College Summit :: Regional Team & Board

Regional Team & Board

Ken Weil, Executive Director, College Summit Colorado - A graduate of Miami University (B.Ph, Interdisciplinary Studies) and George Washington University (M.P.A.), Ken joins College Summit after serving as the CEO of newly-elected Denver Mayor Hancock’s transition organization including the effort to develop the new Denver Education Compact. Previously, Ken served as the Deputy Chief Of Staff and Director, Office of Policy and Initiatives for former Governor Ritter. In that position he helped shape and lead the former Governor’s policy agenda including education, health care, transportation and economic development. Prior to his life in the public arena, Ken served for more than a decade as President of Rose Biomedical Research, Rose Biomedical Development Corporation & MedDetect, LLC. The companies developed new medical technologies to improve the quality of medical care. As Executive Director, Ken focuses on engaging with new school district partners, developing strategies to bring College Summit to more communities in Metro Denver and throughout Colorado, establishing additional funding opportunities and creating community partnerships.

Jesse Ramirez, Program Manager, College Summit Colorado - A graduate of Colorado State University (B.A. in Political Science and Chicano Studies; M. Ed in Educational Leadership), Jesse has been an integral part of the College Summit team for five years. As program manager, he works tirelessly to support the successful implementation of College Summit’s tools in nine high schools around the greater Denver Metro area. Much of Jesse’s work and research is concentrated on issues pertaining to the Latino community including the issue of Compressive Immigration Reform. As a first generation Mexican-American and a native of Denver, Jesse is driven by a great passion to ensure that all students have the access to opportunities to better their futures, just as he has had in his own life. “Si Se Puede, Yes We Can!”

Andrew LaCrue, Community Engagement Coordinator, College Summit Colorado - A graduate of Metro State University of Denver (B.A. in Human Services), Andrew is a seasoned College Summit volunteer . Most recently, he served as Workshop Director and in prior years, he has been a Writing Coach and Organizer. Andrew brings a wealth of experience, passion and expertise to College Summit. As a first generation college graduate, the mission of College Summit naturally aligns with his life. Andrew comes to College Summit from the Adams 12 Five Stars Schools District where he was an Interventions Services Case Manager. Andrew strives to shift the paradigm – encouraging students to think about themselves, their futures and to see themselves as college students. He uses his own story as his teaching tool. In high school, Andrew lost a close friend to violence. To honor his friend’s life, he started a scholarship fund, The BETAS Foundation. It awards three annual scholarships to students from Adams City High School. In addition to his professional experience and his strong community relationships, Andrew is also the proud father of two young men, Andres, 7, and Marcos, 5.

Jen Giorgio, Development Manager, College Summit Colorado – A graduate of Arizona State University (B.A. in Psychology and Family Studies) and University of Denver (M.P.P.), Jen brings extensive experience in the non-profit sector. Jen comes to College Summit from Children’s Future International, an international non-profit where she served as Director of U.S. Operations. As the first and sole U.S.-based employee, she led the organization in establishing organizational systems, development efforts and effective marketing strategies. Previously, she lived in New York where she worked as Program Director and later, Marketing and Development Director for a comprehensive youth development non-profit. Jen brings a passion for and history of empowering low-income communities with tools that enable them to lift themselves out of poverty. She is thrilled to bring these skills and passions to advancing College Summit's mission. Her parents have been her educational inspiration: as a young girl in elementary school, she was motivated by watching her mother go back to school to earn her bachelor’s degree. Later in life, she and her father completed their master’s degrees within 6 months of each other.