It is with gratitude and excitement that we introduce the 2024 Grantmaking Committee for AJL! Families and youth. Community organizers and professionals working in education and human services. Teachers, artists, business owners, policy advocates, immigrants, founders, folks from government and the private sector, parents and neighbors. We are excited to come together to identify and distribute twenty $20,000 general operating support grants to nonprofit organizations doing incredible work supporting the communities we serve. To learn more about our grantmaking process and criteria click here. Otherwise, meet the committee!
Quill Phillips-Carter
Facilitator for the Grantmaking Committee
The Equity Project
Quill has been an innovative leader in the higher education DEI space. Over a period of 7 years she served as an inaugural senior diversity officer for two community colleges through implementing DEI strategies to advance the success of employees and students in a way that centers the experiences of historically marginalized populations. She has also been consulting the last 6 years and has worked with state agencies, non-profits, and tech companies advancing their DEI initiatives, resources, and goals. Quill has experience developing, implementing, and assessing organizational equity strategic plans, training and professional development programs, inclusive hiring, retention practices, policy review and revision.
Quill has been a social justice educator for the last 11 years and is an alumnus of the Social Justice Training Institute. She was competitively selected to be a Chief Diversity Officer Fellow with the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education in 2018 and received a certificate in Social Justice Mediation in 2023. Quill has a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from Colorado State University and has a Master of Arts in Student Affairs Administration from Michigan State University.
Fun Facts about Quill: Quill loves spending time with her family, whether it's having a singing battle to the DreamGirls soundtrack with her sisters, watching movies with her husband David, or fighting over the last bite of popcorn with her 12-year-old daughter-Mylinn.
Oliver Blakey
Student
My name is Oliver. I go by he/they pronouns. I attend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Early College High School. I am vice president/president of my schools gsa, and I help plan events for gsa and for my school.
Albert C. Cooper
Chief Operating Officer
Tech Pros LLC
Albert C. Cooper is Chief Operating Officer of Tech Pros LLC. Tech Pros is a national minority-certified company that provides consulting, payroll, recruiting, and staffing services to Fortune 1000 companies.
Mr. Cooper’s professional career includes 26 years with The United States Navy (16 years active duty 11 years reserves) and 26 years with Corning Inc. His career path with Corning included both technical and non-technical positions. He was a Senior Project Manager transferring Corning manufacturing operations to Brazil and England; Senior Product Development Engineer working with IBM and Corning scientist to advance IBM’s bar-coding technology, appointed by the Governor of New York to be a Senior Examiner after Corning won the New York State Governor’s Quality Award, and he was also a members of the management team that won the prestigious Malcom Baldridge National Quality Award for Corning. Mr. Cooper served as Senior Sales/Marketing Manager for Corning’s Latin America-Asia Pacific Division. He retired from Corning as Vice President of Training, Technology, and Quality Assurance for Quanterra Environmental Services, a subsidiary of Corning Inc.
After retiring from Corning, Mr. Cooper joined the American Institute for Managing Diversity as a vice president. A.I.M.D. was the premier and leading consulting company in the nation for improving racial and gender diversity. The scope of its services included consultation during class-action suits, corporate culture evaluations and organization capability to manage diversity.
Mr. Cooper has volunteered and sat on numerous boards providing leadership on critical community improvement projects, diversity consultation and mentoring minority youth. He has been a member of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, also known as the Boule, the oldest Black fraternity in the country, for 16 years. He has held the prestigious position of Delta Eta Boule Sire Archon (President), Denver, Colorado Chapter and now serves as Chairman, Delta Eta Boule Foundation.
Mr. Cooper has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from George Washington University, and a Professional Management Development Certificate from Harvard University Graduate School of Business. Mr. Cooper is a Viet Nam Veteran and a United States Navy retiree.
Allia Alrodan
Community Investments Manager
AJL Foundation
Having spent most of her life between the Middle East and the United States, Allia has experienced a multitude of cultures throughout her life. She appreciates the multidimensionality of humanity in that no person has a singular identity, or a singular experience. Her identity as being both Kuwaiti and American, and having family and friends all over the world, has taught her how to navigate cultures as part of both the in-group and out. Allia is an alumna of the University of Colorado at Boulder where she earned an interdisciplinary dual degree: a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs with an emphasis in Middle Eastern and African Studies as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a minor in Arabic Studies.
