Board Members
Mark Marshall, Board Chair
Mark Marshall brings over 28 years of experience in the building/development industry, with a specific focus on developing single-family and multi-family affordable housing units. Formerly a Captain with the United States Air Force, Mr. Marshall served in the Civil Engineering Squadron as a Base Architect and Community Planner, later transitioning into the role of Real Estate Director for the Urban Land Conservancy. Mr. Marshall earned a BA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and a MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University – Bloomington. Mr. Marshall’s governance and real estate experience ensure VCA is able to find and maintain an appropriate facility and effectively govern VCA.
Miguel Lovato, Vice Chair
Miguel Lovato spent most of his professional career trying to change the life trajectory of disenfranchised populations. He has taught multiple subjects to middle and high school students; was the Executive Director of a local college prep program; and served as a mentor for high school students who would be the first in their families to go to college. Miguel has served on committees and boards of numerous education-reform advocacy organizations, and the only statewide provider of supplemental online high school courses. Currently, Miguel is a Senior Program Officer in Community Investment and Impact at the Colorado Health Foundation.
Victor Amaya, Treasurer
Victor Amaya served in the Army National Guard for seven years, where he received a National Defense Medal, before moving to Denver to provide financial and accounting services to companies in the Denvermetro communities. Mr. Amaya founded his own accounting firm, ClearPath Accountants LLC, to better educate and aid small businesses in understanding financial statements, profitability and management of cash flow. Mr. Amaya is the former Treasurer of YouthBiz, and has served of the ALPFA Denver Chapter Board and the Colorado State Society of CPAs. Mr. Amaya earned a BS in Business Administration and Accounting and a Master of Accountancy from Colorado State University, Fort Collins. Mr. Amaya’s extensive finance and accounting background ensures VCA remains financially viable throughout all years of operation.
John Bales, Director
John Bales currently serves as a Finance Attorney at Kutak Rock, LLC, following a career in the education sector. Serving as a high school Mathematics teacher in Denver Public Schools, and attaining the highest growth scores for his students in the state, Mr. Bales continued on to become an Investment Analyst with the Charter School Growth Fund. His strong background in education, finance, analysis, and legal practice provide rich insight into ensuring financial viability. Mr. Bales holds a BSBA in Statistics, MBA, from the University of Denver – Daniels College of Business, and a JD from the University of Notre Dame.
Audrey Sevalt, Director
Audrey has over 38 years of experience in Human Resources (HR), with a strong passion in enabling business leaders to maximize the capabilities of people. In her past roles, Audrey created and implemented effective HR processes that help businesses effectively manage people while retaining their brightest talent. In addition to her certifications in the Human Resources discipline, Audrey’s credentials include a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from Metropolitan State University of Denver, a Master’s Degree in Applied Communication, and a Certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution, both from the University of Denver (DU). For over 20 years, she has been an adjunct professor for the Master’s Degree Program Strategic Human Resources and assisted students with over 200 Capstone papers that research current issues and future trends in Human Resources as they prepare to advance in their HR careers. Her current role is to support business owners and leaders by providing HR consultation, coaching and tools to be more effective when managing people to allow business leaders to focus on the success of their business.
Wendy Swanhorst, Director
Wendy Swanhorst established Swanhorst and Company LLC, a Local CPIA firm located in Denver, CO. The firm specialized in government and non-profit auditing. Wendy has provided audit and consulting services for charter schools since their inception. The firm was recently sold and Wendy continues to provide consulting services to various government entities, including charter schools, throughout Colorado.
Taryn Tong, Director
Taryn Tong is the Director of Academics at University Preparatory Schools, Inc. in Denver, Colorado. She manages and coaches University Prep’s network-wide academic priorities across two campuses and supports the network’s curriculum and assessment implementation. Prior to joining University Preparatory Schools, she worked as a Site Manager for Jumpstart for Young Children in San Francisco, training college students and volunteers of all ages in early literacy development practices and managing them at preschool and childcare centers across the city. She was also a policy fellow at Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, D.C., where she worked on the Home Visiting Campaign, an advocacy project to increase state funding and access to home visiting programs across the country to support the health of young children and families. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Mount Holyoke College (2007) and her Master’s Degree in Education, Policy, and Management from Harvard Graduate School of Education (2011). Taryn strongly believes that every child deserves access to a high-quality, academically rigorous education where teachers work relentlessly to support every child in their classrooms.
