Northeast Regional Council

Matt Carpenter is Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Secretary for El Pomar Foundation. He joined El Pomar in 1999 as a participant in the Fellowship program and now oversees grant and program operations. He currently serves on the boards of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, Colorado Springs Leadership Institute (CSLI), and Empty Stocking Fund Advisory Board. Matt is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy with a bachelor’s degree in political science, and earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, with an emphasis on nonprofit management.

“Including my time at the Air Force Academy, I have been in Colorado for more than 25 years. I appreciate the outdoors and as a member of a soccer family, the variety of soccer fields and parks around the state of Colorado.”

Born and raised in Northeast Colorado, Justin Coughlin spent the majority of his childhood in Yuma. He attended the University of Denver where he received a degree in finance and played basketball all four years. After graduating from DU, Justin joined the El Pomar Fellowship in Colorado Springs for two years. He married his high school sweetheart during the Fellowship and returned to Northeast Colorado in 2014 to be an agricultural lender at Bank of Colorado. In March of 2018, Justin and his family moved back home to Yuma where he now works for Seward Farms Seward Cattle Company in a finance and accounting role. Justin and his wife, Katherine, enjoy being back in Yuma with their three sons ages six, four and one.

Trisha and her husband have been on the Colorado Eastern Plains since 2006 and currently reside in Holyoke. Trisha has been the Eastern Community Relationship Manager at CHFA since October 2022. Before beginning her career at CHFA she worked various jobs in the education and nonprofit field. Her most recent experience was serving as Executive Director at Phillips County Economic Development. Through this position Trisha gained experience in community and housing development, nonprofits, grant writing, entrepreneurship, and networking with stakeholders.

Trisha is no stranger to Holyoke due to her active involvement in the community. She serves on the board for the Holyoke Community Childcare and the Women’s Golf League. Trisha also opened her own business in 2015 and started the Holyoke Fitness Club and is a Boettcher Doers and Difference Makers Fellow Alumni. Trisha graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in Family Life and Community Service in 2004.

In her spare time Trisha loves to work out and has completed several races including Pedal of the Plains and a marathon. Although she is very active and involved in the community, she always puts her family first. Her husband, Justin, works for Corteva Agriscience and they have two children: Kaden (15yrs) and Braylin (13yrs) and two bulldogs named Ozzy and Zeke.

Jean Johnson and her husband Scott own and operate The Flying Diamond Ranch near Kit Carson. This commercial cow-calf/stocker operation has been in the family over 100 years and Jean and Scott have expanded the business which now operates in Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska. They raised four, fifth generation children in Kit Carson who are all involved with the business at some level.

Jean currently serves on the Colorado State University Dean’s AgIndustry Leadership Council and is an officer for the Cheyenne County Cattlewomen. She served 14 years on the Kit Carson School Board and two years on the Cheyenne County Hospital Board.

Trae is a native of Northeast Colorado and graduated from Merino High School. He received his degree in Business Marketing from Colorado State University and spent the first years of his career in Salt Lake City, Utah and the Denver Metro area. Trae returned to Northeast Colorado with his family; wife Allie, son Layton, and daughter Lilly in 2015 when he started his role as Executive Director of the Logan County Economic Development Corp. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Energy Resource Center, Sterling Regional Med Center Hospital Advisory Board, and National Science Foundation CO-WY Engine Board of Governance.

Anna Scott is from Julesburg, Colorado. She is the Executive Director of the Ernest and Lillian E. Campbell Foundation, the Director of the “South Platte River Trail” a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway and a member of the Hippodrome Arts Centre Board of Directors. In 2004 Anna was awarded the statewide Colorado Nonprofit Association William Funk Award. Anna and her husband, Randy, raise Black Simmental Cattle and grow corn, wheat and alfalfa.

Tessa Seaney currently serves as the Program Manager of the Fellowship. In this role she supports Fellows in their professional development and management. She also supports all Fellow related activities including the Internship, the Fellowship recruiting process, Alumni relations, and new Fellow orientation.

Tessa joined El Pomar Foundation as a member of the 2021 Fellowship class. As a Fellow, Tessa supported Empty Stocking Fund, Fellowship Recruiting, Police Foundation, Hundred Club of Colorado Springs, New Fellow Orientation and the San Luis Valley region.

She grew up in the small town of Mead, Colorado, before graduating with honors from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. During her time at Fort Lewis, Tessa served on the New Student Orientation Leadership team and spent many hours volunteering at a local middle and high school. Her volunteer experiences led her to a passion for youth mental health research and programing. In her free time, Tessa loves reading, hiking and paddle boarding.

Seth Lindsey joined El Pomar Foundation as a member of the 2023 Fellowship Class. As a 2nd Year Fellow, Seth serves as a Senior Program Associate for American Council of Young Political leaders, Communications, Investment Challenge, National Recreation Foundation, and Regional Partnerships. Additionally, Seth supports the Northeast region.

Originally from Santa Rosa, California, Seth grew up in Lone Tree, Colorado, from the age of two and graduated from the University of Colorado—Colorado Springs in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) and a minor in Leadership Studies. At UCCS, Seth spread his time between performing and designing for the theater; volunteering with the Chancellor’s Leadership Class; working as the School Group Coordinator for the Office of Admissions; and taking on roles in student organizations around campus. Seth served two years on the VAPA Chair’s Council and three years on the Theatreworks Advisory Board, facilitating paths for fellow student artists to display their work and gain experience with professional development in their areas of focus. Seth was honored to have been a part of 18 productions during his time at UCCS and remembers those projects fondly. As a survivor of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Seth’s highest achievement in college was organizing the first Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Light the Night walk on-campus at UCCS during the Fall of 2022.

Caroline Monberg joined El Pomar Foundation as a member of the 2024 Fellowship class. As a 1st Year Fellow, Caroline serves as a Program Associate for Awards for Excellence, Communications, Fellowship Recruiting, and Western Legislative Academy. She also supports the Northeast Regional Council.

Caroline is a native of Colorado Springs, Colorado. She attended Taylor University in Indiana and graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology and Preventive Medicine. Caroline is passionate about learning and connecting with others. During college, she worked in the Office of Intercultural Leadership where she drove initiatives focused on diversity and community connections. Additionally, she was a Health Educator for the Taylor University Invitation Health and Wellness Program, where she used her passions for health care and community engagement to create individualized preventive care programs for health-conscious patients.

Caroline played for the Taylor University women’s soccer team and was recognized as an Academic All-Crossroads League Honoree and NAIA Scholar Athlete. In addition, she volunteered at her local church, worked in the Admissions Office, studied abroad in Greece and Ecuador, and was a member of the Honors Guild.

In her free time, Caroline enjoys traveling, reading, being outdoors, and spending time with her friends and family.