We know it takes all of us – the entire community – to make sure every child learns to read. We focus every aspect of the work on our students. From school partnerships to family engagement to volunteer training to AmeriCorps service, since 2012, Reading Partners has been active in the movement for educational equity for all Colorado’s children.
Reading Partners Colorado is powered by AmeriCorps, a federal agency for national service. We mobilize AmeriCorps members to recruit and coach volunteers, support students during and outside of tutoring sessions, work on capacity-building projects, and so much more.
Meet our team
Melissa Monforti joins Reading Partners with more than 20 years of experience as both an entrepreneur and nonprofit leader with a strong track record of executing results. Most recently, Melissa served as the founding executive director for BookGive, a nonprofit provider of free books, in fact providing high-quality books to many of the students Reading Partners Colorado serves. Prior to launching BookGive, Melissa owned three small businesses simultaneously over 15 years and served in every level of nonprofit leadership with organizations as diverse as the Taoist Tai Chi Society and The Center. Melissa earned a BS from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and holds a Masters of Nonprofit Management from Regis University as a Colorado Trust Fellow. Melissa is passionate about our REDI work at Reading Partners, sharing our commitment to equity in literacy.
Melissa brings a serious commitment to finding joy in working together toward a bold vision. She is a certified spiritual director, singer-songwriter and recording artist, visual artist, and poet. Melissa enjoys traveling, and also hanging at home, with her husband, Lars, and their blended family of three adult children and their dog, Joey. Any day of the week she can be found hiking the foothills above her home in Golden, curled up with a good novel, cooking, gardening, or all of the above.
Brett has worked in education for the last 8 years and this will be his 5th year with Reading Partners! Brett is excited for Reading Partners to grow and expand this year! Brett graduated from Colgate University with a bachelor’s degree in English and religious studies before attending Princeton Theological Seminary for his Master of Divinity. He then worked as a director of Christian Education before relocating to Denver to pursue classroom education. Brett loves hiking, skiing, and biking, and is an avid cook and traveler.
Hannah joined the Reading Partners team in 2019 as a volunteer coordinator. Her passion for education and civic engagement made Reading Partners feel like the perfect fit. After her service year with Reading Partners, Hannah worked for the University of Colorado Denver as a recruiter, managing a portfolio of 5 in-state institutions and students from 13 states. In her role as community engagement manager, Hannah uses her years of recruiting experience and knowledge of the Colorado education landscape to attract diverse and motivated tutors. Hannah holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Hospitality from Colorado Mesa University and is a proud Denver native. When she’s not recruiting new volunteers, you can find Hannah hiking, reading, and exploring new places with her pup, Louise.
Kalian deBruyn joined Reading Partners in 2018, where she served a year as an AmeriCorps site coordinator at MacArthur Elementary. Kalian first joined the Reading Partners full-time staff as a community engagement coordinator of operations in July of 2019 and is now excited to continue working with students and volunteers in a new capacity as Community Engagement Associate in Colorado. Prior to Reading Partners, Kalian studied international community development with a focus on nonprofit work. She worked at the Tulsa City-County Library, which exposed her to the world of books and the magic of early childhood literacy development.
This will be my second year at Reading Partners. My first year was a year of service where I was a Program Coordinator. My Reading Center was located in Dora Moore Elementary in Denver, CO. That year of service changed me. It shifted my passions. Both in my career goals and in life. Seeing the impact this program had on the kids in my center and nationwide was truly astounding! Also, getting to work with the wonderful people who volunteer their time to help with this great mission was inspiring! It is what motivated me to see how I could continue to work for this wonderful company. I am now moving into the role of Program Manager for the CO region. I couldn’t be more excited and hope my past experiences can help what is already an amazing team and organization! I relocated to Denver 8 years ago for my previous job where I also worked for a non-profit. Prior to living here, I lived the majority of my life in Florida. This will explain my sports fandom. If there is a Tampa (Rays, Bucs, or Lightning) or Florida State game there’s a 99% chance I am somewhere watching it. When that’s not happening, I have 3 dogs that I love to take out and enjoy all the wonderful outdoor activities Colorado has to offer. In the wintertime, you will catch me most weekends (that aren’t gamedays) snowboarding. I am not very good so you will usually catch me the following Monday and Tuesday after hobbling around due to injury.
Jordyn Jefferson (she/her/hers) moved to Denver in 2020 to serve as director of development at Lighthouse Writers Workshop, where she led a $5M capital campaign to build Lighthouse’s new facility. Prior to that, she worked in fundraising for nonprofit organizations throughout New York City, with a focus on education access for under-resourced youth. She earned her bachelor’s at Northwestern University and a master’s in Fundraising and Grantmaking from NYU. In her free time, you can find Jordyn outside with her husband and daughter, cuddling with her dog and cat, canning jams and pickling anything that can be pickled, cross stitching, or working on her dream of becoming a children’s book author.
John Owsley was thrilled to join the Reading Partners Colorado team in the spring of 2024! Prior to joining Reading Partners, John started his career in accounting and spent several years supporting the fiscal operations of the nonprofit organizations he worked for. Eventually, he realized that he needed to take his career in a new direction and focus on his passions of relationship-building and community-centered work. John graduated from the University of Denver with a Master of Taxation Law and is a registered CPA in Colorado. Outside of work, you can find him listening to his favorite music, collecting crystals from local stores, and enjoying various activities at the park with his friends, family, or his partner, Matt.
Board
Matt Daley, Board Chair
Megan Burke, IMA Financial Group
Prince Dykes, Royal Financial Investment Group
Jim Emme, Retired Geologist & Energy Executive
Brendan Leanos, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
Sandy Levine, DaVita
Stacey McDole, City and County of Denver
James Ringer, The Joshua School
Omer Sarwana, Guild