Maureen S. Farrell, Esq., Executive Director
Ms. Farrell was a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Denver for approximately 10 years. While at LASMD, Ms. Farrell practiced consumer, housing, domestic relations and public benefits law, including welfare reform. She also engaged in legislative and administrative advocacy and was involved in and responsible for a number of special projects. Ms. Farrell began working for Catholic Charities in 1996 on welfare reform issues both at the Legislature and before the State Board, Department of Human Services. Much of her work at Catholic Charities involved analyzing and drafting proposed legislation and amendments related to welfare reform. Once the State adopted welfare reform legislation, Ms. Farrell focused upon implementation of the new law and the development of state regulations and county policies and practices. She later led the efforts to create a separate and independent entity, CCLP. Email: mfarrell @ cclponline.org Phone: 303-573-5669 extension 301

D. Elisabeth Arenales, Esq., Director Health Care Program
In 1998, prior to joining the staff of CCLP, Elisabeth Arenales was the Project Coordinator for a complex civil litigation matter involving historic rights of local property owners in and around San Luis, Colorado to make traditional uses of a 77,500 acre parcel of land known as the Taylor Ranch. She was responsible for all aspects of case organization and management, including trial preparation and practice, for a team of eight attorneys. From 1993-1997, Ms. Arenales was a staff attorney for the Colorado Lawyers Committee ("CLC"). While at the CLC, Ms. Arenales developed a project to serve indigent immigrants in San Luis Valley and also developed the Committee's Rural Education Project, which provides services to parents and community groups in eight rural Colorado communities. As part of these projects, she advised, counseled and represented clients, primarily on education and civil rights matters, and educated clients about legal rights through workshops and written materials. In addition, she successfully lobbied for passage of major reform of Colorado's school discipline laws. During her time at CLC, Ms. Arenales recruited and coordinated attorney volunteers and worked successfully with federal, state and local agencies/community groups throughout Colorado. Email: earenales @ cclponline.org Phone: 303-573-5669 extension 302

Ed Kahn, Esq., Special Counsel 
The former President of CCLP’s Board of Directors, Mr. Kahn recently resigned that position to join the staff as Special Counsel. Mr. Kahn brings extensive legal experience to CCLP. As a partner in the firm Kelly Haglund Garnsey and Kahn, LLC, he has arbitrated more than 50 cases involving franchises, contracts, health care, business acquisitions, securities, rules of the Olympics, insurance contracts, consumer finance and educational testing and represented companies and individuals in disputes over contracts of many kinds. Mr. Kahn also has extensive experience in pro bono and public interest matters. He represented the public interest in obtaining $155 million for conversion foundation after lobbying statute governing conversion to for profit status of Colorado Blue Cross and other health insurers; was Special Counsel, appointed by Colorado Supreme Court, to investigate possible mismanagement by State Public Defender; was appointed as Special counsel by then Boulder County District Court Judge Murray Richtel, to prosecute Boulder Daily Camera and two reporters for improper contacts with jurors in a death penalty criminal case. Mr. Kahn has also represented the Colorado State Legislature in an action securing a ruling that legislation concerning confidentiality of grand jury reports took precedence over a Supreme Court rule. In Ramos v. Lamm, Mr. Kahn successfully represented plaintiffs in a landmark attorneys fees case. Mr. Kahn received his J.D. from Harvard Law School and BA from the University of Colorado. His civic and professional activities include: Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers; Martindale-Hubbell "AV" rating, and listed in "Best Lawyers in America" for more than 20 years; Commercial Arbitration Panel of American Arbitration Association; Practitioner-in-Residence, University of Denver Law School, Spring 2000; Lecturer in Constitutional Law, University of Colorado School of Law (1975); Colorado Supreme Court Grievance Committee (1996-1999), and Hearing Board 1999 to present; Colorado Supreme Court Judicial Advisory Committee (1994 to 2000); Colorado Lawyers Trust Account Foundation (COLTAF) (Director 1990-1995) (President 1990-1992); Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Denver (Acting Director of Litigation five months in 1994); Denver Bar Association (President 1984-1985); Colorado Bar Association and Denver Bar Association (various activities, including Board membership); Colorado Lawyers Committee (Founder, 1978 and Director from time to time); American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado (Board Member 1967-1972) (Chair of the Board for two years), and member of its Legal Panel 2001 to present; Harvard Law School Association of Colorado (President 1989-1990); and Denver, Colorado, and American Bar Associations. Email: ekahn @ cclponline.org Phone: 303-573-5669 extension 305

Nilmini Senanayake Hecox, Development Director
Nilmini Senanayake Hecox joined CCLP from The Colorado School of Mines, where she worked as a major gift fundraiser in the Office of Institutional Advancement.  During her time at Mines, Nilmini worked exclusively with major alumni donors in all areas of development from prospect identification to donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.  She also managed the annual Reunion Giving Volunteer Program which raised approximately 30 percent of the School’s total annual giving.  Prior to moving to Colorado, Nilmini was the Fund Developer at Middle Way House, a domestic violence shelter in Bloomington, Indiana.  Nilmini also has experience in healthcare philanthropy, and interned at the Blooming Hospital Foundation during graduate school.  Her educational background is in Theater History – she holds a Master’s Degree in the field from Indiana University, in addition to her Bachelor’s in English and Theater from Lawrence University, Appleton, WI. Email: nhecox @ cclponline.org Phone: 303-573-5669 ext. 311

