2024-2025
DENVER ACADEMY ANNUAL REPORT
DENVER ACADEMY ANNUAL REPORT
Dear Denver Academy Community:
COOL, SMART, FUN, AND FUNNY are just some of the words I use to describe the members of the DA community. These qualities are the certainty that we can offer our 450 students in an increasingly uncertain world. You can always trust that I consider it a privilege to work with dedicated people who make work seem like it’s, well…not work! Whether you work here, learn here, or volunteer, we know that you have felt the magic.
Our community members are not only amazing teachers, parents, coaches, mentors, counselors and friends—they are also very generous. Just under 500 donors to the school this year have fueled our success by making gifts that total over $1.1M!
Annual reports are meant to inform and thank. In the pages that follow, we celebrate not only the success of a DA education but also the efforts that have made it possible for us to be an important educational resource in Denver since 1972. And, we are also excited to show you what’s next for us. In addition to our steadfast fundraising efforts in 2024-2025, behind the scenes we completed a feasibility study and officially launched the leadership phase of a capital campaign.
Thank you for your belief in Denver Academy and for indulging us in this opportunity to brag a little in the pages that follow.
MARK T. TWAROGOWSKI Head of School
Development at Denver Academy
DENVER ACADEMY’S TUITION REVENUE DOES NOT COVER THE COST OF OPERATIONS , and therefore the purpose of this committee is to develop a plan to raise the difference—approximately $2,000 per student! The DA Development Committee meets once every other month with development staff and strategizes on a thoughtful approach to annual fundraising efforts, from mailings to online requests for giving to the school’s annual gala. Going well beyond raising funds from current families, this committee develops a community-wide plan each year to “balance the books” through philanthropy. A healthy fundraising effort helps to contain the inevitable effects of inflation on the school’s budget and greatly informs tuition adjustments. As a group, we are grateful to witness so much generosity from the larger DA family —extending to grandparents, alumni, foundations, corporations, past parents, and long-term friends of the school. We know very well that our success depends on YOU—and every donor recognized in this report. As an alumnus, I am grateful to continue the good work that made such a difference in my life and am inspired by so many parents whose involvement makes a very tangible difference to many families.
There is no better investment than the one you make in Denver Academy.
TIM HEALY '06
Development Committee Chair
2024-2025
DENVER ACADEMY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Tim Healy '06, Chair
Kent Berke
Willa Fawer
Mike King
Michael McNeill
Director of Development
Sheryl Stefaniak
Amy Stettner
Mark Twarogowski Head of School
Mark Wood
Head of High School, Associate Head of School
Deborah Woodward
IN EARLY 2025, DENVER ACADEMY CONDUCTED A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. The results of that study led to the official launch of a leadership gift phase of a campaign to raise $16-$26M in support of an endowment for faculty and staff salaries and the construction of a new Middle School building! We look forward to updating you on our progress and involving the entire community in our fundraising effort. A huge thank you to the 52 participants in the study, who enthusiastically gave us the “thumbs up” to move ahead with this ambitious goal!
CONGRATULATIONS, DENVER ACADEMY CLASS OF 2025!
Class of 2025 Special Honorees
At the end of the year, every single student at Denver Academy from 2nd to 12th grade is honored in some way for their achievement. In addition to our effort to celebrate ALL of our students, we pay particular tribute to the following members of the 2025 senior class:
WYATT SUMNER Phil Johnson/ Lou Raders Community Service Scholarship Award
WILLOW EVANS Alumni Senior of the Year
BRENDAN KING Co-Valedictorian
EMRE HASAN Co-Valedictorian
SEAN SCHACK Salutatorian
Our Graduates Are Attending:
Arapahoe Community College
Beacon College
Colorado Mesa University
Colorado State University
Deree, The American College of Greece
Drake University
Dynamy Gap Year
Elon University
Grand Canyon University
Lasell University
McGill University
Michigan State University
Queen’s University - Belfast
Red Rocks Community College
Regis University
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Savannah College of Art & Design
Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
Syracuse University
United States Marine Corps
University College Dublin
University of Arizona
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
University of Colorado Denver
University of Denver
University of Northern Colorado
University of Puget Sound
Denver Academy REPORT OF FINANCES 2024-2025
REVENUE
94% TUITION AND FEES: : $15,835,240
1.5% ENDOWMENT DRAW: $260,000
2.3% ANNUAL GIVING (RESTRICTED AND UNRESTRICTED): $390,581
2.2% GALA: $376,833
TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET: $16,862,654
EXPENSES
73% COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
7% TUITION ASSISTANCE
20% OTHER (MAINTENANCE, INSURANCE, TECH, CONTRACT SERVICES) NUMBER
DIFFERENCE “GAP” PER STUDENT BETWEEN OPERATING BUDGET AND TUITION: $2,000/STUDENT
Endowment
DENVER ACADEMY IS PROUD TO HAVE ESTABLISHED AND GROWN AN ENDOWMENT AS PART OF OUR ONGOING FUNDRAISING EFFORTS OVER THE YEARS. The sky is the limit when it comes to raising endowed funds, assuring perpetual revenue to fund the school’s priorities. Endowment fundraising continues to play a prominent role in our capital campaigns, but each year, there are donors who recognize the importance of endowments to assure financial stability. The DA Board of Trustees intends to prioritize endowment giving in the upcoming capital campaign, with a focus on growing the endowment which will allow significant increases to faculty and staff salaries. The annual draw from our endowment is approximately 4%.
