Executive Committee

President: Leslie Matthews

Leslie is an organizational consultant and the Managing Partner of Matthews & Matthews PC., a law firm in Denver. She has been a consultant to several Fortune 500 corporations and public entities on the successful execution of business strategies and the architecture of change. She has overseen multiple organizational turn-around and provide executive coaching for business leaders committed to producing significant expansion or reorganization. Leslie has worked nationally and internationally with clients such as Eli Lilly, Dow Jones, Gallo Wineries, Bayer and Genentech. Most recently she headed up matrix operations for Sirna Inc., a biotech company in Boulder Colorado and acted Interim City Manager for the City of Northglenn during a period of re-organization due to revenue shortfalls. Leslie has also been a mentor and board member of Colorado Youth at Risk where she worked to help create a 400 percent increase in contributions in a single fiscal year. She has a BS in nursing from the University of Massachusetts, a law degree from the University of Houston, and has completed advanced studies in organizational change and executive leadership. Leslie and her husband Ken have three grown children between them.

Vice President: Tanya Ishikawa*

Tanya is an award-winning, freelance journalist and editor, based in Federal Heights, Colorado. She is regularly published in various Denver metro area magazines, newspapers, newsletters and web sites. An aspiring screenwriter, Tanya's desire to produce films and documentaries led her to join Denver Open Media, where she has taken several classes and uses the editing equipment, studios and field equipment. She produces and edits a monthly TV show, In the Loop: Colorado Filmmaking, and participates in film activities with Colorado Actors and Screenwriters Assembly, Colorado Film and Video Commission and other local film groups. She has served on the Federal Heights City Council, the Northmoor Homeowners Association Board, Adams-Jefferson Chapter of the Green Party, and the Denver Foundation Board Marketing Committee. She is also a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Colorado Press Association. She has lived in Japan and enjoys traveling with her husband and son to visit native and traditional cultures.

Secretary: Adrienne Russell

Adrienne is an assistant professor of Digital Media Studies at the University of Denver. Before joining the faculty there, she held a two-year fellowship at University of Southern California's Annenberg Center for Communication, where she was part of a group of scholars investigating emerging digital communication tools and networks and their impact on public life.  This work culminated in a collaboratively written book, Networked Publics, recently published by MIT Press. Adrienne writes for both scholarly and popular publications and co-edited the book International Blogging, to be published in 2009. She has taught at the American University of Paris, University of California at Berkeley, University of Southern California and Indiana University. Adrienne's research and teaching focus on emerging forms of digital communication and the rise in participation among members of the public in the production and distribution of media. Her work on the board is inspired by Denver Open Media's innovative approaches to strengthening community media by creating digital platforms to help manage and share programming among public access stations throughout the country. More of Adrienne's current projects and interests can be found at her website http://adrienne.typepad.com/

Treasurer: Joseph Odhiambo

Joseph is currently an Accountant at the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority. He has been with the Authority for three years. A graduate of Accounting and post graduate in Business Management he brings on board the financial reporting skills to contribute to the financial oversight function of the DOM board informed by experience gained from financial reporting for the Centennial Airport Foundation Board of Directors.

Joseph was born and raised in Kenya and has been living in Denver for the last eight years. He brings diversity to DOM and the ability to reach out to different communities in Denver. He also has international political connections in countries that can readily use the community media as exemplified by the Denver Open Media.
He hopes to be part of an effective and accountable oversight.

Members at Large

Henry Ansbacher

Henry is the founder of Just Media and has served as its executive director since 2000. Just Media's mission is to raise awareness of current social and environmental issues in the broadest audience through the development and production of innovative and compelling media projects. He has produced over 25 documentary shorts featuring social entrepreneurs working for social justice. In 2005 Ansbacher and Just Media won four Emmys including Best Program Feature for a six-part magazine format TV series about social entrepreneurs.

He has produced several short and feature length documentaries, including IRON LADIES OF LIBERIA, BIG BLUE BEAR, and COME BACK TO SUDAN; his films have reached domestic and international broadcast audiences and earned critical acclaim at film festivals worldwide. Henry's most recent producing effort has been nominated for an Oscar award. The film, THEY KILLED SISTER DOROTHY, is a feature-length documentary about the murder of Sister Dorothy Stang, an environmental activist working with the poor of Brazil's Amazon rainforest. The film premiered at the 2008 South by Southwest Film Festival, where it won both the juried and audience awards for Best Documentary and will air in 2009 on HBO.

Henry holds a BA from Colorado College and his MA in psychology from the University of Denver and has worked around the state as a counselor. He lives in Denver with his wife Karma and their three children.

Jonathan Gillam

Jon Gillam is a corporate attorney at the Boulder office of Faegre & Benson LLP. He focuses his practice on general corporate matters, including commercial contracts, mergers and acquisitions, securities, and the formation of business entities. During law school at the University of Chicago, Jon worked for the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship representing low-income entrepreneurs in need of legal assistance. At the clinic, he assisted clients in their acquisitions, intellectual property licensing agreements, general contracts and formation of business entities.

Elise Herzog

Elise has more than 10 years of experience in integrated marketing - including public relations, marketing and special events - ranging from retail and restaurant marketing, agency and non-profit public relations, and corporate and non-profit special events in grass roots to large corporate environments. She also volunteers for Read Aloud, a Denver Public Library program designed to develop pre-reading skills among Denver's educationally at-risk, low-income preschoolers. Previously, Elise has provided her public relations skills to Denver organizations involved with the arts, including Denver Office of Cultural Affairs and Colorado Alliance for Arts and Education.  Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Elise moved out to Colorado when she was 18 and spent three years teaching ski school in Breckenridge. From there she moved to Denver where she received her bachelor's degree, majoring in Mass Communications and minoring in Spanish. She also holds a master's degree in Special Events Marketing from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Dieudonne (Dido) Kalala

Dido is a Senior Business and Technology Consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, a position he holds now over 6 years.  Dido currently serves as Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for NABA (National Association of Black Accountants) in Denver.
He holds a graduate degree (MBA) in Finance and Accounting from Regis University, and an undergraduate degree in business and information systems from University of Colorado at Denver. He lives in Denver with his wife Nancy and their children.

