Check out the wonderful people who are involved with the Academy: OUR COURSE FACILITATORS

(Listed alphabetically)



Carol Anthony (The Hero in Literature) retired recently from teaching high school English where she had the pleasure of teaching many Advance Placement courses. She is a passionate reader and has many interests, some of which might seem a little odd: evolutionary biology, World War II, mythology, especially in relation to the Third Reich, genetics in relationship to ethnic and linguistic analysis of the human family, historical mysteries, the Roman Republic, the history of language(s), feminism and goddess worship, European and near Eastern mythology, Holocaust denial, Medieval and Old English literature and language, and forensic science. “My husband no longer is annoyed at the constant arrival of packages of books sitting on our front porch; he's resigned to it. He's also resigned to my addiction to what he calls my "dead body" shows on cable TV, but refuses to be subjected to them anymore.” Carol adds, “What especially interests me is how one subject connects to other subjects.” I have been singing with the Northland Chorale for about 16 years.
Holly Baroway (Rational Investor Workshop) provides financial planning services and investment advice to families, foundations, and small business owners for A. G. Edwards. She has an MBA from the University of Denver and she holds certificates in asset management and retirement planning from the College for Financial Planning. This November she will be sitting for the examination that leads to becoming a Certified Financial Planner. Prior to receiving her MBA, Holly was a ballerina and danced with the Joffrey Ballet Company as well as other companies for over 15 years. She is the vice chair of the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and is a board member of the Colorado Ballet. Holly is the daughter of Board member Sheila Porter who is an extremely popular facilitator with the Academy as well as Curriculum Committee Chair.


Recently relocated to the Denver area, Nancy Bowen (Experts & Entertainers: Emotional Systems Thinking) is a graduate of Smith College and Yale Divinity School. She is working in Colorado as a church consultant. Her career has focused on understanding and helping others to understand the dynamics of the systems within which they live and work. In this capacity she is provides training in organizational and emotional systems theory, constructive conflict management, and civil discourse. She has worked with religious organizations, non-profit groups and youth agencies in several cities.


Marc Boucher (Cities & Regions of Destiny: Montreal) came to Denver in 2004, and is presently the Consul for General Relations with the Consulate General of Canada. Previously Marc was the Manager of Quebec/Nunavut for the Aboriginal Business/Industry Canada (1997-2004). This program is a Canadian federal program that assists with development of Aboriginal businesses in Canada. In addition, he has acted as Special Projects Coordinator with Arctic Co-operatives Limited (1991-97) and Assistant Superintendent for the Department of Economic Development & Tourism in the Kivalliq Region (1987-91). Marc is a past member of the Canadian Tourism Commission and Aboriginal Marketing Committee.

Kathy Boyer (Writing Your Life Stories) has conducted Life Stories workshops for libraries, summer camps, churches, and community centers. As a child, she developed a love for the personal story while listening to neighbors recall tales of their childhood. Now a retired teacher, Kathy helps individuals record their memories on audiotape. As a workshop facilitator, she offers inspiration and ideas for individuals who want to begin a written collection of their own life stories


Archaeologist and photographer Inga Calvin (Ancient Mesoamerican Cultures) teaches at the University of Colorado-Denver. Having originally planned to conduct ethnographic fieldwork among the Navajo, her life was transformed after viewing the dynamic exhibit about Maya art and writing, “Blood of Kings.” Inga has conducted archaeological research in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador—and regrets that her Spanish is not better. Her most recent studies have taken her to the basements of Guatemala’s bodegas and museums in search of Classic Period (AD 200-900) Maya ceramics. She served as director of the Center for Latin American Art and Archaeology and participated in the reinstallation of the New World galleries at the Denver Art Museum.


Harrison Cochran (Experts & Entertainers: What is a Newspaper? Myths and Realities) believes that although you get a newspaper every morning, you may not know why it is as it is. H. Harrison Cochran is president of the Aurora Publishing Co and publisher of the weekly Aurora Sentinel, Aurora Daily Sun and Mile High Guardian military publication. The Aurora Sentinel is part of the Mile High Suburban Press group of paid and free weeklies surrounding the Denver metro area with 206,000 in circulation. He is the immediate past president of the Suburban Newspapers of America, past director of the Colorado Press Association and Society of Professional Journalists and founding board member of Channel 12 KBDI a PBS station. He served for 11 years on the Board of the Bal Swan Children’s Center for multiply-handicapped children in Broomfield Colorado and is on the boards of the Aurora Mental Health Association and Aurora Chamber.