2024-2025 ENDOWMENT DONORS
Anonymous
Brad Bartley and Dipti Nevrekar
Steve and Debbie Dyer
Dave and Chris Fullerton
Ben Gochman and Selene Moreno-Gochman
Aliya and Rehan Hasan
Suzanne Jacobs
Mike and Elizabeth King
Art and Shannon Lowry
Karen Lozow
Kevin Manweiler
Trudy Matlock
The Messinger Family
Marty and Kristin Mihm
Tony Nudel and Angie Miot-Nudel
George Pappas and Brenda Parra
Mandy Rafool
Debbie Reslock
Charles and Christina Rienhoff
Frank and Diane Schilpp
Todd and Jill Simon
Jon Skinner and Alicia Mahoney
Bret and Jessica Sumner
Arthur and Pamela Turton
Linn and Judy Wilson
Give How You Give Best!
THE FUND FOR DENVER ACADEMY:
TUITION IS JUST PART OF WHAT IS NEEDED TO FUND A DA EDUCATION. Each year, the development team and development committee of the board dedicates their time to raising an additional $2,000 per student to make it all happen through the school’s annual fund, the Fund for Denver Academy. Parents, trustees, alumni, alumni parents, foundations, corporations, and our very own faculty and staff give to make up the difference—and we always have fun doing it! Gifts to the school’s annual fund are UNRESTRICTED.
RESTRICTED GIVING TO DENVER ACADEMY:
Each year, the school receives generous donations from donors who wish to restrict their gifts to specific funding needs on campus. In 2024-2025, we received a total of $126,048 in restricted gifts to the following campus budgets:
• Athletics
• Student Clubs and Activities
• Buildings and Grounds
• The Arts
• Program, Division and Department Needs
• Tuition Assistance (the Annual Gala also dedicates its fundraising to this cause)
If you have any questions regarding restricted funds or wish to make a gift to DA that supports budget relief in any of the above areas, please contact:
MICHAEL MCNEILL Director of Development mmcneill@denveracademy.org
Legacy Society
DENVER ACADEMY LEGACY SOCIETY
honors individuals who have planned a bequest or other estate gift to our school. Estate gifts serve as lasting legacies in perpetuating the excellence in education for children with learning differences at Denver Academy. We celebrate this ever-growing circle of friends at an annual dinner at which we share stories about why we have chosen the school itself to be one of our heirs. We gratefully recognize these members here:
Lorraine Alcott and Kurt Reinecke
Jane Anderson
Kent and Valerie Berke
Judy Black
Edward Black *
Janet Bonner
Justin Burns
Ed Callahan and Dulcy Wolverton
Darwin and Debbie Campbell
Bob and Liane Clasen
Shelley Devitt
Jim and Lynn Dierker
Steve Gittelman and Nicky Linn
Valerie and Bert Hamlin
Michael and Wendy Handler
Jerry Hutcheson *
Virginia Hutcheson
Donald and Sharon Jacobs
Phil Johnson and Lou Raders
Tom and Leigh Kahn
Craig Knippenberg and Lisa Patterson
David Knize
Mark and Ruth Lampert
Jim Levinson
Carrie Levy
Jim Loan
Karen Lozow
Bill and Murray Lunsford
Anne Messinger
Paul Messinger *
Scott Neal and Diane Cushman Neal
Sallie O’Connor
Tim O’Connor *
Katherine O’Connor
Peter O’Neil
Doug Pratt
David and Louise Santomarco
Nedree Simpson
Jill Singer
Kevin Smith and Maria Pace Smith
Catherine Smolka *
Anna Stull
Mark and Aimee Twarogowski
Dale and Marty Wagner
Neil and Laura Waldron
John and Missy Warner
Deb Woodward
ANNUAL FUND DONORS
Anonymous (10)
Frank and Tanya Accurso
David Acker
Mindy Adair and Pamela Adams
Justin and Sarah Albert
American Heart Association
Nathan and Karli Anderson
John and Gloria Aplin
Scott and Tricia Arthur
Baird Foundation Inc
Barbara Barron
Miranda Beck
Charles Beckwith
Tim Bell and Alix Joseph
Anne Benedict and Kevin Phillips
Kent and Valerie Berke
Rachel Berke '20
Diane Berry
Kevin and Erin Bird
Bob and Carie Bisdorf
Bob Blickley
Mark Blodgett
Barrie and Jessica Bodden
Adam Boffey
Jonathan and Cindy Bourret
Katie and Andrew Bradford
Jason and Laura Brant
Polly Breit
Orvin Breningstall and Donna Baker-Breningstall
Chad Brenzikofer and Toni Taddonio Brenzikofer
Colin and Corinne Buchanan
Matt Buchanan and Erica Mandell