After his recent trip to Congo, he and few other local officials in Congo have created an International non-profit organization called "Actions for Human Dignity (AHD) inc." which now operates in 4 areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to give hope to those who have no hope: to provide necessary life essentials for families and refugees, to provide life-giving medicine and vaccines to those without medical help and even uncover unseen atrocities that the world should know about.

Sheila Keller*

Shelia is currently a graduate student in the fields of International Studies and Social Work at the University of Denver. She began experimenting with documentary video a year ago in an attempt to bridge her love of the arts and her dedication to social justice. After a few classes at the University of Denver, and continued access to the tools at Denver Open Media, she has been able to begin and continue work on her first documentary. Still untitled, it is a look at the issue of immigration through following two Latino janitors (who were part of the union Keller worked for) throughout their daily lives. This documentary is an attempt to contradict negative impressions of immigrants portrayed in popular media, and it is a collaborative effort with a number of partners who themselves are embedded in the immigrant experience.

Sheila was born and raised in Cleveland, OH, where her community and family impressed upon her the values of diversity, social justice, and the power of the arts. She holds a BA in anthropology and sociology from Earlham College. She has worked as a community organizer, a Spanish teacher, an Outward Bound instructor, and a union organizer. She hopes that her role on the board of Denver Open Media will bring a critical eye to the idea of community in community media, and help further DOM's goal of bringing democracy to the people through exposure and access to the tools and power of the media.

Marla Rodriguez

Marla is the Manager of Public Relations and Marketing at one of Denver's oldest educational institutions, the Emily Griffith Opportunity School. Rodriguez manages the Opportunity School's marketing communications, advertising, public relations and community relations. In this role, she also oversees brand management, market research and evaluation. Prior to entering the educational arena, Rodriguez directed sports public relations, most recently at the University of Denver (2000-05). At Denver, Rodriguez directed the 17-sport NCAA Division I sports public relations department that won back-to-back Hockey National Championships and advanced 10 teams to NCAA postseason play. Rodriguez was named to the NCAA Men's Final Four Media Coordination Committee and worked at numerous national and regional events. Rodriguez also served as the Associate Director of Sports Information at Rutgers University (1995-2000) and Temple University (1992-95) after holding similar positions at Marshall University (1990-91) and the University of Florida (1989-90). The winner of numerous publications awards, Rodriguez' 1999-00 women's basketball media guide cover was judged best in the nation. An active community member, Rodriguez volunteers with Colorado Youth at Risk, a drop-out prevention program and participates on the diversity committee for the Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics. Born in Colorado Springs, Colo., Rodriguez is a 1988 graduate of Iowa State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism. She also holds a master's degree in sports administration from St. Thomas University (Miami, Fla.). A former collegiate swimmer, Rodriguez participates in triathlons and ran the Portland marathon in 2006.

Jason Stoval

Jason has been a board Member since 2004. He became involved with DOM through its parent, the Open Media Foundation (formerly known as Deproduction), and its predecessor, Denverevolution.org as a freelance editor and producer working on grassroots projects and serving as a guest instructor [for basic production classes] with now-Executive Director Tony Shawcross.

With 15 years experience in video production and cable television programming experience, Stoval is a great fit for the organization. As one of the owner/developers in grim.TV, which pioneered interactive entertainment concepts including "PLUR", the first-ever multi-stream navigable narrative series, Jason's dedication to viewer/user empowerment dovetails perfectly with DOMs designs on greater and more comprehensive interactivity within its programming. Also, his five years working in Programming/Acquistions at Hallmark Entertainment Networks' international channels give a sound basis for advising on scheduling, budgets, diversity of programming, and
how operations can affect viewers.

Stoval has worked in the commercial and non-profit sectors as a freelance producer, writer, director and editor in the Denver/Boulder region for more than a decade and is dedicated to assisting underserved people gain voice in media through training, access to gear, and an outlet for their work.

Lindita Torres-Winters

Lindita is the daughter of migrant workers and grew up picking tomatoes in the Midwest. At the age of 17, Linda earned her high school equivalency diploma. She then became the first person in her family to attend college, earning a BA in Education and Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. While there, she worked with the High School Equivalency Program, traveling to migrant farm worker camps to recruit teens for the program. She continued her work with migrant farm workers as a consultant to Coca Cola's Agriculture division and working as a fundraiser to help build schools, medical, and community facilities for migrant workers. In 1995 Linda formed Linditas' Inc., which manufactures instant salsa mixes.  Linda was Denver's Hispanic Woman of the year in 1997. She has served as Director of the Board for The Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Mi Casa Resources for Women, the Justice Information Center, and Tennyson Center for Children & Families. She is also a member of the Colorado Food Association and Colorado Proud. She starred in the film "Passing Berhoud" directed by Carolyn Sanchez, which was a hit at film festivals around the country. She hosts a local television talk show, Hispano Americanos, which addresses community issues, and she writes a food column for the Aurora Daily Sun. In 2002 she launched Lindita's Kitchen Cooking Show, showcasing traditional Mexican dishes.

* DOM Member Representatives

In 2006, the Open Media Foundation Board of Directors made a commitment to include at least two Denver Open Media member representatives at all times. While other Board Members may be members of DOM as well, two will always be designated as member representatives, and are available to other DOM members to help ensure that their needs are addressed by the Board.