CRI Board of Directors
Lora A. Wilson, PhD — President Board of Directors
Lora received her PhD from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus from the Molecular Biology Program. She was the Director of Laboratory Operations researching novel molecular based therapies for pancreatic cancer as part of the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Lora joined Pfizer in 2014 and is a Field Medical Director. She provides medical support for Pfizer’s genitourinary therapies which include therapies for bladder, kidney, and prostate cancer.
Lora has been active with CRI since 2012, as a mentor for two girls who were interested in biomedical research. After spending the entire school year with the young ladies, Lora became a board member. The 2022 -2023 school year is Lora’s first year as Board President.
Michael Cookson, MD — Vice President Board of Directors
Michael first became involved with CRI as a science mentor in 2013 and joined the Board in 2018. He is currently a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Colorado. He received his Bachelor's from CU-Boulder, his MHS from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health followed by medical school at CU School of Medicine. Outside the hospital, Michael and his wife, Katelyn, both long time Colorado residents, love to hike, camp, and ski anywhere they can in the mountains with their puppy, Mendel.
Pablo Monroy — Secretary
Pablo Monroy first volunteered for CRI's Academic Mentors program in 2020 sharing his expertise as an Architect. Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, he received his Architecture degree as well as a Fine Arts degree from the Rhode Island School of Design. After over 10 years in the construction industry, involved in building schools, healthcare and other public facilities, he currently specializes in designing educational and government projects throughout the country.
Scott Hally — Treasurer
Scott is a Senior Electrical Engineer at Medtronic in the Denver area. He recently volunteered with CRI as an Academic Mentor to a student interested in a engineering career. Prior to moving to Colorado, Scott was involved with multiple philanthropic efforts in Pittsburgh. Scott is also a skilled photographer.
Andrew Baker
With over 8 years of experience in social impact technology, Andrew’s roots are at the intersection of human centered design and behavioral health. As former VP of Product at Grit Digital Health, Andrew brought a user-focused strategy to scale for an organization that partners with hundreds Higher Ed, K-12, and state/local organizations to support the mental health and wellbeing of their communities.
In his current role as VP of Digital Products at The Jed Foundation, Andrew guides JED’s product roadmap across several audiences and experiences. Whether directly serving youth through JED's Mental Health Resource Center, or supporting systems change through JED's Academic Programs, Andrew seeks to unify the organization’s core user experience and drive measurable change in the mental health of JED's audiences. Andrew is deeply passionate about suicide prevention and youth mental health, and is grateful to focus his career in these spaces.
Outside of his role at JED, