Su Hawk
President, CSIA
Su Hawk has been the President of CSIA since May of 2003, and is proud that CSIA has grown to the leading industry association for technology across the state. During her tenure at CSIA, the IT industry has grown to more than 5,500 software, hardware, storage and IT companies, who represent a more than $4.5 Billion industry. In addition to representing the leadership of this successful industry, CSIA's community now includes more than 750 companies, and is proud to now have more than 100 active professionals who volunteer their time, resources and leadership for CSIA and the industry.
Su has been involved in the Denver technology and business community for more than 25 years. Prior positions include six years as Vice President at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, eight years in different management positions at Public Service Company of Colorado (Xcel Energy), Senior Vice President at the Southeast Business Partnership, Senior Vice President of Clarus Public Relations (a firm dedicated to technology company clients), Publisher of Front Range TechBiz (a technology newspaper owned by the same corporation as the Denver Business Journal), Director of Marketing and Technology Initiatives at the Denver Business Journal and a other positions at different Denver advertising and public relations agencies.
She currently is on the Executive Committee of Governor Ritter's Innovation Council, and serves as co-chair for IT entrepreneurism with Juan Rodriguez, former co-founder of StorageTek and Exabyte. She served on the Transition Committees for Governor Ritter's Office of Economic Development/International Trade Office; and for the Office of Innovation and Technology. In the community, Su is on the Board of Directors for Colorado MESA; on the Industry/Academia committee for the WIRED initiatives to increase STEM; and is a past board member of the Colorado Enterprise Fund, Colorado Technology Community Foundation, YWCA and Girls Count. A former Chair of the Board of Directors for Family Tree, Inc., and the Colorado Chapter of PRSA, Su Hawk has been involved in Family Tree or its related efforts since 1982. She also was the 1992 President of the Colorado Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and has been awarded various volunteer and leadership awards for her dedication in the community and professional industries.
Su holds a Bachelor of Arts in Technical Journalism/Public Relations degree from Colorado State University and was a practitioner instructor for the Master's Program at the University of Denver's University College from 1985 to 1995.
Bob Ogdon
CEO, SwiftPage
2008 Chair, CSIA Board of Directors
Co-Founder, CSIA DEMOGala; 2005/2006 Co-Chair
Bob Ogdon is an executive technologies and business professional with more than 27 years of experience in the multimedia market. His background includes expertise in multimedia, telecommunications and computer-based high technology companies.
Bob Ogdon founded and served as CEO of four companies, the latest being SwiftPage Email, an email marketing company that has helped hundreds of for-profit and non-profit organizations create, send and track the performance of email campaigns. Most recently, SwiftPage Email became the first server-based email management system to be fully integrated into ACT!, the leading contact management system in the world. Prior to SwiftPage Email, Ogdon founded MSHOW.com, a leading web interactive broadcasting company. Prior to MSHOW.com, Ogdon founded Mammoth Micro Productions, a pioneer in CD-ROM multimedia tools, technology and publishing, and Action Graphics, a game design and software development company.
Kirby Slunaker
President/Founder, Palmaris
2008 Chair-Elect, CSIA Board of Directors
Kirby Slunaker is President / CEO of Palmaris, a management and IT consulting firm with a broad range of technology skills and deep experience in helping companies optimize performance and realize maximum business value.
Kirby has over 30 years of experience in the information technology industry in Denver. Prior to Palmaris, he led information technology organizations for small, entrepreneurial, venture-backed, start-up companies such as Plus System, ProCard, and eBags as well as for large Fortune 500 companies such as Visa USA and MDC Holdings.
While Chief Information Officer for Visa USA’s debit processing subsidiary, Kirby led an IT organization that handled over 2 billion transactions a year valued at over $45 billion. In addition, as CIO for Plus System, Inc. he was an integral part of the initial senior management team that founded the first national and international automated teller machine network and grew it into a worldwide service offering eventually doing business in 109 foreign countries.
Kirby has served on the Executive IT Panel for the Metro Denver Economic Development Center’s WIRED development project, as well as the Board of Advisors for the Information Technology and Electronic Commerce (ITEC) department for the University of Denver. Kirby holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in business and is a graduate of the Executive MBA program at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver.
John Oechsle
CIO/SVP, IHS Group
Immediate Past Chair, CSIA Board of Directors
Co-Founder, CSIA DEMOgala
John Oechsle joined IHS Group in July 2003 as Senior Vice President, CIO. He is responsible for both IHS Group worldwide IT services and systems, including Product Development & Technology, Internal Systems, and IHS Hosting Services. He brings to IHS Group experience in worldwide IT infrastructure standardization and business e-connectivity as well as expertise in strategic IT enabled business planning, large program/project management and technology business solutions.
