Senior Management Team

Gena has been with DDRC since 2004 and is currently DDRC's Director of Finance. As the Director of Finance she acts as the financial steward for DDRC and is responsible for the aspects of planning, implementation, and managing of financial activities, including budgeting, financial oversight, cash flow, audits and financial reporting.

Gena has dedicated her career to accounting and for the past 15 years has enjoyed working for an agency that shares her same values of individual dignity with inclusive services.

Gena is an active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Global Managerial Accountant. She is a member of the Colorado Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs. Gena graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado Denver with a Bachelor of Science in Business-Major in Accounting.

Prior to joining DDRC's team, Gena worked as a CPA for PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, a Controller for a private telecommunications company, and an Accountant with the City of Thornton.

On a personal note, Gena enjoys traveling with her family, gardening, and playing sports. Gena has been a volunteer partner with DDRC's unified softball and volleyball teams since 2013. In the summer of 2014, she proudly represented DDRC's unified softball team in the National Special Olympics tournament and helped to bring home the gold medal for their division

Profile coming soon.

Kelly started working at DDRC in 2000. She has held several positions including Resource Coordinator, Resource Manager, Assistant Director of Resource Coordination, and Admissions Manager. Kelly has a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's in business administration. Kelly started her devotion to DDRC and the people we support as a volunteer with the Recreation Department when she was a young kid. She has coached many Special Olympic sports and played as a Unified Sports Partner on DDRC Unified volleyball teams. As a senior in high school Kelly was part of the Special Olympics State Games Management Team and was honored as the local Special Olympics volunteer of the year. Kelly has maintained her passion for community recreational opportunities for people with disabilities, and now co-manages the Unified Sports Leagues for the City of Lakewood.

Terri was hired by DDRC in 1981 as a Recreation Specialist. In 2010 Terri became the Recreation Manager, after the retirement of Howard Murray. Terri has a degree in Therapeutic Recreation and Minors in psychology and counseling. She also holds Certification through the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Society. Additional certifications and trainings include Basic Water Safety Instructor, Colorado Pool Operator, CPR/First Aid instructor, Investigator, and fluent in American Sign Language. Terri developed and implemented a basic sign language class for DDRC in the early 90's.

Prior to becoming part of the DDRC family, Terri worked for The City of Lakewood Parks and Recreation (Special Populations Program), Wheat Ridge Regional Center (Recreation Department), North Jeffco Parks and Recreation (Outdoor sports) and R-1 School District (Summer Camps for special needs children).

Throughout her career she has received a variety of awards and recognition. Inducted into the Colorado Special Olympics Hall of Fames as Coach of the Year, Two Dynamo awards from DDRC, The Charlie Alison Award, Outstanding accomplishment award through City of Lakewood, Youth Group Volunteer of the year award from the Wheat Ridge Regional center which also included a 2 year scholarship. At the age of 12 Terri became a volunteer at the Wheat ridge Regional Center which introduced her to the field of Therapeutic Recreation and serving individuals with developmental disabilities. Over the years Terri has made volunteering an important part of her life and presently is a volunteer at Long Hopes Donkey Shelter in Bennett CO., where they rehabilitate abused and neglected donkeys and find them new and safe homes.

Susan Johnson has worked for DDRC since 1981. She has held several positions in the agency including Residential Counselor, Adult Resource Coordinator, Family Support Services Manager and now Children and Family Services Director. Susan has served on numerous state and local committees and task forces including the Governor's Office Part C Transition Advisory Committee, the Footnote 89 Families Most In Need Task Force, and the CACCB/Alliance Children and Family Services Committee. She is currently Chair of the Triad Early Childhood Council, and is a member of the Jefferson County House Bill 1451 Collaborative Management- Design and Implementation Committee. Susan has a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Secondary Education from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Colorado, Denver.

Susan was acknowledged as an Outstanding Case Management Provider by the Columbine Chapter of the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed. She received a Triad Early Childhood Council Children's Champion Award in 2009 and the prestigious Charlie Allison Advocacy Award in 2010.

Steve is DDRC's Facilities and Operations Director. He is responsible for overseeing and managing our facilities, transportation services, and various other aspects of the day-to-day operations and compliance responsibilities of DDRC. Steve has over 20 years of experiencing working with persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities where he began his career providing direct support services. Steve has experience supervising direct care services, administrative supports, medical and behavioral health supports, and over a decade of experience managing business operations, transportation services, and facilities management.

