Dr. Lia Franklin
Board Chair, 2022-
Vice Chair – 2020-2021
Past AMI Director
AMI Director, 2017-2019
AMI Director-Elect, 2016-2017
Associate Director, McNeil Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Colorado School of Mines
Dr. Lia Franklin values the magic of connecting women across higher education. AMI had a very positive impact on her life, and since then it has fueled her passion to continue to support women in higher education. She has focused the work of the board by focusing on strategic planning, aligning goals and objectives, getting the right people on board, building infrastructure, and championing communication and branding. She is passionate about the Colorado and Wyoming connections, the ability to be real and have the tough conversations, and sitting in a room with women who get it – priceless.
Dr. Kristina Quynn
Vice-Chair, 2022-
AMI Director, 2019-2020 and 2021-2022
Past AMI Director
Assistant Dean, Director of CSU Writes, Associate Professor, Colorado State University Fort Collins
Kristina Quynn is an Assistant Dean in the Graduate School at Colorado State University and the Founding Director of CSU Writes. She joined the Board of AMI in 2018 after attending the 2017-18 AMI as a participant, where she learned vital professional development skills and found a community of belonging among leaders in higher education.
Dr. Coralina Daly
AMI Director, 2023-2024
Vice President of Student Affairs, Central Wyoming College
Dr. Coralina Daly (Cory, she/her) is the Vice President of Student Affairs at Central Wyoming College. She is an alum of the 2011-12 cohort and credits it with changing the trajectory of her career. She has encouraged colleagues to participate in AMI, cited the experience in her dissertation, and is excited to be a part of the program again.
"Being among such passionate, dedicated women inspired me to seek to serve in a greater capacity," she said. “Connection is powerful, and AMI’s ability to connect us better to ourselves and to others like us is transformative.”
Patricia Bolton
Board Member
Director of Child Care Innovations, Red Rocks Community College
Patricia attended the 2021-22 AMI as a participant. She found the experience to be both personally and professionally rewarding, even after nearly 30 years of leadership within the college. She sees AMI as an excellent opportunity to enhance and rejuvenate skills. She has a particular interest in supporting and building leadership opportunities for diverse women, helping others understand and appreciate all departments and aspects of college programming, and how they support the academic side.
Lisa Kinzel
Past Treasurer
Director of Research Development, Colorado School of Mines
Lisa has been with Colorado School of Mines and the office of Research & Technology Transfer since 2006. As director or research development, she creates and implements strategies that help increase institutional competitiveness and raises awareness of our research strengths. She also develops strategies that support our faculty, providing them with funding opportunities and facilitating research events that promote collaboration and foster team connections.
Dr. Michele Haney
Presidential Sponsor
President, Red Rocks Community College
I attended AMI in the 80’s and Judy Powell and myself were the first to join from Wyoming. I cannot tell you just how beneficial it was to connect to women leaders through AMI. Wyoming in those days, was a bit isolating for women in higher education. From 2001 to 2003, I directed the Institute, and again enjoyed the opportunity to support the growth of women in our field.
Jennifer Kellner
AMI Director-Elect, 2025-2026
Professor of Mathematics, Central Wyoming College
Jennifer Kellner was a member of the 2021-2022 AMI cohort before joining the CWNWL/AMI board in 2023 and has been with Central Wyoming College for 20 years. A Professor of Mathematics at Central Wyoming College in Riverton, Wyoming, she recognizes the importance of the advancement of women in higher education and wants to be part of an organization that supports women in leadership roles.
Dr. Kim Dale
Presidential Sponsor
President, Western Wyoming Community College
Dr. Kim Dale became Western Wyoming Community College’s 8th president in 2019. She attended a large university after high school and left after one semester to go to work and ski. She later returned to college and never stopped, finding her love for learning and serving students.
Kim received a bachelor of science degree in business education from Metropolitan State University of Denver, a master’s degree in management and organization from the University of Colorado Denver, and a doctorate degree in educational leadership and human resource studies from Colorado State University.
