Meet Our Incredible Board Members

Kate Flynn
Board President

Kate Flynn is the mother of three children, two with Down syndrome, and an advocate for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the life of the Church. A social worker, Kate has experience advocating for people with developmental and physical disabilities. Kate has a Bachelors in Social Work from Franciscan University of Steubenville, and a Masters in Social Work from the Catholic University of America. 

Jessica Johnson
Co-Founder, Board Vice-President & Secretary

Jessica Johnson is a former Catholic school teacher and private tutor with a Master’s Degree in Educational Theory and Practice. After her son’s prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis, Jessica and her husband, Chris, were disappointed to face the reality that Liam would be turned away from Catholic school. As a current full-time mother to two children, she joined FIRE Denver because she values Catholic education and desires to see children of all abilities thrive in our faith communities.

David A. Holden
Board Treasurer

Dave is a husband and father of 3 with 2 grandchildren. He and his wife Joanie are Colorado natives.  He previously served as the Chief Financial Officer of the Archdiocese of Denver from December 2002 to March 2014 upon his retirement.    Dave was a board member of various other entities within the Archdiocese and served as a member of the Accounting Practices Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.   From 1996 through 2002, Dave was the controller and then the CFO of Ascent Entertainment Group, Inc.   From 1981 through 1995, Dave worked as a CPA for the international accounting and consulting firm of Deloitte & Touche, LLP.
Dave has provided financial consulting services to other Catholic dioceses in the US and volunteer financial advisory services to non-profits in the Denver area.   Dave and Joanie gratefully assist the Carmelite Monastery, located in Littleton.

Darilyn Bixenman
Director

Darilyn Bixenman is a native Coloradan, married with three children. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Creighton University and her Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Colorado. She holds a Professional Counseling License for the state of Colorado. Darilyn has served in the counseling psychology field since 1993. Over the past 25+ years, she has worked in a variety of fields including adoption, HIV/ AIDS, Emergency Mental Health, Community Mental Health and Private Practice. Darilyn has also taught various psychology courses at Community College of Denver.
Currently, Darilyn has a private, Catholic psychotherapy practice in Littleton where she specializes in treating women and issues directly related to women’s health. Her research has rooted itself in the arenas of depression and anxiety/trauma particularly in the under served female population.
Darilyn has extensive experience in working with non-profit organizations such as Camp Wojtyla, Given Institute, D.A.R.E Colorado, Project Angel Heart, Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, Rachel’s Vineyard, All Souls Catholic Church & School, the Archdiocese of Denver, and the FIRE Foundation of Denver. Her years volunteering is as expansive as her years working in her career.

JD Flynn
Director

Wesley M. Hardin
Director

Wesley M. Hardin is a husband and proud father of four children.  He is a Denver Native and attended Regis Jesuit High School graduating in 1998.  He owns and operates a family run real estate company in the Denver Metro Area.  Their two oldest children attend Our Lady of Loreto Catholic School in Foxfield, Co.  Wesley and Krista’s fourth child, Benedict was born with Down Syndrome on July 2, 2021.  Wesley sits as an original board member of RMRPI (Rocky Mountain Research & Prevention Institute) for the past 19 years.  RMRPI is the founder of the Colorado Kids 1st License Plate as their mission is to provide funding for injury prevention and protection for Colorado children.  Wesley believes in the benefits of a Catholic education and is excited to join the Fire Foundation in hopes to provide children with disabilities the same opportunity.  He and his family reside in Parker, Colorado. 

Eve Langston, M.D.
Co-Founder, Director

Eve is a wife and mother to five children and a practicing physician anesthesiologist in Littleton, CO. She attended Catholic school through eighth grade and graduated from the University of Notre Dame and Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine. She believes in the value of a Catholic school education and has seen firsthand the benefits in her life as well as those of her older four children.  When her youngest daughter, Anna, was born with Down syndrome, Eve discovered the FIRE Foundation in Kansas City, MO and went on to found the Denver affiliate with three other families in 2021.  She is excited to share the blessings Anna has brought to her family with the wider Denver Catholic school community. 