Dr. Toby Cole (Health Care: What Lies Ahead?) graduated from training in 1966 as an internist. He spent 7 years in the Air Force including staff functions, training and teaching. In 1971 he joined the newly formed Colorado Permanente Medical Group and worked as an internist and a medical office administrator. In 1984 He was elected as the second medical director for the group. Under his leadership the medical system grew rapidly, adding multiple clinic sites, creating a true multiple specialty group, and was recognized by the health systems as a high quality efficient system of health delivery. The CPMG is recognized in the medical community as an excellent organization. Dr. Cole retired in 1999. He has been married for 42 years and has four children and 6 grandchildren. He continues to maintain a high level of interest in the health systems and its future.

Originally from Minneapolis, Nancy Collins (Cities & Regions of Destiny) transferred from Macalester College in St. Paul to the University of Denver, met her husband and received a BSBA degree with a specialization in Marketing. After raising a family, working in a church office, and retiring as a franchise co-owner of a printing company, Nancy felt it was time to learn more about the music she enjoys in addition to the rapidly changing world. She remains active in the music program at church, loves gardening, reading, travel, animals, bridge, mah jongg and thoroughly enjoys the class opportunities from the Academy.

Jimmy Dunn (Cities & Regions of Destiny: Geography), an assistant professor of geography at UNC-Greeley, specializes in Geography Education, Polar Geography, and Polar Biogeography. During his spare time he enjoys music performance, canoe camping, golf, and travel. He owns Ponderosa Recording Studios, a small digital studio located in Longmont and has two CD's. The first is a collection of 10 songs written over a 20-year period, inspired by a lifetime of summers canoeing and teaching in the Canadian Arctic. The album is entitled Songs from the Edge of the Earth. In the spring of 2001, a CD was released with new material from his group The Lost Companions. Jimmy also owns Fair Energy, an energy measuring business that can calculate heat bills for apartments that have central heat.

A lawyer from Mongolia, E. Erdenechimeg (Chimgee) (Cities & Regions of Destiny: Mongolia) holds a Law Diploma from the State University of Irkutsk, Russia, and a Master’s degree in public administration from UCD. She now works for the Honorary Consul Office of Mongolia in Denver and at a law firm, Wagenlander & Heisterkamp, LLC whose specialization is Mongolia and Indian Housing. She writes articles about bringing American dreams to Mongolia. In her spare time she likes to swim, read and hike.

Karen Fox (Experts & Entertainers: Stories to Tickle Your Fancy Imagination) has told stories of one kind or another all her life: as a student for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees; as an English teacher of high school and college students; as an actor in plays, radio and TV commercials, and training films; as a writer of short fiction; as a professional storyteller to adult audiences across the United States, Africa and China; as a mother and grandmother. Because her presentations typically feature both humor and ideas about ethical issues, one critic commented: "Fox is a strange and wonderful mix of a crazy person and the Pope." “Karen's flair for the dramatic is well complemented by her refined sensibilities. She's the best storyteller I know, and I know many." "I was very touched by the stories; both my head and my heart were involved. It was a wonderful and unique meeting, and I felt privileged to be part of the experience."

Jane Grogan (Experts & Entertainers: The History of Marriage) is an educator and community leader. She has both a BA and MA from the University of Colorado and has served on many boards of directors which work to improve life for the underprivileged, homeless and mentally ill. Jane has spent many years collecting Native American pottery, which she recently donated to the Littleton Historic Museum.


Leigh Holman (Tuning Up for the Opera) is the new Director of Education & Outreach with Opera Colorado. Before receiving a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Leigh sang professionally with the Resident Artists of Portland Opera, Nashville Opera, Opera Theatre of Rochester and toured nationwide with the National Opera Company singing over 70 performances of the title role in L'Italiana in Algeri. Leigh is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Opera America, the College Music Society and the National Opera Association.

George Hoover (Cities & Regions of Destiny: Urban Design Strategies) has practiced architecture in Denver since 1961and founded the Denver firms of Hoover Berg Desmond and AR7 Architects. He is a professor of Architecture and former Chair of the Department of Architecture at the University of Colorado at Denver/Boulder. He teaches a graduate seminar, Ultimate Concern and Architecture, and a graduate design seminar/studio, What is a Livable City? In 2003 he was a Coolidge Fellow of the Association for Religion and Intellectual Life in New York City where he developed the ideas in this lecture.

