2025-26 Board of Trustees
Rev. Annie Arnoldy
Rev. Annie Arnoldy began her M.Div program at Iliff School of Theology on September 11, 2001. In 2016, she was appointed as Pastor of Discipleship at St. Andrew UMC in Highlands Ranch, CO. This was a great match, as the pace of the church matched the high energy I hoped for in a congregation. In 2019, she was appointed to the Director of Connectional Ministry position in July by Bishop Karen Oliveto. My dual title includes Superintendent of Vitality, which oversees a team for the development of emerging faith communities and Fresh Expressions across the conference. Our work includes a Lilly Endowment grant for Compelling Preaching for engagement over a five-year period.
Barbara Boigegrain- Treasurer of the Board, Chair of the Business Affairs, Buildings & Grounds, and Investments Committee
For 27 years, Barbara served as CEO and General Secretary of Wespath, the general agency of the UMC providing pension benefits and investment services on behalf of the clergy, lay workers and UMC related entities. Barbara oversaw the vision and strategic direction for Wespath, including the development of the Health & Wellness focus, the expansion of pensions to the Central Conferences of the UMC and the growth of assets from $5 billion to over $29 billion during her tenure. Barbara also serves a director on the board of Old National Bank. She and her husband, Chris, have 3 adult children.
Susan Burnett Chair, Institutional Advancement Committee
Susan is a graduate of University of Nebraska, with a degree in Business Administration. Upon arriving in the metro Denver area, in 1993, she began a career in Church Business Administration at Park Hill United Methodist Church after working in the banking industry in Nebraska. She is married, and enjoys her children and grandchildren, traveling, and spending time with friends.
King Harris
A long-time Denver businessman, King Harris began his career in business and finance as a commercial banker for one of the largest banks in the Denver area. In 2004, King retired from his private companies to become the Pastor of Epworth United Methodist Church. Prior to 2004, he started and led several companies that specialized in retail, construction, and construction management with emphasis on large public sector projects. He helped to revitalize Curtis Park and City Park West and also became involved with affordable housing. At Central Park he is the president of the Park Creek Metro District, a political subdivision working on the redevelopment of the former Stapleton International Airport.
Lawrence Hitt
Lawrence Ray Hitt II is a lawyer practicing commercial real estate, business law, corporate partnerships and 3 other areas of law. Lawrence received a B.A. degree from the University of Iowa in 1972, and has been licensed for 50 years. Lawrence practices at Hitt and Associates in Englewood, CO. He joined the Iliff Board of Trustees in 2024.
Barbara J. Kelley, Trustee Affairs Committee Chair
Barbara worked at Colorado Container Corporation for 25 years, wearing many hats, including customer service, human resources and administrative. She has served as president of the Rollie R. Kelley Family Foundation since its inception in 1994. The Foundation, started by her father and former Iliff trustee, continues his mission to enhance business and cultural education along with community needs in the Rocky Mountain region.
Katherine Lawson
Katherine Lawson works at Rocky Mountain Public Media as the Vice President of Philanthropy. She supports RMPM’s mission to strengthen the civic fabric of Colorado through public media by leading a comprehensive fundraising, donor relations, planned giving and grants program. Prior to join RMPM, Katherine lead fundraising and marketing efforts at Family Tree, a Denver-based human services organization, focused on housing instability, domestic violence and child abuse. She is passionate about insuring people’s access to information, education, safety, and basic needs.
Meera Mani
Meera Mani is Senior Advisor at the The David & Lucile Packard Foundation. In her previous role, Meera was the Vice President of the Families and Communities. She joined the Foundation in February 2009 as program officer, and in 2010 assumed responsibility for leading the preschool, after-school and summer enrichment programs. Prior to joining the Foundation, Meera served as the president of The Clayton Foundation in Denver, Colorado. As a leader Meera is known for bringing together diverse perspectives and building consensus to co-create solutions for complex social challenges. Meera has a master’s degree in child development from M.S. University in India and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Administration from Boston University. She is an alum of the Ascend Fellows Program of the Aspen Institute and fellow of the Institute of Educational Leadership. She has served on many boards including The Children’s Institute of Oregon, Colorado Education Initiative, The Denver Hospice, and the Educare of Silicon Valley.
Dr. Casandra “Sandy” Mason
Dr. Cassandra (Sandy) Mason is an accomplished educator with over 35 years of experience, teaching in both Chicago and Denver public school systems. She has held numerous positions teaching K-12 students and mentoring and supporting teachers with professional development throughout her exemplary career as a teacher-leader. Dr. Mason’s mastery and passion in education is in the area of “culturally responsive education.” The Salute To Excellence, Edu. Center awarded Dr. Mason as the “Lifetime Educator of The Year (2020), exemplifying the highest standard of excellence in the field of education.
