RMAE | Our Board

Board Mission and Vision

Mission Statement

Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen inspires each student to pursue personal and academic excellence through an intellectually challenging Core Knowledge™ curriculum within a nurturing environment.

Vision Statement

Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen envisions a community working together to create a learning environment that encourages growth in character, academic achievement, and the love of learning.

Meet the Board

Dan Cohen, Director
dcohen@rmae.org
303-670-1070

Dan Cohen has been RMAE's Director since the summer of 2009 and holds a non-voting seat on RMAE's Board of Directors. Dan has been involved in various forms of education for twenty five years, having taught in classrooms, national parks, and foreign countries. His work includes teaching and administrative endeavors in a variety of schools in California, Washington, Venezuela, and Colorado. Though he fancied himself long ago as a baseball player or a writer, Dan has found his real niche being at schools working with teachers and students, cycling, or skiing.

Dan, his wife, and their two daughters have lived in some of this country's finest small towns, including Truckee, CA and Bainbridge Island, WA. They love the neighborly feel of small communities, especially those with a rampant outdoor life style. Having lived in here since 2007, Evergreen has become their favorite.

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Jeff Wilhite, Parent Representative, President
jeff@wilhitejordan.com
(303) 601-9272

Jeff Wilhite is a parent representative on the Governing Board and served as the RMAE Board Treasurer in 2008-2009. Mr. Wilhite has 25 years experience in residential and commercial construction lending. Jeff with his wife, Salee, own Wilhite Jordan Companies, LLC, a real estate finance and consulting firm. Jeff is originally from Indiana, having moved to Colorado in 1979. He has a BA from Indiana University and a MA from Goddard College. His stepdaughter is a practicing neurologist at Sky Ridge Medical Center. His son and daughter (who share the same birthday) are practicing 8th graders at RMAE, having enrolled at the school in 2007.

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Ann Lane, Parent Representative,Vice President
atmlane@msn.com
303-670-0409

Ann Lane serves as a parent representative on the Board in her current term until June, 2011. Ann is Senior Counsel for The Williams Companies, Inc., a natural gas exploration & production, midstream and pipeline company. Ann has a B.S. in Business from the University of Colorado and a J.D. from Southern Methodist University School of Law. Ann is a Trustee of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, an educational organization dedicated to providing scholarly research of the laws and issues affecting domestic and international mineral and water resources, and is also actively involved with the Natural Resources & Energy Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association. Ann and her husband Tim have two children at RMAE in 5th and Preschool (2009-10 school year).

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Bill Tomasi, Parent Representative, Secretary
bill.tomasi@gmail.com
(303) 816-1325

Bill Tomasi serves as Secretary of the Board and has served on the RMAE Board since April of 2008. He currently is also the Chair of the Facilities Subcommittee. He has also served RMAE by setting up the computer system for the school library, as well as other technical support services and assisting as needed in other areas related to the school facility. Mr.Tomasi is an Account Executive with a specialization in supply chain optimization, planning, and execution. Mr. Tomasi received his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin in LaCrosse. In addition to his Board role here at RMAE, he also serves as Secretary of the Board for the Orofino Homeowners Association. His wife, Valerie, is very active in both the PTO (currently VP of Fundraising) and is a part time teachers assistant. They have one daughter in her 3rd year at RMAE (4th grade in 2009-10).

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Jeff Robertson, Parent Representative, Treasurer
Jeff5981@aol.com
(303) 670-4220

Jeff Robertson started his term on the Board in July, 2008. He has an older boy who attended RMAE Middle School (02-04), and twins now in there 4th year at RMAE (3rd for 2009-10). Jeff has served in numerous positions at RMAE, including the AAA subcommittee of the Board, classroom volunteer, as well as an RMAE Cub Scout Den Leader. He has a B.S. in Computer Science from the U.S. Naval Academy, and an M.S. in Computer Science from the Texas A&M University. After serving our country for 13 years in the U.S. Navy, Jeff shifted careers to United Airlines, where he currently flies as a Captain on the Airbus 320.

