Board of Directors
David Brand, Co-Chair
Principal, Soulstice Consulting; Managing Partner, Gold Lake Resort
Soulstice is a coaching and consulting firm that facilitates exploration and transformation by inspiring individuals and groups to bridge heaven and earth. David is the manager and part owner of Gold Lake Mountain Resort and Spa, a sacred retreat facility 25 miles west of Boulder, Colorado. He also serves as the Associate Director of the Integral Finance Center of Integral University. Prior to his current endeavors, David led nonprofit organizations for 25 years. Most recently he was CEO of End-of-Life Choices. He has held leadership positions with the Financial Planning Association, the Institute of Certified Financial Planners, the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations, and Continuing Legal Education in Colorado. He is a former partner in Community Frontiers, a consulting firm which guided the emergence of extraordinary new realities for nonprofit organizations. David’s passion is to bring a group together around a common purpose grounded in principles of community, self-organization, steward leadership, and living strategy. He is a facilitator, healer, and coach.
Gordon Dveirin
Organizational Development Consultant, President Dveirin & Associates
Gordon Dveirin, Ed.D., has his doctorate from the School of Educational Change and Development at the University of Northern Colorado. President of his own consulting firm in human and organizational development, his focus is on the shared clarification of contexts, intentions, and relationships in order to optimize effectiveness. He is co-founder and co- director of the Claritas Institute, offering programs in guided deep inquiry, and he is co-author with his wife, Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., of two books: Saying Yes to Change and Your Soul’s Compass. Dr. Dveirin is a founding and active board member of the PassageWorks Institute, dedicated to the social, emotional, and spiritual learning of children and youth in our schools.
John Lainson, Co-Chair
Financial Manager, RBC Wealth Management
John is a Financial Manager for RBC Dain Rauscher, and has been in the money management business for 26 years. He has a BA from Hastings College and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Antioch College. John has served on numerous for-profit and not-for-profit boards over the past number of years – most recently for: The Boulder Waldorf Foundation, Friends of The Boulder Waldorf Foundation, Growing Gardens, Anam Chara, The Bridge Advisory Board and Windrose Academy. John began his professional life working in public mental health in Nebraska and taught middle school in the early 70s. After a stint as a part owner of a manufacturing business, he became a financial professional in 1981. His early encounters with both the mental health and educational field began a life long interest in the cultural response to meeting the needs in those areas. John is drawn to PassageWorks because of the unique and critical voice PWI has in the larger forum of rethinking public education.
Ari Gerzon-Kessler
Principal at Glacier Peak Elementary and Prairie Hills Elementary
Principal at Glacier Peak Elementary and Prairie Hills Elementary: Principal of Arapahoe Ridge Elementary School in Westminster, CO and formerly the vice principal at Glacier Peak and Prairie Hills, elementary schools in Thornton, Colorado. As a bilingual teacher for seven years, Ari drew upon social/emotional learning principles and academic best practices to foster high levels of student growth and achievement. Ari received his MA in Instruction and Curriculum from the University of Colorado and has published articles in a variety of education magazines.
KJ McCorry
Founder & CEO, Officiency Enterprises, Inc.
K.J. McCorry is founder and CEO of Officiency Enterprises, Inc. which provides productivity and sustainability consulting services. For the past 12 years, K.J. has served as one of the leading efficiency and productivity consultants for companies, government agencies and non-profit organizations. Her work has been committed to streamlining processes to not only create efficiency but also sustainability. She is the author of Organize Your Work Day In No Time, by Que Publishing. Ms. McCorry received her BA in Psychology and International Business from Metropolitan State College and her Masters in Business from the University of Denver. She currently serves as co-President of the leading sustainable trade organization in Colorado, CORE (Connected Organizations for a Responsible Economy) and also serves on the board of directors for the International Society of Sustainability Professionals.
Erica Shafroth
Therapist, Educator, Artist, Mother of Three
Erica is co-founder of Mothers Acting Up , a movement to mobilize the gigantic passionate and political strength of mothers, (and others) on behalf of the world’s children while also having founded In My Own Voice, an organization designed to bring health and authentic voice to teenage girls while transitioning to womanhood. Erica is presently working in middle and high schools bringing authentic conversation to the classroom; while, cultivating leadership and community connection. Erica is committed to the work of transforming education and the culture of schools. She believes that encouraging authenticity and deeper personal awareness will replace complacency and fear. She also believes that we are nurturing a generation of new leaders youth who are connected at a deeper level to their spirit or true nature, and thus their innate connection to the global family. She holds a MA in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, San Francisco, CA.