Our Board & Staff

The Golden Civic Foundation’s Board is comprised of Directors and Advisors who are deeply entrenched members of the Golden community. From Colorado School of Mines personnel to local business owners, the Board is a perfect mix of members brand new to the Golden Civic Foundation and those who have served for 20 to 30 years on the Foundation.

Additionally, the Staff is hand-selected by the Board of Directors again with characteristics of high community involvement, good integrity and an extensive love for Golden!

Board of Directors

Pat is a long-time ‘Goldenite’ committed to building a better Golden. He has served on the Foundation’s Board of Directors many times over the last 20 years in various roles, including as Treasurer and President, and currently serves as a Board Advisor and on the small business loan subcommittee. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Golden, serves on the Board of the Miners Alley Playhouse, and was co-founder of Golden Software, Inc. He has further served on many ad-hoc committees servicing the Golden community. Not only does he have extensive civic and business experience in Golden, he is also the artist behind the large fish and butterfly statues by Clear Creek, which are landmarks in town.

Scott serves as the Vice President of the Golden Civic Foundation. He has lived in Golden for over 20 years and actively supports the Golden community by sponsoring numerous youth sports, schools, and local events. He is the owner of the Scott Bristol State Farm Agency in Golden, serves on the Public Art Commission, and is the past President of the Golden Chamber Ambassadors. He serves to give back to the community that has been so good to him and his family through the years and for the future of Golden.

Sondra joined the Foundation as a Board Director in 2021. She has lived in Golden for 27 years. She was the first female President of the Golden Lions Club and remains an active member. She serves on the committee for the Golden Executive Director Roundtable, which brings together the non-profits of Golden. Sondra is the Broker/Owner of Laurel Property Services and specializes in Property Management.

John has been an active Golden resident for over 45 years and has served on the Foundation’s Board in various roles since 2006. He served as the Colorado School of Mines’ 15th President, and earlier as Vice President for Academic Affairs, Department Head of the Physics Department, and a Professor of Physics. John currently serves on the boards of the Red Rocks Community College Foundation, the Foundation for the Colorado Community College System and the International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology. In addition, he serves on committees for several local schools and Colorado non-profit organizations.

Melissa is a Colorado native. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications/News Broadcasting from the University of Florida and a Juris Doctorate in Law from the University of Denver. She is an Ambassador for the Golden Chamber of Commerce and a 2022 Leadership Golden Graduate. Melissa operates her private law practice that specializes in Estate Planning in downtown Golden. She is married with two kids, who all enjoy summers surfing in Costa Rica and winters skiing the Rockies.

“Brian Q” has served on the Foundation’s Board of Directors for the past eight years, including serving as the immediate past President from 2018-2020. He also is an active on the small business loan subcommittee. Brian has lived in Golden for over 10 years and is licensed real estate broker and co-founder of Golden Group Real Estate Advisors. He is also actively involved in the Golden Chamber of Commerce and volunteer with CASA of Jefferson & Gilpin Counties. He is best known in town for organizing an annual Golden Cornhole League in Lion’s Park as well as brewing and hosting “Q’s Tap Release” for a good cause with the owners at Barrels and Bottles.

Joy is a 53-year resident of Golden and a licensed real estate broker with RE/MAX Alliance in Golden. Joy has been an active Volunteer, Board Member, President and Advisor of the Golden Civic Foundation since its inception. Over the years, she has been involved in various civic activities including GURA, Parks and Recreation, and the Downtown Redevelopment Committee. Joy has served as past Chair of the Golden Chamber of Commerce’s Ambassadors, Director for the Golden Chamber of Commerce, past President of Leadership Golden, and as a Board Member for the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra. Joy’s civic commitment to our community hasn’t gone unnoticed and she and her husband, Jack, were awarded the 1990 Golden Chamber of Commerce’s Civic Award as well as the 2018 Golden Landmarks Association’s Living Landmark Award.

Sarah serves as the Foundation’s Treasurer and Secretary. She oversees and reports on the Foundation’s financial events, trends, concerns and assessment of fiscal health as well as serves on the Foundation’s small business loan subcommittee.
In addition to being a fifth generation Coloradan, she also grew up in Golden and her grandfather, Heinie Foss, was one of the Foundation’s founding members in 1970. She is passionate about the Foundation’s small business loan program since it helps Golden continue to be a local, independent community where the west lives and thrives. Giving entrepreneurs a hand up with a loan has brought many of our small businesses to our City.
Sarah is the Vice President and serves on the Board of Directors for the Mesa Meadows Land Company. She is also active in the Colorado School of Mines Alumni Association as well as is involved with the Golden History Museum, the Christian Action Guild and multiple civic initiatives.

Greg has been an active Golden-resident for 23 years, with children attending Golden schools K-12. Greg founded the Golden Schools Foundation, a local nonprofit that focuses on high level of performance and accountability at Golden’s neighborhood articulation schools, in 2010 and served as its Chair for five years, converting the Golden Gallop to a core downtown activity. He is the Co-Founder and CEO at ArcVera Renewables, a global renewable energy technical services firm based in Golden.

