CSI Staff

Ethan Hemming, Interim Executive Director
	Ethan joined CSI in April 2011 after 13 years of service in Denver Public Schools. Ethan held a variety of roles at Denver Public Schools including Director of the Planning and Innovation Office, Director of the School Choice Office, and Manager of Homeless Education. Most recently, Ethan served as Deputy Executive Director of the Office of School Reform and Innovation for the last 3 years overseeing and supporting 28 Charter Schools and 6 Innovation Schools. In that role, Ethan facilitated, supported and directed improvements in the district’s charter school and innovation school authorizing practices in key areas. These included the release of the first ever “Call for Quality Schools” to identify, attract, evaluate and approve the highest quality charter and innovation schools as well as improvements to renewal practice, charter operations guidance and support, customer service protocols, and other monitoring tools. In addition, Ethan brings a depth of experience in demographic analysis and communications as well as leadership and performance management. Ethan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Colorado College and a Master’s degree in Sociology from Colorado State University.
Peg LaPlante, Chief Financial Officer
	Peg LaPlante began working as the chief financial officer for the Charter School Institute on July 1, 2011. Peg received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of South Dakota and her MBA from the University of Wyoming. She has almost thirty years of accounting and financial experience. She has ten years of financial experience with public school districts, most recently as the assistant superintendent and chief financial officer for Englewood Schools. She has also worked in accounting finance at the University of Denver, for a number of for profit and not for profit organizations in California and for Amoco Oil Company in Wyoming and Oklahoma.
Tom McMillen, Director of Legal Compliance
	Tom joined CSI in July of 2011 as Director of Legal Compliance. Tom received his BA from Colorado State University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver College of Law, and is a licensed attorney in Colorado. Tom has been involved in the charter school movement for over 15 years as a founding parent and board member of Jefferson Academy Charter School in Broomfield, Colorado. Most recently Tom has served as a policy consultant for the Colorado Department of Education Schools of Choice Unit and for the Colorado League of Charter Schools, tasked with research, writing and Board training in the areas of charter school governance, accountability and legal compliance.
Lindsay Hull, Director of Nutrition Services
	Lindsay Hull, MS RD joined the CSI team in late November 2009 after working for CDE in the Nutrition Unit. She brings a strong knowledge base of Federal and State regulations pertaining to Child Nutrition Programs. Lindsay received her Bachelor’s Degree in Family and Consumer Science with a Dietetics Option from the University of Wyoming, and then obtained her Master’s Degree in Human Nutrition and Food from Colorado State University. She is a Registered Dietitian, and specializes in Nutrition Education and Child Nutrition Programs.
Kristen Stolpa, School Performance Director

Richard Luna, Grants Fiscal Officer
	Richard joined CSI in February 2011. He received his Bachelor degree in accounting from Metro State . Richard has 20 years of experience in a variety of accounting positions for various non-profit and quasi-governmental organizations. He brings 8 years of accounting experience managing Federal, State and Local grants for Denver Public Schools and Adams 50 Schools.
Matt Hudson, Director of Exceptional Student Services
	Matt joined the Charter School Institute in May 2007. He is a Licensed Special Education Director and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist with over 18 years experience working in a variety of roles within Exceptional Student Services. He has been a taskforce participant on several State level committees including the Colorado State Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC).
Kindra Sanchez-Marble, Assistant Director of Exceptional Student Services
	Colorado native, Ms. Kindra Sanchez-Marble, has worked in education since 1998. Kindra graduated from The University of Northern Colorado with a B.A. in Psychology, an Elementary Education teaching certificate, and a Bilingual endorsement. At UNC, she was honored as a Ronald McNair Scholar which included conducting, presenting, and publishing research on Gender Bias in America’s Schools, Assertive Communication, and Multi-Modal Instruction. Kindra taught pre-school, bilingual kindergarten, GT, and ELL for students age 16-21. She also partnered with the Colorado Endowment of the Humanities during a summer enrichment program. She earned an Educational Specialist degree and worked for 7 years as a School Psychologist and Special Education Coordinator at Bromley East Charter School before joining the CSI. Kindra has served as an RtI Coach, PBS Coach, and 504 Coordinator; additionally, she has conducted a variety of professional development. Currently she serves on the Leadership Team for Colorado’s Bilingual Mental Health Network as well as on the Executive Board for the Kinship Unit at the Denver Department of Human Services.
Sharon Kaiser, Exceptional Student Services, Office Coordinator
	Sharon joined CSI in September of 2010. She is a CEOE, Certified Educational Office Employee, having worked in St. Vrain Valley School District for 32 years. She has had over a decade of working with Exceptional Student Services. Sharon does volunteer work with the Senior Ministry at her church. She is also a doting Grandmother and an avid quilter and scrap booker.
Dr. Lu McDaniel, Exceptional Student Services Coordinator
	Dr. Lu McDaniel, Ed.D in Instructional Technology and Special Education Administration, UNC. She has more than 30 years of experience in education, including teaching regular elementary grades as well as all levels of special education Her administrative experience includes 14 years as Director of Exceptional Services. This included a BOCES, a Colorado School District, and the Colorado Charter School Institute. She was also the Coordinator of the Hawaii Systems Change Transition Grant for 2 years. She is currently employed part time as a consultant for the CSI ESS Department, is an adjunct professor for the UNC Metro Program, and is a consultant for WestEd with their state audits of the Charter School Program Grants.
Shannon Atwater, Exceptional Student Services Coordinator
	Shannon began her career in Special Education at the high school level, teaching in Adams District 14 and then Adams District 1, Mapleton. After marrying her husband Peter, Shannon moved South of Denver and worked in a K-8 charter school in Douglas County. While pregnant with her first child, she transitioned into the world of online education, and has since worked for Colorado Virtual Academy, Branson School Online, and GOAL Academy. Her most recent experiences have been as a Special Education Administrator, and she is excited for the opportunity at CSI to support several schools around the state in a coordinator role.
