Board Information
Overview
DDRC is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The membership of the Board represents families, individual in services and the community at large. The Board of Directors provides overall direction to the organization (add organization and strike employees), sets policy, and develops and approves the budget. Board meetings are generally held on the fourth Wednesday of the month. The meetings are open to the public and employees are welcome to attend. Meetings are usually held at the DDRC Building.
For more information about the role of DDRC’s Board of Directors or to apply for candidacy click here.
Upcoming Meetings
Meetings of the DDRC Board of Directors are typically held on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 5:30 p.m., at the DDRC central office located at 11177 W. 8th Ave., Lakewood. All meetings are open to the public. Please contact Annette Rogers at 303-462-6508 if you plan to attend.
Public Comment During Board Meetings
During the two public comment opportunities in the agenda, members of the public have up to 5 minutes to address the Board. Speakers must sign up by signing the public comment sheet available at the Board meeting. The total time for public comment will not exceed 15 minutes per comment period unless extended by the presiding officer. The public comment time is not for questions and answers: it is your time to express your views. If the speaker requests a Board response, the response may be done in writing or by email to the speaker within 5 business days of the meeting. Audience participation is limited to the public comment opportunities at the meeting. For full details, click here.
Current Board Members
Susan Hartley
"I have been involved with DDRC for over thirty years, as a parent of a child with severe developmental disabilities I understand and have experienced the broad scope of emotions that all parents or caregivers feel loving and caring for a child with special needs. Over the years, my family received so much help from the DDRC that I became passionate about getting more involved and giving back. Becoming a Board member was "eye opening". While I had the experience of being a parent, once I became a Board Member I was exposed to the complicated, multi layered, frustrating infrastructure that has been pieced together over the years to try to provide supports for our families and loved ones. I can understand the frustrations of families having to decide where and how to get help for their child with special needs. Access to support is complicated! The staff at DDRC do all they can to keep it simple so I really didn't have an appreciation for hard it was until I became a Board Member. Some of the decisions we've made have been difficult when dealing with the realities of funding, care providers and ensuring safety and consistent monitoring to meet all obligations to the people we serve. I am proud of the DDRC leadership and staff, this is an organization of caring and compassionate people committed to improving services. " - Susan
Additional Associations & Roles:
Retired - CenturyLink
Services at Large Representative
Joanne Elliott, MA
"My involvement with the Board began with serving on the Family Support Council. This experience allowed me to see the severe difficulties facing DD families emotionally, physically and financially. Parental involvement is very important because it is one way to learn. I want to help other parents who are looking for programs and funding for their family member with DD. Being part of the DDRC Board of Directors has helped me to understand the importance of Community Centered Boards and their goal of helping the DD population. It has been very enriching." - Joanne
Additional Associations & Roles:
Adult Day Services Representative
Chair - Governance Committee
Past Chair of the Family Support Council
Jodi Schoemer, MS
"In the late 70s when I was eight and my sister was ten, our family moved to Arvada to give my developmentally-disabled sister and our family access to DDRC and its resources, knowledge, and terrific community of support. From the school Walters, several group homes, a wonderful host home, and day programs both at Weiland and Walters, my sister has received not only care but friendship, and not only services but an extended family. Both my parents supported DDRC while my sister and I were growing up, from helping build new group homes to lobbying to finding opportunities for work crews. I joined the Board to continue our family involvement and give back to help this wonderful organization meet evolving needs, opportunities, and challenges." - Jodi
Matt Rotter, MBA
" My brother-in-law has been receiving a variety of services from DDRC over the past 3 decades. It was through his experiences I was exposed to the complexity families with members who have Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) face identifying what services are available and how to access them. It was also through his experiences I was exposed to the exceptional people who work for DDRC and dedicate their careers to advancing the care, support and advocacy for individuals needing services in our community. The role DDRC plays is vital to families seeking support, insights and services and I see my role as supporting the DDRC executive team in achieving their stated charter and to have the greatest positive impact on the community they serve. " - Matt
Additional Associations & Roles:
President, Mountain West Region - CenturyLink - retired
C. David Pemberton, II