After a career spent putting other people’s stories on paper, Ginny Hoyle (Haiku Workshop) is relishing the chance to focus on reading, writing, and teaching poetry. An award winning freelance copywriter, she sees haiku as a practice, rather than a form, with the power to open the eyes and the heart. Ginny has been published in Wazee and Émigré and, through collaborations with artist Judy Anderson, has been featured in galleries and juried exhibitions of book art in Denver, New York, San Francisco and Frankfort, Germany. In February of 2005, the two women produced “Walking Through,” a mixed media installation at Ironton Studios and Gallery in Denver.
Richard Kerr (Experts & Entertainers: The Egyptian Book of the Dead) is a geographer who, as owner of a travel agency, has traveled the world. He is a docent with the Museum of Nature and Science where he is a popular lecturer for special events. His degrees are from the University of California, Northridge. He taught dendrochronology at Metro State College.

Like many geographers, Phil Klein (Cities & Regions of Destiny: Geography) came to the profession later in life, after realizing that the discipline’s perspective was invaluable for understanding a wide range of social and environmental issues. He received his Ph.D. in geography from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 1993, with a specialty in geography education. Currently an associate professor of geography at the University of Northern Colorado, Phil has worked extensively with local school districts, conducting geography workshops for teachers at all grade levels. He is also active in national and international organizations that aim to improve people’s awareness and understanding of geography.

After a career in financial management, Jim Kneser (Colorado Ballot Initiatives) (The Dilemma of Immigration) (Economic Growth, Egalitarianism, and Inequality) (Mahler: His Life & Work, Part 1) (Rational Investor Workshop) (Tuning up for the Opera) has turned his attention to educating adults about the workings of complicated economic principles in the real world. In the past few years, he has taught classes in microeconomics, macroeconomics, globalization, and public policy. Hardly a Johnny one-note, Jim indulges his lifelong interest in music by facilitating courses showcasing some of his favorite composers.

After 23 years in corporate America, Bill Korstad (Cities & Regions of Destiny: Morocco) ventured out on his own as a technology entrepreneur where he started three software companies, one of which he still owns. During the past three years, he has been a volunteer on several assignments with the International Executive Service Corps (IESC) assisting governmental organizations, trade groups and individual technology businesses in the developing world including all of Eastern Europe, Armenia, and Morocco. As a life long learner, Bill continues to take classes at CU, DU, and UCD.

As executive director of Independent Higher Education of Colorado, the nonprofit agency responsible for public policy research and lobbying for Colorado College, Regis University, and the University of Denver, Toni Larson (Colorado Ballot Initiatives) keeps abreast of state and federal issues, especially as they affect higher education. To relax Toni enjoys biking, cross-country skiing, classical music, theater, and her grandchildren.

Lynn Luhnow (Cities & Regions of Destiny) is a Denver native, although she lived in Leadville and Grand Junction for many years. She is a semi-retired paralegal and recently received the Pro Bono Paralegal of the Year award and serves on the Colorado Judicial Performance Commission for the 18th Judicial District. She now enjoys the additional time to play in her flower gardens, enjoy nature, cook, walk, and bike ride. “One of my greatest joys is to learn new ideas and thoughts and get more acquainted with nature, our world culture, and current events.”

Lois Martin (Experts & Entertainers) came to Denver by way of Philadelphia and Nebraska. She was a major in journalism at the University of Nebraska, before she moved to Pennsylvania while her husband was in medical school. She has been editor of internal publications for Campbell Soup Co. and Leeds and Northrup, both in the East. After the arrival of her four children, she founded the Aurora Sun Newspaper where she worked for 20 years as publisher. She was founding moderator of the Aurora Hospital Assn., President of the Aurora Hospital District, Business Person of the Year for the Aurora Chamber of Commerce, and elected to the Benson Hall of Fame for Community Leadership.

Bob Mendes (Gettysburg & the Civil War) traveled the world in his career in the oil business, finally retiring to the best place of all: Colorado. Among his interests is the American Civil War, and he will enjoy sharing this important subject with other Academy members. “It is vital to keep physically and mentally active, and this class will stimulate your thinking about our great country.” Many historians believe that what we are as a country today came out of the caldron of that war.

Don Morgan (The Supreme Court in Action, Part 1) graduated from Harvard College with a major in Government in 1956 and from Harvard Law School in 1962, with high honors at both schools. He was an Articles Editor of the Harvard Law Review. From 1962 to mid-2004 he practiced with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, a multi-national law firm of about 800 lawyers in recent years. Except for five years in the firm’s Tokyo office, he worked in the Washington, D.C. office. Rene Morgan (The Supreme Court in Action, Part 1) graduated from the University of Michigan in 1962 with honors in literature and history. She received an M.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from the University of Denver in 1984, and a J.D. from the University of Denver in 1990.