Prior to IHS Group, John worked as CIO, Vice President Information Management Worldwide, for Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, a $1.5 billion Johnson & Johnson company, where he was responsible for all technology and e-business on a worldwide basis. Prior to Ortho, John established the Latin American business unit of Networking & Computing Services (NCS) for Johnson & Johnson and also served as the unit's Executive Director. John has also held executive positions as Senior Vice President, CTO for Land America Financial Group and Director and Global Information Management for Kellogg Company. John holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Rutgers University in Camden, NJ and is a graduate of the Tuck Executive Program at Dartmouth College's Amos Tuck School of Business in Hanover, NH.
Betty Arkell
Partner, Holland & Hart
Betty Carter Arkell is a partner at Holland & Hart and has over 25 years of experience as a corporate and securities attorney. Her clients include venture capital and other private equity funds as well as established and emerging growth companies. Betty Arkell specializes in venture capital investments, mergers, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, acquisition finance, corporate restructuring of publicly held and privately held companies and general corporate counseling.
Betty's prior employment experience includes ten years in the Venture Capital/Leveraged Buyout Group of Kirkland & Ellis, where she was a partner. Betty was also counsel to the Venture Capital Association of Colorado at the time of its formation. Betty has also served as Chair for the Leadership Council at the Center for Entrepreneurship - University of Colorado at Denver; Past President of the Colorado Bar Association - Business Law Section; Past President of the Colorado Association of Corporate Counsel; Board of Trustees for Graland Country Day School; Board of Directors for OpenWorld Learning and member of the American, Colorado and Denver Bar Association.
Barbara Bauer
President, GlobalSight Partners
Barbara Bauer is an experienced technology executive who has successfully led small start-up companies and large corporate technology organizations with globally distributed engineering teams. She is currently President of GlobalSight Partners, a consulting organization supporting mid-tier multi-national companies. Prior to this new initiative, she held executive positions at Sun Microsystems, StorageTek, US West, Raynet and Bell Laboratories.
Barbara Bauer supports Curriki, a non-profit organization dedicated to the support and distribution of Open Source Curriculum, working with IT firms, government ministers, teachers and administrators to encourage the development and use of free, high quality curriculum resources for students in developing countries. Barbara is on the Board of Directors, the Public Policy Committee and the Education Committee for CSIA and a member of the Executive IT Panel for the Denver Metro Economic Development work force development project. Her academic credentials include a BS and M. in Physics and the Stanford Executive Program.
Michael Bearup
Audit Partner, KPMG
Mike Bearup is a Partner in charge of KPMG's Boulder office and has more than twenty years of experience working with emerging growth companies providing audit and business advisory services to the technology, software, medical device, manufacturing, distribution and venture capital industries. Mike has significant experience with the business issues of emerging growth companies including initial public stock offerings, advising on reporting requirements for publicly-traded companies, mergers and acquisitions plus consulting work with international operations of high-technology and software companies. He also has experience advising venture capital funded companies in a high growth phase.
Michael Bearup is an honors graduate of Washington & Lee University with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting. He is a board member of the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants, member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Past Chairman of the Boulder Technology Incubator and Past Chairman and Board Member of Urban Peak.
Keith Berets
Partner, Cooley Godward Kronish LLP
Keith Berets is a partner in the Technology Transactions and the Trademark, Advertising & Copyright practice groups, and a member of the Cooley Godward Kronish Business Department. He joined the firm in 2000.
Mr. Berets focuses on technology and intellectual property transactions, including outsourcing, consulting, licensing, distribution, development and transfer agreements; information technology, electronic commerce, Web and Internet transactions and intellectual property counseling. His practice also includes trademark, internet, false advertising, unfair competition, trade secret and copyright litigation, counseling and prosecution, and advice on brand selection, advertising and promotions, and other proprietary rights.
He represents leading IT firms and Internet companies, software developers and distributors, Internet service providers, information systems, network systems, hardware and communications companies and other technology companies in connection with the commercialization of their technology products and services. He has also been involved in numerous legal actions to protect the trademarks, trade secrets and copyrights of his clients.
