Northwest Regional Council

Dave Palenchar was raised in Southern California and first came to Colorado to attend the United States Air Force Academy. After a career in the Air Force, he returned to Colorado and joined El Pomar’s program staff. In 2007, Dave was recognized as Colorado Springs Business Citizen of the Year by the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC. He has been a Trustee of the Foundation since 1998 and retired as El Pomar’s Chief Operating Officer in 2013.

He has served in a variety of nonprofit leadership roles throughout Colorado Springs. Most recently he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Broadmoor World Arena and Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts Board of Directors and Chair of the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation.

Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser is the president and CEO of Trust for Public Land (TPL), where she drives the organization’s mission to ensure everyone has access to the benefits and joys of the outdoors.

Before joining TPL in 2024, Carrie served as president and CEO of Colorado Mountain College, where she led the institution to record graduation rates, closed equity gaps, expanded affordable housing for students, and developed academic programs aligned with the outdoor industry. Her extensive board service includes the American Council on Education, Vail Valley Foundation, El Pomar Northwest Regional Council, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission (two terms as Chair), Great Outdoors Colorado, and American Rivers.

Carrie earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, her master’s and Ph.D. from UCLA, and completed the Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School of Business. An avid outdoorswoman, Carrie has summited Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Rainier, Mount Whitney, and Colorado’s 58 “14ers.” She has also climbed to Mount Everest basecamp and worked many summers on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. She and her husband, Jeff, live in Colorado and spend their free time outside with their yellow lab, Gracie, and exploring remote places around the globe.

Dana Duran is Chief Executive Officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Colorado, serving Craig and Steamboat Springs. Dana’s background includes working with underrepresented populations, decreasing barriers to access in afterschool and summer programming, and previously in college admissions. Dana sits on the Board for Rise Above Colorado and the State Alliance for Boys & Girls Clubs and previously served as on the State Judicial Nomination Commission. She earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Regis University, and is a graduate of the advanced leadership program through Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Nonprofit Executive Leadership Program through El Pomar Foundation.

Tim Foster has served as the 10th President of Colorado Mesa University since March 2004, when he was appointed by the Colorado Mesa University Board of Trustees. A former member of Colorado Governor Bill Owens’s cabinet, Tim has served as the Executive Director for the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. He was initially appointed to the position by Governor Owens in 1999 and reappointed in 2003. Mr. Foster also served as head of the Department of Higher Education, which includes the Colorado Historical Society and the Colorado Council on the Arts, and served on the boards of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, the Denver Chamber of Commerce and its Committee on Science and Technology. Tim was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1988 and served as the majority leader from 1993 to 1996. A Grand Junction native, his numerous community activities include service on the Board of Governors of the Colorado Bar Association, the Board of Powderhorn Ski Area, as Chairman of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce and Chair of the Grand Junction Economic Partnership.

Tim earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Kenyon College, completed the coursework for a master’s degree in mineral economics from the Colorado School of Mines and a juris doctorate from the University of Denver College Of Law.

Tim Redmond was first elected as a County Commissioner in 2020 and was sworn into office in January of 2021. Commissioner Redmond moved to Routt County in 1984. He attended the Nation’s oldest HBCU Cheyney college in Cheyney P.A. Redmond has served on the Hayden town council for 12 years and Mayor for one term. He has also served on the Hayden Recreation Board, as a Hayden Representative for Club 20 and as the Governor’s Appointment to DOLA Energy Impact Advisory Committee. Redmond enjoys the outdoors and has been a lifelong fisherman and fly fisherman since 1990. He has also coached youth baseball, football, basketball, and soccer.

Gregg Rippy is President of Grand River Construction in Glenwood Springs. Gregg also served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 2000-2004, as the Executive Director of the Colorado Statewide Internet Portal Authority from 2004-2009 and is the Founder and Managing Director of Rocky Mountain Ready Mix. Gregg is a former member of the Western State Colorado University Board of Trustees, and is currently Chairman of the Garfield Federal Mineral Lease District.

