Leadership

Meet our leadership.

Food Bank of the Rockies relies on the experience and dedication of so many people. From volunteers to paid staff, administrators to drivers, prep cooks to program coordinators, we are all committed in our mission of igniting the power of community to nourish people facing hunger. Below, you can find the representatives of our Board of Directors and our Leadership Team, as well as contact information when available.
a group photo of board of directors

Board of Directors

Christina Bowen

Board Chair

Senior Director of External Affairs

West Division at Comcast

Errol Brown

Partner

Haynes Boone

Sean Choi

Board Secretary

Senior Vice President

FirstBank

Reid M. Galbraith

Partner

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Marylou Houston

Vice Chair

Vice President, Banker

J.P. Morgan Private Bank

Neelima Joshi

Community Representative

Jesse Ogas

Executive Director of Social Responsibility and Community Affairs

9News

Jack Pargeon

SVP of Finance

Bellco Credit Union

Raju Patel

Board Treasurer

Colorado President & Market Executive

Bank of America

Tiffany A. Todd

Assistant General Counsel, Employment

Paycor

Michael Tousignant

Retired Sector Vice President & Managing Director

CoBank

Douglas Wilhelm

Retired Executive Vice President

CoBank

Leadership Team

Learn more about each member of our leadership team by clicking on their photo.
Monica Buhlig

Chief Impact Officer
email

Heather MacKendrick Costa

Chief Financial Officer
email

Aditi Desai

Chief Marketing Officer
email

Kelly Green

Chief Operating Officer
email

Steve Kullberg

Chief of Staff
email

Jennifer Lackey

Chief Development Officer
email

Erin Pulling

President & CEO
email

John Freer

Interim Chief People Officer
email

Western Slope Leadership

Sue Ellen Rodwick

Western Slope Director
email

Food Bank of Wyoming

Danica Sveda

Interim Executive Director
Food Bank of Wyoming
email

We strive for the utmost transparency, and we’re proud to provide our financial reports for public review.

Christina Bowen's headshot

Christina Bowen

Board Chair
Senior Director of External Affairs
West Division at Comcast
Christina is a corporate social responsibility strategist leveraging 25 years of strategic planning, public relations, and CSR program execution to help organizations enhance their brands while addressing the world’s socioeconomic challenges. Christina is responsible for the strategy development, execution, and measurement of Comcast’s core digital equity initiatives. A true Coloradan, Christina enjoys hiking and kayaking with her husband of 36 years and their two adult daughters.
Errol advises industries like sports, media, entertainment, and technology, focusing on corporate transactions and governance matters. Prior to joining the firm, Errol was VP of Corporate Strategy for Aon Cyber Solutions and in-house counsel to a global private equity firm, a national cooperative bank, and a Big Four firm. Errol served for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado and gave business development aid to Code.org, helping access computers in schools, women, and youth globally.

Sean Choi

Board Secretary
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion FirstBank
Sean is a Colorado Native and Korean American. As a first-generation college student, he graduated with a B.A. in Political Science at CU Boulder and an M.B.A. in Finance from CU Denver. After interning at FirstBank in 2011, Sean progressed to Senior Vice President of Human Resources the Director of DEI. He was a former Board Chair for Scholars Unlimited, former Board Chair for the Asian Chamber of Commerce.
Reid Galbraith's headshot

Reid M. Galbraith

Partner
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
A Real Estate Shareholder at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, Reid represents real estate and hospitality companies in their most complex and high stakes transactions, specializing in acquisition, disposition, finance, management, franchising, and development matters. Prior to joining Brownstein, Reid worked with a Denver-based public affairs and advocacy firm, representing clients in legislative and public relations strategy development.
Marylou Houston's headshot

Marylou Houston

Vice Chair

Vice President, Banker
J.P. Morgan Private Bank
As a J.P.Morgan Private Banker, Marylou partners with families to craft personal, business, and philanthropic legacies. She devotes a significant part of her practice to helping nonprofit organizations grow and thrive. Previously, she was a tax and charitable planning attorney and a Vice President with Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation. A graduate of University of Virginia School of Law and Tufts University, Marylou is the proud mom of two teens and Hugo the dog.
Neelima Joshi headshot

Neelima Joshi

Community Representative
Neelima is an entrepreneur, community leader, curator, connector, and philanthropist with wide-ranging capabilities in corporate finance, business development, capital raising, and talent management. Currently, she runs her family office and focuses on family office investments. Her professional experience includes corporate financial advisory work, investment banking, and corporate finance focused on mergers and acquisitions and raising capital (both private and public).

