Our Chief of Equity, Dr. Tony Smith, has previously served DPS as an Instructional Superintendent and brings more than 20 years of experience serving students. Most recently, Dr. Smith served as the Superintendent of KIPP Texas Dallas Fort Worth. Prior to that, he was a DPS Instructional Superintendent of our Far Northeast region and turnaround principal, as well as the Executive Director of School Turnaround and Instruction for the Adams 14 Schools District. He began his career in education as a teacher at Savio House Educational Center in Denver, and has also led as an assistant principal and principal. He and his wife Marcy enjoy outdoor activities with their two sons, Tyson and Evan.
Alece Herlinda Marie Montez is named after 3 of her grandmothers, a Colorado native, and product of our amazing public schools. She was a teen mom and the first in her family to go to college which taught her at an early age how to advocate for herself. That’s where she found her passion for making sure all voices were heard. Since then, Alece has leveraged her career positions to change processes, create tools, and impact systems to ensure community decisions were guided by the broader community.
Prior to coming to Denver Public Schools, Alece worked as an Urban Planner for cities and counties, and Air Force bases, and as a community engagement expert at a foundation. Through unique partnerships with the community at local cities, Alece helped change land use and zoning codes by listening to, working with, and responding to the people. This helped shape her work at the Orton Family Foundation, where Alece was instrumental in developing the Community Heart & Soul® model, a community driven process that ensures actions are rooted in what matters most to everyone. The process uses storytelling tools to ensure engagement happens across and between demographic groups; people listen to each other, learning about their similarities and differences, building empathy for one another. There are over one hundred towns across the U.S. that have used Heart & Soul and they are seeing benefits like improved local economies, strengthened relationships across historic divides, and increased trust and ownership over local decisions.
Alece has a Bachelor degree in Environmental Design, Urban and Regional Planning, and two minors, Sustainable Environments and Human Geography, and a Masters degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Environmental Policy, Management, and Law. Because of her fresh perspective in how engagement works, she’s received honors and awards from organizations like the American Planning Association, International Association for Public Participation, Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Community Development Society, Air Mobility Command, and the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence. She was a member of the Placemaking Leadership Council, United States Green Building Council, American Planning Association, Colorado Funders for Inclusiveness and Equity (COFIE), and a graduate of The Funders Network, Professionals Learning About Community Equity and Smart Growth (PLACES) fellowship class of 2013. Prior to coming to the District, Alece sat on numerous boards and committees such as The Funders Network, COFIE, PLACES, Aspen Institute’s Rural Development Innovation Group, and Philanthropy Colorado.
Dr. Miranda Kogon is a proactive change catalyst in the fields of Special Education and Mental Health. Skilled in Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), Mental Health Supports & Services, Gifted & Talented Education, Behavior Interventions, School Leadership & Supervision, Special Education Law & Policy, and Section 504, she is a champion of equity and restorative justice. She is a strong education professional who possesses a decade and a half of experience in the field of education. During this time, she worked with UNICEF in York, England as an International Education Researcher, taught on a Native American Mohawk Reservation on the border of New York and Canada, taught and supported a special education curriculum and design team with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and was a behavior therapist at the Seoul Children’s Hospital and The Mind Care Institute in Seoul, South Korea, served as a school counselor in Rochester, New York, worked as a behavior specialist in Fairfax, Virginia, and most recently, served as a Director of Special Education with DC Public Schools in Washington D.C.
She has also worked in higher education for six years as a Full-Time Professor of Humanities at Soongsil University in Seoul, South Korea, and as an Adjunct Professor of Special Education at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, having developed and taught undergraduate and masters level courses in Human Behavior, Classroom Design & Management, and Applied Behavior Analysis for Special Education Teachers, to name a few.
Dr. Kogon has her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from the State University of New York at Potsdam, her masters degree in Special Education & Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University, her doctorate in Behavioral Health from Arizona State University, her post-doctorate and residency in Medical Family Therapy (department of psychiatry) from The University of Rochester School of Medicine, her post-masters degree in School Administration and Supervision from Johns Hopkins University, and her post-masters certificate in Instructional Leadership from the Relay Graduate School of Education through the intensive fellowship in the National Principals Supervisor Academy. A School Psychologist and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Dr. Kogon is an advocate for all children and has dedicated her career to putting systems in place by providing staff and parents with the knowledge, resources, and training necessary to eliminate the opportunity gap. Dr. Kogon lives in Denver with her 2 Siamese Cats and enjoys swimming (she has also been a high school swim team coach and took her team to nationals!), spending time exploring the great outdoors, and traveling.
A native of Colorado, Leslie L. Juniel is passionate about making positive contributions to the community. She is a part of a large family whose history and legacy are deeply rooted in the Denver community and knows she has an obligation to leave the world a better place than how she found it.
In her professional life, Leslie is Executive Director on the Culture, Equity and Leadership Team in Denver Public Schools, where she has been employed for over 12 years. She currently leads her team in the implementation of the Black Excellence Resolution and other equity initiatives. Prior to this role, Leslie was Senior Program Manager of Equity Initiatives on the same team.
Leslie is an alumna of Denver Public Schools and is proud to represent five generations of DPS attendees and graduates! Leslie has also worked for INROADS, Inc., the Rocky Mountain News, YouthBiz, Inc., Girls Incorporated of Metro Denver, Girls Scouts Mile Hi Council and the Colorado Marrow Donor Program at Bonfils Blood Center.