Prior to joining Cooley's Colorado office, Keith Berets was an associate at Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal in Chicago. He received a JD cum laude, in 1997 from the University of Wisconsin Law School where he was elected to Order of the Coif, was a teaching assistant for the Legal Research and Writing Program and the Senior Articles Editor of the Law Review . He also worked as an extern for Judge Barbara Crabb in the United States District Court in the Western District of Wisconsin. He received a BA degree in Psychology from Pomona College in 1990.
Scott Burt
President/Co-Founder, Integro, Inc.
Scott Burt is President and Co-Founder of Integro, Inc., a leading technology consulting company headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The company is IBM's #1 partner for Enterprise Content Management including Records Management and Email Management.
Scott has led Integro since its founding in 1995. The company has been recognized with many awards including recognition on Inc Magazine's Inc500 list of the fastest growing privately held companies in the US. Integro is again growing rapidly after posting 101% growth in 2005 and is poised to grow at a similar rate in 2006. Additionally, Scott is an owner of Vacation Solutions. This start-up company is enjoying astounding success helping clients take better, resort vacations very affordably.
Mr. Burt is passionate about philanthropy and community support. Scott serves as a National Trustee for The Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) in Maryland. He serves on the Board of Directors and also the Public Policy and Economic Development Committee for CSIA; and is the Chairperson for the Colorado chapter of The FFB. He also hosts one of the largest charity golf tournaments in Colorado, the Microsoft Swing for Sight Golf Tournament. As of 2005, this tournament has raised over $350,000 towards medical research to find cures and treatments for blindness. Additionally, Integro is a strong leader in community helping a variety of local and national charities.
Vane Clayton
CEO, KPA
Vane Clayton is CEO of a privately-owned professional services company providing environmental, health and safety compliance services to new auto and truck dealers. Previously, he was president of ZOLL Data Systems. Prior to ZOLL Data Systems, he was President of TROY Wireless, a division of TROY Group, a Bluetooth and WIFI hardware/software company. Before TROY Wireless, Mr. Clayton was COO and later CEO of SOS Wireless Communications from 1993-1999 and also held sales management positions with Raychem Corporation, a material science company, from 1988-1993. Mr. Clayton holds a BS Engineering degree from Purdue University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Mike Forbus
Partner, Unleaded
While Mike is a highly valued contributor to Unleaded's creative process, his years of experience in account management and marketing strategy development, both on the client and agency side, have afforded him the unique ability to understand, process and solve complex marketing problems for Unleaded's clients.
He began his career at Young & Rubicam where he developed and implemented marketing plans for national and international clients including Ford, Monsanto and Upjohn Pharmaceutical's international division. Later in his career, Mike Forbus worked primarily on consumer-packaged goods and helped grow 7 consumer brands under Chiquita Brands International and two product lines for Monsanto's Lawn & Garden Division, including RoundUp.
Mike moved to Colorado in the mid 90's to land his dream job, becoming the Marketing Director for Copper Mountain Ski Resort. In his first year alone he inspired daring thinking from his marketing team and was able to reverse years of declining revenue and skier visits into a record-breaking season. He spent the six years prior to Unleaded working with venture-backed technology companies through his business development roles with Brobeck and Cooley.
David Fortune
Senior Director, Strategy & Planning, Hewlett-Packard
David leads a strategy and planning team in HP’s software business unit. He is responsible for route-to-market and acquisition integration strategies and plans, business planning, partner programs, and the transformational processes required to scale the alliances, channels and inside sales organization as HP Software grows.
Previously, Fortune was VP of Mercury Business Services, where he led the organization that established a new business service center for Mercury Interactive in the Denver area. This organization included technical sales, technical support and back office operations. Fortune has held a variety of positions with Mercury Interactive including the integration of Freshwater Software, a Boulder-based company acquired by Mercury. He also managed operations for the application management business division, led IT application development and quality assurance and established and drove internal transformation initiatives for Mercury.
Prior to Mercury, Fortune was President and CEO of Degrees of Freedom, a Denver-based Web Services company. David was previously part of the management team at not-for-profit CollegeInvest that successfully designed and launched Section 529 college savings programs for the State of Colorado. Fortune has an MBA from the University of Denver and degrees from Seattle Pacific University and Yale University.
Steve Foster
President and COO, Business Controls, Inc.
Steve Foster's 25 years of unique and diversified experience combines enterprise risk management expertise, expert knowledge in security and technology and top level consulting & training in employee misconduct matters. Steve Foster is President and Chief Operating Officer for Business Controls, Inc. He frequently lectures across the country on the topics related to risk management, ethics and corporate compliance, conducting ethical workplace investigations, fraud, workplace violence and the convergence of technology and security.