Terry Buff and Sue Swenson
Richard and Margaret Burley
Eric Bursten '88 and Becky Bursten
Jonny and Tiana Buschmann
Perry and Marlo Butler
Ed Callahan and Dulcy Wolverton
Gloria Cannon
Gay Carlson
Sophia Carpiniello
Kayla Chalk
Eric and Laurie Chandler
Laura Charlier
Adam and Maggie Cherubini
Michael and Tasha Christensen
Gareth and Sheri Churchill
Jill Clausen
Gracie Cole
Colorado Gives Foundation
David Cox '87
Hannah Crawford '10
Nancy Crawford
Jerry and Anne Curran
Tammy Curran
Lane Cutler and Frank Ingram
Marcus and Kristen Danko
Janet and Nick Dascalos
Matt Dastin
Jon and Emily Decker
Kimberley Dempster
Marguerite and Tom Detmer
Shelley and Jerry Devitt
Jamie Diamant
Sam and Holly Dichter
Roger and Beth Dickinson
Chris and Lindsey Diedrich
Randy and Anne Dingle
Andrew and May Dodds
William and Judy Dolan
Rachel Dore
Bobby and Dawn Duhamel
Cece Duhamel
Monet Duhamel
Ben and Laurie Duke
Steve and Debbie Dyer
Ron and Bonnie Edelman
Reid and Carleigh Elkus
Troy and Deb Ellis
Philippe Ernewein
Paul and Brigette Farnsworth
Willa and David Fawer
Lori Feehan
Jonathan Fisher
Jim and Jean Friedberg
Vanessa and Kris Fritzsche
Dave and Chris Fullerton
Karin Gaffney
Alyssa Gafvert
Emily Garbus
Nancy Gary
Gary Philanthropy
Charles Gebetsberger
Ann George
Stuart Gilman and Cathie Walker
Gilman Family Foundation
Hope Gimbel and Steve Bowen
Steve Gittelman and Nicky Linn
Andrew Goodwillie
Catherine Goodwillie
Steve and Cheri Gottula
Andrew and Dana Green
Doug Griffin and Mary Sheron
John Grossman and Pamela Hill Grossman
Jolene and Eduardo Gutierrez
Sean and Erica Haag
Travis and Brittany Hamlin
Valerie and Bert Hamlin
Ken Hammell and Qing Li
Cy and Lyndia Harvey
Bryan and Kari Hassler
Cray and Nina Healy
Tim Healy '06
Pat Heiserman
Allison and Craig Hemenway
Brian and Jess Hesselberg
Jay Hesselberth and Laurie Carr
Lori Hill
Earl and Lori Hoellen
Mary-Liz and Jim Holmes
Phillip Horwitz and Yasmin Cohen
John Howell
Lori and Don Hull
Ginny Hutcheson
Deb Ings
Dan and Barbara Irwin
Kemper and Rachelle Isely
J. K. Mullen Foundation
Malena and Adam Jackson
Don and Sharon Jacobs
Suzanne Jacobs
Jenna Jeffress
Olivia Jennings
Chris and Anne Jensen
Leigh Anne and Doug Jensen
Bryce Johnson '00 and Emily Johnson
Phil Johnson and Lou Raders
Ben Jones and Pam Zachar
Alan Jorgensen
Steve and Nikki KandeLind
Rebecca Keith
Ashley Kelemen
Rob and Kate Kellogg
Bill and Rosalyn King
Mike and Elizabeth King
Chuck Kirkpatrick
Rob and Kathy Klugman
Chris and Laura Lagudis
Tommy Laird
Liz Lammers
Mark and Ruth Lampert
Jim and Niki Langley
Joshua Lazaroff
Suzie Ledford
Breyon and Michael LeDuff
Herb and Ellen Leifer
Andy and Julie LeRoy
Mary and Kent Lester
Denise Levesque
Jim Levinson
Chad Lindburg
Steve and Jan Livingston
Richard and Bonnie Long
Paul Loose
Diane Lowry
Karen Lozow
Kristi and Scott Mackenzie
Bill and Lydia Macmillan
Kelly Mains
Mark J. Heider Charitable Foundation
Holly Marks
Sharon Martin
Mikaela Martinez
Trudy Matlock
Jonathan and Shannon Matt
Matt and Amy McDevitt
Ed and Linda McManis
Michael McNeill
Karen McNeil-Miller and Steve Miller
Sallie Mesker Raila
Amy and John Messenger
Craig Mills and Nancy Willerton
Aaron and Stacy Moore
Beatrice Moore
John and Deana Moore
Brendan Morse
Dave Munroe
PJ Murphy
Robert and Christine Murphy
Rebecca Musil
Bob and Jane Nagel
Cameron Neumann '15
Brad and Sara Nieder
Bryan Nordin
Cris Norin
Northwestern Mutual Life Foundation
Tony Nudel and Angie Miot-Nudel
ANNUAL FUND DONORS
Karl and Suzan Nyquist
Sallie O’Connor
Ben Ollett
Eric Olson and Lauren Schmidt
Peter O’Neil
William O’Neil '09
Kate Oravez
Jason Ortman and Lisa Opper
Otten Johnson
Amy Owen Stettner and Rob Stettner
Ben Palen and Leslie Hammer-Palen
George Pappas and Brenda Parra
Erik and Kay Parker
Scott and Missy Patten
Mary Lou Paulsen
Amy and Mark Payton
Kyla Pellouchoud
Jenn Perry
Susan Peters and Mike Davis
Drew and Bethany Peterson
Kyndal Petrie
Tim Plumb '91
Natalie Pope
Emily Popper
Paul and Hannah Preece
Premier Group Insurance, Inc.