Rita Young, Business Manager
Rita Young joined the Center in June of 2006. She brings more than 20 years experience in nonprofit office and business management and oversees the daily operations of the Center and the Institute. Most recently, Center, Ms. Young was the Executive Secretary and Board Liaison for the Clayton Foundation in Denver. Prior to that she served as Administrative Assistant for Colorado Legal Services. Email: ryoung @ cclponline.org Phone: 303-573-5669 ext. 307

Suzette Tucker Welch, Senior Fiscal Policy Analyst, Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute
Prior to joining the COFPI staff in January 2002, Suzette Tucker-Welch was manager of research and evaluation for New Century Energy. She has managed a variety of research projects involving public policy, attitudinal and behavior topics. She holds a Masters Degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and has taught undergraduate and graduate level statistics at University of Colorado at Denver. Some of the research projects she has conducted include consumer attitudes towards renewable energy, an analysis of changing behaviors concerning energy usage, and a variety of willingness-to-pay studies. Additionally, Suzette brings extensive experience in marketing and market research. Email: stuckerwelch @ cclponline.org Phone: 303-573-5669 extension 306

Kathy A. White, Project Coordinator, Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute
Kathy White worked as a paralegal and assistant manager of regulatory compliance for an international insurance company prior to working for CCLP. In that position she coordinated compliance reporting for five companies offering health products in 50 states, tracked and analyzed health care related legislation at the national and state level, and conducted legal research to assist internal departments in development of compliant policies and procedures based on research findings. She also created position and functioned as research coordinator for department of six attorneys and six paralegals. Prior to that, Ms. White worked as a commercial real estate paralegal and volunteer for the American Civil Liberties Union. Email: kwhite @ cclponline.org Phone: 303-573-5669 extension 303

James M. Zelenski, Senior Fiscal Policy Analyst, Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute
Jim Zelenski brings valuable knowledge of local government and economics to COFPI after retiring from a 25-year career in city management. For the past eight years, Jim held the position of Deputy City Manager for the City of Lakewood after being promoted from Assistant City Manager and before that Budget Director. In addition to working with the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, Jim teaches economics, strategic management and financial analysis for Regis University, University of Colorado at Denver Graduate School of Public Affairs and Red Rocks Community College. He also acts as a consultant in strategic planning, fiscal management, and governance and presents free workshops on financial planning for various law enforcement, library and church communities. Email: jzelenski @ cclponline.org Phone: 303-573-5669 extension 304

Carol Hedges, Senior Policy Analyst, Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute
Carol Hedges was most recently a senior policy advisor for the Bell Policy Center where she conducted research and outreach on the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. Prior to that she was formerly a Program Officer at the Piton Foundation in Denver, Colorado. In that capacity, she served as the Director of the Denver Workforce Initiative (DWI), an innovative workforce development effort supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation of Baltimore, MD. Prior to joining the Piton Foundation in June 1998, Carol was the Policy Director for Governor Roy Romer. She advised the governor on issues relating to education, workforce development, human services, transportation, housing, corrections and tax issues. Carol’s work emphasized policy and budget considerations. In addition, she directed the Government Overhaul Project for the State of Colorado. The Overhaul Project was designed to make “government make sense” for the citizens of Colorado. Before joining Governor Romer’s staff in March 1995, Carol worked for the National Governor’s Association serving as a staff assistant and as staff director for workforce development and agriculture and rural economic development issues. As a staff assistant for workforce issues, Carol focused on JTPA legislation, unemployment programs and welfare to work. Carol has a BS in Public Administration form Emporia State University and a JD from the University of Kansas. Carol is a member of the state Workforce Development Council and the Denver Regional Workforce Board. She served on Mayor Webb’s Wage Advocacy Task Force and is a member of the Multicultural Steering Committee for the Denver Health and Hospital’s Community Voices Project. Carol is a board member for the Transformations project. Email: chedges @ cclponline.org Phone: 303-573-5669 ext. 309

CCLP Board of Directors

Jean Dubofsky, Esq. The Law Offices of Jean Dubofsky, President

Molly Ryan, Esq. Colorado Legal Services, Secretary

Frank Brainerd, Esq., Treasurer

Jonathan Asher, Esq. Executive Director, Colorado Legal Services

David Butler, Esq.

Cynthia P. Delaney, Esq.

Nan Morehead Denver Department of Human Services, COFPI liaison

James E. Scarboro, Esq. Arnold & Porter

Jean Townsend, Coley/Forrest

T.A. Taylor-Hunt, Esq.

Irene Taylor Kawanabe, Esq.

Michael Valdez, Colorado Bar Association