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Mile High Leaps & Bounds was founded by Sarah Davidson and Annie Heubner, two Jefferson County Public Schools Special Education Teachers.

Sarah Davidson

Sarah Davidson has been a certified special education teacher for eight years. She currently is a special education teacher and Instructional Leader at Fletcher Miller School in Jefferson County which is the only K-12 school of its kind in Colorado largest school district teaching children with severe cognitive and physical disabilities.

Sarah earned a master degree in Special Education from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia in 2005. Her undergraduate degree was completed at the University of Northern Colorado in Special Education. Before returning to Colorado, she lived abroad for six years and taught special education at Port Phillip Specialist School in Melbourne, Australia.

Sarah worked for the two largest community center boards in Colorado, Developmental Disabilities Resource Center and Denver Options, prior to entering the classroom in Jefferson County. She is a member of the Colorado Respite Coalition, a board member for Rise School of Denver and on the Denver Hospice Next Gen board. Both Sarah’s parents were special education teachers and her passion for working with children with developmental disabilities has continued since a very early age. Sarah Davidson is a 5th generation Coloradan and lives in the old south Pearl neighborhood with her husband Mark Davidson and their dog Osito. To contact Sarah, email her at sdavidson@milehighleapsandbounds.org.

Annie Heubner

Annie brings a wealth of experience to Mile High Leaps and Bounds. Annie has been a certified special education teacher in Colorado for seven years. She was chosen to serve on several leadership committees and was also recognized by Jefferson County Public Schools this past year for “Valuing People” in their Recognition Awards.

Annie was born in Denver and attended Columbine High School. Upon graduation, she headed to the University of Northern Colorado on an athletic scholarship in track and received her BA in Education.  Annie went on to pursue her Master’s Degree in Special Education while also being named the Interim Head Track and Cross-Country coach in 2004.

Annie is passionate about working with students with special needs and has been committed to this passion for well over a decade. Annie has worked with students with a range of abilities and in a variety of different settings. She volunteered at Njia Special School in Kenya, Africa that brought about a strong appreciation and understanding of helping kids with disabilities. She has also worked with students one-on-one with local non-profit organizations and volunteers for the YMCA and the Denver Rescue Mission. With Annie’s diverse background in working with kids and her leadership capabilities, she is able to bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and creative ideas to Mile High Leaps and Bounds. To contact Annie, email her at ahuebner@milehighleapsandbounds.org.

 

Board of Directors

Gary Newlin – President

Gary Newlin is a native of Colorado and graduated from Cherry Creek HS in 1992.  He went on to the University of Washington where he graduated with a BA in Business Administration from the Foster School of Business.  After graduating from U Dub, Gary moved back to Denver where he spent several years in finance, both as a Financial Advisor for Merrill Lynch and as a Director at a subsidiary of Nelnet, Inc.  He is currently a Producer for Van Gilder Insurance Corp. in downtown Denver and focuses on business development for the Executive Liability and Commercial business units.  Outside of work, Gary enjoys swinging away on the golf course or spending time with his family and friends.  He is currently a mentor under the Big Brothers Big Sisters “Sports Buddies” program and enjoys helping children in need.  This has carried over to his current role as President of Mile High Leaps and Bounds and he’s excited about the potential for MHL&B to help children and families in need of respite care, throughout the Denver Metropolitan community.

Ted Kijanka – Treasurer

Ted Kijanka was named Manager of Corporate Finance – US of PCL Construction Enterprises, Inc. in April 2006. Prior to joining PCL, Ted held positions with both Public Accounting and Industry firms, usually specializing in Real Estate and Construction. Ted is a CPA and earned a Bachelor’s degree as an accounting major from the Pennsylvania State University. Ted is an active member of the Constructioin Financial Management Association, an organization that he serves on the Board of Directors for the Colorado chapter. Ted has also been active in community associations including being a current member of the Steering Committee and Professional Development Chair for the Emerging Leaders Council of Mile High United Way.

Josh Cashman – Director

Professionally, Josh Cashman has advised clients on investment and business matters since 1997. He serves as a principal of Intrinsic Valuation, valuing companies and intangible assets, along with his colleagues. Before Intrinsic, Josh was a Director and Regional VP of a national Trust Company, where he focused on investment management, estate and tax planning, securities analysis, and wealth transfers. Josh is active in both professional and community activities. He is a member of the American Society of Appraisers and the Appraisal Issues Task Force. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Turnaround Management Association (TMA), and occasionally offers time to the finance department at his alma mater, the University of Denver (DU). As a fundraiser and contributor supporting children’s rights via the Children’s Law Foundation, Josh appreciates the virtues and potential of Mile High Leaps and Bounds. Josh earned his JD at DU’s Sturm College of Law, his MBA from DU’s Daniels School of Business and MS in Finance from DU’s Reiman School of Finance, and a BA from the University of Colorado.