Bohemian Foundation Community Programs Staff

Sara Maranowicz

Director of Community Programs

Sara serves as the Community Programs Director. She has a background in grantmaking, nonprofit capacity building and program management in the fields of community development, youth development, early childhood and K-12 education. Prior to joining Bohemian Foundation, Sara worked at the Community Development Foundation in London helping to set up a national 15-year community development program. While in the UK she also managed a national grant program designed to support nonprofits facing financial hardship due to the recession. Before ‘crossing the pond’ she worked in Los Angeles and led the design and implementation of nonprofit capacity building, sustainability and social enterprise development programs for First 5 LA. She has also managed a portfolio of school readiness grantees and supported various nonprofit capacity building grant programs. Sara is a Colorado native and has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado and Master’s degree in Educational Policy Analysis and Evaluation from Stanford University.

Valerie Wendell

Project Manager of Special Initiatives

Valerie provides project management for Bohemian Foundation's Special Initiatives and brings a passion for innovation and collaboration to her work in community and human capital development. Prior to joining the Foundation, Valerie coordinated a National Science Foundation pilot focused on deploying optimization and simulation technology for economic development analysis in Native American communities. She also spent several years managing a large portfolio of workforce development contracts in New York City focused on creating career pathways for underserved individuals within the health care, construction and emerging green jobs fields. Valerie holds Master's degrees from Columbia University in both International Affairs and Social Enterprise Administration. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

Tana Atwood

Grants Adminstrator

Tana is a 2010 graduate of Colorado State University where she received a Corporate Finance degree. She has volunteered with Fort Collins non-profit and governmental organizations namely Meals on Wheels, Everyday Joe’s, Poudre School District, and Larimer County Sheriff’s Detention Center. She has also participated in initiatives by Bike Fort Collins and Women on Bikes.

Kim Herman

Grants Adminstrator

Kim is a Fort Collins native and a 2007 graduate from Colorado State University with a degree in Consumer and Family Sciences. She has over two years experience with Fort Collins community organizations. Prior to joining Bohemian, Kim was with a probation department working with agencies such as Crossroads Safehouse, The Sister Mary Alice Murphy Center for Hope, Project Self-Sufficiency and the Food Bank for Larimer County.

Hannah Bustos

Administrative Assistant

Hannah provides administrative support for Bohemian Foundation's Community Programs. Prior to joining Bohemian Foundation, Hannah was a teacher specializing in early childhood education. In addition, she spent several years at Colorado State University's Event Planning Services where she gained experience coordinating a variety of events held on campus. Hannah received a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies with a focus on Early Childhood Development from Colorado State University.

Bohemian Foundation Music Programs Staff

Kristen Karabensh

Director of Music Programs

Kristen serves as the Director of Music Programs. She brings a passion for music and a strong belief in the powerful impact it can have. Prior to joining Bohemian Foundation, Kristen served in numerous leadership capacities throughout her blended legal and business career, including Director of Real Estate Services at Xcel Energy, Corporate Counsel and Manager of Real Estate Investments at M.D.C. Holdings, Inc., and as a transactional attorney in Castle Rock and Fort Collins. She is an alumnus of the Women’s Vision Leadership Institute and University of Colorado’s Presidents Leadership Class, served as a guest facilitator and mentor in Xcel Energy’s Leadership Pipeline and Path to Leadership programs, was selected as editing assist for the publication of Julie A. Nice and Louise G. Trubek’s Cases and Materials on Poverty Law: Theory and Practice while completing her J.D./M.B.A. at the University of Denver, and served as a Larimer County Planning Commissioner.