Steve Foster is board certified in Security Management and in Case Management for Internal Investigations by ASIS International and is National Chair of the ASIS Business Practices Council and an ASIS National CPP Review Course Instructor. He is the former President of Colorado Drug-Free Workplace Alliance and the Colorado DARE Officers Association and a current member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals and ASIS International. He was also a founding board member of the Denver chapter of Ready to work STRIVE. Steve has received numerous certifications and completed many specialized training programs. Throughout his law enforcement career, Steve Foster received over 20 awards and medals for bravery and heroism.
Steve Foster has spoken throughout the United States on criminal behavior and violence prevention. He is a frequent guest on television and radio making regular public appearances. Steve Foster was a consultant for the ADT University for Alarm and Security Equipment professionals for three years. He has worked with many organizations in the development of corporate ethics and compliance programs, facility security manuals and emergency plans. Steve Foster holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College and graduated from the US Air Force Security Police Academy and the Colorado Police Academy.
Scott Johnson
Director of Engineering for Strategic Engagements, Unified Communications Group, Microsoft Corporation
A 15-year veteran of Microsoft Corp., he has led technical, sales and consulting teams in a variety of roles working with Microsoft’s customers, partners and product teams. Previously at McGhee Produtivity, Scott was focused on helping our customers derive maximum benefits from their investments in the Microsoft productivity platform through high performance coaching and education.
Darin Kreimeyer
Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
Treasurer, CSIA Board of Directors
Darin is a Partner with Ernst & Young’s Risk Advisory Services practice in Denver, CO. He has over 15 years of IT advisory, security, auditing, and risk management experience within a wide range of industries.
He currently serves as the Risk Advisory Services Office Leader where he is directly responsible for leading a team of 35 professionals and providing IT and business advisory services for many of Denver’s Fortune 1000 companies. Darin’s career with Ernst & Young has also included leadership roles within the firm’s Technology and Security Risk Services practice in Denver, Boulder, as well as Phoenix, AZ. Throughout his career with E&Y, he has also successfully developed the firm’s methodology for various IT advisory solution sets and was one of only 25 professionals selected to serve on the People Advisory Forum with the Chairman and CEO of Ernst & Young.
Prior to E&Y, Darin was a National Bank Examiner for the Department of Treasury in Sioux Falls, SD. He is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa where he received his bachelor’s degree in Finance. He is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM). He is also a member of the Information Systems Audit & Control Association (ISACA) and the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA).
John Leonard
Attorney, Fairfield and Woods
John Leonard is CSIA's Public Policy/Economic Development Committee Chair and is very involved with CSIA's lobbying efforts at the state capitol. He is the recipient of CSIA's Champion of the Year Apex Award in 2005 that recognizes him for his stewardship on behalf of the technology industry creating the first ever proactive plan to ensure success with CSIA's legislative initiatives.
John Leonard is an attorney with Fairfield and Woods, P.C. and concentrates his legal practice in commercial transactions. His emphasis is on assisting businesses engaged in all aspects of software development and electronic commerce. He has represented a number of technology companies in areas relating to intellectual property, entity formation and governance, mergers and acquisitions, internet operation and secured transactions.
Mr. Leonard has written articles and lectured on internet security and liability, HIPAA, UETA, and other state and federal privacy issues. He has also written articles on current copyright and trademark issues and the protection of intellectual property rights. Mr. Leonard is the past president of the San Joaquin Valley International Trade Association and has testified before legislative committees regarding electronic commerce issues.
John Leonard graduated with B.S. Finance and Juris Doctor degree at the University of Nebraska and Masters of International Management Studies from the American Graduate School of International Management.
Jon Nordmark
President/CEO, eBags
Jon Nordmark (President, CEO and Chairman) and four co-founders created eBags.com in 1998. In January 1999, angel investors and VC firms including Benchmark Capital, Mitsubishi Corporation, Dain Rauscher Wessels, and partners from Goldman Sachs placed significant investments into eBags helping eBags become world-class in the way they provide services to consumers. Since then, eBags has become profitable while selling over 2.2 million bags and consistently growing at over 50% year-after-year. Jon's ultimate responsibility at eBags is creating and maintaining an eBags culture that achieves world-class operating, sales, and financial results.
Prior to founding eBags, Jon spent 11 years at Samsonite, ultimately serving as Senior Marketing Director for North and South America overseeing 20 distribution channels, design direction, presentations, pricing, P&L's and forecasts for more than 1,500 products. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado's business school.
