Our Board

Judy Solano

Judy Solano is a retired public elementary school teacher of 27 years and a former Colorado State Representative who served as the Vice Chair of the House Education Committee and as an appointee to the Early Childhood Commission.  During her eight-year tenure at the state legislature, Judy spoke out against the harmful effects of high-stakes standardized testing on students, teachers, and schools. She fought for greater access to preschool and kindergarten, and opposed the use of public tax dollars to for-profit charter schools and private education management organizations.

Dr. Mike DeGuire

Mike spent most of his education career as a teacher, district level reading coordinator, elementary and middle school principal, and leadership consultant. He works also as a residential realtor in the Denver metro area. He served a total of 28 years as a public school principal in the Jefferson County, Boulder, Littleton, and Denver school districts. Mike was the president of the Denver Association of School Administrators, and he helped Denver principals organize the first principals’ union in Colorado. He worked as a school improvement coach with several nonprofit organizations and as an educator effectiveness specialist with the Colorado Department of Education. Mike served on the Colorado state review panel and spent seven years as a time-change coach and implementation specialist with the National SAM Innovation project. Mike writes periodically for various local news agencies, and he published several reports on corporate efforts to privatize the education system.  

Evie Hudak

Evie Hudak, a former Colorado State Senator, is a well-known advocate for children, public education, and women’s rights, with a long history of active involvement in her community.  She served in the State Senate from 2009-2013, during which time she served on several committees and commissions, including Senate Education Committee, where she was the Vice Chair and eventually the Chair.  Before serving in the Senate, she spent 8 years as an elected member of the Colorado State Board of Education.  Her background includes teaching at the secondary and college levels and coordinating programs in early childhood and voter outreach.  Evie is an active member of PTA, Business and Professional Women, and League of Women Voters, as well as a number of other civic organizations.

Sue Marinelli

Sue Marinelli was a public school reading specialist and classroom teacher for 31 years, teaching students from rural, urban, and suburban settings. She taught all different ages including students at a juvenile detention center. As a Jefferson County School Board member, Sue witnessed charter proposals that were corporate, religious, or ethnic based. Teachers were not required to have degrees and were paid far less. In 2010 Sue worked for the Lieutenant Governor championing Early Childhood Programs.

Ellen Angeles

Ellen Angeles is a dedicated public school teacher with a diverse professional background. She began her career in banking and commercial sales, spending over a decade in the corporate sector before transitioning to education, a field deeply rooted in her family’s legacy.
 
Ellen’s teaching journey started with adult basic education and English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville. After earning her Bachelor’s degree, she pursued her Teaching Certificate at Western State and began teaching elementary school in Olathe. Her commitment to professional growth led to a scholarship and a Master’s in ESOL from Colorado Mesa University. For nearly two decades, Ellen has been a teacher in the Montrose School District and has also contributed to the professional development of educators statewide through online teaching with CEA CoPilot.
 
Beyond the classroom, Ellen is an active community advocate. She is a member of the League of Women Voters and works with organizations such as the Hispanic Affairs Project, Western Colorado Alliance, and the Mexican American Development Association to champion the needs of students and their families. 

Manuel Solano

Manuel Solano is civil rights and consumer rights attorney in private practice.  He was the former regional director of MALDEF (Mexican-America Legal Defense and Education Fund), former President of the Hispanic Bar Association, and a former professor at Metropolitan State University.  Manuel has argued cases in front of Federal Court regarding segregation in the Denver Public School District. 

Sue Windels

Sue Windels is a retired public school teacher who began her career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Central America in an in-service training program for unlicensed teachers. Upon returning to the USA, she worked for the Indian and Migrant Education Center, providing individualized instruction to migrant children in local public schools.  She also served as a Colorado State Senator, chairing the Senate Education Committee for 4 years of her final term.  Sue then joined the staff of Congressman Jared Polis (now Governor of Colorado) as his Education Advocate.  Now retired, she remains involved as a strong supporter of our public schools