Each Board member works to strengthen and support Volunteer Connection programs. Board members come from a variety of professional and service backgrounds.
Jennie Arbogash - Vice-President
Jennie Arbogash holds a Masters degree in Nonprofit
Management and brings 12 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, management,
fundraising, marketing, and volunteer development. She is currently the executive
director of Social Venture Partners Boulder County and is former president
of the Volunteer Connection Board of Directors. Jennie teaches volunteer management
and provides volunteer program consultation along the Front Range. She lives
with her husband, Tim, in Longmont, and is involved in community volunteer
efforts throughout Boulder County.
Shavonne Blades
Shavonne Blades has been publisher/founder of Yellow
Scene Magazine since inception in late 2000. Shavonne has worked in media
since 1984 starting in Santa Cruz California. Shavonne has held many volunteer
positions within the community and with local schools as well as helping coordinate
small non-profit fundraisers. Shavonne lives in Erie, where the home office
of Yellow Scene Magazine is located and is enjoying the new opportunities
of living within bicycle distance to work. Yellow Scene Magazine serves the
14 communities of the North Metro market and publishes 69,000 copies monthly.
Niles Emerick - Secretary
Niles moved from Indiana to Boulder along with 12 others to begin a faith
community. He brings business acumen and team-building experience to the Board.
He is the Store Manager of a local Starbucks, as well as the Founder of real
estate consulting firm Emerick & Associates. His personal desire and passion
for volunteerism have taken him to Uganda, East Africa on two occasions, and
led him to work closely with Volunteer Connection. He continues to serve meals
at the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless and organizes other volunteer efforts
within his faith community. Niles has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics
from Hillsdale College.
Sue Ericson - President
Sue Ericson has been the Volunteer Coordinator for
Community Food Share for about 13.5 years. She has also been a Camp Director
for a total of about 19 years for both a Girl Scout Council in Iowa and a
group of Presbyterian Churches in Colorado. In the past, Sue has worked as
a 3rd grade teacher for two years in Kansas City, Kansas. Sue currently lives
in Thornton with her partner and they have two sons, ages 18 and 22. She also
enjoys camping and pulling weeds.
Christian Militeau - Immediate Past-President
Christian Militeau has more than 15 years of professional
experience in the telecommunications industry with hardware, software and
services companies. He currently works for Intrado, a division of West Corporation,
based in Longmont where he is in charge of developing global emergency services
communications standards for the public safety industry. He has a B.S. Electrical
Engineering from the University of Provence in France, a M.S. Telecommunications
and a M.B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Mr. Militeau has
been on the Board of Directors of the Volunteer Connection since 2004.
Chris Nelson - Treasurer
Chris Nelson is the Director of Finance for Webroot
Software Inc. Chris has 10 years of finance and accounting experience in Boulder
county software companies. Chris has a MBA from Regis University, a BS in
Business Administration from Colorado State University, and is a graduate
of the University of Denver Executive Leadership Program. Chris lives with
his wife, Kelly, in Boulder, and together they enjoy cooking, traveling, reading,
and working on their home.
Eli Vega
Eli Vega holds a MS in Human Resources Management from
the University of Utah and has over 26 years of experience working in Human
Resources. He currently works for the Center for Work Education and Employment
in Denver. After serving on the Volunteer Connection Board of Directors from
2003-2005 he rejoined in 2008. Eli lives in Broomfield and enjoys hiking and
photography. English is his second language.
Lisa Vander Vliet
Lisa Vander Vliet is the Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer at the First National Bank of Colorado. She began
her banking career over twenty-five years ago in Sarasota, Florida. She is
an active member of the bank’s Executive Leadership Group and a graduate
of Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado and Leadership
Boulder. Lisa served on the board of the YWCA of Boulder County and held the
positions of Board President, Vice President, and Treasurer. She and her husband
have lived in Louisville since 1999. Lisa enjoys hiking, traveling, cooking
and being involved.
Rachel Weinberg
Rachel, born and raised in the Cincinnati, Ohio area,
has been in Colorado since 2001. After receiving a BA in Marketing from Ohio
University she moved to Boulder. Rachel was Director of Events & Strategic
Alliances for a training company for the past five years until she left in
January of 2006 to launch a career in real estate. Rachel is a Realtor with
Stellar Properties, a local company serving the residential and investment
market in Boulder and Broomfield counties. In addition to working and volunteering,
Rachel enjoys hiking, biking, swimming, backpacking, skiing and live music!