Kevin Sherman
Director

Lori Sutorius Jones
Director

With more than twenty-five years of experience in the marketing field, Lori brings the same keen sense of style and level of detail to her wardrobe that she does to her business. As the marketing integration guru, she has knowledge and experience in all aspects of marketing, advertising, PR, Internet and social programs. Where Lori truly shines, however, is her ability to bring each of those areas together. Her experience with national and local brands such as Big O Tires, Pentax Imaging, Papa John’s Pizza, Arc Thrift Stores, Hain Celestial, Massage Envy and Orange Glo enable her to contribute a strong understanding of the intricacies of today’s consumer and business motivators. Lori brings her talents and skills in marketing to the FIRE Foundation of Denver team as a new Board Member and Chair of the Marketing Committee.

Pat Winders (PT)
Director

Pat Winders is the Director of Therapies and Senior Physical Therapist at the Anna & John J. Sie Center for Down Syndrome at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Prior to this position, she worked at the Kennedy Krieger Institute Down Syndrome Clinic in Baltimore, Maryland (from 1989-2007). Since 1981, she has specialized in providing physical therapy services to children with Down Syndrome. She is author of the book Gross Motor Skills for Children with Down Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals (Second Edition), published by Woodbine House (2014). She is a member of the Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group (DSMIG-USA) and also serves on the Professional Advisory Committee of the National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC).

Meet Our Dedicated Staff

Gerard Graveline
Executive Director

Gerard Graveline is a husband and proud father to 3 children. Gerard and his wife Abigail have been married since 2015. While Gerard is originally from Michigan his family has primarily been established in Oregon. Gerard has his BS in Business Administration from Franciscan University of Steubenville, and an MBA from Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Gerard has worked in banking since 2009 with roles in Branch Management and Commercial Lending. Outside of Gerard’s professional work he has also volunteered as a board member for a Catholic high school as well as a day treatment center. Gerard also enjoys spending time outdoors with his family especially traveling to new and not so new destinations.

Tia Gray
Development Director

Meet Our Amazing FIRE Denver Advocates

Fr. Nathan Goebel
Chaplain

Father Nathan Goebel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Denver, Colorado, and is presently the pastor of Saint Joan of Arc Parish in Arvada.  Originally from Central Illinois he came to Colorado in 2006 working as a FOCUS Missionary; soon after discerning a call to the priesthood for Denver.  Looking for priestly community, he was blessed to see the beginnings of the Companions of Christ in Denver and joined soon after its inception in 2007.  Father Nathan has his undergraduate in political science from the University of Illinois and graduated from seminary with degrees in philosophy and theology.  He joined the FIRE Denver board to further the promotion and inclusion of all children and their families in the common endeavor of Catholic Education. 

Casey Gunning
FIRE Denver Ambassador

Casey was born on St. Patrick’s Day, along with her twin sister, Shannon, who is a Sister of Life nun in New York. Casey grew up in CA and CO and graduated from high school in Highlands Ranch. She then went on to attend Eastern New Mexico University for two years where she received her Early Childhood Education Certificate.  She lived independently with her sister, Shannon and two other roommates,  for ten years and works as a childcare assistant at a pre-school in Littleton. Casey is active in her community and is a Eucharistic minister at St. Frances Cabrini parish. She is a board member of Tall Tales Ranch, attends Higher Vision Education classes and participates in All Stars. She loves spending time with her many friends. Casey recently spoke with Sr. Mary Casey at the Jan. 20, 2023 March for Life in D.C. See our news page for details.

Meet Our Talented Board Committee Members

2025 BonFIRE Gala

Sarah Sisneros, Chair

Darilyn Bixenman

Jill Bodammer

Danielle Case

Jennifer Clifford

Ellen Cook

Hilary Dehn

Trisha Esquibel

Melissa Estepp

Kate Flynn

Susan Grable

Krista Hardin

Jessica Johnson

Melissa Lyon

Tami Mantia

Melissa Penza

Elise Schlipman

Gwen Wise