Our Board of Directors

Daniel Covey currently serves at the Director of the Hand Up Cooperative in Fort Collins. The Hand Up Cooperative is a nonprofit community effort by more than a dozen Fort Collins businesses and social service agencies. Hand Up’s Mission is to assist people who are homeless or near homeless in gaining employment and ultimately to help them to receive the “Hand Up” they need to permanently become self sufficient.

Prior to working at Hand Up, Daniel worked as a bilingual youth advocate and case manager for the Mental Health Center of Boulder and Broomfield Counties. Following that Daniel worked as a case manager at the Murphy Center for Hope. Daniel brings nearly 10 years experience working with diverse low income populations to his work at Hand Up. Daniel holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Colorado State University.

Jim Amell is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Colorado State University.   He teaches courses on social work practice with communities and organizations.   Jim received Masters’ Degrees in Social Work and Public Health from the University of Minnesota.  He also holds a Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Jim has over fifteen years of research experience including community based participatory research, survey research, program evaluation, research program management, and primary data collection. Jim also has over seven years of direct practice experience (four years post-Masters) including program coordination, social service delivery and case management, individual and group counseling, as well as health education. 

Jennifer Bowman currently serves as a contractor for the Office of the Chief Information Officer for the United States Department of Agriculture.  She has been with the USDA for the past 8 years and has worked on many enterprise information technology application deployments like HSPD-12 and ICAM.  In 2009, Jennifer founded Illada, LLC with business partner Peter Cox.  Illada strives to improve and enrich the lives and prosperity of individuals, businesses and communities through innovative and sustainable technology solutions. Jennifer holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science from Regis University, Denver and is a native of Fort Collins, CO.

Joe Davis is an attorney at Sherman & Howard L.L.C., a Denver-based law firm.  He is an associate in the Business Department, and his practice is focused in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, commercial finance, and general corporate and securities work.  Joe also provides advice to non-profit organizations regarding governance, compliance, and policy development.  Joe holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Colorado State University.

Olga Duvall is a Social Services Director at The Salvation Army in Fort Collins. She works with families and individuals from different walks of life providing financial assistance and spiritual support. For over 15 years, Olga has been fighting injustice, poverty and homelessness in the ranks of The Salvation Army in Russia, Republic of Kalmykia and the United States. She graduated from Volgograd State University in 1997.
“While women weep, as they do now, I’ll fight; while children go hungry, as they do now I’ll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight, I’ll fight to the very end!” William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army

Jean Grove is the Facilities Director for United Way of Larimer County.  In this capacity she has for several years worked with community service volunteers referred to her from the Larimer County Work Force Center and the Larimer County Sheriff’s Department.  During her 15 years at United Way Jean has also been involved with agency funding, grants management, and volunteer coordination.  Jean received a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University and has worked in business, and in many diverse community groups during her forty plus years in Fort Collins.  She has served on the Boards of the Women’s Resource Center and BASE Camp during the start up of those non-profit organizations. 

Steve is currently as a housing counselor for Neighbor to Neighbor’s Renter Program at the Sister Mary Alice Murphy Center for Hope. Steve initially became involved in the social service field
as a volunteer for Neighbor to Neighbor from November 2009 through June 2009, performing various tasks including administrative work, and event coordination. Prior to joining the Neighbor to Neighbor staff, Steve was a staff member for Catholic Charities’ overnight homeless shelter from March 2009 to August 2009. Steve earned a B.A. in Business Management from the State University of New York at New Paltz in 2003. Before entering the social service profession,Steve’s background includes experience in Civil Engineering, and Business Management.

Sister Mary Alice Murphy, MSW, has worked in the Fort Collins Community as an advocate for the homeless for over twenty-five years.  She came to the community as Director for Catholic Charities Northern.  With the aid of numerous people in Fort Collins the Mission, a shelter for the Homeless was built.  Seeing that the homeless needed affordable housing, with a dynamic Board of Directors, Care Housing was started and now serves over two hundred low income families with safe and attractive affordable housing.  Realizing that a small infusion of cash at a critical time in a families’ life could keep a family from becoming homeless, Homelessness Prevention Initiative was started through the help of United Way, local Churches, dedicated volunteers and public and private funding.  Because there was no daytime shelter for the homeless in the city dedicated volunteers with staffing from Catholic Charities and assistance from a local church a winter day shelter was started and staff for two years.  That program through a coalition of The Murphy Center for Hope, Catholic Charities, United Way and dedicated volunteers are promoting a Homeless Day Services Initiative which will provide shelter and services for the homeless year round.

Whitney Reid is currently a student at Colorado State University seeking a Masters in Social Work. She is an intern with Partners Mentoring Youth working at Rocky Mountain High School mentoring adolescents and working in the school system. She formally was the case manager at Catholic Charities Northern homeless shelter co-facilitating a plan with the men, women and families to help them achieve self-sufficiency.  Whitney has an Associate’s degree in Psychology and a Bachelors Degree in Social Work. She has 7 years of volunteer and professional experience.

Barrett Rothe and his wife own and operate a coffee shop on the campus of Colorado State University. Barrett also runs a small resumé services company. After graduating from the University of Northern Colorado Barrett taught public speaking courses at his alma matter before moving to Fort Collins. Barrett will earn his Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Colorado, Denver in December 2011 and has served on the staff of former Governor Bill Ritter and the internal audit staff of First Data Corporation. He joined the Board of Directors of the Hand Up Cooperative to serve as its treasurer. Barrett is currently running for 14th Senate District in Colorado.

Ned Sickle currently serves as the General Manager of the Hilton Ft Collins and also serves on the Board of Directors of several other business and non-profit organizations in Ft Collins including the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Ned has worked in the hospitality industry for 15 years and, earlier in his career, served as a partner in a major management consulting firm. Ned holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Kentucky and a Master’s degree in Business from Vanderbilt University.

Andrew Troccoli is currently the Risk and Environmental Affairs Manager for New Belgium Brewing Company, Inc. Andrew has worked for NBB for thirteen years. Andrew has previously worked in the microelectronics-manufacturing, construction and wholesale/distribution. Andrew has also provided companies with consultation and training in the areas of occupational safety and health, environmental health and production management. Andrew Troccoli is a founding member of Hand Up Cooperative, Inc. and a current board member.

Andrew has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Health from Colorado State University. Andrew holds the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designation from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals and the Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) designation from the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management. He is a professional member of the American Society of Safety Engineers, the National Fire Protection Association and a member of the Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers

Valerie Baker-Easley, Community Representative
Ken John, Founder, Homeless Gear