Meet Our Staff Members
Jessica Beckman, Executive Director
In early 2003, Jessica Beckman joined Community Educational Outreach’s (CEO) instructional team. Jessica enjoys working with adult learners and strongly supports the idea that education is a critical step in gaining and maintaining independence. A GED graduate herself, Jessica is an excellent role model for GED students. In 2004, Jessica was promoted to Program Director and she created two new CEO programs: H.I.R.E. (Help, Information, and Resources for Employment) and S.K.I.L.L.S. (Strengthening Knowledge In Literacy and Life Skills.) Jessica specializes in developing services that target adult students who are completing sentences in community correctional facilities, and she is passionate about developing and implementing programs that support positive re-entry. In January 2005, Jessica accepted the Executive Director position and increased organizational funding, total site partners, and the number of staff positions. Jessica possesses a BA/BS in Social Science and Business Administration as well as a Masters degree in Nonprofit Management (MNM) from Regis University. Jessica has participated on various adult-ed boards and committees -CAEPA, Literacy Coalition of Colorado, Kaplan College- and she hopes to continue making a difference in her community.
ICCS–Lakewood
Dory Dannettell, Program Director
As a long time business executive, Dory Dannettell brings a real life perspective to her teaching and educating with Community Educational Outreach. She began her career in the mortgage industry shortly after college. Always the educator, Dory ensured her first time homebuyer clients were well informed and well educated. Over the years, her passion for teaching others has brought many educational opportunities, including creating and instructing courses with Colorado Free University. Most recently, Dory took on the role of teacher and counselor while home-schooling her daughter through high school. Dory is currently completing her Literacy Instructor’s Authorization certificate. Her goal is to instill a love of learning into her student’s minds and hearts, and she believes that CEO is working to make that a reality in the lives of the students.
Matthew Anfield, Instructional Coordinator
Matt Anfield left Colorado after high school and joined the United States Marine Corps Reserves in 2001. After moving to Nebraska for school he found his passion for working with people as a Caseworker at Nebraska State Penitentiary. There his interactions with the inmates and their families inspired Matt and set him on a course to become an educator. Matt returned to Colorado and began working toward his teaching degree at Metropolitan State College of Denver while working as a counselor at a residential facility in the Denver area. During his four years as a residential counselor Matt was deployed to Iraq and returned to continue his goal of becoming a teacher. Matt has recently graduated from college with a degree in Human Development and a teaching license. Through CEO, Matt has rediscovered his passion for working with adults. Matt is excited to combine all his experiences and teacher training to make an impact in the lives of others.
Vanessa Montano, Instructor
Vanessa is a recent college graduate from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has a BA in English and History. After moving to Denver in 2010, Vanessa began volunteering for Intercambio de Communidades, a non-profit organization in which she taught English to Spanish speaking adults. It was there that she discovered her passion for adult education. She began doing her research and found CEO. There she found a way to expand her experience in adult education beyond teaching English. She is now the GED instructor at the Department of Corrections, Division of Adult Parole. She hopes to pass on to her students her philosophy that it is never too late to get an education in order to gain self wealth and independence.
Kellsie Endres, Instructor
Kellsie recently graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with an bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, Minor in Art History and President’s Leadership Program. She first started her career with CEO during her Senior year in college as a volunteer at the Greeley facility where she assisted low level readers improve reading skills and GED students prepare for official test sections. During this time, Kellsie discovered her passion for teaching adult offenders residing in a community correctional facility. Additionally, she realized the incredible impact that GED, SKILLS, and HIRE courses can have on helping students positively re-enter local communities. Kellsie is a firm believer that education and employment opportunities increase independence and therefore reduce recidivism!
ICCS–Greeley
Rob Van Doren, Program Director
Born, raised, and educated in Iowa, Rob has recently relocated to Colorado to join the CEO team. With a firm conviction that incarceration should be centered around rehabilitation, CEO is a perfect match for him. He hopes to utilize his experience with adult populations, combined with an advanced degree in psychology, to assist students in achieving their goals. With experience in both traditional lecturing and individualized tutoring, Rob has found the CEO approach to education highly gratifying. Lastly, Rob feels extremely fortunate to be with CEO in Colorado, as it's the place he's always wanted to live.
Blair Nyline, Instructor
Blair moved to Greeley from Minnesota a year ago to start her Master’s degree in clinical counseling. She has a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and plans on eventually getting her Doctorate in counseling psychology. Working in the CEO classroom has been a great way for her to build her counseling skills and apply her knowledge. This is her first time teaching in a classroom setting and she has found that she really enjoys it. She has started a weekly poetry class where the clients analyze various poems which they really enjoy. If there is enough interest, she may start teaching a psychology course on Sundays.
