About the COB

Julia Richman, Chair, currently serves as the Deputy Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT), overseeing a broad scope of agency operations. She joined OIT as the Chief Strategy Officer in 2020. Previously, Julia was the Chief Innovation and Technology Officer for the City of Boulder. Under her combined leadership, the city created award-winning programs focused on high-performance government with a focus on innovation, equity, and inclusion.

Julia spent a decade at Deloitte Consulting working with over 30 states, universities, non-profits, and the federal government on large-scale, enterprise-wide transformation efforts including technology transformation, cost reduction, business processes improvement, operations improvement, portfolio management, and innovation.

Born and raised in Colorado, Julia serves on the executive committees of both the Colfax Marathon and Colorado Smart Cities Alliance boards. She is a Colorado Governors Fellow, a graduate of Leadership Denver and the Colorado Institute for Leadership Training, as well as a mentor for Greenhouse Scholars since 2012. She received her MPP from the University of Chicago and AB from Dartmouth College.

Nicholas Webber is a supervising attorney at the Denver Trial Office of the Colorado State Public Defender, where he has worked since 2014. As a Deputy Public Defender, Nicholas works to protect the constitutional rights, liberties and dignity of indigent people accused of committing crimes. Nicholas has worked on all types of cases in his tenure at the public defender’s office, from misdemeanor traffic offenses to homicides and violent crimes.

Nicholas is a Denver native, but left Colorado to obtain his bachelor’s degree from Boston University. After college, he worked with low-income families at a Jesuit school in Ecuador before earning his law degree from Santa Clara University. Prior to becoming a public defender, Nicholas worked at the Watsonville Law Center Legal Aid Clinic in California, as an Equal Justice Works Fellow advocating for migrant worker rights. He also interned with the Santa Cruz California Public Defender’s Office and served as a board member for the Pajaro Valley Women’s Shelter. 

Terrance D. Carroll was the 54th Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives.  He is the only African-American to have served as Speaker of the Colorado House.  Terrance served in the legislature from 2003 until being term-limited 2011.  Terrance has been listed by 5280 Magazine as one of the "50 Most Influential People in Denver," Terrance's entry noted his reputation as a skillful dealmaker, stating that he is a "critical and respected negotiator."  Currently, Terrance is the Colorado State Director for Unite America. He also serves as a reserve police officer with Colorado’s statewide shared law enforcement reserve. Terrance is a graduate of the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law, Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, and holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Iliff School of Theology in Denver.

Karen Collier retired from public service in 2009, having worked in the Denver District Court as a court stenographer for 30 years. Since then, she has worked as an Alpine Ski Instructor in Winter Park and Granby, instructing differently-abled and abled-bodied youth and adults in Alpine skiing and as a tennis instructor with Denver Citywide Sports.

Karen is committed to social justice work in Colorado, having worked with the Chinook Fund, Out4Life Colorado, delivering HIV prevention services to the African-American communities in the Denver Metro area, The Center, volunteering with Rainbow Alley; its LGBTQ youth outreach program, and One Colorado as a co-chair for the People of Color Caucus.   In addition to the appointment to the Citizens Oversight Board, she sits on the Board of The Center for Trauma and Resilience and is a co-chair of Park Hill Congregational UCC's partnership with the Women's Homelessness Initiative; a program of the Capital Hill United Ministries, providing daily shelter to women who are homeless in Colorado.

David Martinez is a first-generation college graduate. He attended Colorado State University where he majored in Political Science. He is a proud Chicano who grew up in the Westside of Denver and is currently a proud resident of the Westwood neighborhood! David is the legislative aide for State Representative Javier Mabrey, and works at the Colorado State Public Defender's office as a discovery clerk. He is interested in fighting alongside the most vulnerable folks in their battle for justice. David is eager to better understand social institutions that have been huge perpetrators in the societal ills that plague our communities. He has come to understand that the best way to tackle our catastrophes is through mobilized and organized efforts. La unión hace la fuerza.