Allia is a highly motivated and adaptable individual who is passionate about intentional anti-racism work; using her voice and experiences to make real and tangible change within the spaces she occupies. She has sought out opportunities that allow her to fulfill her passions, some of which include working as the Non-Traditional Student Liaison at CU’s Student Government and founding the Non-Traditional Student Organization at CU. She spent Fall 2022 working as a fellow for YouthRoots, where she was matched with AJL Foundation. This invaluable experience served as a catalyst for her deep-rooted passion for philanthropy and human-centered work. Harnessing her lived experiences, unwavering passions, and honed skills, Allia seamlessly transitioned into the role of Community Investments Coordinator following the conclusion of her fellowship. Having graduated in May 2023, she is now thrilled to embrace further learning and growth in her role as the Community Investments Manager at AJL Foundation.
Amani Abdallah
Student
I am a Community College of Aurora student pursuing Respiratory Therapy and Healthcare Management later at MSU. I am a member of Hands To the Future, an organization whose mission is to help refugees like me finish post-secondary education. I currently work at the Mango House clinic as a Medical Assistant, where we help Refugees, Asylees, Parolees, and the undocumented get treatment and apply for green cards or citizenship.
In the future, I hope to further my education to become a Perfusionist, Anesthesiologist Assistant, or perhaps a medical student and use the education I receive for policy, advocacy, and giving back to my community. That is the story I’ve currently written. I do not yet know what that means for the most part; however, it is by joining groups like the AJL Foundation that I’ll be better prepared to tackle the many different issues circulating health inequity and many others in our community.
In my spare time, you’ll find me doing Jiu Jitsu or wrestling, volunteering or at a mosque, or on the road with a film camera in hand, observing as life goes by, trying to seek truth in relation to myself.
I was born and raised in the refugee camps of Tanzania as a result of the long-standing division between the Hutu and Tutsi in Burundi. I was resettled on Sep. 29, 2015, in Colorado Springs. Personally, it was a day that I was given the freedom to finally dream of having a future. Outside of Islam and the Qur’an, a few of my favorite books are Susan Sontag—On Photography, Knowledge and Ignorance: Essays on Lights and Shadows, The Man Who Knew Infinity, and A Mathematician Apology. What all of these books have in common and try to argue is that reality consists of designs—of things and processes. I believe there’s harmony in that, which has shaped a belief in me to the obvious: there are two sides to a coin.
Anna Lee Vargas
Project Manager, San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council (SLVEC)
Lead Recruiter in the San Luis Valley for CU Anschutz (CU) and the Colorado School of Public Health
Anna Lee Vargas is a sixth generation San Luis Valley (SLV) Native born and raised in Manassa, Colorado. She attended Adams State University where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Social Welfare and Spanish, Liberal Arts.
Anna Lee describes herself as a natural born advocate and community leader who is passionate about protecting the land, water, and people of the San Luis Valley. She loves working with kids and feels fortunate to have worked with youth at her previous employment, Conejos Clean Water, as well as a Prevention Specialist for the San Luis Valley Community Mental Health Center (now the San Luis Valley Behavioral Health Group) and Parent Partner for the Monte Vista Migrant Head Start. With a decade of experience in community organizing, facilitation, advocacy, and project management, Anna Lee has been a strong organizer and advocate for environmental, social, economic, and food justice issues in the San Luis Valley. While working with Conejos Clean Water, Anna Lee is known for having led the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument Expansion Campaign, working with the Navajo Nation to stop oil and gas leases, facilitating with partners a San Luis Valley Solid Waste Diversion and Recycling Taskforce, helping gather quantitative and qualitative data for a San Luis Valley Waste Diversion Study, helping a local pharmacy implement the Medication Take Back Program and receptacle, and working with youth, youth leadership, environmental education (Hands on the Land), youth outings, and a youth advisory council. Her advocacy has taken her from her small town in the SLV to the steps of the United States Capitol in Washington DC.
