Leadership

Tomi Amos is the Chief Executive Officer for KIPP Colorado Public Schools. As the daughter of immigrant parents and a product of a public school education, Tomi Amos deeply believes that education provides access and opportunities that put individuals and communities on a path towards social and economic influence and mobility. Tomi’s work in education is fueled by the possibility of this belief becoming a reality for all students in our country. Tomi spent many years working as both an educator and school leader in New York City and in the Denver charter school network. Prior to joining KIPP Colorado, Tomi served as the Executive Director for the Northeast Denver Innovation Zone (NDIZ). Tomi earned a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies from Trinity University, J.D. from University of Denver – Sturm College of Law, and M.Ed in Education Leadership from Columbia University.

When asked what makes her love KIPP, Tomi said, “Our KIPPsters! The possibilities and opportunities for KIPP Colorado are endless. There are a lot of exciting opportunities on the horizon to shape the future direction of KIPP Colorado.”

Taamiti Bankole is the Chief External Affairs Officer for KIPP Colorado. Before joining KIPP Colorado, Taamiti was the Director of External Affairs for Uncommon Schools and the founding Director of Operations for Leadership Prep Ocean Hill Middle Academy, an Uncommon school in Brooklyn. In this role, he co-founded the middle school and oversaw all operational aspects of the school, including finance, facilities, enrollment, assessments, student data and general school systems. Prior to this position, Taamiti worked at Denver Public Schools’ Office of School Reform and Innovation as a Charter Schools Associate and Policy Analyst and as a Litigation Associate at Simpson Thacher, LLP in New York City. Taamiti earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought from Amherst College, a Juris Doctor from The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, and is a proud alum of the Broad Residency (2019-21). Taamiti obtained his Masters of Science in Education Leadership from Broad Residency. In his free time, Taamiti enjoys spending time with his husband and daughter. When asked what Taamiti loves about KIPP, he said, “I love working at KIPP because of our KIPPsters and the impact they will make in our communities and the world.”

Erica Garcia (she/her/ella) is a fierce talent practitioner with over 15 years of experience leading in education & nonprofits deeply within talent, recruitment, HR, staff & leadership development, and DEI. Most recently, she launched her own independent consulting company to partner with organizations looking to advance their people, talent, and hiring practices. Previously, Erica was the Managing Director of Staff Knowledge and Learning at Teaching Trust where she led staff learning and development, manager development, and DEI strategy. She has also served as the Director of Personnel and Talent at Aurora Public Schools in Aurora, CO, and the Senior Director of Talent and Human Resources at STRIVE Prep Schools in Denver, CO where she led recruitment, hiring, and human resources teams and work. Earlier in her career, she worked in schools as a teacher and an assistant principal. A first-generation college graduate, Erica earned a doctorate degree in law, a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in human resources and psychology and also previously served in the Armed Forces.

Erik Johnson is a product of public education and is deeply passionate about improving our education systems to ensure equitable access for all. Erik has more than twenty years of experience in financial leadership across the public education and technology sectors having previously served as the Director of Finance Policy at Los Angeles Unified School District and Chief Financial Officer of Denver Public Schools. In those roles, he was responsible for developing and improving policies that increased funding and supports for the highest needs students. Prior to embarking on his education career, he led the Financial Planning and Analysis group for Coresite, a national leader in colocation, cloud connectivity and interconnection data centers and served in several leadership positions in the finance organization of CenturyLink/Qwest communications. Erik and his wife are proud parents of a DPS student and enjoy the outdoors of Colorado.

Leah Peters is an experienced educator and senior leader with a track record of driving success and improvements across school academics, talent, and operations. Through her roles as Vice President of Academics at DSST Public Schools and Head of Schools at YES Prep Public Schools, she is experienced at establishing and leading effective cultures and systems of excellence, communicating and collaborating with key stakeholders, and strategically and creatively tackling complex challenges. As a Certified Dare to Lead Facilitator, Leverage Leadership Alumna, and former principal, Leah is passionate about building and supporting organizations that create a more just world. Leah is thrilled to join the KIPP Colorado Team and Family to learn, grow, and build together in service of our promise to cultivate joyful, academically excellent schools and programming - ECE through KTCC. In her spare time, Leah loves spending time with her husband and 2 daughters, cooking, reading, and hiking. When asked what she loves about her work at KIPP, she says “I love working at KIPP Colorado because I am blown away by the unwavering commitment to equity, the courage, joy, and dedication of the team, and the focus on the whole child."

