As March and Women’s History Month comes to a close, we take time to celebrate the leaders, advocates, and changemakers who are shaping a more inclusive world. In this month’s Community Newsletter, we’re highlighting three incredible women driving disability advocacy in Colorado and beyond, practical ways you can get involved in disability advocacy, and upcoming events where you can connect with RMHS in the community.
Stewart Tucker Lundy is a graduate of Howard University, and he brings a broad and deep history of community service to the RMHS board. Mr. Lundy is a board member and actor for the Phamaly Theatre Company. He served for six years on Blueprint Denver, a city planning, land use and transportation task force. Additionally, he served as a commissioner on the Denver Commission for Persons with Disabilities for five years.
Mr. Lundy was appointed to the RMHS Board beginning April 1, 2021.
Bill is currently a partner in the Denver Law Offices of Snell & Wilmer, and previously a partner in the Denver office of Armstrong Teasdale LLP and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Higher Education practice group, specializing in resolving difficult legal, policy and compliance issues for highly regulated entities. He has tried scores of cases and made appellate arguments to federal and state courts and administrative agencies around the country and has fifteen years of experience serving as general counsel for two companies. Bill has previously served as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal & Administrative Officer for Alta Colleges, Inc., Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary for Valor Communications Group, Inc. and Corporate Counsel for US WEST Communications, Inc. In addition to his legal practice, Bill serves as Chairman of the Board of the Wayfaring Band, Inc. and is on the Board of Directors of Colorado UpLift. Bill earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration, specialization in Accounting, from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and a J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law. He is married with 4 children and lives in the Greenwood Village area. Bill enjoys skiing, golfing, and cooking.
Mara Kailin is a licensed bilingual clinical psychologist with extensive experience in behavioral health treatment with underserved and diverse populations, as well as administrative and leadership experience with a large nonprofit organization. Dr. Kailin currently serves as the Chief Clinical Officer at Aurora Mental Health Center with oversight of approximately 700 staff in nearly 50 different programs in dozens of clinics in the community. She has a PsyD from Rutgers University and a BA from Wesleyan.
Joseph Derdzinski is a senior international development and governance adviser, an associate professor of political science, and a member of organizations that promote the support of persons with developmental disabilities. Joseph earned his Doctor of Philosophy from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, a Master of Arts in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Science in International Relations from Troy University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
His research and consulting interests center on the study of the political processes of post-authoritarian states, and how political institutions can be employed to reduce violence. Joseph served on observation missions for the recent, highly-fraught elections in Egypt and Afghanistan, and conducted and published research to help the Ukrainian government develop an accountable national guard. During the 2016-17 academic year, he taught courses on international politics, the politics of Africa, and comparative politics.
Prior to entering academe, Joseph was a U.S. Air Force officer, where he worked extensively with security service colleagues throughout northern Europe. He also led the first US military security detachment in Bosnia during NATO’s implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, where he worked with Bosnia’s security services in their post-conflict transition.
Lorin is the Executive Director and founding member of The Windmill School – a nonprofit, inclusive K-5 school where she is responsible for the development, launch, and implementation of school policies and procedures. Lorin received her Master’s in Education and Couples and Family Therapy from the University of Oregon. Prior to the Windmill school, Lorin worked as a project manager for the Aurora Mental Health Center.
Cynthia is the Head of Clinical Care at Path, a national mental health telehealth company. Her areas of passion are quality, compliance, and clinical ethics associated with providing behavioral health services to individuals, couples and families. Prior to joining the start-up world, she held leadership roles in community mental health, hospital, academic and research settings. She holds a PhD and MSW from Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work and has practiced as a licensed clinical social worker for more than 20 years. Cynthia earned her MBA in Healthcare Administration from the University of Colorado-Denver, her BA from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and is Dare to Lead(™) trained, which contributes to her approach as a warm, trustworthy, and highly committed leader.
Cynthia participates in multiple Colorado-based initiatives to improve access to behavioral healthcare for all people. She is on the Board at both Karis Community in Denver, and Prime Health, and serves as a pro-bono provider to military families and veterans through Give an Hour.
