Kathy Valentine is a retired high/middle school counselor with many years of experience dealing with the topics of depression and suicide. She has been involved with Colie’s Closet since 2006 and is currently both the Executive Director and one of the group’s advisors. Kathy has been selected as one of the Women Who Light the Community by the Boulder Chamber. Down below is a video Kathy did for the award!
Boulder Chamber Women Who Light the Community 2017 Honoree – Kathy Valentine
Andi Jason is the Program Director for Colie’s Closet. She is a former teacher and school administrator and holds a M.Ed. from the University of Pittsburgh. Andi lost her 16-year-old son to suicide in 2010 and is very grateful to work with the Colie’s Closet teens to spread awareness to our youth about warning signs for depression and suicide and what to do if you see these signs in yourself or others. She believes in the power of teens speaking to teens.
Libby Dusenbury is a retired high school English teacher and counselor, working in the public schools in New Jersey and Colorado for 35 years. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from The University of Texas at Austin, a Masters Degree in Communications from Glassboro State University in New Jersey and a second Master’s Degree in Counseling/Psychology from CU Denver.
Mary Hanson is a former Colie’s Closet member. She participated in Colie’s from 2015-2017 and returned as an advisor in 2019. She believes that everyone should have resources to take care of their mental health and loves working with the Colie’s students to provide those resources to her community. Mary is the current president of the Colie’s Closet board of directors.
Finn Friday is a current senior at CU Boulder majoring in neuroscience and preparing to apply to medical school. He was a member of Colie’s Closet during his last year of high school and is thrilled to be returning as an advisor in 2023. Finn feels strongly about the power of a uniting purpose and is eager to support such an important cause.
Lisa Kaplan is a Registered Nurse and Mental Wellness Coach who helps people understand how their mind’s work and how to reconnect with their inner resilience. With a background supporting families through more than 800 births as a Birth Doula, caring for children and parents as a Nurse, and coaching individuals seeking clarity and confidence, Lisa has spent her career walking alongside people in their most vulnerable moments. Her approach blends lived experience with compassionate insight, helping others see beyond fear, labels, and limiting stories. She believes that hope is always available, and that everyone has the capacity for clarity, well-being, and renewal. Lisa lives in Boulder, Colorado, and finds grounding in nature, her community, and her mini-goldendoodle, Sosa.
Alissa Sims has worked in non-profits focused on strengthening communities through connecting families with child development resources since 1991. She has supported various BVSD schools with variety of student-centered projects and programs that help children develop better self-esteem, self-advocacy and overall emotional resiliency since 2009. She is so excited to support Colie’s Closet in their mission to support students in BVSD by helping them better understand their own emotional growth and creating greater awareness of how to support themselves and their peer community more effectively and compassionately. Alissa has a wonderful husband and four inspirational sons. She loves watching them grow and learn to make this world a better place.