Nancy Phillips
Co-Founder/Director/COO, ViaWest
Nancy Phillips oversees ViaWest's operations, engineering and technical support divisions. Phillips is a recognized business and telecommunications leader with over 15 years of management experience in voice and data communications. Phillips and Roy Dimoff have been business partners for over 14 years, starting with Dimoff's first company, Teleconferencing Systems Canada.
Phillips has also been a principal and executive at numerous successful telecommunications companies and a consultant to international companies such as France Telecom, MCI and Qwest. Prior to ViaWest, Phillips was Vice President of Operations for RMI.net, where she played an integral role in managing the company's network and technical growth. Previously, she was Vice President of Operations for ITC Worldwide, now Genesys Conferencing, and Senior Vice President of Operations for ConferTech International's conferencing business, now owned by Global Crossing.
2002 was the second year in a row in which Phillips was recognized by the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, as a woman that has raised capital for an entrepreneurial venture. In 2004, Nancy Phillips was the winner of CSIA's Technology Business Woman of the Year Apex Award. Phillips was chosen because of her extraordinary leadership abilities and performance within ViaWest and the community. She was also recognized in 2004 by the Denver Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Denver Business Journal, winning the "Outstanding Women in Business Jean Yancey Award." Phillips holds an Honors Bachelor of Economics from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Annette Quintana
CEO, Istonish Holding Company
Annette Quintana is the CEO of Istonish Holding Company, a privately held, Colorado-based professional services company that provides outsourcing, information technology solutions and staffing. As the founder and primary owner of Istonish Holding Company, Annette is involved in managing and directing customer care outsourcing operations, via subsidiary Istonish, Inc. and information technology projects and staffing via subsidiary TeamExcel Technology Solutions.
Istonish Holding Company employs over 400 people in the United States and Canada, delivers IT services in over 10 states and operates call centers in Denver, Colorado, and Vancouver, British Columbia. Branch offices for supporting the sales and delivery of Information Technology Services are located in Denver, Colorado; Dallas, Texas and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Outsourcing services include Tier 1 and 2 technical support, customer service, inbound sales and customized interactive voice recognition solutions. Information Technology solutions include data warehousing, web portal development, software quality assurance and testing, and strategic planning and assessments of IT initiatives.
Annette’s current and previous involvement includes Director for the Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau; Young Presidents Organization; John Hickenlooper Mayoral Transition Team, Information Technology Committee; Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Board Member; Community First Bankshares Board Member; Appointed by Governor William Owens to the Board of Advisors for The State of Colorado Minority Business Office; Appointed by former Governor Roy Romer to the State of Colorado Assistance Commission; Board of Directors for the Denver Hispanic Chamber; and Board of Directors for the Latin American Education Foundation. In 2004, Annette Quintana was the winner of CSIA's Reinvention Apex Award. She has also been recognized by the Denver Chamber of Commerce winning the "Minority Business of the Year Award" and by Ernst & Young in 1998 as the Entrepreneur of the Year, Rocky Mountain Region.
Annette is a Colorado native who was raised in Colorado Springs. Her ethnic heritage is Native American and Hispanic. She attended Colorado State University and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Chemical Engineering. Annette is married and has two daughters ages 11 and 13.
Don McCubbrey
Director Emeritus, Daniels School of Business
Donald McCubbrey,Ph.D., is Clinical Professor and Chair of the Management Information Systems Department and Director of the Center for the Study of Electronic Commerce at the Daniels College of Business - University of Denver. Since joining the University of Denver faculty in September of 1984, he has concentrated his teaching in the areas of Strategic Information Systems, Electronic Commerce and Information Systems Management. He is a frequent speaker at both academic and business conferences and forums. He is also Co-Founder of both the Colorado Electronic Commerce Roundtable and Colorado Software and Internet Associations.
Bob Newman
Director Emeritus, Greenwood Gulch
Bob Newman is the Founding Chairman of the Colorado Software and Internet Association. Bob Newman is the owner of Greenwood Gulch Ventures. He also serves on many boards throughout the hi-tech industry including the University of Denver Business School Advisory Board and the Catalyst Management Advisory Board. Bob is also very involved in the Colorado Community donating time and money to the Colorado Symphony, Cancer League of Colorado and the Denver Center for Performing Arts. Bob has a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Golden Gate University, an MBA from UCLA, and a Bachelor of Science degree from USC-Berkeley.