The Academy Board

The Academy Board welcomes you. The Board members bring a wealth of experience to the Academy. They have organized a top notch program.

President: Diana Wilson

Diana Wilson, one of the Academy’s founders, is Professor Emerita in English & Renaissance Studies at the University of Denver. She has won 3 NEH grants for her work on Cervantes and given invited lectures at Yale, Harvard, Cornell, NYU, UCLA, Oxford, etc. Recently she delivered the 50th Anniversary Cervantes Lecture at Fordham on the uses of Islam in Shakespeare and Cervantes. Her latest book addresses the impact of the New World on the European novel (Oxford University Press, 2000).She has taught college students for some 25 years.

President Elect: Ralph Plimpton

Ralph Plimpton was a manager and Vice President of Human Resources with Arco and Amoco until the early 80’s. Until retirement in 2003 he founded and operated an outplacement consulting firm serving corporate clients in 17 states in the Mountain States and the West. During that period he and his associates worked with thousands of individuals in developing their best skills and capabilities in the process of finding new opportunities or careers. Ralph has had a lifelong interest in economic, political, cultural and social issues. In recent years he has developed expertise in several subjects of interest to senior adults. He is a regular Academy facilitator. Over his career he has given hundreds of lectures on subjects of interest to a wide range of participants.

Treasurer: Jim Kneser

After a career in private equity investing, Jim Kneser, one of the Academy’s founders, has turned his attention to educating adults about the important role of economic principles in both everyday life and contentious public policy debates. He has degrees in economics and finance and is also a CPA. He has been an active and popular facilitator for the past ten years leading well over thirty classes with over 1,000 participants. In addition to his classes on economics, finance, and public policy, he indulges his love of music by leading classes about his favorite composers and operas.

Secretary: Larry Duggan

Larry, one of the Academy’s founders, has provided expertise in marketing and development for the Academy. He is a retired construction executive having received an Architectural Engineering degree from the University of Colorado. He was an Arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. He served as a docent and day chair at the Denver Art Museum. Volunteer work includes Habitat for Humanity and his Homeowner’s Association.

VP-Curriculum/Facilitators: Sheila Porter

Sheila has an undergraduate degree in fine art with a minor in African art history as well as a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, which she has practiced for thirty years. In her diverse practice, she has treated dancers, artists, actors, rapists, and serial killers, along with a host of other clients with less dramatic problems! She has been an international speaker since the ’80s for the American Institute of Medical Education, a group that studies the psychological makeup of artists and its impact on their work.

VP-Facilities: Bil Buhler

Bil Buhler was born and raised in central Idaho. He received his Masters degree from DU in Computer Science, when he first fell in love with Denver. He lived in Seattle and Chicago before moving to Denver 20 plus years ago. After retiring from computer programming his avocation as a potter became a primary focus. He thinks he should have made that switch much sooner, because he’s having so much fun with his creations.

Member-at-Large: Paula Kauffman

Although Paula has pursued the usual retirement pleasures—travel, new hobbies (a perennial beginning golfer), volunteer work, and learning—she has also had the uncommon experience of working for one-month in southern Africa, where she helped the government of Namibia set up a social insurance program. Having spent her professional career in the United States Social Security Administration, Paula has strong opinions about the privatization of the program and does public speaking on this subject from time to time.

Member-at-Large: Keith Meagher

A man for all seasons, Keith Meagher, one of the Academy’s founders, has special interests centering on the connection between culture and history and has facilitated courses in Complexity, Modern Philosophy, Clash of Cultures and Religious Fundamentalism. An avid reader and interested observer of the Arts, Keith loves delving deeply behind the surface and finding ways to encourage fellow students to do the same. He looks forward to hearing the thoughts of others as weighty and complex issues are examined.

Member-at-Large: Joyce Meyers

Joyce is a native Coloradoan who received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Loretto Heights College in Denver. Taking an early retirement from being a Senior Account Manager at a small advertising/direct marketing company, Joyce is now an active volunteer in the community in addition to working as a full-time mother for her 12-year old twin daughters.

Member-at-Large: John Shell

Rather than retire, John Shell is turning himself into a consultant on how to make the workplace more fulfilling, more productive, and less stressful for all concerned. John majored in German at Wesleyan University, studied cultural history at Rice University, taught at SUNY -Buffalo, and finally figured out he wanted to be a psychologist. He went back to school again at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, we hope for the last time.

Member-at-Large: Gail Sweeney

Gail has a B.A. from the U. of Illinois and an MBA from D.U. She is a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone, West Africa, and is retired from a management career with a large technology corporation. She is currently a small business owner dabbling in interior and landscape design.

Director: Sally Kneser

Sally is a retired teacher of French and English. She has been an active volunteer for over 25 years, serving frequently as chair, president, or secretary. She has taught facilitating to Junior League volunteers, Girl Scout Leaders, PTO Presidents, and facilitators.

The original board worked tirelessly to organize the Academy. The response has been overwhelming as hundreds of Denverites discover added pleasure in learning.
Board members enjoy spirited discussions at their meetings. Diana shared information with Bob Stark.
Larry, Sally and Jim review classroom layout plans.