"I see my role as providing direction to DDRC, the Community Centered Board, regarding how to achieve the most services from the funding dollars that we receive; and how to utilize those services to provide the best we can for the individuals served. In order to do this, I am required to gain understanding of the organization by learning about the many programs we administer. Being a director is satisfying to me especially when employees are recognized for the good work they do, advancements, and joy they get from their work. It is wonderful when the individuals served show me they are happy with their program and the services they receive from staff. I have seen many occasions where strong bonds of friendship have developed between those served and employees." - David
Additional Associations and Roles:
Retired insurance claims professional
Appointed by and Representing Jefferson County Commissioners
Chair - Executive Committee
Jean Armour, BSN, MA, LPC, CAC III
"I see my role as being in an oversight position to ensure quality of services and stability of the agency. More specifically for myself, I have the responsibility of serving as the representative of the residential programs and the services they provide. In addition I represent the Board in the Human Rights Committee and assume the responsibility of sharing appropriate information from the Committee at the Board meetings. I also feel some commitment to the Board to ensure that services remain for other people because my own family has benefited for some time. My son was two years old when we first enrolled him in DDRC services and he is now forty-nine. I am very grateful that we have been able to benefit from those services." - Jean
Additional Associations & Roles:
Owner, Armour Consulting, Inc
Brain Chemistry Expert
Quality Living Options (QLO) Representative
Liaison – Human Right Committee
Pat Bolton, BSN, MA
"My work for several years has been involvement in early childhood and more specifically in advocacy and improving the quality, availability and access of services. In particular for children birth through age eight. When it comes to children with special care needs, both through my work at Red Rocks and even before that, I have worked to ensure that all children have access to the highest level of services. We have increased the ability of childcare facilities to effectively respond to special care needs. Through my work with DDRC and the Early Childhood Council, we have been able to engage community partners to address this issue. We are very excited about the partnership we have with DDRC and the opportunity we both have to learn about each other. My dream is that someday we won't have to advocate specifically for kids with developmental disabilities, but that all children will be able to access high quality services that meet their needs." - Pat
Additional Associations & Roles:
Executive Director of Triad Early Childhood Council
Director of Child Care Innovations
National Association for Regulatory Administrators
Community Representative
Mary Margaret Fouse-Bishop, RN, BSN
" As a public health nurse, I have worked to improve the health of children, youth and families for over 13 years. I believe all human beings have the right to reach their full developmental potential and be supported to lead healthy lives. I am excited about the opportunity to collaborate with DDRC board members, staff and families to strengthen access to supports and systems of care for individuals with different abilities. Each person has strengths and can make positive contributions to our community. I support DDRC's mission to ensure members in our community are given the opportunity to participate fully in a dignified manner. As Nashira Baril once said “Simply accommodating people in systems that were never designed for their survival is inherently inequitable.” I look forward to working with our community to create a more inclusive and equitable society in which everyone feels a sense of belonging and is valued. " - Mary Margaret
Megan MacHatton, MS
I joined the Board of DDRC because I believe strongly in its mission. I have several friends and a family member who have young children with severe developmental disabilities. While they have navigated the system to advocate for their children, there have been many obstacles along the way that have created challenges to accessing the best care for their children. The healthcare system is continuing to change rapidly which will provide additional issues to those receiving services in this community. DDRC does an excellent job of supporting the families and clients in our community access resources and care. I hope to use my financial experience, coupled with witnessing the day-to-day challenges that my loved ones' experience, to help DDRC stay a strong partner to the IDD community.
Additional Associations & Roles:
Vice President – FirstBank
Board Member and Treasurer – Community Educational Outreach
Amy Miller, LCSW
As a social worker in the Denver area for more than ten years, my career has focused on supporting individuals with neurological conditions and mental health challenges. In my professional roles I have collaborated with DDRC in various capacities over the years, particularly on the issue of how to support family caregivers. I appreciated that familiarity with the organization when my son began receiving Early Intervention services. It's an honor to be able to bring a unique perspective of both a professional and a parent in my role as director. My goal is to find additional opportunities for partnership and collaboration to ensure those receiving services, as well as their support team, are able to access the resources and services they need in a way that empowers them, utilizes their strengths, and honors their dignity and self-determination.