Anna Lee currently serves on: the Board of Directors of Great Old Broads for Wilderness, the Steering Committee for Soul Players of the Valley, Capulin, the Capulin Leadership Development Team, and the San Luis Valley Agricultural Coalition. She is currently the Project Manager for the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council (SLVEC) and the Lead Recruiter in the San Luis Valley for CU Anschutz (CU) and the Colorado School of Public Health. While with SLVEC and CU, Anna Lee has actively recruited Conejos County participants in a citizen science effort to offer free water sampling for well owners to expand the community’s information on water quality parameters, she has actively recruited for an Agriculture Worker Study to learn about resources and connections supporting behavioral health and total worker health in agriculture workers within the San Luis Valley, and is still actively recruiting for the MEMCARE (Metals and Metals Mixtures: Cognitive Aging, Remediation and Exposure) Study, a citizen science effort to collaboratively collect and assess individual metals and metal mixture levels from drinking water samples from pregnant women, newborns, and children from the SLV. Being passionate about environmental issues has also led Anna Lee to serve as one of the Co-chairs of the San Luis Valley Community Advisory Board (SLV CAB). The SLV CAB is part of the Mountain West Climate Health Engagement Hub, a collaborative partnership to promote resilience and health equity for rural and urban communities. The SLV CAB is comprised of residents and professionals who have expertise in community needs, assets and opportunities related to climate resilience. Funded by the National Institutes of Health and led by a Colorado School of Public Health based team, this project seeks to understand how communities in the Mountain West are experiencing climate stressors (drought, air quality, wildfires, and heat), identify priorities and opportunities to advance climate justice, and build capacity for research and action in the San Luis Valley (rural) and West Denver (urban).
Anna Lee is proud of her professional accomplishments but considers her greatest accomplishment as being a mama to her wonderful daughter.
Carlo Kriekels, JD, LL.M.
Co-founder & CEO
YESS Institute
Carlo was born in Belgium and is a first-generation American Citizen. He holds two law degrees (a J.D. from Belgium and a LL.M from Germany) and is proficient in six languages, including Spanish. After completing an intensive four-year training program in emotional intelligence coaching, Carlo taught leadership and emotional intelligence skills to business leaders in Europe and the United States for many years. In 2001, he co-founded the, Denver based educational nonprofit, YESS Institute in order to bring the benefits of emotional intelligence skills to at-risk youth, role models and the agencies that serve youth. Now 20+ years later, YESS has served 10,000 students and counting.
As the YESS Institute’s co-founder, Carlo has trained over 4,000 youth and role models at national, regional, and local conferences and workshops, including at MENTOR’s National Mentoring Symposium in DC. Since 2006, he has been an active member of the Denver Youth Mentoring Collaborative’s (YMC) training committee and co-chaired the YMC in 2009-10. He has been one of the key leaders in the creation of the statewide agency Mentor Colorado, and still serves on its advisory board. Carlo has served on both The Denver Foundation’s Inclusiveness Committee and Education Committee.
In partnership with the Denver Office of the Independent Monitor, Carlo is one of lead curriculum developers of the nationally recognized Forums: “Youth Outreach Project – Bridging the Gap: Cops and Kids”. In partnership with the Denver Chief of Police, he trained for several years the Denver police force in reducing harm through emotional intelligence strategies.
Carlo is the author of the audio course and e-book: “The 9 Key Components of Peer Mentoring.” He received the 2011 “Heavy Lifting Award” from the Denver Mayor’s Office for Education and Children for his efforts to improve the lives of youth in Denver. In addition, Carlo accepted the 2016 My Brother’s Keeper Award from Mayor Michael Hancock and the City and County of Denver for work with young men of color on behalf of the YESS Institute.
In 2021, he was recognized by Titan100 as one of Colorado’s top 100 CEO’s for exceptional leadership, vision, and passion. Jean-Arthur Regibeau, Belgian Ambassador to the United States nominated Carlo for the 2022 prestigious Belgian Christoffel Plantin Award for his exceptional civic engagement. The award is given to Belgians who increase the prestige of Belgium abroad.
Carlo lives in Denver with his wife, two sons and their Wheaten Terrier. In his free time he enjoys cycling over and across the Colorado Rockies.
Deidre Johnson, MBA
CEO and Executive Director
Center for African American Health
Deidre Johnson is the CEO and Executive Director of Center for African American Health, a community-based organization dedicated to empowering the Black community to make informed health decisions that benefit the whole person through education, collaboration and advocacy. Johnson is an ASCEND Aspen Institute Fellow, a Highland Leader (cohort three), a Transformative Leadership for Change Fellow, a Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Livingston Fellow, and an Adjunct Professor in the University of Denver, University College Nonprofit Leadership Program. A results-oriented executive, Johnson has an extensive background in strategic planning, grant making, grants management, fund raising, program development, project management, strategic learning and systems evaluation. She has been recognized among peers as an exceptionally creative, innovative, collaborative, adaptive leader who consistently achieves professional and organizational goals.