Alan Price
Chloe Rasmuson
Steven and Kathleen Rausch
Christopher Reeder
Blake and Jennipher Rice
Jenni Richards
Cynthia Richardson
Todd Rinehart and Melissa Kutcher
Patrick Ring '10 and Alexa Wynschenk
Risclarity, LLC
Jayme Ritchie
Mark and Nicole Robertson
Matt and Mandy Robertson
Billy and Jennifer Rodgers
Fabio and Eileen Rojas
Mary and Jeff Ross
Roger and Robin Rountree
Kyra Ruscio
Amanda Sawyer
Ed Sawyer
Schneider Family Foundation
Brian and Elexis Schroder
Pat and Larry Seitz
Joe Senne
Wendy Seymour
Mike and Christy Shand
Michael and Keiko Short
Samantha Silverman
Michael and Jen Simons
Jeff and Meg Sippel
Anthony and Jenny Slaughter
Jacob and Kammie Snapp
Starr Snead
Ryan Stander
Charlie Stanitski
Mike and Christine Stanitski
Bob and Saskia Stanley
Sheryl and Tom Stefaniak
Reed Stilwell
Rick Tallian and Nancy Fridstein
Ken Taylor
Julia Teitell
The Colorado Health Foundation
The Hill Foundation
The Murphy Family Foundation
The Jensen Family
Charitable Foundation
Stephen and Lee Thomas
Sandy and Dottie Thomson
Kelly Tisher
Janet Tobin
Patrick and April Toomey
Hannah Topka
Tracy Family Foundation
Jess Trigg '24
Arthur and Pamela Turton
Jeff and Callie Turton
Mark and Aimee Twarogowski
Rick Umbach
University of Colorado Boulder
Kristy Vance and Oscar Gonzalez
Heather Vogelsong
Paul and Kathy Vogelsong
Brian and Pamela Voigt
Dale and Marty Wagner
Jenni Walker
Cayla Warneke
Karen Warren
Nick and Sarah Washburn
Tom and Deanna Weilert
Mike Welch
Beth Whaley and Dave Purdum
Wilson and Allison Wheeler
Eric and Shirly White
Mike Whitehouse and Judy Page
Allan and Bonnie Wicks
Derek and Val Widmayer
Bob and Judith Williams
George Willoughby '17
Barney and Ann Wilson
Mona Wineburg
Steve and Justine Wogsland
Allan and Marta Wolfe
Bill and Elissa Wolf-Tinsman
Kent Wong
Mark Wood
Deb Woodward
Janet Woolley
William Workman
Kacie and CJ Wulf
Dave and Debbie Younggren
Young Yun and Esme Prieto Yun
Austin Zaletel
Wanda Zimmermann
Zocchi Family Foundation
RESTRICTED FUND DONORS
Below we recognize donors who gave last year to specific programs at the school that are dear to them.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Phil Johnson and Lou Raders
HIGH SCHOOL ROBOTICS PROGRAM
Mike and Elizabeth King
Risclarity, LLC
Jayme Ritchie
University of Colorado Boulder
LOUISE MCCABE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Anonymous
Rachel Berke ’20
Orvin Breningstall and
Donna Baker-Breningstall
Gloria Cannon
Bobby and Dawn Duhamel
Lori Feehan
Karin Gaffney
Allison and Craig Hemenway
Jay Hesselberth and Laurie Carr
Suzanne Jacobs
Aaron and Stacy Moore
Brendan Morse
Tim Plumb ’91
Paul and Hannah Preece
Fabio and Eileen Rojas
Ed Sawyer
Brian and Elexis Schroder
Sheryl and Tom Stefaniak
Jess Trigg ’24
Jeff and Callie Turton
Dave and Debbie Younggren
STAFF AND TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Bryan and Kari Hassler
TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Kevin and Erin Bird
Stuart Gilman and Cathie Walker
Gilman Family Foundation
J. K. Mullen Foundation
Reed Stilwell
The Hill Foundation
Tracy Family Foundation
Dale and Marty Wagner
George Willoughby ’17
WINGS OF THE FUTURE AWARD
Steve and Gayle Mooney
HONOR & MEMORIAL GIFTS
In honor of Daniel Askman '25 and Thomas Askman '25
Mandy Rafool
In honor of Seth Bartley '25
Brad Bartley and Dipti Nevrekar
In honor of Colin Claytor '16
Deborah Ings
In honor of Tammy Curran
Ken Taylor
In honor of Andrew Morgan Dodds
Andrew and May Dodds
In honor of David Edelman '03
Ron and Bonnie Edelman
In honor of Willow Evans '25
Dave and Chris Fullerton
In honor of Hope Gimbel
Michael and Jen Simons
In honor of Mateo Gochman-Moreno '25
Ben Gochman and Selene
Moreno-Gochman
In honor of Kaiya Haag
Sean and Erica Haag
In honor of Emre Hasan '25
Aliya and Rehan Hasan
In honor of Tim Healy '06
Cray and Nina Healy