Steve is an active member of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and is certified as a Facility Management Professional (FMP) and Assisted Living Administrator (ALA). Steve is also active in various transportation organizations and has partnered with other agencies including the Denver Regional Mobility and Access Council (DRMAC), Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), and transportation local coordinating councils (LCC).

Micki has been the Director of Early Intervention for DDRC since August 2019. She started at DDRC in 2010 as a physical therapist on the Early Intervention Team and transitioned into the role of Assistant Director for that program in 2013, before being promoted to her current position. Micki has been practicing as an early intervention provider for more than 20 years, and is truly passionate about working alongside children in this age range, and their families. She also recognizes the incredible value of ensuring the focus for those who work closely with children and families is not only on the ongoing growth & development of their skills for providing this support, but also emphasizes recognizing, preventing and healing secondary trauma that may occur as a professional working in that field.

Prior to working at DDRC, Micki lived in Wisconsin where she spent the majority of her career as an Early Intervention physical therapist, with a few years working at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin mixed in there. Micki graduated summa cum laude with her Master's Degree in Physical Therapy from Marquette University. In her free time, you'll find her enjoying time with her family and baking cakes & cupcakes for her bakery.

Ashley Lee joined Developmental Disabilities Resource Center(DDRC) team in March 2022. As the Development Director, she leads DDRC philanthropic relationships and development team to drive the organization's revenue growth. She brings more than 12 years of nonprofit fundraising and partnership-building experience/education to the team.

Ashley holds a Master of Philanthropic Studies from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, an undergraduate degree from the University of Montana, and a nonprofit management certificate from the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance.

Your best conversation starters with Ashley include running, craft beer, and "How do I get more involved at DDRC?"

Michele joined DDRC in 2018 as the Director of Community Relations, bringing 20 years of experience in community relations, communications and cause-marketing while working with government, businesses and nonprofits.

Before coming to DDRC, Michele led public relations for projects that improved community infrastructure, the environment and quality of life, working with CH2M, a project management and engineering firm. She co-led a CH2M corporate community engagement program that encouraged children-of-color and girls to pursue STEM careers. She also worked with B:CIVIC, a nonprofit focused on business social responsibility and with the Regional Air Quality Council.

Michele has a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Colorado (UCCS), an undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago, and a Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility from the CU Leeds School of Business /CESR. She resides in Jefferson County.

Jeanne began her career working in the field of developmental disabilities in 1986 with Jefferson County schools transporting children with special needs. She came to work at DDRC in 1991 and during her tenure at DDRC has worked as a residential counselor in the Quality Living Options, the nursing assistant, Program Manager, Team Leader and Assistant Director prior to becoming the Director for Group Settings in 2013. She also worked with the Jefferson County Sheriff Department Victim Services as an advocate. Her education is in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Victim Advocacy. She has completed much additional training which includes Victim Advocacy Training with the Colorado State Patrol and Citizen Academy with Jefferson County Sheriff Department. She has taken advantage of the many educational opportunities offered at DDRC and has developed a special knack for working with individual with behavioral problems. Most recently she was trained in person centered thinking. Jeanne is native of Colorado and enjoys working with people, especially those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Melanie White is a dedicated professional with a career spanning many years, during which she has been committed to serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While she has been a member of the Adult Vocational Services team at DDRC since July 2014, Melanie’s journey in this field reaches even further back.

With an educational background in Psychology, Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education, Melanie brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role at DDRC. Her professional drive is deeply rooted in her passion for encouraging others, promoting staff development, and providing unwavering support to the people DDRC serves. She takes immense joy in supporting people to realize possibilities they may have never thought achievable.

Outside of her professional life, Melanie is a loving wife and proud mother of five children and one daughter-in-law. She is also a doting grandmother to two granddaughters and shares her home with two feline family members. Melanie hails from a large family of 10 siblings and is a native of Colorado, having been born and raised in Denver.

Outside of work, Melanie enjoys a variety of interests, including outdoor activities, exploring new travel destinations, playing games, and cherishing quality time with friends and family. She is an active volunteer in her community, particularly through her involvement with her church, where she continues to make a positive impact on the lives of others. Melanie’s dedication to her work and her commitment to enriching the lives of those she works with make her an invaluable asset to the DDRC community.