GVAC Board of Directors Members
PresidentDebra Wilson, Community Member
Debra Wilson has worked in the education field for 18 years in a variety of settings. Currently, she is the Preschool Coach and Elementary Enrichment Teacher at Cherry Hills Christian School. During GVA-DC's founding year Debra served on both PIC and SAC. Debra and her husband, Adam, have two boys enrolled in the Spanish Village at GVA-DC.
Vice PresidentLaura Widhalm, Community Member
Laura Widhalm has been a part of GVA-DC since the beginning of its formation in 2015. Being a founding family, she is passionate about children learning a second language at a young age. Her own children attended GVA and both not only love language, but they also have a very large understanding of the world around them.
Recently, Laura served as the GVA DC Board of Directors President. Prior to that, she was the VP on their board for a year, and even before that, she sat as the Parent Involvement Committee President for three years. Her commitment to GVA is strong and she loves leading their Board of Directors' team.
On a personal note, Laura grew up in Tempe, Arizona, and ran a restaurant with her family for 25 years. They moved to Parker, Colorado 8 years ago and it's been a dream come true! She is an avid horseback rider since she was 5 years old and currently trains and gives riding lessons to students. She and her husband are passionate about animals and have 4 horses, 1 cow, a plethora of chickens, two dogs, and a cat. They have two daughters, one of whom is fluent in Spanish because of GVA. The other is on her way to becoming fluent in French and due to her attendance at GVA from kindergarten, her level of native speech is truly incredible and attributed to having native speakers within her classroom experiences. Laura's other passions outside of GVA and horses would be spending time with her family, learning how to homestead, and being outside in the beautiful Colorado elements.
SecretaryCasey Reynolds, GVA North
Casey Reynolds was born and raised in Iowa. He received a B.S. and M.S. in Computer Engineering, and met his wife, Miranda, at Iowa State University. Since 2001 he has lived in Colorado working for a technology company in Westminster. His roles have included software and systems engineering and are currently in the area of Senior Systems Architect.
Casey has 3 current and 1 former child at GVA North, starting in 2012. He has volunteered in multiple capacities at GVA, formerly assisting with Odyssey of the Mind and currently as a member of the Board. Casey and his family like to play with their dog, enjoy outdoor activities around Denver, and take advantage of the many outdoor concerts available in Colorado.
Treasurer
Carol Rieger, GVA Aurora
Carol Rieger has served as a member of the Board of Directors since April 2018, having
previously served as a member and chairperson of the GVA-Aurora School Accountability Committee. A GVA parent since 2012, Carol strongly believes that the school provides quality education and offers a rare experience to students, families, and the community in its mission of foreign language immersion.
Growing up in the Denver area, she was exposed to foreign languages from junior high school
through college where she studied Russian and has dabbled in French, Spanish, and Italian.
Carol earned her B.A. in Geology from Western State College of Colorado (now Western
Colorado University) and is a licensed Professional Geoscientist (PG) and certified Project
Management Professional (PMP). For more than 30 years, she has worked as a consultant in
the environmental and hazardous waste remediation industry and happily serves as the
Program Hydrogeologist with the U.S. Army's Operations and Maintenance Contractor at the
Rocky Mountain Arsenal.
In addition to her volunteer duties with GVA-Aurora and its Board of Directors, Carol serves on
the Board of Directors for the Global Village Academy Collaborative and Western Colorado
University Foundation.
DirectorKristina Stutler, GVA North
Kristina Stutler has been living in Colorado for the past 6 years. Prior to the family ‘retirement’ to Colorado, the Stutlers lived in Hawaii and California while Scott was serving in the USMC. Over the course of her career, Kristina has been in education for over 20 years and ran several businesses connected to adult education. Kristina taught at various large universities and colleges in California, Hawaii, and Colorado. She is a native Russian speaker and speaks just a bit of German and some Japanese. Kristina holds a Master’s in TESOL from the University of California San Diego, an M.A. in Linguistics and Russian from the University of Arizona, and two bachelor’s degrees in business and Political Science from the University of Arizona.
She has been a GVA parent for 6 years and has previously served on the GVA-N board. Her daughters Emily (12) and Karina (9) attend Mandarin Village at GVA-N. Kristina is passionate about the languages and the international component of GVA’s mission.
The Stutlers enjoy traveling and exploring other cultures.
DirectorHeather Porter, GVA Douglas County
Heather Porter is a licensed clinical social worker and recently joined the board at GVA-DC. She received her Masters in Social Work from the University of Denver and has been working with schools or in community mental health since graduation. Currently, she works as a mental health coordinator/provider and child find coordinator in a diverse Metro Denver school district. Heather feels strongly that children succeed in educational environments where they feel safe, cared for, and challenged academically. She and her husband are proud that their two children attend GVA-DC in the Spanish Village.
Director
Mike Melaku, GVA Aurora
Mike Melaku joined the GVA Aurora Board of Directors in 2021. He is a longtime resident of Aurora and has been involved in community work for over 20 years including local volunteer work to promote civic engagement among Aurora's immigrant and refugee residents. Mike holds a B.A. from the University of Colorado in Boulder in Urban Planning and Geographic Information Systems and has built a successful career in building IT infrastructure across multiple industries.
Mike looks forward to contributing to the GVA board, as the vision for Global Village Academy resonates deeply with him. He spent part of his early childhood in Kenya and moved to the United States in grade school. This exposed him to some language immersion experience during his formative years. He also understands the importance of preparing students and our future workforce to be globally minded, multilingual, and culturally competent. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling and outdoor activities with his wife Nicole.
Director Rick Griggs, Community Member