Justin Vigil grew up in Houston, TX, and graduated from Texas A&M University as a first-generation college student. After graduating from college, he became the Homeless Program Coordinator at Prevent Blindness Texas ensuring homeless individuals in Houston had access to eye exams and glasses to better their lives. Justin has a passion for educational equity so students from underserved communities have access to get the education they deserve and the guidance they need to live choice-filled lives. Justin leads so students and families see someone who looks like him be successful every day. Justin spent a decade working at YES Prep Public Schools in Houston, TX. Justin has led as a Registrar, Director of Campus Operations, Director of School Operations, and Managing Director of School Operations. He has a passion for ensuring that systems and structures are in place to provide excellence for schools and districts to increase student achievement outcomes. In September 2021, Justin joined the KIPP Colorado team as the Chief Operations and Strategy Officer to work with the CEO and Executive Team to advance KIPP Colorado in its next phase of strategy and growth. When asked what he loves about KIPP, Justin said, “I love working at KIPP because we have the privilege and opportunity to make a long-lasting impact on the communities we serve by fulfilling our promise to students and families to provide an exceptional education so student can live choice filled lives.”

Elizabeth (Liz) Dillon grew up in New York and earned a B.A. in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland in 2009. Liz received a Master’s degree from the University of Colorado, Denver in Curriculum and Instruction. She was a founding member of the KIPP Northeast Elementary (KNE) kindergarten team proudly teaching the classes of 2028 and 2029. Liz served as Assistant Principal of the Lower Elementary at KNE for three years, overseeing ECE, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade. She now serves as the Principal of KNE.

Liz says she loves KNE’s “vision of excellence and equity in education for all students and the unique value of justice. I stay each year because I believe that in partnership with students and families, we are helping to create meaningful and joyful learning experiences for children.”

I am thrilled to join KIPP Colorado, an institution renowned for its unwavering dedication to student success and commitment to excellence. With 23 years of experience in education across dynamic cities like Chicago, Saint Louis, Baltimore, and the Far Northeast of Denver, I am eager to collaborate with fellow educators and leaders to empower students, nurture their potential, and cultivate a supportive environment where every individual can thrive. KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy's mission closely aligns with my values.

I am excited to contribute my expertise and dedication to advancing the school's vision of educational excellence and equity. Holding a Bachelor's degree from the University of Cincinnati and a Master's in Educational Leadership and Organizational Entrepreneurship from Harvard University, I bring a blend of academic rigor and practical experience to my leadership roles. Together, we can make a profound difference in the lives of our students and the broader community. Outside of work, I am a devoted husband and father of two boys and one daughter, sharing a passion for all things Star Wars as a family.

Joining the KIPP Colorado Team and Family as principal at KIPP Northeast Denver Middle School (KNDMS) in 2017, Stephani Olson has been tremendous in transforming the school culture, students, and staff alike. At KNDMS we foster a joyful and loving community, where we work in partnership with families and local community organizations to support our students on a path to success. I am honored to be the principal at KNDMS where we help our students to become lifelong learners, innovative problem solvers, and social change agents, while affirming their unique identities and true selves. We are committed to preparing our students with the academic and social-emotional skills to pursue whatever path they choose.

Alana Raybon is a seasoned educator with experience achieving excellent outcomes in public and private school settings. Alana found her calling to education while working with teens at a youth home, and later as a paraprofessional. After graduating from the University of Northern Colorado with a B.A. in education, she moved to Texas where she taught for 10 years as a 3rd-7th grade lead teacher to a diverse population in Houston. Alana pursued her master’s degree in educational policy at Vanderbilt University while teaching for 3 years as a middle school English teacher.

Alana served as the founding Director of Curriculum and Instruction at DSST Middle School at Noel Campus for 3 years. She was a School Director in Training and the Interim School Director at DSST Middle School at Noel Campus, in which she led the community through the difficult challenge of educating during a pandemic. Alana is currently a Ph.D. student in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Denver.

Jessica (Jess) Simpson began her educational journey in the College of Wooster with a BA in Biology and eventually went on to earn an MA from Columbia University, NYC, Summer Principals Academy program. Jess has been an educator in Denver for 11 years, 9 of them at KIPP Denver Collegiate High School. Over the years, Jess held roles as science teacher, STEM chair, Dean of instruction, Assistant Principal, and Principal.

When asked why Jess loves KIPP, she says it’s “because of what it means to be a KDC Tiger, and what it means to be a part of an organization of passionate, excellent educators committed to serving others.”

Darby West is our founding Principal at KIPP Sunshine Peak Elementary. She graduated from Northwestern University in 2006 from the School of Education and Social Policy with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Psychological Services. In 2012, she graduated with masters from Columbia University Teachers College with a degree in Literacy Instruction. Darby began at KIPP NYC eight years ago because she wanted to find a home with a team of people who believe in the Power of ‘AND’, meaning that from the individual to the organizational level, we seek to find broken paradoxes and prove that in a world of black and white or yes and no, we can find a third way and show that two seemingly mutually exclusive ideas are not. Rather, when they work together, both can succeed. We are never scared to ask the hard questions. We build schools for and with our communities and seek to amplify voices around us for equity and access.

Lauren Abuhadema is the Senior Director of Regional Student Experience and Culture. She is a Colorado native, a wife and a mother to two girls. Lauren began her education career teaching middle school science in New York City at Uncommon Schools. In 2016, she moved back to Colorado to continue teaching science at DSST Public Schools. Lauren has worked as a culture leader in numerous roles such as Dean of Students, Associate School Director and School Director in Training at DSST. Now as the Senior Director of Region Student Experience and Culture, Lauren provides development and support to culture leaders at each campus to ensure all students have an exceptional experience full of joy, rigor and identity-affirmation.

Cheryl Babcock is the Senior Director of Academic Strategy. She is a California native who began her education career teaching middle and high school in Dallas, Texas while also completing her Master's degree in Teaching and Learning through Southern Methodist University. Cheryl then moved to Houston and continued as an Assistant Principal of Instruction at KIPP Texas Public Schools. Following her time as an Assistant Principal, Cheryl worked as a Regional Achievement Specialist supporting both ELA and Social Studies 5-12 in Houston. She and her family moved to Denver, Colorado in 2021 where she joined KIPP Colorado as the Manager of Academic Initiatives. After a year in the role, she was elevated to a Director-level position. Now, as the Director of Academic Strategy, Cheryl supports with leadership programming (including curriculum and assessment K-12), strategy, leadership of external partnerships, Instructional Leader Development, academic progress monitoring, and programmatic change leadership.

Dr. Keena Day is an educator, writer and poet. Hailing from Detroit, MI and is a graduate of Tennessee State University (B.A. and M.A. in Languages, Literature, and Linguistics with K-12 Education Certification) and the University of Dayton (Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership and Administration). She has been an educator for 21 years; Dr. Day leads school leadership, teachers, and school organizations in many areas of instructional leadership including curriculum, assessment, instructional design, leadership coaching, professional development, data analysis, systematic programming implementation, and literacy best practices. Dr. Day has had outstanding success designing and launching innovative approaches to intervention closing gaps in reading and improving secondary literacy teaching practices. She is a trained literacy specialist and coach, and is a National Association of Advanced Teacher Education (NAATE) alumna and consultants with independent charter schools, nonprofit organizations, and has been a frequent guest on educational podcasts and radio shows including Google Education, EdCuration, and Teach Colorado. She is a frequent presenter at conferences including for CCIRA, TeachPlus, and community events focused on Black women’s empowerment, politics, Black history and literature, and equitable instruction.

Déla Fyfe is a Senior Director of Regional Operations at KIPP Colorado. She is a Denver native who began her education career teaching Kindergarten and 2nd grade in New Orleans while also completing her Master's degree in Elementary Education through Johns Hopkins University. She returned to Denver in 2016 as the founding dance teacher at KIPP Northeast Elementary. Following her time in the classroom, Déla moved into the Assistant Principal of Operations role where she lead school operations through two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Senior Director of Operations, she supports school-based operations at our six campuses by coaching our Assistant Principals of Operation and ensuring that our schools have the operational support and systems they need to create safe and joyful schools.

Megan Goldsberry is a dedicated instructional leader excited to join the KIPP Colorado Team as the Managing Director of High Schools! Megan was born in Houston, TX, and grew up in Charlotte, NC. She graduated from Rice University (B.A. in Psychology and Managerial Studies) and Texas A&M (M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction). Megan began her career as a Math Teacher with IDEA Public Schools in Brownsville, TX as part of Teach for America. She has spent the past 13 years with YES Prep Public Schools in Houston, Texas. At YES Prep, she spent over a decade as an instructional leader and campus Principal. Most recently, she served as the Director of Teacher Initiatives for the YES Prep system, developing programming for instructional teams, coaching Directors of Academics, and managing teacher evaluation for the system. Megan is passionate about the power of coaching to drive student outcomes and developing systems and strategy to support campus teams.

Jennifer Jackson has over two decades of experience in education. Beginning in Washington, D.C. she has taught everything from Visual Art, to Early Childhood, to 5th grade. She has worked in private, public, and charter schools and has served in both general education and special education classrooms.
Upon moving to Denver, Jackson opened the Multi-Intensive classroom Program at Cherry Hills Elementary and was one of the opening teachers at the Denver Green School, starting their autism program. She went on to be a part of the Ritchie program for school leaders and served as a school principal for Cole Arts and Science Academy, AUL Denver, and DSST Green Valley Ranch High School. She was also one of the founding leaders of the first Innovation Zone in Denver Public Schools.
She received her Masters in Special Education from The George Washington University and received her administrative license through the University of Denver.