In honor of Jonathon Hemenway '24
Allison and Craig Hemenway
In honor of Lori Hill
Catherine Goodwillie
In honor of Griffin Jacobs '25
Suzanne Jacobs
In honor of Everett Jensen
Chris and Anne Jensen
In honor of Cole Kelley '17
Mark J. Heider Charitable Foundation
In honor of Brendan King '25
Bill and Rosalyn King
Mike and Elizabeth King
Linn and Judy Wilson
In honor of Mara Lampert '08 and Aleeza Lampert Zocchi '14
Mark and Ruth Lampert
In honor of Nick Long '08 and Sammy Long Michel '09
Richard and Bonnie Long
In honor of Matthew Lowry '15
Charles Gebetsberger
In honor of Kylie Lowry '25
Art and Shannon Lowry
In honor of Karen Lozow
Deb Woodward
In honor of Mac Manweiler '25
Kevin Manweiler
In honor of William McDaniel
Ann George
In honor of Ryan Mihm '25
Marty and Kristin Mihm
In honor of Fred Miller
Ben and Laurie Duke
In honor of Aden Nudel '25
Tony Nudel and Angie Miot-Nudel
In honor of Landen Pappas '25
George Pappas and Brenda Parra
In honor of Hugh Rienhoff '25
Charles and Christina Rienhoff
In honor of Sandy Righter
Ed and Linda McManis
In honor of Nicholas Rosales
Janet and Nick Dascalos
In honor of Julia and Olivia Sawyer
Amanda Sawyer
In honor of Andrew Simon '25
Todd and Jill Simon
In honor of Nathan Skinner '25
Jon Skinner and Alicia Mahoney
In honor of Wyatt Sumner '25
Bret and Jessica Sumner
In honor of the teachers who illuminate talent and inspire learning
Gay Carlson
In honor of the entire Development Staff
Shelley and Jerry Devitt
In honor of Elizabeth Tullis '25
Debbie Reslock
In honor of Amelia Turton '25
Arthur and Pamela Turton
In honor of Caroline Van Eldik and all students
Roger and Robin Rountree
In honor of Matthew Welch
Mike Welch
In honor of Kurt Williams '96 and Annae Marie Williams '00
Bob and Judith Williams
In honor of William Wolfe
Allan and Marta Wolfe
In honor of Jack Wood '25
Anonymous
In honor of Deb Woodward
John Farnam and Paul Heitzenrater
In honor of Janet Woolley
Brad and Sara Nieder
In honor of Marco Zocchi '15
Zocchi Family Foundation
In memory of Kathy W. Blickley
Bob Blickley
In memory of James D. Grow Jr. '93
Jerry and Anne Curran
Pat Heiserman
John Howell
Bill and Lydia Macmillan
Kelly Mains
Beatrice Moore
Beth Whaley and Dave Purdum
Allan and Bonnie Wicks
In memory of Eric Jorgensen
Alan Jorgensen
In memory of Casey Kahn
Steve and Debbie Dyer
In memory of Terence Klugman
Rob and Kathy Klugman
In memory of Lanny Martin
Mary and Kent Lester
In memory of Timothy M. O’Connor and Patrick E. O’Connor '84
Sallie O’Connor
In memory of Brody Peters '04
Susan Peters and Mike Davis
In memory of Jason Michael Simpkins
Anonymous
In memory of Paul T. Vogelsong '97
Heather Vogelsong
Paul and Kathy Vogelsong
IN-KIND
Anonymous (2)
David Baker and Emily Stout
Beth Blair and Greg Stoehr
Stephen and Bethany Blankenship
Dan and Cindy Blinci
C.J. and Anne Chapman
Sarah Coakley
Emily Cohen
Dylan Geller ‘92
Tim Healy ‘06
Justin and Maggie Henderson
Wilson Hettinger
Chris and Anne Jensen
Steve and Nikki KandeLind
David Kaplan and Danit Damari Kaplan
Mars Knight
Mike and Nora Kuyk
Matt and Shelley Maloney
Sean Mandel and Christina Wright
Lisa McKinney-Thornberry
Justin Merkow and Robin Bar-On
Christopher and Alexis Miller
Mark and Catherine Murchison
Jeff and Danielle Patton
Zoe Petrie ‘22
Alan Price
Fabio and Eileen Rojas
Laura and Alicia Seitz
Michael and Jen Simons
James and Molly Tobin
Jeff and Callie Turton
Kevin Vicente and Chrissey Buckley
Mike and Sarah Weinberger
Jack Weixel and Sarah Younggren
Zach and Jennifer Williams
EVERY PARENT AT DENVER ACADEMY IS AUTOMATICALLY A MEMBER OF DAPA, THE DENVER ACADEMY PARENT ASSOCIATION. From the end-of-summer welcome to new families to teacher appreciation in May, our community benefits from countless volunteer hours put into making all of us feel like we are part of a family. In addition to current parents, many past parents also continue to be involved through volunteering at the school. If our annual fundraising is a cake, DAPA is surely the icing, and here are some of the ways they contributed to our success in the 2024-2025 school year:
• Parent Meet n’ Greet Coffees for All Grades
• New Parent Orientation and Buddy Program
• Back-to-School Picnic
• Social Hours and Mixers throughout the year
• Lectures, Counseling Events, Guest Speakers (Attorney General Phil Weiser in spring 2025)
• Grandparents’ Day Hospitality
• January Family Event
• Book Clubs
• Faculty and Staff Appreciation Events
• Supporting our athletes through the “Mustang Fan Club”
• Passive Fundraising through King Soopers, Safeway, Albertson’s and Natural Grocers
• After-Prom
• Seasonal Events: Halloween Parties, Teacher Favorite Things, Yard Games, Valentine’s Celebrations, Hot Cocoa Bar, Talent Show, Spring Carnival, Pie Day, Chili Cookoff, High School snacks for finals and much more...
• Adding the “Mustang Cares” club to support community members in need
2024-2025 DAPA OFFICERS
Willa Fawer, President Claire Young, Vice President Meredith Wortzel, Secretary Sandee LaPedis, Treasurer
Gala
DENVER ACADEMY’S ANNUAL GALA MAINTAINS A LONG-HELD TRADITION OF RAISING FUNDS TO HELP FAMILIES WHO DEMONSTRATE A NEED FOR TUITION ASSISTANCE .
In April of 2025, more than 20 volunteers helped our development staff secure items for the online and live auctions, and with more than 300 guests in attendance, we painted a mural together, learned how to make floral bouquets, and watched an artist paint a floral still-life that was later auctioned off. Alumni Kris Kerr and Zoe Petrie spoke about their experiences at Denver Academy and inspired many generous paddle waves that brought the total raised for the evening to $376,833!
WE THANK ALL OF OUR GENEROUS GALA SUPPORTERS:
Anonymous (3)
Mindy Adair and Pamela Adams
Oneshin Aiken and Jenny Foulkes
Atelier Interior Design
Keeth and Kristy Badger
Amanda Barry
Chris Baumgartner and Karen Nichols
Tim Bell and Alix Joseph
Anne Benedict and Kevin Phillips
Kent and Valerie Berke
Marie Berry
Birch Psychology
Jan Bonner
Peter and Katy Brown
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Perry and Marlo Butler
C Lee Photography Inc.
Christopher Castoro CCS Fundraising
Mark and Christy Chandler
Clutch Design Studio
Tim and Emily Colby
Gracie Cole
Marc and Amity Cooper
DAPA
Janet and Nick Dascalos
Kimberley Dempster
Mike and Achala Dennison
Marc Diamant
Sam and Holly Dichter
Chris and Lindsey Diedrich
Dominic DiFranco '13
Randy and Aubrie Dolan
Justin Donahoe '06 and Brandie Donahoe
Douglas and Jada Draper
Bobby and Dawn Duhamel
Jeff and Fernanda Durmer
Reid and Carleigh Elkus
Hanna Erdahl
Philippe Ernewein
John Farnam and Paul Heitzenrater
Willa and David Fawer
Andrew Fischer and Allegra Fullerton
Greg Fisher and Stacy Chesney
Jonathan Fisher
John and Annie Fitzgerald
Chip and Nicole Ford
Jeb and Meg Freedman
Carla Frenzel and Jim Casey
Brad and Hayley Freundlich
Jim and Jean Friedberg
Alyssa Gafvert
Dan and Rebecca Galemba
Georgia Gallagher and David Fawley
Nancy Gary
Stuart Gilman and Cathie Walker
Gilman Family Foundation
Go the Distance Travel
Andrew Goodwillie
Catherine Goodwillie
John Grossman and Pamela Hill Grossman
Mary Beth Gudal
Brad and Melissa Gustafson
Sean and Erica Haag
Bob and Rachel Hall
Dave and Ashley Halverson
Travis and Brittany Hamlin
Valerie and Bert Hamlin
Ali Hampton and Stephen Goldberg
Bryan and Kari Hassler
Steve and Mary Beth Haugen
Wally and Averee Heidenreich
Kevin Hein and Patti Jacobs Hein
Justin and Maggie Henderson
Brian and Jess Hesselberg
Jay Hesselberth and Laurie Carr
Earl and Lori Hoellen
Stan and Jan Holzwart
Sean Hughes
Lori and Don Hull
Patima Hunter
Julie Ireland
ISU Insurance Services of Colorado, Inc.