Shirley Muggli (Rational Investor Workshop) has been an avid amateur investor and student of financial markets for over 30 years with her recent focus applied to how to get the most advantage from properly blending taxable and tax-advantaged retirement accounts such as all types of IRA’s, 401(k)’s, 529 college savings plans (for grandchildren), Donor advised Charitable Funds, and others. Shirley is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a BS in Mathematics, and an MS in Operations Engineering. Her working career was devoted to information technology and consulting for IBM where she also taught many classes. She also taught computer classes to business students at the University of Michigan. Her hobbies include travel, gardening/landscaping, investing, and needlepoint.

Ray Nelson (Experts & Entertainers: What You Don’t Know about Dubai Can Hurt You!) has developed a keen interest in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates as a result of his son’s employment as a satellite television executive in Dubai. His son and family have lived in Dubai for the past nine years and Ray and his wife have visited on eight different occasions. Their day to day living experiences along with their social contacts with Dubai natives, UAE government officials and third world workers, provide a first hand experience in this fascinating culture.

Anne O’Connor’s (Giselle Meets Dracula) background in Literature and Creative Writing serve her well in educating people about the universal language of Dance. She is passionate in her quest to encourage self-expression, as well as literacy, in Denver’s underserved communities. Employed by Colorado Ballet, she enjoys doing research and planning educational programs about the different productions.

Susana (Susy) Osorio, (Cities & Regions of Destiny: Ecuador) a native of Ecuador, moved to Denver five years ago. She worked at the Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning as a Project Assistant and accountant for the Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Family Initiative (SIRFI). Presently, Susy is lending critical services to the Denver international community as a Medical Spanish-English Interpreter. She works at Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment. Her contributions also include leading groups of experts from the United States that provide valuable medical services to people in need in Ecuador. Susy has vast experience as an expert in international travel. So much so, that Metropolitan State College of Denver (MSCD) entrusted her with planning and organizing a study abroad program to Peru that will take place in May of 2006. Currently Susy is pursuing her Licensure of Teaching at MSCD.

Tiffany Pallotto (Giselle Meets Dracula) is currently the Director of Education and Outreach at Colorado Ballet. Pallotto holds Bachelor’s Degrees in both Performing Arts and Childhood Development. She was technically trained in the Vaganova method and her stage experience includes a wide repertoire of contemporary dance pieces. Ms. Pallotto choreographed multiple pieces during her studies at Colorado State University in a variety of contemporary styles; two of her pieces were selected to represent the University in its Annual Dance Concert. She was awarded a Performing Arts Scholarship to Colorado State University and upon graduation was awarded Best Female Dancer.

Laura Pardee (The Italian High Renaissance) has a special fascination and interest in the painting, sculpture and architecture of the Renaissance and has had the opportunity to experience these magnificent works of art firsthand. She and her husband have spent one month in Italy several years in a row. Laura received her undergraduate degree in French language and literature with a minor in art history from Wellesley College. Laura taught French and English language and literature in Vermont, Texas, New Jersey and Delaware.

Ralph Plimpton (The World is Flat) 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.

Sheila Porter Ph.D. (Genocide and the Psychology of Hatred, Part 2) 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, first in Ohio and now in Denver. In her diverse practice, she has treated dancers, artists, actors, rapists, serial killers and a host of other clients with less dramatic problems. She has always been fascinated by the interaction between the individual and his or her cultural and social environment. She has been an international speaker since the ’80s for the American Institute of Medical Education, a psychiatric group that studies the psychological makeup of artists and its impact on their work. The Ben Shahn Archives at Harvard University solicited her lecture on that artist for its collection. Her most recent lecture was titled "Mao, the Cultural Revolution, and Why Despotic Leaders Need to Destroy Art."

Vee Sabel (Foreign Policy Decisions) is a confirmed foreign policy junkie and world traveler. She loves to hear the opinions of others and gain new perspective on issues. She is a skilled facilitator having been trained by and worked with Michael Doyle and Peter Strauss in their worldwide consultancy, Interaction Associates. While with them, she specialized in issues involving information flow and management structure. She has also worked with nonprofit boards throughout the United States on similar matters. Locally she is a member of the Institute for International Education, the Englewood Rotary Club, the Museum of Nature and Science, the Denver Art Museum, and numerous other nonprofit groups.

Since beginning private practice at Children's Hospital, Bob Sargent (Cities & Regions of Destiny: Delhi) has been teaching eye doctors-in-training from the UCHSC. He retired 7 years ago, but continues as a volunteer in third world countries, teaching eye surgery and presenting lectures. As such, he encounters physicians and hospital staff on a firsthand basis. These opportunities open intimate dialogue about their culture and society. Bob has been to India 6 times, and plans to provide insights about the Indian society.