Kim Cox, Teacher Representative
kcox@rmae.org
303-670-1070

Kim Cox is serving as the Teacher Representative on the RMAE Board for the 2009-2010 school year. Kim has been involved at RMAE since the school opened and at that time enrolled her daughter, Kellie, in 4th grade. Kim has, at one time or another, been a parent volunteer, substitute, literacy teacher, and now a kindergarten teacher at RMAE. Kim is a true believer in the old adage "it takes a village" and her daughter truly benefited from our small school community.

Kim has over 23 years of teaching. She moved here with her husband and daughter from Louisville, Kentucky in 1996. She has a master's degree in Learning and Behavior Disorders, and an Elementary and Special Education degree. Her prior teaching was predominantly in special education with a few years of teaching first grade, preschool, and Reading Recovery.

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Nora Flood, Community Representative
nflood@coloradoleague.org
720-884-7347

Nora Flood term on the Board as a community representative extends thru June, 2010. She and her husband, Mark, recently moved to Evergreen from Sonoma, California. Nora has thirty years of experience in education in international, public and private schools. She was the co-founder of The Classical Academy in Minneapolis, served as Head of School of Madison Country Day School and most recently was the Director of Sonoma Charter School in Sonoma, California. She also served in a volunteer capacity as the elected North Coast Regional Member Representative of the California Charter School Association. Currently, Nora serves as the Vice President of School Services for the Colorado League of Charter Schools.

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Jim Petterson, Parent Representative
Jim.peterson@gmail.com

Jim Petterson serves as a parent representative on the Board. He was appointed in September 2009 to fill a vacant Board seat. His Board term continues until June 2011. Jim and his wife, Jeanine, have two kids at RMAE, in second and third grades. Jim is a senior advisor for communications and outreach to the CEO of The Nature Conservancy, the leading international conservation organization working to conserve the natural systems upon which all life depends, and one of the 20 largest charities in the country. Jim is a seasoned strategic communications expert, having served as communications director for a senior member of Congress and as a press secretary to a member of President Clinton's cabinet. When he's not running to meetings or after his kids, Jim can be found running the trails in and around Evergreen.

Mike Novick, Parent Representative
michaelnovick@msn.com
(303) 674-5524

Mike Novick currently serves as a parent representative of the Governing Board. Mike has served on the Board since 2000, approximately 1 year prior to the school opening its doors. Mike has over 25 years of Finance and Accounting experience in a variety of companies and in a variety of different industries. Mike is currently the CFO for BT Conferencing Video. Prior to this Mike has held positions as the CFO for Alfred Kärcher Holdings Inc, at Coldwell Banker, CSG Systems, Coors Brewing Company, Abbott Laboratories and Ernst & Whinney. Mike was the Treasurer of the Board for approximately 5 years. Mike received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Miami University in Oxford, OH. Mike is also on the Evergreen Volunteer Fire Department (EVFD) and has served as a volunteer firefighter with EVFD for about 11 years. Mike is also the President of the Rocky Mountain Classics, a chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society. Mike has two daughters attending RMAE. In the 2008-2009 school year they will be in 7th and 8th grades and will have attended RMAE since Kindergarten and 1st grade.

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Jon Tesseo, Parent Representative
jtesseo@hotmail.com
303-679-3212

Jon Tesseo has been serving as a parent representative on the Board since February, 2009. Prior to joining the board, he served on the AAA Math Curriculum sub committee, the Director Search Sub Committee ('07 & '09), and various on campus volunteer positions. His son, Paul (6thth grade in 09-10) and daughter Sophia (1st grade in 09-10) have both attended RMAE since the '05-'06 school year. His wife Lalitny is a frequent on campus volunteer.

Separately, Jon also serves on the Board of the Mile High Youth Corps in Denver, the steering committee of the Quantitative Workers Alliance for Applied Finance, Education, and Wisdom (QWAFAFEW), is a member of the Chicago Quantitative Alliance, and is a Committee member of Boy Scout Troop 400, in Conifer. He is a Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Quantitative Analyst for Denver Investment Advisors, where he is in charge of developing and managing new and existing quantitative mutual funds, and institutional investment products, and is a frequent guest lecturer at The University of Denver, Daniels College of Business. Jon received his BS. BA. in Finance, from Bryant College, and has attended graduate school at DePaul, and The University of Nevada Reno.

Updated October 7, 2009