David was previously the community organizer for the Latino Action Council. He helped organize and facilitate the first Colorado Latino Political forum for U.S Congressional District 8. He also worked with the UCLA Latino Public Policy Institute to create a Latino lens for Proposition FF (Healthy School Meals For All). David understands the importance that education plays in any social movement, especially in the liberation movement that marginalized communities are currently undergoing. David's lived experience is the root for wanting to advance the struggle of the Chicano movement. He is thankful to stand on the shoulders of giants, and is looking forward to reaching the mountaintop that Dr. Martin Luther King spoke about. ¡QUE VIVA LA RAZA!

Larry Martinez is a proud native-born Coloradan, raised in the inner city of Denver. He has been an active community member all his life. As a youth Larry performed anti-drug theater with the West Side Drug-Free Youth Team and worked with several community groups on cultural awareness and professional development. Larry has worked with Denver Inner City Parish (a secular human services organization, known as DICP) for 20 years. During that time, he directed youth out-of-school time programs, food pantries, senior-citizens' programs, community dinners, gift distributions, and sober living facilities. 

Larry is currently Executive Director of Denver Inner City Parish and a former director of DICP at College View, a Denver Parks and Rec center operated by DICP for 9 years. Larry also serves on the board of NEWSED CDC. He is married and a proud father of four wonderful children.

Stefan Stein is the Chief Executive Officer of Sherman & Howard, Denver’s oldest law firm. He represents clients in complex litigation, internal investigations, and government investigations and enforcement matters. Stefan previously served as Deputy General Counsel and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer of Qwest Communications where he led a global ethics and compliance program for over 30,000 employees. He also served as a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles for seven years where he was the Deputy Chief of the Public Corruption & Government Fraud unit.

Stefan has been actively involved in community service throughout his legal career. In addition to serving on the Citizen Oversight Board, Stefan is currently a board member of the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center which is a fiscal sponsor for over 60 charitable organizations in Colorado. Stefan was previously a Board member and Chair of the Governance Committee of the Jewish Community Center of Denver. He was also a longtime Board member as well as the Interim CEO and Board Chair of Urban Peak, a nonprofit organization that provides a convergence of services to homeless youth and youth at risk of becoming homeless.

Stefan holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Stanford University and a law degree from the University of Michigan.

Ana Thallas is a Colorado native. She attended George Washington High School, and received her Opticianry Certification from Arapahoe Community College. She is mother of three beautiful children, one deceased. Ana moved from her career as a Certified Optician into optometry and ophthalmology practice management, then continued to advance her career as an independent eyewear sales manager. Combining her expertise as an optician with her sales acumen, she managed a multi-state territory for one of the three largest luxury conglomerates in the world. 

During the pandemic of 2020 Ana and her team were unexpectedly laid off. One month later, on June 10, 2020, her oldest daughter, Isabella, was murdered in the Denver Ball Park neighborhood. Completely devastated, Ana devoted herself to finding and creating resources that would support her healing and support others through similar loss. Among the sources of healing, a beautiful mural of Isabella was created in the heart of Denver at an unnamed pocket park. Ana collaborated with Denver City Council and Denver Parks and Recreation to restore the park and dedicate it as Bella Joy Gardens. Bella Joy Gardens has become a space of healing for many. As another avenue of healing for Ana, she successfully lobbied the Colorado General Assembly to pass the Isabella Joy Thallas Act. The Isabella Joy Thallas Act is now a law that requires gun owners to promptly report lost or stolen firearms. Senate Bill 21-078 was passed in April of 2021 and became official on September 7, 2021. Ana is publishing her writings detailing her journey through the devastation of the tragic loss of a child. The hope is that it will encourage others who have also experienced unexpected loss. She continues to move forward each day with a healing heart and her love for Colorado.

Tymesha Watkins is a native of Denver and an accredited software engineer, serial entrepreneur, and activist. She is passionate about working with our youth and providing opportunities for them to explore STEM fields. She is also a passionate advocate for racial equality and developing platforms that normalize diverse and inclusive environments.

Tymesha is a member of Denver’s African American Commission and an active participant in several other organizations, including and the Society of Women Engineers, National Society of Black Professional Engineers, Organization of Black Aerospace/Aviation Professionals, and the NAACP.

She holds a Master’s of Science Cyber Technologies from University of Maryland University College, Master’s of Science Information Technologies from Regis University, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Aviation Management Technologies from Metropolitan State University of Denver.