Gregg graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Anne Wenzel has worked in the philanthropic sector her entire career. She currently serves as President and CEO of the Western Colorado Community Foundation, a position she has held since 2001. Prior to her current job, she was a partner in a national consulting firm helping charitable foundations with strategic grantmaking and nonprofit clients with strategic planning, fundraising, new program development, collaboration and strategic alliances. She also ran her own consulting business when her children were young, worked for a university-based nonprofit board development institute and as a philanthropy planner for Rocky Mountain Planning Group.
In terms of national board service, Wenzel most recently served two terms on the board of We Raise Foundation (Chicago) which works on issues of poverty, economic development, job training and social justice. In Colorado, she served on the board of directors for Community Resource Center for eight years, and chaired the Rural Philanthropy Days planning committee in Eagle County and the Mountain Region. She is frequently asked to serve on project committees for the Colorado Nonprofit Association.
Wenzel has an undergraduate degree in Communications and French from the University of Pennsylvania, and also earned a Masters in City Planning (MCP) degree from the same institution. She is married to David Miller and they have two 20-something young adult children. An avid international traveler, Wenzel is fluent in French and enjoys culture and architecture, world heritage sites and hiking trips around the world.

Sarah Woods serves as Associate Vice President of Collections for El Pomar Foundation, overseeing collections management, research, and exhibit development at El Pomar’s three historic properties – Penrose Heritage Museum, Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, and Penrose House. She also directs the Julie Penrose Award, an El Pomar program that honors outstanding women making significant contributions to community through dedicated leadership, engagement, and service.

Sarah graduated from Santa Fe University of Art & Design with a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing. She earned a Master of Library Science, Specialization in Archives and Records Management from Indiana University. Sarah’s interest in organizations with deep rooted history led to graduate internships with NASA and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee prior to joining El Pomar Foundation in 2018.

Sarah serves on the Central City Opera House Association Board of Directors and previously chaired the Accessioning, Acquisitions, and Appraisals steering committee for the Society of American Archivists. In 2023, Sarah was named a Rising Star by the Colorado Springs Business Journal and participated in the Community Leadership Program with the Center for Creative Leadership.

Joan grew up in New York, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Duke University. She received her master’s in nursing administration from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Joan has a long history of board service and currently serves on the board of KidPower of Colorado.

Noelle Paiement joined El Pomar Foundation as a member of the 2023 Fellowship class. As a 2nd Year Fellow, Noelle serves as Senior Program Associate for Alumni Relations, Ferrand Fund, Forum for Civic Advancement, New Fellow Orientation, and Sally Beck Fund. She also supports the Northwest and Central Peaks regions.

Noelle is a Colorado Springs native. She graduated from Colorado Mesa University in 2023 with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a concentration in Hospitality Management. During college, she interned for the Grand Valley Equine Assisted Learning Center and was tasked with planning and executing several fundraising initiatives. She also served as Vice President of the Student Ambassador Program where she oversaw a program of 30 students while supporting the efforts of the CMU Admissions Office and helping prospective students find their next steps. In addition, Noelle studied abroad in Cordoba, Spain for a month and a half, where she practiced Spanish, lived like a local, and experienced other cultures throughout Europe.

Katy Chapman joined El Pomar Foundation as a member of the 2024 Fellowship class. As a 1st Year Fellow, Katy serves as a Program Associate for Alumni Relations, Communications, Regional Partnerships, and Sally Beck Fund. She also supports the Northwest Regional Council.

Katy was born and raised in Bad Homburg, Germany, and moved to Swarthmore, Pennsylvania at age 12. She graduated from Colorado College (CC) in May 2024 with a degree in Anthropology. At CC, Katy enjoyed working as a New Student Orientation Leader, ensuring students felt welcomed and integrated into the CC community. She also enjoyed participating in club ice hockey and tried out a variety of intramural sports with her classmates. Academically, she pursued her passion for culture and human behavior through Anthropology, culminating in a Senior Capstone project centered on the work of a nonprofit organization in Crestone, Colorado. Her favorite classes included Archaeology, Religion and Ritual, and Painting!

Since moving to Colorado, Katy has enjoyed exploring the community and nature that the state has to offer. In her free time, Katy loves taking her neighbor’s dog on long walks, baking, skiing, and thrifting.