Merry Hummell

Director of Music Events

Merry serves as Director of Music Events, overseeing a broad range of music productions and leading a team of hundreds of staff and volunteers to produce BOHEMIAN NIGHTS®. Merry has directed the locally-produced, nationally-recognized summer music festival every year since it was launched in 2005. A Fort Collins native with a diverse background, Merry returned to Colorado and joined Bohemian after earning an Executive MBA from Boston University while COO of the venerable Crittenton Hastings House. It was in Boston that she discovered a passion for working in the nonprofit women’s reproductive health and human services field at organizations like Crittenton and Planned Parenthood. Merry also has an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree in Anthropology and Education from CU Boulder, and she worked initially as an archaeological trip coordinator and river company marketing manager. Merry currently serves on the Fort Collins Musicians Association Board and City of Fort Collins Women’s Commission.

Derf Green

Project Manager of Music Programs

Derf brings a diverse background to Music Programs in his role as Project Manager. He has worked as a Programs Administrator and Project Manager for the Downtown Development Authority, developing and implementing various projects. A longtime musician, Derf has performed and recorded with other local artists for more than 25 years. He has taught drumming and percussion to private clients, and has conducted drum circles for Partners Mentoring Youth. Derf also has experience as a City of Fort Collins housing inspector and was a volunteer mediator for the city’s Municipal Court and Community Mediation Programs.

Liz Barnez

Artist Relations Manager

Liz serves as Music Programs Artist Relations Manager and has been a respected singer, songwriter and musician in the Fort Collins music scene for over 25 years. Born in New Orleans, Liz grew up inspired by the eclectic music styles of her hometown. While attending the University of New Orleans, she began her career performing in the French Quarter including many Bourbon Street musical landmarks. When she moved to Colorado she formed the “Liz Barnez Band” which quickly became a favorite with Colorado audiences, and toured regionally and nationally. Since then, Liz has released four full-length albums and promoted and produced countless music events. In 2005 Liz was instrumental in organizing the “Concert for the Gulf Coast,” a fundraiser for the victims of Hurricane Katrina that raised $40,000 for the Red Cross efforts in the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. Liz continues to perform and in 2012 was awarded the “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Fort Collins Musicians Association for her 25 years of contributions to the Fort Collins music scene.

Caitlin Wacker

Music Programs Administrative Assistant

Caitlin provides administrative support for Bohemian Foundation’s Music Programs. Prior to her role as administrative assistant, Caitlin served five years as the Foundation’s receptionist and office manager. At a young age Caitlin began playing music, which led to her strong commitment to the advancement of music education in the Fort Collins community. She has planned several music-related fundraising events benefitting such causes as breast cancer awareness, natural disaster relief and environmental stewardship. In addition, Caitlin is an active volunteer and enjoys participating in community initiatives such as Project Homeless Connect and ClimateWise. Caitlin is currently completing a B.S. in Business Management at Colorado State University.

Communications

Pam Jackson

Director of Communications

Pam serves as the senior communications advisor, and manages external and internal communications for the Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, Pam was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Journalism and Technical Communication at CSU and conducted research in the area of electronic media regulation and policy. In addition, she has worked as a TV news producer and assistant producer in Denver, San Francisco, St. Louis and Champaign-Urbana. She also has experience in public television, working at WTTW-TV in Chicago. Pam has a Master of Science degree in Technical Communication and a Ph.D. in Economics. She holds fellowships from the Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism, Indiana University Freedom Forum and Colorado Colloquium on Media Ethics and Economics.

Mary Timby

Communications Coordinator

Mary serves as the Communications Coordinator for Bohemian Foundation external communications. Mary is a former station manager for Colorado State University’s student-run television station, Campus TV (CTV). During her tenure, CTV was awarded a Heartland Emmy for excellence in journalism and several other distinguished awards. Mary also has held internships at ABC 7News in Denver and ESI, a talent management agency in Beverly Hills. Mary was the public relations outreach coordinator for Colorado State University's EcoCAR 2 team where she had the opportunity to work with public relations professionals at General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy. Mary holds a B.S. in Journalism and Technical Communication and is currently completing an M.S. in Public Communication and Technology at CSU.