Jesse Ogas

Executive Director of Social Responsibility and Community Affairs
9News
Prior to joining the non-profit sector in 2006, Jesse worked in the retail industry for 17 years before joining Firefly Autism for 9 years. He is a member of the Latino Theater company, Su Teatro, and a community advocate, serving on boards for Tepeyac Community Health, Firefly Autism, Newsed, and 365 Health. He received the Eric J. Duran Community Service Award and the 2021 9NEWS Leader of the Year. Today Ogas leads the DEI efforts with 9News and builds alliances in the communities 9News serves.
Jack Pargeon's headshot

Jack Pargeon

SVP of Finance
Bellco Credit Union
Jack spent 18 years with JPMorgan in various financial management roles before six years at Huntington Insurance as CFO of the Retail Banking division, and as Assistant Director of Investor Relations before becoming VP and CFO. Jack is responsible for Bellco’s Accounting, Finance, and Treasury functions and is Secretary of the Bellco Foundation.
raju patel's headshot

Raju Patel

Board Treasurer
Colorado President & Market Executive
Bank of America
Raju earned a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois and a Master’s in Business Administration from DePaul University. He joined Bank of America in 1985 and has held roles many roles. As Colorado President, he leads the effort to direct the bank’s resources to build stronger local communities that foster economic mobility. He serves as Chair of the Management Board of the Downtown Denver Partnership. Raju and his wife have three adult children and live in lower downtown Denver.
Tiffany Todd's headshot

Tiffany A. Todd

Assistant General Counsel, Employment
Paycor
Tiffany is Assistant General Counsel for Paycor, Inc., a human capital management software provider headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tiffany first began working with Food Bank of the Rockies as an associate at the Denver-based law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, where she had the opportunity to provide pro bono employment law advice to the organization. Working with Food Bank of the Rockies in this capacity allowed Tiffany to connect one-on-one with some of the organization’s business leaders and enables her to approach her Board responsibilities with an appreciation for how decisions impact the organization’s employees. Tiffany lives primarily in Crested Butte with periodic visits to Denver.

Michael Tousignant

Retired Sector Vice President & Managing Director
CoBank
Michael has more than 25 years of experience in banking and investment banking and is sector VP and managing director in CoBank’s Corporate Agribusiness Banking Group. He joined Bank of America’s predecessor bank, NCNB, in 1990 as an analyst and the bank’s forest products group before becoming SVP and managing director at Bank of America in North Carolina. His bachelor’s degree in textile management is from North Carolina State University, and his MBA from the University of North Carolina.

Douglas Wilhelm

Retired Executive Vice President
CoBank
Doug retired as a CoBank executive in 2012. He has also served on several non-profit and corporate boards. He joined the Food Bank of the Rockies board in 2007 and served two terms as board chair and as chair of the CEO search committee and Strategic Planning Committee. Doug was born and raised on a farm in Texas and holds an accounting degree from Texas A&M University. He and his wife have lived in Littleton for 35 years where they raised their three grown daughters.
Monica Buhlig, MPH Monica has spent 20+ years creating communities where people face no barriers to health and thriving, working in sectors including healthcare, public health, local government, and philanthropy and forged partnerships to advance social determinants of health, including leading the integration of Colorado’s first food security screening in a health system. She holds an MPH from San Diego State University and is a Bighorn and RIHEL Fellow, has two children and enjoys the outdoors, gardening, and exploring communities.

Heather MacKendrick Costa

Chief Financial Officer
Heather joined Food Bank of the Rockies in 2013 and was appointed Chief Financial Officer in January 2020. As CFO, Heather is responsible for financial accountability, including budgeting, investing, forecasting, cash management, bank relationships, and technology. Prior to Food Bank of the Rockies, Heather worked primarily in forensic accounting and internal accounting. She has a B.A. in accounting, is a CPA, and serves on the Financial Leaders Steering Committee of Feeding America.

Aditi Desail

Chief Marketing Officer

Aditi is the Chief Marketing Officer at Food Bank of the Rockies. Previously, she spent over a decade in the environmental nonprofit space in Washington, D.C., with a focus on conservation storytelling. Honors include a William J. Clinton Fellowship for Service in India and the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Leadership Year Fellowship. Aditi holds an MFA in filmmaking and a B.A. in Psychology. When not working, she enjoys hiking, birdwatching, snowshoeing, and riding her motorcycle.

Kelly Green

Chief Operating Officer
Kelly joined Food Bank of the Rockies in June 2020 and currently serves as Vice President of Operations. Kelly holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and has been in operations leadership roles for over 30 years. Serving in food distribution companies such as Frito-Lay, Target, and Shamrock Foods, Kelly enjoys leveraging business analytics, processes, and people development to create positive outcomes. He and his wife live in Brighton, Colorado, and have three grown children.

Steve joined Food Bank of the Rockies in January 2020, leading the COVID-19 response and FRESH Initiative. Previously, he served for four years as COO of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and is a respected leader throughout the Feeding America Network. Prior to food banking he worked in control engineering and supply chain management, with leadership roles at Unilever, Florida’s Natural Growers, and Zep. Steve holds a BSEE and an MBA. He and his wife Annie live in Denver and have two grown children.