Ed Schreiber (Experts & Entertainers: The Balkans: Powder Keg of Europe) was born in the middle of World War II to an aristocratic fascist Roman Catholic family in Zagreb, Croatia. He was educated in communist schools in Yugoslavia. He emigrated to the United States at thirteen, finished high school in Dearborn, Michigan, and then served for six years in the U. S. Army as a musician, mostly in France. Ed played piano in Denver night clubs while studying engineering at the University of Colorado, and had a distinguished career in the computer industry. Ed has also been a race driver, a taxi driver in Paris, an amateur actor, a radio talk show host, and a Democratic candidate for Congress.

John Shell (Can Money Buy Happiness?) became a student of the human condition out of perplexity. He got a good education and started a promising academic career. You could say he was trying to figure out how the world works from reading old books. For him it turned out to be a dead end. Paradoxically, his path forward involved going back to school, this time to study psychology. More books, but also more immediate involvement in figuring out how people build meaningful and fulfilling lives. John helps fulfill lives of others by serving on the Academy’s Board.

Lorraine Sherry (Experts & Entertainers: The Cartography of Lithuania) just retired as a Senior Research Associate at RMC Research Corporation, where she evaluated state, federal, and foundation grants that supported instructional technology (I.T.) in K-16 settings. She is an honorarium faculty member at CU-Denver, and also serves as an external examiner for I.T. doctoral students at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Earlier in her career, she was a programmer and technical writer in the Radar Systems Analysis division of the MITRE Corporation in Bedford, MA. She is a member of the Rocky Mountain Map Society, is completing the Colorado Master Gardener Certification program, and sings with the Boulder Bach Festival and Boulder Messiah Chorale.

John Slocumb (Gettysburg & the Civil War) is a distinguished teacher as well as practicing doctor, and was a department head at the CU School of Medicine for many years. He is one of the few nationally recognized experts in diagnosis, treatment, and research in the area of Chronic Pelvic Pain. He does research, as well as pro bono work with Alaskan Inuit women, and is a world recognized authority in the field of pain management. He is a Civil War buff and has made a special study of the medical issues associated with the war.
Dean Sobel (Experts & Entertainers: The Best Unknown Painter in American History--And Why Denver is Building Him a Museum) is Project Director for the Clyfford Still Museum, leading the efforts to develop programs and build a permanent home for the 2500 works of Still’s art. From 2000-2005, he was Director of the Aspen Art Museum and previously Chief Curator at the Milwaukee Art Museum. He has organized one-artist exhibitions of Vito Acconci, Jackie Winsor, Louise Bourgeois, Ed Ruscha, Robert Mangold, Ilya Kabakov, Cindy Sherman, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, John Currin, Thomas Demand and Olafur Eliasson and such group exhibitions as The Pleasure Machine: Recent American Video, Identity Crisis: Self-Portraiture at the End of the Century, and Warhol/Koons/Hirst: Cult and Culture.
Earl Staelin (Experts & Entertainers: Who Wrote Shakespeare’s Plays?) has been a trial lawyer since 1966 so he is accustomed to looking at evidence. He tried the first “sick building” case in the U.S. He successfully introduced nutritional defenses in criminal cases, mental commitments, child abuse, etc. He has given numerous talks on science, nutrition and health, and… Shakespeare. He enjoys being active in human rights and peace activism.
Bebe Telles (Cities & Regions of Destiny) is a proud native Texan now living in Colorado because she loves the climate. Her husband’s career as a geophysicist for a major oil company gave them the opportunity to live in the Connecticut/NY area, Denver and Lima, Peru. Bebe has found various occupations and volunteer opportunities to satisfy her personally and professionally with every move. “I am a perpetual student and feel that I am a good and effective teacher in subjects and areas that I know.”

Richard Timberlake (Tuning up for the Opera) has been attending symphonies and operas since age sixteen. He has stated, “If I knew just a bit more about the composer, the music, the story, I know tonight’s performance would be even more exciting and entertaining.” Every regular opera attendee has had these thoughts and observations. Opera 101 is one of the easiest ways of expanding one’s personal opera database. After a career as a CPA, Richard is indulging his interest in classical music and opera by co-facilitating Opera 101.

Currently a docent and curatorial staff research assistant at the Denver Art Museum, Sunny Wold (The Italian High Renaissance) originally earned a degree in Nutritional Sciences with a second major in psychology. Returning to college later in life, she loved the opportunity to change careers and explore various interests from upholstery to Colorado History to French and Italian.