Sandra grew up in Colorado, obtained a B.A. from the University of Colorado at Denver, and later graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law. She is the City Attorney for the City of Golden. She has previously served as the Golden Civic Foundation’s President as well as served as a Commissioner of the Golden’s Public Art Commission. Sandra is passionate and deeply committed to the Golden community to make it a better place to live, work and play. She and her husband have lived in Golden since 2001. They love to camp, hike, wakeboard, and ski.

Joel is a Colorado native and loves the lifestyle that living in Golden offers. He is a proud father of three young kids, two of which are twins. Needless to say, he and his wife have a full schedule. Joel runs his own wealth advisory practice based in downtown Golden. Being a resource for families and small business owners is the focus of his business. He believes in the entrepreneurial spirit and that thriving small businesses are the foundation of a strong community. In his free time you can find Joel out running or enjoying time with his family in mountains.

Jordan Schultz
Jordan Schultz is lucky enough to call Golden her hometown and recently joined the Board in 2023. Jordan is the Chief Operating Officer and third generation family member of her family’s business The Bailey Company. The Bailey Company has also been located in Golden for the past 30 years. She received her B.A from the University of Colorado and a Master’s degree from the University of Denver. Growing up in the Golden area and living in Colorado for her whole life has made her passionate about seeing Golden thrive for future generations. Jordan is now raising the 4th generation of her family in Golden, with her husband and two young kids. She loves all things outdoors, community involvement and good meals with good conversations.

M.L. is a long-time ‘Goldenite’ and has served on the Foundation’s board since 2009. She also has played an instrumental role serving on various other boards over the years, including the Golden Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the West Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Jeffco Economic Development Corporation, and Chair of various committees serving Jefferson County. In addition, M.L. has served on various Mayor’s Advisory Committees throughout the metro area and in various states as well as Advisory Committees for various Counties in multiple states. She has been a practicing lawyer for many years with an in-depth knowledge of land use, land management and negotiations. She is currently the Director of Strategy and Sustainable Development at APC and Keller Farm Property.

Golden Civic Foundation Staff

Kim is proud to be taking on the role of Executive Director at the Golden Civic Foundation. Kim is a natural community connector and loves to build positive collaborations and relationships. She’s a familiar face around Golden, stopping to say hello to people she knows when she’s out and about town, and always excited to meet new people. She takes pride in having positive relationships with Golden’s nonprofits, business leaders, city staff, and members of the Golden community. She has worked hard and with genuine heart to give back to her community, and believes that everyone who lives or works in Golden has an important role to play in making the city such a special place. Kim brings over 25 years of diverse experience leading nonprofits and government agencies on complex fundraising, community engagement, and strategy projects. Prior to joining the Golden Civic Foundation, she owned her own nonprofit and government consulting firm for 15 years. Her firm provided consulting to dozens of nonprofit organizations and civic institutions, as well as several private companies. She voluntarily launched the Golden Nonprofit Leadership Roundtable (GNLR) in 2017, which is now a thriving networking and professional development group that resides within the Golden Civic Foundation. She also volunteered extensively at Shelton Elementary School, helping to establish their school and community garden and leading their School Accountability and Health and Wellness Committees. She served for two years as Shelton’s representative on the Golden Schools Foundation board. She has been a proud member of Golden Women in Business (GWiB), where she received the inaugural Eliza Boyd West Community Leadership Award in 2021, and her consulting firm was a member of the Golden Chamber of Commerce. Kim grew up in Golden’s foothills and attended Golden’s local public schools. She’s a graduate of CU Boulder (Go Buffs!) and she earned her master’s in public administration at CU Denver. She and her husband moved back to Golden in 2009 to raise their two children, after having lived in Denver and Ann Arbor, Michigan. They have been so thankful to call Golden home. When they’re not at work, you can find them out enjoying all of the wonderful things that Golden has to offer—often on a bike or in their hiking shoes, and with their two energetic Australian Shepherds in tow.

Violina, the Development Director at the Golden Civic Foundation, brings a unique blend of international perspective and local commitment to her role. Born and raised in Bulgaria (her family immigrated to the United States in 1999), Violina witnessed the transformative work of the Peace Corps in her home country and was inspired to become a change agent herself. Violina’s passion for community development began with her work as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Denver Works, a nonprofit focused on job training for those facing barriers to employment.
An alumna of the University of Denver, Violina’s professional journey includes significant roles in marketing and sales, working with industry leaders and proving her ability to innovate and drive growth. Since settling in Golden in 2013, she has become deeply involved in the community, notably serving as the marketing and events manager at the Golden Chamber of Commerce and managing the Golden Farmers Market. In her new role at the Foundation, Violina strives to leverage her experience in marketing and development to enrich the community she cherishes. For her, Golden is more than a residence; it’s a second home where she has found belonging and an opportunity to contribute positively.

Rhonda joined the Golden Civic Foundation team as the Office Manager in 2024. Rhonda brings 25 years of operations and project management experience to the GCF team. In her role, she plays an important part in creating and executing strategies that support the administration, programming, and fundraising goals of the organization.
Since relocating to Colorado in 2019, she has become involved in the community through various nonprofits that support children’s literacy and food insecurity. She is excited to be working closely with the GCF team to invest in the Golden community and ensure it continues to be a special place to live and visit. When not working, Rhonda can be found hiking with her husband, seeking out unique local restaurants, and exploring our beautiful state.