Malena and Adam Jackson
Howard Janzen
Chad and Marci Jenkins
Dhiren Jhaveri and Neelima Joshi
Bryce Johnson '00 and Emily Johnson
Greg and Andrea Johnson
Ben Jones and Pam Zachar
James and Paige Justus
Jon and Kate Kalstein
Steve and Nikki KandeLind
Scott and Rebecca Kanov
David Kaplan and Danit Damari Kaplan
Beth Kelley and Kelly Bastian
Rob and Kate Kellogg
Mike and Elizabeth King
Stephen and Amy Kinsler
Craig Knippenberg and Lisa Patterson
Knippenberg, Patterson, Langley & Associates
Aaron and Sandee LaPedis
Demetrius Latsis '19
Breyon and Michael LeDuff
Herb and Ellen Leifer
Rob and Sarah Leifer
Andy and Julie LeRoy
Mary and Kent Lester
Dave Leveque
Dennis Linderman and Tessa Walker Linderman
Amy Livingston
Karen Lozow
Dave Lucente and Marcy Tatsch
Kristi and Scott Mackenzie
Matt and Shelley Maloney
Craig Mandel and Kerrie Shulman
Sean Mandel and Christina Wright
Martin/Martin, Inc.
Andrew and Debbie McGinley
George and Cheryl McLaughlin
McLaughlin Law Firm, P.C.
Michael McNeill
Keith and Brooke Medosch
Beth Meier
Matt and Megan Mersfelder
Marty and Kristin Mihm
Steve and Sisley Milroy
Katie Minor
Steve and Gayle Mooney
Aaron and Stacy Moore
Jeremy Moskowitz and Laura Rubinstein
Rebecca Musil
Nikki Nolan '03
Katherine O’Connor
Rich and Cindy Olds
Eric Olson and Lauren Schmidt
Kate Oravez
Jason Ortman and Lisa Opper
Erik and Kay Parker
Jenn and Jeff Perry
Susan Peters and Mike Davis
Todd and Lisa Peters
Rachel and Steve Petrie
Zach Petrie '19
Mitch Phillips and Beth Ganz
Ethan Pinkert
Mark and Christy Pletcher
Emily Popper
Premier Group Insurance, Inc.
R E Aimee Inc.
Eric and Sarah Reed
Blake and Jennipher Rice
Charles and Christina Rienhoff
Mark and Nicole Robertson
Matt and Mandy Robertson
Joanne and Peter Robson
Billy and Jennifer Rodgers
Fabio and Eileen Rojas
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Mike and Lori Rubin
Sue Rutherford-Prechtl
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Regan Schmergel and Shannon Baird
Brian and Elexis Schroder
Max and Katie Schroder
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Mike and Christy Shand
Chris Shank and Lesley Bevan
Michael and Michelle Sherwin
Todd and Jill Simon
Michael and Jen Simons
Kenneth and Lakeasha Smith
Smith, Brooks, Bolshoun & Co.