Jael James is the Senior Director of K-12 Language Acquisition. She is a New York native who moved to Phoenix AZ before settling in Colorado in 2015 with her husband and daughter. Jael has worked within Education over the last 14 years in numerous roles. What drives Jael is her belief that all students should have access to equitable education. Currently, Jael works as the Regional Director of K-12 Language Acquisition. Jael supports Multilingual Education Departments at each campus (including curriculum, assessment K-12 and MLE compliance).

Naomi Lopez, the Senior Director of Recruitment at KIPP Colorado Public Schools, is a native of Southwest Denver with over a decade of experience in the city's public charter school sector. Over the past 10 years, she has honed her expertise in operations, compliance, staff recruitment, and human resources. In addition to her contributions to the education landscape, Naomi has played integral roles in various levels of government. She served as a Council Aide to Denver City Councilwoman at Large-Robin Kniech, a Legislative Aide to Colorado State Senator Abel J. Tapia, and a Constituent Advocate for U.S. Senator Michael F. Bennet.

She brings a deep commitment to ensuring that all students have access to high quality educational opportunities and resources that will allow them to pursue their personal and professional endeavors as well as a passion for bringing incredible talent to the KIPP Colorado region in efforts to make our mission a reality. Naomi holds a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Local Government from the University of Colorado at Denver and Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Richelle is the Senior Director of Human Resources. Originally from Massachusetts, Richelle Moulin-Geisen relocated to Denver to pursue her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing at the University of Denver. After graduating, she spent several years working at a local Marketing/PR agency, but she realized that she did not find the work motivating. Through an unexpected turn of events, Richelle pivoted away from Marketing to join KIPP Colorado Public Schools as an HR Associate in 2016. Richelle felt drawn to the opportunity to build the new Human Resources and Talent functions in support of KIPP Colorado’s staff – work that has continued to motivate and inspire her since then. Growing up in a family full of educators, Richelle has witnessed first-hand the power an amazing, caring educator can have on the life and future of a student, particularly for students who do not have the same access to guidance or resources as others. Though she knew the classroom wasn’t for her, Richelle is honored to support KIPP Colorado’s team to be the best educators they can be for our students and families.

Sarianna graduated Magna cum Laude from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009, with degrees in Political Science and Women & Gender Studies. Sarianna brings 9 years of education experience, including teaching both ELA and social studies, in addition to managing middle school humanities for DSST Public Schools, a nationally recognized public charter school network. In her educational leadership role, Sarianna has not only managed curriculum development but also played a key role in shaping instructional strategies across multiple schools. She has led the professional development of educators, coached instructional leaders, refined pedagogical approaches, and ensured the consistent, high-quality implementation of curriculum and literacy best practices. Sarianna is deeply committed to the belief that stories hold power and that classrooms should celebrate the narratives of all scholars. Her goals include ensuring that schools remain centers of transformational change.

Chase Sander is a committed education leader who is excited to join the KIPP Colorado team! Chase most recently served as a Managing Director of Schools with DSST Public Schools supporting schools in Northeast Denver. Prior to moving to Denver, Chase spent nearly a decade with YES Prep Public Schools in Houston, Texas as an Executive Principal, Founding Principal, and campus operations leader. Chase was the first operations leader to transition to the Principal role at YES Prep. Prior to joining the YES Prep team, Chase was a Manager of Teacher Leadership Development for Teach For America – Houston supporting corps members in traditional and charter schools across the city. Chase joined Teach For America as a 2009 corps member in the Rio Grande Valley where he taught high school science in San Benito, Texas. Chase earned his Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from The University of Texas at Austin.

Laura Schill is a Senior Director of Regional Operations at KIPP Colorado, where she has been instrumental since joining in 2016. She has served in various key roles, including Assistant Principal of Operations, Operations Coach, and Interim Principal, showcasing her versatility and leadership within the organization. With a rich background in Operations, Education, and Crisis Management, Laura brings over 20 years of diverse work experience to her leadership. Her career began as a Corps Member in AmeriCorps*National Civilian Community Corps, followed by positions as a Program Supervisor at a Residential Treatment Facility in Denver, as a Middle School Science Teacher in Memphis City Schools, and as an Operations Manager at Memphis Teaching Fellows. Guided by her core values of fun and stewardship, Laura’s expertise is further enhanced by her Co-Active Coach training and her Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education/Kinesiology from Southern Illinois University of Carbondale. Laura is deeply committed to ensuring that every KIPP Colorado student learns in a safe, joyful environment supported by strong operational teams and systems.