Jennifer Lackey

Chief Development Officer
Jennifer joined Food Bank of the Rockies in January 2020, bringing with her over 25 years of development experience including leadership positions at Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation, Dumb Friends League, and Project Angel Heart. Jennifer has a passion for connecting donors and volunteers with the issues they care about to impact change. Jennifer has a B.F.A. and holds a Master of Public Administration. She is a Denver native and lives by City Park with her husband, daughter, and two dogs.
Erin has served as President and CEO of Food Bank of the Rockies since January 2019. Previously, she spent 24 years at Project Angel Heart, including 14 years as CEO. Awards include “Most Admired CEO” and “Forty Under 40” by the Denver Business Journal, and “2022 Food Bank CEO of the Year” by Food Bank News. Erin is a Livingston Fellow, Leadership Denver graduate, and holds a Master of Nonprofit Management and BS in Psychology. She and her husband have three children, all adopted domestically.

John Freer

Interim Chief People Officer
John Freer is a leadership consultant, facilitator, executive coach, and studier of organizational and personal excellence. His focus is helping individuals, teams, and organizations develop and discover leadership effectiveness across numerous industries. He enjoys providing meaningful experiences and tailoring concepts to fit organizational needs. Aurora is home base for his business and family- 2 kids and a wife of 20 years. He has a BS in Communications and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership.

Sue Ellen Rodwick

Western Slope Director
Sue Ellen Rodwick joined Food Bank of the Rockies in December 2018 as the Western Slope Director following a five-year tenure at Goodwill Colorado. A Colorado native who grew up in the Colorado Springs area, Sue Ellen has heartfelt compassion for Food Bank of the Rockies’ mission. When she transitioned to being a single parent shortly after moving to the Western Slope, Sue Ellen received meaningful help from various nonprofit organizations. Now, she is grateful to be in a position to give back and help other families thrive. In addition to her role with Food Bank of the Rockies, Sue Ellen serves on the Executive Council of AARP as the sole Western Slope representative.

Melissa Osse

Vice President of Government Relations
HealthONE
Melissa graduated with a BA in Communications and Political Science from Colorado State University and began her career as Press Secretary for Senator Craig Thomas. She worked for several agencies in both the Ritter and Hickenlooper Administrations. She also consulted and managed a wide healthcare, technology, and transportation portfolio with Axiom Politics. She handles all strategic corporate and government relations for HealthOne’s Continental Division. Melissa lives in Parker with her two sons.

Nick Morris

Vice President
Western Paper Distributors, a division of Imperial Dade
Nick expanded his family’s distribution company to Colorado while attending the University of Colorado in 1988, growing the company to a leading regional supplier of cleaning supplies and equipment, food service packaging products and recently sold to Imperial Dade. He’s currently the on the Board of Directors of ISSA Charities, Ace Scholarships, and The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. Nick and Penny married over 26 years ago and have two daughters.

Nick Benham

Immediate Past Chair
Corporate Controller
Ardent Mills
Nick serves on the Ardent Mills Finance Leadership team, responsible for various strategic corporate-level areas, including accounting and financial reporting, tax, capital investment, financial planning, and analysis. Nick graduated from the University of Saint Thomas in Saint Paul, MN, and began his career at Ernst & Young as an experienced Assurance Manager and then joined Cargill’s Corporate Financial Reporting group. He and wife, Niki, have six children and lead an active family life, often outdoors, exploring the world.

Jill Stillwagon

Wyoming Executive Director
Lorena joined Food Bank of the Rockies in May 2019, bringing with her 15 years of experience in human resources. Her areas of expertise include learning and development, employee relations, recruitment and retention, benefits administration, and legal compliance. As a native Spanish speaker, Lorena especially enjoys creating a people-centric environment where diversity is welcomed and integrated as part of a thriving workplace. Lorena has a B.S. in Hotel Management and an MBA.

Cindy Mitchell,

Vice President of Programs
Cindy joined Food Bank of the Rockies in 2003 after working in the grocery retail industry. During her time with Food Bank of the Rockies, Cindy has supported and executed hunger-relief program growth from traditional models to include innovative programs addressing meal gaps, underserved populations, cultural responsiveness, and health equity. As Vice President of Programs, Cindy is responsible for the project, administration, and financial management of 12 hunger-relief programs.
Dr. Melinda Day joined Food Bank of the Rockies in late 2022, bringing with her 20 years of experience in organizational development and nonprofit leadership. She’s been an entrepreneur in higher education and educational technology, focused on diverse workforce development strategies, and led organizations in transforming employer-based training into apprenticeship-based degrees. She founded and led Métier Education, providing training to organizations making broad systems changes.