Katie and John Sprehe
Mike and Christine Stanitski
Sheryl and Tom Stefaniak
Reed Stilwell
Bret and Jessica Sumner
Syntrinsic Investment Counsel
Tony and Pam Taddonio
Taddonio Family Foundation
Alexei and Amy Temkin
The Carson Foundation
The Pilates Collective
Mike and Kelli Theis
Sarah Tippetts
James and Molly Tobin
Janet Tobin
Andi Todaro
Patrick and April Toomey
Hannah Topka
Jeremy and Kim Troggio
Mark and Aimee Twarogowski
Adam and Alissa Ulitzky
Kristy Vance and Oscar Gonzalez
Jack Weixel and Sarah Younggren
Eric and Shirly White
Scott and Suzan Whitefoot
Zach and Jennifer Williams
Andrew and Jennifer Wilson
Barney and Ann Wilson
Linn and Judy Wilson
Mark Wood
Steven Woodrow
Travis and Brooke Woodruff
Deb Woodward
Hal and Meredith Wortzel
Kacie and CJ Wulf
Lori Wulf
Dave and Debbie Younggren
Young Yun and Esme Prieto Yun
Zarlengo and Kimmell, PC
THANK YOU TO ALL AUCTION ITEM DONORS:
5280 Magazine
Adams Mystery Playhouse
Adventures in Dance
AEG Live
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AEG Presents Rocky Mountain
African Eyes Travel
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Archery Games Denver
Art Students League of Denver
Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
Ashley Schenkein
Jewelry Design
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Atomic Cowboy
Avid4 Adventure
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Balani Custom Clothiers
barre3 Belleview Station
Barry’s Denver
Beat The Bomb
Benihana’s of Tokyo
Kent and Valerie Berke
Beyond the Blackboard
Big Bill’s New York Pizza
Bike Source, University Hills
Birdcall
Blanchard Family Wines
Blue AGAVE GRILL
Bolder Play
Bonnie Brae Ice Cream
Boondocks Food & Fun
Boychik
Chad Brenzikofer and Toni
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Broken Tee Golf Course
Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave
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Camp Timberline
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Club Pilates Cherry Hills
Cochino Taco
Colorado Rapids
Youth Soccer Club
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Comedy Works
Common Ground Golf Course
Common Threads
Community Sailing of Colorado
Core Culinary
Cranelli’s Italian Restaurant
Crested Butte Nordic Center
Curious Jane
DA Pine Ridge Experiential
Marilyn Dana
Daniels Chiropractic
DeFINE Design
DelaFoto Portraits
Denver Art Museum
Denver Golf
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Denver Museum of Nature & Science
DiFranco’s Italian
Discovery Center
Space Foundation
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Gold Crown Foundation
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Golf Westminster
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Kiowa Creek Sporting Club
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Liks Ice Cream
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Stanley Beer Hall
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Target Corporation
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Wallaroo Hat Company
Western Museum of Mining & Industry
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Woods Boss
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YMCA of the Rockies
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Celebrating Our Teachers and Staff
AT DENVER ACADEMY THERE’S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT TO US THAN OUR FACULTY AND STAFF. Each year we honor members of the community who have stood out in their service to the school. Congratulations to this year’s winners.
Check this out!
Denver Academy was featured on a recent episode of A World of Difference: Embracing Neurodiversity. The film crew visited our campus in mid-November 2024, and the show aired on PBS on May 3. Several of our seniors and staff were featured on that segment, including Willow, Tristan, Andrew, and Jack.
Enjoy the segment by scanning the QR code or visiting www.awodtv.org/segment/denveracademy
Teacher of the Year 2025
HOLLY MARKS
The Kevin Gregier Teacher of the Year Award is a cash award given for excellence in teaching at Denver Academy. The winner demonstrates outstanding job performance, positive interactions with students, parents, and peers, creativity, and commitment to the school’s mission.
Staff Member of the Year 2025
CHLOE RASMUSON
The Staff Member of the Year Award is a cash award given for excellence in service to Denver Academy. Each year this is given to a full-time staff member who demonstrates professionalism, positivity and dedication to putting people first.
Wings of the Future Award KYRA RUSCIO
The Denver Academy Wings of the Future Award is an annual honor given to an individual for excellence in teaching and leadership. This cash award for professional development is given to a staff member who demonstrates excellence in teaching and leadership, and who demonstrates professionalism, competence and commitment. We look forward to hearing about Kyra’s project next year!
Acres
in
Lower School Teachers (grades 2-8) Trained in Orton Gillingham Approach to Teaching Reading and Spelling
1972 Year Founded
Only 1 Favorite School :)
6-12 Grades that Participate in Competitive Teams: Volleyball, Soccer, Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing, Basketball, Esports, Golf, Baseball, Cross-Country, Track and Field, Robotics
3 Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Student Groups
14 Students on the No Place for Hate Committee
11 Years Average Tenure of Faculty
6:1 Student-toFaculty Ratio 124 Faculty and Staff
25,000 Square Feet in our Athletic Center Opened in 2019
15 Honors Courses Offered
5 Student Travel Trips Annually
16,000 Square Feet Dedicated to the Performing Arts in the New Louise McCabe Performing Arts Center Opened in 2023
20 Students in the International Thespian Honor Society
30 Students in the Cast and Crew of the Fall Play
100 Hours of Professional Development for Each Teacher Annually
Mints Dispensed From Mr. T’s Giant Spoon
In Memoriam
LOUISE HAYES MCCABE 1934-2025
It is with great sadness that we share with our community the passing of longtime DA educator and community member, Louise McCabe. Louise began her teaching career in 1977 as a teacher’s aide. By the time she retired in 2000, she had become Head of the Lower School. In recognition of her extraordinary dedication, DA honored her in 2023 by naming our newly constructed building the Louise McCabe Performing Arts Center.
There was truly no one like Louise. Her warmth, elegance, kindness, devotion to family, and lifelong dedication to education made her an angel among us. She taught us that every time of day is a good time to enjoy champagne, that you don’t have to get your face wet to have fun in the pool, that the coldest Broncos games are better with homemade cookies, that a good book is a faithful friend, that a sister is worth more than gold, that babies don’t keep, and that every child is special. Our heartbreak is softened only by gratitude for the years we shared with her, for the lessons she instilled, and for the love she gave so freely.
is pictured center with family in celebration of Denver Academy’s new Performing Arts Center, named in her honor.
Louise
