlement, sustained international nonprofits during natural disasters, and consulted with the United Nations. Currently, Melissa is the Owner and COO of Apollo Energy, a solar company pioneering affordable solar ownership along the front range of Colorado and Wyoming.