Meredith Wilson Parfet, Vice Chairperson
Meredith Wilson Parfet is the CEO and Founder of Ravenyard Group, a crisis management consultancy. Meredith is an accomplished VC and PE investor, seasoned entrepreneur and a passionate philanthropist. Meredith holds a BA from Northwestern, an MBA, from the Kellogg School of Management, and an MA, in Pastoral and Spiritual Care, from the Iliff School of Theology, and holds a certificate as an end-of-life doula from the University of Vermont Larner Medical School. She has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, Time Magazine, Mindful Magazine, Law360, and Lawline.
Douglas Price, Chair of the Retirement Plan Oversight Sub-Committee
Douglas Price is a proud Colorado native from Montrose. In 2009, Price became the Chief Executive Officer for Rocky Mountain PBS, winning three Emmys for projects that examined the plight of Native Americans, other disadvantaged populations. Since 2016, Price has called Citizens State Bank his professional home where he is Chairman and CEO of CSBO Holdings—the bank’s parent company. He has twice served on the Board of the Iliff School of Theology where its mission to shape the culture in positive ways is deeply meaningful to him.
Paula Redmond, Board Chairperson
Paula is a strategic global operations and financial officer skilled in managing complex business transactions and leading finance teams to deliver meaningful business results. Adept at influencing change in large corporate Fortune 500 settings or small entrepreneurial organizations, Paula’s background includes in-depth experience in financial planning, analysis and operations management. She is a founding member of the Making A Difference (MAD) Community organization and an active volunteer and fundraiser working with like minded Coloradans in the past 15 years, who together have provided approximately 3,000 volunteer hours and made a financial impact of more than $1,400,000 to nonprofit organizations. Paula and her husband Keith live in Las Vegas, Nevada and Denver, Colorado.
Mary Reyland
Dr. Mary Reyland is a tenured Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Prior to moving to Colorado in 1994, she completed her PhD in experimental pathology at the Medical College of Virginia and postdoctoral training at the University of Washington and Stony Brook University, New York. As a faculty member, she directs a research laboratory supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and has published over 80 scientific papers. Dr. Reyland has a longstanding commitment to training the next generation as evidenced by her many contributions to higher education at the university and national level.
Elzia Sekou, Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee
Rev. Elzia Sekou is the Sr. Minister at CSL Denver and professionally, Rev. Elzia serves as the Lead Application Engineer at LTCI Partners LLC/NFP, focusing on IT strategy, process improvements and system transformation. Elzia is also the owner of Transformations, LLC a Management & Training Consulting company. Rev. Elzia also currently serves on NFP’s DEIB Advisory Board NFP and is the Co-leader of The Black Professionals – Business Resource Group. He is a former college professor and the past chair of Cultural Diversity and Human Relations Commission for the city of Lakewood CO.
Cristina Sloan
Cristina currently serves at Director of Development at Denver Zoo. Previous roles include Chief Development Officer at Emily Griffith Foundation and Director of Development at the University of Colorado – Denver. Cristina moved to Denver from the East Coast in 2005, and has created a home here with her husband and two children. Prior to her service on the Iliff Board, Cristina served on the Board of Directors for Women with a Cause, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering single mothers. In addition, Cristina volunteered at Warren Village and was active on the PTA for Auraria Early Learning Center and Polaris Elementary School. Cristina’s commitment to Iliff is rooted in a deep respect for Iliff’s history, its commitment to rigorous academics and on ongoing emphasis on peace, justice and ethics.
Sally Sommers, Secretary
Sally Sommers is a board director, seasoned corporate counsel and advisor specializing in the most important corporate asset, People. Sally has advised on matters of global expansion and restructuring, risk management matters and M&A, and is currently a Global Employment Consultant. She is a Founding Board member and Program Committee Co-Chair of the Private Directors Association (PDA), Colorado Chapter. Sally also serves on the Trustee Affairs Committee and DEI Subcommittee, and has a Juris Doctorate from Saint Louis University School of Law and a BFA in English, from the University of Notre Dame. She is a member of the State Bars of Colorado and Missouri.
Ex-officio Members
Rev. Dr. Lee Butler
A trailblazer in bringing intercultural community building and racial justice to many of the educational institutions he has served, the Rev. Dr. Lee H. Butler Jr. is currently the President and CEO of the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, CO. He is an active publishing scholar, most recently serving as the co-editor of The Edward Wimberly Reader: A Black Pastoral Theology (Baylor University Press, 2020). Learn more.
Bishop Kristin Stoneking
Bishop of the Mountain Sky Conference and as a member of the College of Bishops of the Western Jurisdiction. Learn more.