Leslie participates in many community programs and events. She is an alumna of INROADS, Inc., the African-American Leadership Institute, Leadership Denver and Future Black Women Leaders of Colorado, Center for Progressive Leadership, and is past president of the Foundation for the Next Frontier. Leslie led the ‘re-birth’ of the annual Juneteenth Celebrations in Denver from 2008 to 2011. She previously sat on the board of directors of Colorado High School Charter and Colorado Black Women for Political Action.
Leslie believes her greatest community contribution to date has been creator and coordinator of the Sistah Pride Girls’ Empowerment Program, an annual, state-wide program hosted by the African-American Leadership Institute, which brought women and girls together to dialogue about education, careers, and making smart life choices and decisions. She continues to live her passion of working with youth by mentoring students in DPS.
Leslie enjoys public speaking and has volunteered her time to support several non-profit organizations as their emcee and/or the keynote speaker. These organizations include: Family Tree, Friends First, INROADS, Colorado Mentoring Summit and the Overcomer Women’s Empowerment Conference.
She also volunteers her time to facilitate personal and professional adult learning and training for organizations including Ready, Set, College, Denver Technical Professionals, Friends First, INROADS, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Denver Quality After-School Connection, (DQUAC) and the National School Nutrition Association.
Leslie studied journalism at Colorado State University, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of Colorado at Denver and a Master of Science degree in Organization Leadership from Regis University.
Nothing is more important to Leslie than her large, close-knit family. Her greatest life accomplishment is being the proud mother of one daughter, and grandmother to her grandson and three granddaughters.
Jesse Broadfoot serves as the Executive Director for Extended Learning and Community Schools, continuing his career of advocacy for students to achieve excellence during out of school time. Jesse comes to us from Lake Placid, New York, home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics and the famous “Miracle On Ice”. Growing up in an Olympic town with parents that were both educators, Sports and education played a big role in his youth.
Jesse’s love of sport and his interest in education drove him to Wingate University in Wingate, North Carolina where he graduated in 2008 with a Bachelors of Science in Physical Education (K-12). After college he worked as a High School Ice Hockey Coach and a part-time Physical Education Teacher in his home town of Lake Placid.
In 2012, Jesse decided to make the move to Denver and in January of 2013, he got his first job in Denver Public Schools with Extended Learning and Community Schools (ELCS) as a Site Staff at McMeen Elementary School. Throughout his career in ELCS he has had several different roles including: Site Staff (McMeen), 207 Program Supervisor (Brown), 235 Program Supervisor (University Park), Senior Supervisor (Acoma/Central Office), Manager, Senior Manager, and finally his current position, Executive Director.
Jesse’s journey through DPS and ELCS gives him a unique look into all of the components of Out of School Time (OST) programming. He believes that OST is the avenue to give every student impactful experiences daily, which will ensure EVERY student succeeds.
Rose Marie McGuire is the Senior Manager of the Native American Culture and Education Department (NACE.) Rose had been with in her current position at NACE since 2000, and prior to that she was a school nurse with DPS. She grew up on the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Nation in South Dakota. After graduating from Boston University with a BS degree in education, she moved to Colorado where she established and directed the Circle of Learning preschool for Native American children at the Denver Indian Center Inc.
At the same time that Rose was promoting the Circle of Learning preschool, she continued her education, earning a BS degree in Nursing and Nurse Practitioners from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. She subsequently studied at the University of Denver, earning a Master of Arts degree in Native American Studies. Throughout her career, Rose’s goal has been to obtain the knowledge and credentials to work with her people, particularly young Native students, and to inspire the next generations of Native Americans to achieve a good education and satisfying employment. An important part of that inspiration is to encourage Native students to embrace and take pride in their cultural identity. To support this, Rose instituted (in 2012) Lakota language course and continues to promote a Native languages at DPS.
To achieve these goals, Rose has been involved with the Native American Community both locally and nationally. Presently, as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Denver Indian Center Inc., she has achieved success in physical renovations to the building and also in expanding culturally relevant programs. Her connections and memberships with broader Native American organizations such as the National Indian Education Association and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, have helped advocate for Native people in education, health and youth voices on a national level. As an example, the Colorado State University Native STEM project connects with Native high school students and encourages them to follow STEM studies; this project grew from an effort that Rose initiated with the CSU Native Culture Center.
Rose and her husband Robin have two grown sons and one granddaughter.
Laney Shaler is the Chief of Staff for the Equity & Engagement Divison in Denver Public Schools (DPS). In this role, she supports the Senior Deputy Superintended of Equity & Engagement and the broader Division, which includes our Culture Equity and Leadership Team, Student Equity & Opportunity, Family and Community Engagement, and our Extended Learning and Community Schools Departments. Before this role with DPS, she served as the Director of Teacher Pathways & Development in which her team led Denver’s district-wide efforts to establish and expand the continuum of preservice through early career teacher support so that teachers can get better faster and stay longer. Laney’s past experiences include strengthening Denver’s talent pipelines through collaboration with various stakeholders to develop human capital structures as part of the Talent Management team and serving in various academic leadership positions to improve opportunities for teachers to grow their skills in cultivating rigorous, supportive environments for students.
Laney has an extensive background in education – from practice to policy. She began her career as an early childhood and elementary teacher with Denver Public Schools and was initially drawn to education and public service because of her strong belief that every individual has the right to a high-quality education so that they can achieve the dreams they have for themselves. Having been raised by a single mom who worked three jobs, and as the first in her family to attend college, Laney’s personal experience drives her every day. Her life’s passion is to ensure all children have equitable access to opportunity.
Laney earned a BA in economics and international relations from Lake Forest College, and an MPP from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. She is also a graduate of The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems residency program where she earned her Masters in Educational Leadership.
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