Laura Wolf, Instructor
Laura believes that education is a journey, and that life continually presents us with opportunities for learning. Since she has spent most of her life in the Greeley area, Laura feels strongly about making a contribution to improving her community. One of the best ways of achieving that goal is through providing education and learning resources to CEO students. Laura has achieved her BA in Social Sciences with an emphasis in Education, in addition to working for several years in the Writing Center at Aims Community College. She hopes to use her background and experience to encourage CEO students to continue pursuing their educational goals beyond the time they have spent in our classrooms. By focusing on each individual’s unique strengths, Laura strives to empower students with the confidence they need to succeed.
Resource Educational Community Center (RECC)
Karen Bowen, Program Director
Karen has worked as an adult educator since 1996, beginning as a VISTA volunteer in a small GED program in New Mexico. She now directs the Resource Education Community Center, a GED program made possible by a partnership between CEO and the First Judicial District. She has taught for the Albuquerque Academy, the University of New Mexico’s Adult Education program, Colorado Northwestern Community College, and Naropa University. She received her B.A. in Literature from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT and went on to complete her M.A.Ed. with Colorado State University. In 2005, she received her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University. She has also served as a board member for the Literacy Coalition of Colorado and the Colorado Adult Education Professional Association. Her commitment to the field is persistent. She believes education is required for self-advocacy and self-actualization, and that it’s fun, too.
Jefferson High School
Natriece Bryant, Instructor
Natriece has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Colorado and a Master’s degree from Regis University in Business Administration. Additionally, Natriece has two other Master’s degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice from the University of Colorado, Denver. She has a passion for teaching and has worked as an Instructor for the University of Colorado (CU) Succeed Program teaching college level courses in Criminal Justice. since 2009. Natriece owns her own consulting company and contracts with various agencies to help develop business and strategic plans for their companies as well as writing grants and assisting with a variety of other business related services. In addition, Natriece works for the City and County of Denver as a Victim Specialist for domestic violence court cases. She possesses a strong passion for helping people educate themselves and has always enjoyed teaching adults and teenagers. My appreciation for adult education comes from the different levels of students that I have worked with in the past and I value those that take the time to educate themselves and others around them.
Eric Brown, Instructor
Eric Brown has lived in the community for several years and was familiar with ICCS and CEO prior to applying for a position as an instructor at CEO. Eric had seen friends and family become institutionalized to varying degrees and realized that this was primarily a combined effect of drug use and lack of education. The job announcement from CEO came to Eric through the job serve at the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado at Denver. The school focuses on pubic and non-profit management and provides resources to connect GSPA Alumni and local public and non-profit sector managers in order to fill vacancies with qualified individuals. Given Eric’s familiarity with CEO, the link between education and recidivism and previous non-profit experience Eric eagerly applied for the instructor position and was granted it. Eric also really enjoys referring to himself in the third person.
Parker Library
Ann Geddes Taylor, Instructor
Ann was born and raised in Colorado Springs and she knew from the time she was in 2nd grade that she wanted to be a teacher. Ann graduated from University of Colorado in Boulder and went on to get a Master's Degree in Deaf Education. She became a high school teacher of the Deaf where she was "introduced" to Deaf culture and American Sign Language. During her time as a teacher, she was often called upon to go out into the community and interpret. She has been an interpreter for more than 35 years and is able to instruct GED classes to the hearing impaired should this ever be a need. 10 years ago Ann began teaching GED at one of the State Correctional Facilities and loved the challenge and the obvious rewards. She has taught GED preparation ever since in a variety of places and she absolutely loves it.
Castle Rock Library
Ian Stanford, Instructor
Ian was a volunteer firefighter for many years and rose to the rank of lieutentant, as well as taking on the position as company safety officer. During that time, he was also a county and state adjunct fire instructor. While performing his duties in these positions, Ian became aware of serious gaps in the education system that left our young people without the necessary basic skills to meet life on life's own terms. Assisting recruit firefighters with literacy led him to want to help more.
When the opportunity of the GED preparation class at the Castle Rock library was offered, Ian jumped in with both feet. Although the GED is different from any other adult education he is used to, he is determined to adapt his skills to this challenge to give others the opportunity to grow beyond wherethey find themselves. “Seeing a student achieve a goal they did not think possible is something greater
than words can describe.”