Kim began her academic career as an adjunct business faculty and worked within the Colorado Community College System for over 20 years, serving as a faculty department chair, dean of instruction and outreach. She also taught as an adjunct professor in management and organizational development at the University of Colorado Denver. Prior to coming to Western Wyoming Community College, Kim served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer of Western Nebraska Community College.
Having taught and practiced management and leadership for many years, Kim is passionate about helping build and support future women leaders in higher education. She is excited to contribute to this important outcome.
Kim and her husband Randy love biking, hiking and kayaking in beautiful Wyoming and Colorado, as well as spending quality time with their children and (especially) grandchildren.
Deborah Vinnola
Secretary, 2022-
Assistant Director of Systems, Regis University
Deborah currently oversees the systems and processes in the Office of the Registrar however, she has been a part of the Regis community since 1989 serving in numerous roles in Admissions, Academic Records, Registration and Student Services.
Deb has served as a coach in the Regis Leadership Institute and attended AMI as a member of the 2019-2020 cohort. It is through these programs that she has learned that she has the power to make a difference in any role or situation and understands the importance of self-development and self-worth in all levels of leadership. She is currently working on her Master’s in Organizational Leadership in the hopes of fostering these beliefs in others in higher education.
Jennifer Husum
AMI Director-Elect, 2024-2025
Dean of Students and Deputy Title IX/Equal Opportunity Coordinator, Arapahoe Community College
Jennifer Husum serves Arapahoe Community College as the Dean of Students and Deputy Title IX/ Equal Opportunity Coordinator. She is an experienced Student Affairs Professional with a focus on student success and retention. Skilled in student conduct, Title IX, behavior intervention teams, student orientation programs, and residence Life, she values opportunities to connect with students and learn their story.
Dr. Colleen M. Schaffner
Past AMI Director
Program Chair, Department of Psychology, Adams State University
Dr. Schaffner was a member of the AMI 2020-2021 cohort where she was moved by the unparalleled experience of women fostering the development of other women in higher education – despite a remote environment! Dr. Schaffner has spent most of her academic career abroad. Eleven years in England, where she served as Director of the Graduate School at the University of Chester. Then she moved to Mexico, where she worked at the Universidad Veracruzana researching the behavior and ecology of wild spider monkeys and co-founded an NGO for the conservation of the two monkey species endemic to the Yucatan Peninsula. As a newbie to Colorado, Dr. Schaffner found AMI invaluable for building a network with amazing women and further developing as a collaborative and compassionate leader.
Ashleyhope Carlisle
Treasurer, 2023-
Professor of Art in Sculptural Practices, University of Wyoming
Carlisle is Professor of Art in Sculptural Practices at the University of Wyoming. She received her BFA from the University of Southern Mississippi and her MFA from the University of Georgia in Athens. An educator for 25 years, she is passionate about working with those within UWYO and beyond and is thrilled to have found AMI and to be a part of a group of amazingly strong women in academia.
Melinda Piket-May
Past AMI Director
Board Member
Associate Chair, External Relations, Department of Electrical, Computing, and Energy Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder
Melinda Piket-May gained leadership skills, developed a new sense of confidence, and made many new friends participating in AMI 2009-10. She became director of AMI in 2012-2014 and aimed to provide high impact learning experiences to professional women in all realms of higher education balanced with time to develop personal connections with other Colorado/Wyoming higher education professionals.
Prior Board Members
With gratitude for dedicated service, we recognize prior serving board members.
Dr. Judi Diaz Bonacquisti
Kristina Binard Carlson
Cristi Carter
Susan Genaro
Reniece Jones
Deb Lasich
Dr. Heidi Loshbaugh
April Menzies
Mary Ontiveros
Lori Ridgeway
Angelica Rueda
Sue Samaniego
Dr. Elena Sandoval-Lucero
Donna Souder
Cindy Underwood-Anderson