Gail Viveiros, Exceptional Student Services Coordinator
	Gail Viveiros, Ph.D. joined CSI in 2009. She attended Rowen University in New Jersey where she earned a B.A. in Special Education. After moving to Hawaii to pursue a teaching career in Special Education, and warmer weather, Gail earned a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Hawaii. Since tropic breezes were apparently not in her future, Gail moved to Colorado where she completed a Master’s Degree in Special Education and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Colorado. Gail was a teacher and administrator, working with all special population students, before retiring in 2009 as Executive Director of Student Support Services for Adams 12 Five Star Schools. Gail is very excited about working in the world of Charter Schools through CSI and looks forward to many future challenges and rewards.
Arlea Cole, Exceptional Student Services Coordinator
	Arlea Cole joined the Charter School Institute staff June, 2009. She serves as the Exceptional Student Services Coordinator for the Pikes Peak Region. Arlea holds three degrees: Bachelors of Arts (BA) with a major in English, Masters in Teacher Education (MTE) and Education Specialist (EdS). In addition to these degrees she has various certifications from Colorado Department of Education including secondary education teaching, reading specialist, principal and assistant principal, special education specialist and director and superintendent. Before moving to Colorado to join one of her sons and his young family, Arlea worked in education and throughout her long career has held positions from teaching in regular and special education classrooms to principal and, finally, superintendent. She brings a wealth of information to the Institute especially in the areas of special education, IDEA2004 compliance and implementation and other federal programs (504, GT, RTI, ELL). Her passion is being a mentor to both students and staff and assisting them in reaching their potential.
Bruce Stout, Gifted/Talented Coordinator
	Bruce joined The Charter School Institute in the fall of 2010 as the Gifted Education Consultant and has become the Gifted and Talented Coordinator for Exceptional Student Services. He attended Blackburn College, where he double majored in Music Performance as a percussionist and a baritone, and Elementary Education with an emphasis in literacy. Upon graduation, he moved to Colorado to pursue his passions for teaching and downhill skiing. Bruce became interested in gifted children his first year of teaching when he encountered his first gifted child and realized he was ill prepared to meet her academic and social needs. While continuing to teach, he received his Master’s Degree in 1986 from Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, in Curriculum Development, specializing in the nature and needs of gifted students. In 1989 he received a grant to work for National Geographic magazine, learning to write school curriculum for students who love geography. In 2000, Bruce was nominated and won the Colorado State Gifted Educator of the Year award. The following year he became the Gifted Education Coordinator for his school district, and entered the PhD program at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado. During his tenure, he presented at both the state level (CAGT) and the national level (NAGC). In addition, Bruce was inducted into the Colorado Association of Educators for the Gifted and Talented. In 2005 he began working as a professor at Metro State Community College in Denver. He also worked part time for a publishing company, Sopris West, as a consultant and trainer. Bruce also owns his own consulting company, The Write Guy. Bruce maintains a balance with his passions for downhill skiing, bicycling, writing, reading, playing the piano, composing, and singing baritone.
Edith Vick, Exceptional Student Services Health Coordinator
	Edith Vick has been a School nurse for 22 years. As an itinerant she has provided health services to several small schools and small school districts. She has a special interest in making available technology useful to school nurses and has made many resources available to them through the CSI website. Edith Enjoys consulting with CSI schools to obtain high quality health services for students, and she especially enjoys working with each of the wonderful CSI school nurses.
Amanda Spaeth, Nutrition Coordinator
	Amanda Spaeth, MS, RD is a Colorado native who joined the Charter School Institute in the fall of 2011 as the Nutrition Coordinator. She received her Bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. After working for several years in research and living abroad in Argentina, she returned to school to study nutrition. Amanda received her master’s degree in nutrition from Colorado State University in the spring of 2011. Amanda is a Registered Dietitian with a great passion for child nutrition, nutrition education, and school and worksite wellness.
Candis Lamorie, Office Administrator
	Candis joined the Charter School Institute in November of 2009. Prior to serving at CSI, she worked as an Administrative Coordinator for a marketing department in Denver. Candis is also a volunteer at Elevation World Outreach assisting in the café and classroom for toddlers. Candis has many roles at the Charter School Institute and looks forward to excelling in any challenge that comes along.
Michael Gelinas, IT Coordinator
	Michael Gelinas is the IT Coordinator at CSI. He came to CSI from Englewood School District where he worked as the District Data Coordinator for 11 years. Prior to working for Englewood, Michael got his start in the technology field working as a Systems Analyst for Lockheed Martin from 1994 to 2000. Michael has a diverse technology background and comes to CSI with almost 18 years experience.
Millie Ramos, Board Communications Coordinator
	Milagros “Millie” Ramos is the CSI Board of Directors Communications Coordinator. Ms. Ramos served as the Secretary of the University and of the Board of Regents from January 1993 to September 2007, and thereafter as Assistant Vice President for Administration in the Office of the President, University of Colorado until her retirement in 2009. Prior to her appointment at the university, she served almost fourteen years as a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force. Her military assignments included personnel, administration, education and training, manufacturing and acquisition project management, and two tours as a faculty member in the United States Air Force Academy's Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership. Ms. Ramos received an A.A. in Liberal Arts from Suffolk County Community College (NY); a B.A. in Spanish, Secondary Education and M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling, from the State University of New York at Albany; and an M.A. in Procurement and Materials Management from Webster University. She is a graduate of the Air Force Institute of Technology's Education-with-Industry Program in Manufacturing and Subcontracts Management. Ms. Ramos achieved the rank of Major and remains a USAF inactive duty reserve officer.