Johnson currently serves on the following boards and steering committees: Colorado Public Radio Board of Directors, Colorado Maternal Health Task Force, Rose Community Foundation Community Grantmaking Committee, Colorado School of Public Health Advisory Board, Colorado Behavioral Health Task Force, HB22-1157 Data Advisory Work Group, Yale Philanthropy Conference Advisory Board and Colorado State Senator James Coleman’s Health Care Policy Cabinet. A Denver native, Johnson graduated from St. Mary’s Academy, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Princeton University, and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. She has two sons, Noah (20) and Jordan (19) and a dog (Zulu).
Evan Wang
Media & Branding Specialist
Evan Wang (he/him) is a 23 year old graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in Media Production. He works closely with commercial and personal brands to enhance their public image and promote their products to consumers. During his time at the University of Colorado Boulder, he was a part of the Colorado Athletics Media Team which specializes in creative social media content and branding strategy to promote the institution's athletics teams and events. Although he has years of sports media experience, his passion lies in the fashion photography industry. He has experience as the Director of Photography for the campus fashion magazine: ROAM Boulder, producing and curating creative visions that enhance the stories the writers told. He now works alongside designers and artists, attending fashion events, and works closely with models of all ages, abilities, and appearances. He finds that the most rewarding thing about creative fashion photography is making the person in front of the camera feel confident in being themselves in their own skin.
While Evan has worked in many media industries, he also has experience in the community service sector. He was the President of Alpha Phi Omega Gamma Theta Chapter at CU Boulder, which is a co-ed community service based fraternity. Leading 50+ members, Evan organized many community service events to aid both local and national communities. Ranging from the elderly, to the hungry, to the students on CU Boulder's campus, Evan and Alpha Phi Omega made sure that whatever community they interacted with, left better than they found it.
Felisa Gonzales
Secretary and Director, AJL Foundation
Senior Learning and Evaluation Officer, Colorado Health Foundation
Felisa is the Senior Learning and Evaluation Officer at the Colorado Health Foundation and is a native of the San Luis Valley in Colorado. She is a strategic thinker, collaborative partner, philanthropic evaluator and published author with extensive experience in health disparities research and participatory evaluation. Felisa received a Boettcher Scholarship to attend The Colorado College and graduated with a BA in Neuroscience and a minor in Spanish in 2001. She obtained a PhD in Applied Social Psychology from the George Washington University in 2013 and an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of California Berkeley in 2014. Felisa enjoys hiking, kayaking, and basking in the sun with her husband and son.
Flora Archuleta
Board of Directors, AJL Foundation
Executive Director, San Luis Valley Immigrant Resource Center
Flora Archuleta is a San Luis Valley native, who has worked in the non-profit sector for the past thirty-five years. She has been employed as the Executive Director with the San Luis Valley Immigrant Resource Center for the past twenty years and is recognized as an Accredited Representative with the Department of Justice.
Franklin Cruz
Franklin Cruz is a queer latin dancer, poet born in Idaho, raised Texan and polished in Denver. Born from an immigrant family his work has placed him in science museums, environmental spaces, as an emcee and poet for dance & poetry competitions and conferences. They aim for specificity over simplicity, encompassing self love , conservation, immigration and culture. (Instagram @fcruz_unido)
Igan Mohamed
Student
Igan Mohamed is a 17 yr old who attends the high school of NEC (Northeast early college). Fully fluent in English and Arabic . A first generation student who is originally from Sudan moved to Colorado a couple of years ago. A middle child of an immigrant family and the oldest daughter. Igan is hoping to go to college and pursue a degree in the medical field.
Kai Vong
Student
Kai Vong is a dedicated student and passionate advocate at Western Colorado University, pursuing a dual degree in Computer Science and Politics & Government. As the President of Western’s Asian Pacific Islander Club, he fosters community and promotes cultural understanding. Kai also serves as the Station Manager at KWSB 91.1 FM, where he leads a team of managers to facilitate growth and ensure operational efficiency. Additionally, Kai collaborates with Western’s marketing department as a photographer, using his creative talents to capture and share moments from the community.