Additional Associations & Roles:
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Director of Adult Outpatient Services at Jefferson Center for Mental Health
Parent of individual receiving services
Community Services Committee
Doreen Raad, MS, CRC
"I was excited by the opportunity to become a part of the Board of Directors at DDRC when I came to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) Golden office as a supervisor. DVR's mission is to assist persons with disabilities to succeed at work and live independently and we partner with DDRC to achieve this goal for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I have learned something each time I have met with the members of the Board and the knowledgeable and helpful staff from DDRC. As a vocational rehabilitation counselor, I have worked with many individuals with varying disabilities, but this opportunity gives me the chance to learn more about DDRC, their staff, and most importantly the people with intellectual and developmental disabilities whom we serve." -Doreen
Additional Associations & Roles:
Tri-County Workforce Development Member
Jennifer Thompson
I have been receiving services from DDRC for 18 years, including their residential services, day program, technology lab and art instruction. For the past 8 years I have also worked at DDRC in the Human Resources department. DDRC has helped me in so many ways. The staff supports me above and beyond their job titles. With their help I live in my own apartment and absolutely love it. My experience with so many of DDRC's services gives me a unique perspective to bring to the Board. I want to advocate for everyone receiving services and be a positive representative for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities. I'm excited to be on the Board.
Mary Ann Tillman
" I first learned of DDRC over a decade ago. In that time, my belief in their mission, their employees, the community, and the ways they strive to support, strengthen and integrate the lives of the intellectually and developmentally disabled and their families has grown tremendously. Through my participation in DDRC and the Board of Directors, I am able to combine my years of business experience, most particularly my business strategy, market planning, negotiation skills, and marketing with my intense desire to more deeply understand and help the IDD community. The landscape for DDRC and its clients is changing dramatically -- and will continue to – over the next few years. I hope to bring my skillset to bear as we navigate the evolution in legislation, healthcare, funding, and the community at large to the greatest benefit of those involved. " - Mary Ann
Additional Associations & Roles:
Vice President, Marketing, CiviCore PBC
Founder and co-chair, Holiday Open House to benefit DDRC
Board Agendas
| May 2025 |
| April 2025 |
| March 2025 |
| February 2025 |
| January 2025 |
| December 2024 |
| October 2024 |
| September 2024 |
| August 2024 |
| June 2024 |
| May 2024 |
Board Minutes
DDRC Board Responsibilities
- DDRC’s mission and purpose
- Select the Executive Director
- Provide ongoing support and guidance for the Executive Director; review his/her performance
- Ensure effective organizational planning
- Ensure adequate resources
- Protect assets and provide proper financial oversight
- Ensure legal and ethical integrity
- Monitor and strengthen programs and services
- Enhance the organization’s public image
Board Composition
The Board consists of no fewer than 5 and no more than 17 that can include family members, guardians, individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability and community representatives.
To see additional information on Board composition as outlined in the bylaws, review the DDRC bylaws here.
Time Commitment
The Board meets 10 times a year typically on the 4th Wednesday evening of the month (excluding July and November). The meetings usually run from 5:30 p.m.to 7:30 p.m. with an opportunity for a light dinner and networking between 5:00 to 5:30. Board members are also assigned roles on committees, which meet monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly depending on the committee. Board members are also asked to make a financial contribution annually to DDRC at a level that is meaningful to them.
The Selection Process
Applicants will be notified of receipt of application. DDRC’s Board Governance Committee will review and consider each application received The Governance Committee may request further information or conduct interviews to discuss interest, skill sets, time commitment and responsibilities. Staff Members of DDRC and employees and Board members of service agencies may not serve on the DDRC Board of Directors.
To Submit an Application
Prior to being considered for nomination for an Elected Director position, an interested candidate is strongly encouraged to attend a Board meeting as a visitor to see how the Board operates. If you are still interested, access the application to submit it online. Hard copies of the application are available on request. Contact Annette Rogers, Executive Assistant, at annette.rogers@ddrcco.com. You can also call Annette at 303-462-6508 with questions or for further information.
Link: https://forms.ddrcco.com/board-of-directors-application/