STRIVE Prep’s Board of Trustees brings a deep passion and diversity of perspectives to accelerate our impact in classrooms, campuses and communities across Denver.

MEET OUR BOARD

Reed Dixon, Rye Ridge Resources

Reed has owned and managed his own business in the oil and natural gas industry since 2015. Previously, he had differing financial and business development roles in the manufacturing, tech, and energy sectors. He graduated from the University of Denver with a finance degree and business ethics/legal studies minor. He grew up in Portland, Oregon, and now lives in Denver with his wife and two daughters.

Ulysses Estrada, IBM

Secretary

Ulysses is currently an MBA Candidate at Harvard Business School. Previously, he was a Senior Strategy Consultant for IBM’s Enterprise Strategy and Business Transformation Consultant for IBM Federal.  During his time at IBM, Ulysses was selected as a Fulbright Binational Business Grantee and temporarily worked at Evercore Mexico as an Investment Banking Analyst. He has also been involved with the Middlesex Coalition for Children, Denver Mayor’s Youth Commission, and La Raza Youth Leadership Program. Ulysses graduated from Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in both Economics and Government and is also a member of STRIVE Prep’s founding class.

Dietz Fry, Independent Consultant

Treasurer

Dietz is currently an independent consultant. Previously, Dietz worked at Endeavor Capital, Green Manning and Bunch, attended the United State Air Force Academy and graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Biochemistry. He lives in Denver with his wife and sons.

Abi Fadeyi,  MBHE Holdings

Abi is a Principal at a private investment firm in Denver. He has 15+ years of investment banking and private investing experience and has advised numerous companies on M&A, capital formation, and general corporate development. He holds an A.B. in Economics from Princeton University and an Executive MBA from the University of Denver. He grew up in Colorado and lives in Denver with his wife and four children.

Leticia Levya, Denver Health

Leticia is an immigrant born in Mexico who moved to Colorado as a teenager. She is the proud parent of a STRIVE Prep – RISE alumni. Leticia is a graduate of Regis University where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with emphasis in Healthcare Administration. She was recently an appointee for Mayor Hancock’s administration; she is now the Director of Administration at the CEO’s office at Denver Health & Hospital Authority. Leticia is involved in her community and attends regular neighborhood meetings, community gatherings, social justice rallies and parades that emphasize civic responsibility. Leticia has three children Adriana (20), Ephraim and Antonio (both 26).

Peter C. Groff, MCG2 Consulting, LLC

Peter is the Principal and Chief Strategist at MCG2 Consulting, LLC and is a noted public policy innovator, national policy and political analyst, and leadership lecturer. Groff has held senior level positions at all three levels of government and has more than 25 years of public service impacting education, criminal justice, and health care. He is currently serving as a policy and political consultant to numerous individuals and entities across the country. Before starting his consulting firm, Groff served as the first ever Visiting Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. During both of President Obama’s terms, Mr. Groff served as Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Education. President Obama also appointed Groff to the White House Commission on U.S. Presidential Scholars. Groff served as the 47th President of the Colorado State Senate, where he was the first African American in Colorado to ascend to the post and only the third African American in the nation’s history to hold the gavel as State Senate President.

Josh Rael, Alliance Colorado 

Josh serves as the Executive Director for Alliance, a nonprofit statewide association of Community-Centered Boards (CCBs) and Program-Approved Service Agencies (PASAs) in Colorado. Alliance members serve over 20,000 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and employ over 4,000 direct support professionals and IDD case managers throughout Colorado. Josh is a Colorado native and received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Colorado State University-Pueblo, a Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and a Master of Public Administration with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management at the University of Colorado-Denver. In 2020, Josh received the prestigious “40 Under 40” Award from the Denver Business Journal. In 2011, Josh was selected to attend President Obama’s White House Hispanic Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. And in 2007, Colorado’s Governor Bill Ritter appointed Josh to the Colorado Creative Industry Board (formerly the Council of the Arts) for two terms. 

Kayla Tibbals, Nexus Policy Group

Chair

Kayla is a native of Colorado with experience in both political campaigns and state advocacy at the Capitol. Kayla holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Affairs and Russian from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Kayla, has lobbied for nearly a decade at the State capitol. As a Partner at Nexus Policy Group, Kayla uses her extensive experience in issues impacting education, healthcare policy, non-profits, and energy to benefit her clients. She has deep knowledge of the business issues and the business environment at the capitol and is well connected with legislators of both parties. Before joining Nexus Policy Group in 2012, she previously held the position as lead lobbyist for the education advocacy organization, Stand for Children Colorado. Notably, while at Nexus, during the 2014 legislative session, Kayla successfully lobbied on behalf of the Colorado League of Charter Schools for the largest increase in capital funding for public charter schools ever. Kayla has extensive experience with educating and empowering networks and memberships to take action at the state and local level.

Amber Valdez, Valdez Public Affairs, LLC

Vice Chair

Amber is a Colorado native and partner at Valdez Public Affairs, LLC, a governmental consulting firm. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Colorado State University and holds a Master of Public Administration from University of Colorado Denver. Amber is a voting member of the National Western Stock Show and was a finalist for the Hispanic Chamber of Metro Denver’s Young Professional of the Year award. She lives in Denver with her Yorkie Poo, Dexter.

Toni Salais-Alvarado, Far Northeast Parent Representative

Toni was born and raised in a small town in southeastern Colorado to Mexican immigrants.  She has worked for Lennar Homes Colorado, LLC for over 22 years, currently in Customer Care. Toni and her husband, Alberto, have been married for 20 years and have two daughters. She is a parent to a junior at STRIVE Prep – RISE and a parent representative for the Far Northeast Area. Her oldest daughter started at STRIVE Prep – GVR middle school. At the previous elementary school, her daughter left 5th grade at a 3rd grade reading level; by the end of her 6th grade year at STRIVE Prep – GVR, she was reading at grade level and Toni became involved in STRIVE Prep’s family engagement program where she was able to get more involved with her child’s education. Toni looks forward to her youngest daughter following in her sister’s footsteps by attending STRIVE Prep – GVR then STRIVE Prep – RISE when she is old enough. In addition to being a parent representative on the Board of Trustees, Toni also serves as a Family Ambassador at STRIVE prep, assisting with family engagement and enrollment initiatives.