Beyond campus, Kai is the Secretary for Colorado Asian Pacific United, working on AAPI issues and promoting cultural appreciation. During his time at Denver East High School, he founded and led the Asian Pacific Islander Student Alliance, fostering cross-cultural learning and understanding. Kai’s diverse skills and leadership reflect his commitment to building an inclusive society, making a positive impact on both campus and community.
Lia Carpio
Program Services Coordinator
Latin American Educational Foundation (LAEF)
Lia Carpio (she/her) is the Program Services Coordinator for the Latin American Educational Foundation (LAEF) and an independent consultant. Lia's role with LAEF draws from her extensive experience in higher education, youth development, and health equity to support San Luis Valley students with an interest in oral health careers.
Lia is currently on the Board of Trustees for the National Hispanic Institute (NHI) and was the Education Director for NHI's Colorado Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session from 2010-2021 With over 25 years of experience in youth leadership development, Lia believes everyone has the capacity for leadership and a responsibility to being active members of their communities.
As a champion for equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, Lia has devoted her life and career towards building community and advancing racial equity and social justice.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences with concentrations in Political Science and History from The Florida State University and a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration and Leadership (HEAL) from Adams State University.
Maxine Quintana
Director of Out-of-School Time Initiatives
Office of Children’s Affairs, Denver Afterschool Alliance
With over 34 years’ experience in the public sector, Maxine advances the City’s partnerships with the school district and community organizations to increase access to and availability of high quality out-of-school time programs for Denver’s youth. Her leadership has strengthened relationships with pivotal stakeholders, leveraged resources to increase funding for programs, and emphasized youth development and evaluation as key factors to quality. Maxine manages the City’s Out-of-School Time grant processes, which provides $2-4 million each year in funding for afterschool and summer programs. Maxine is the co-founder of the Denver Afterschool Alliance, which leads efforts to build the capacity of afterschool professionals to provide high-quality, diverse afterschool programs. Through its three lines of service: DAAlearn, DAAconnect and DAAadvocate, DAA supports all youth-serving organizations to improve programming, use data more effectively and engage in a variety of professional learning, while promoting policies and practices that create more equitable outcomes for Denver youth and families.
Maxine has been recognized nationally as a Champion for Afterschool programs through the Afterschool Alliance and National League of Cities and has been instrumental to Denver’s success as a national model of creative and innovative municipal leadership to support children and youth. Maxine graduated summa cum laude from Metropolitan State College of Denver with a degree in management and minor in public administration. Maxine is a Denver native and lives with her husband and two children.
Mike Trujillo
Executive Director
Conejos Clean Water
Raised in a small town in southern Colorado, Antonito, graduated from Antonito High School, CO in 1992; graduated from Adams State College ASC, with a BA in Mathematics and Physics, in 1996; and finished his education with a Masters of Mathematics in 1998 from Colorado State University CSU. Mike has taught college level mathematics for the past 19 years. He served as an adjunct at CSU from 1996-1998; a mathematics professor at ASC 1998-2003 and has been credentialing students in college mathematics from 2005 to present, with Antonito High School and The Justice Heritage Academy.
Naveed Usman
Founder and CEO
Usman Group
Naveed Usman, founder and CEO of the Usman Group, has positively influenced the digital strategy landscape since 2006. His Denver-based digital strategy consultancy specializes in creating accessible websites and custom digital solutions. Under his leadership, the firm has served a wide array of clients, from Goodwill Industries International to the YMCA of the USA, showcasing its versatile expertise across the nonprofit sector.
In 2022, Naveed expanded his leadership roles by becoming chairman of the board for the Downtown Denver Islamic Center. In this capacity, he has been instrumental in building a team dedicated to providing essential humanitarian services to migrants newly settled in Denver, showcasing his commitment to community service and support.
Additionally, Naveed leverages his extensive knowledge in user experience research by training teams, big and small, within the digital strategy domain. This training not only enhances digital products and services but also integrates principles of inclusivity and accessibility, reflecting the values he practices in his humanitarian work. By doing so, Naveed bridges his digital strategy expertise with his community service efforts, embodying a holistic approach to leadership that benefits both the digital industry and the broader Denver community.
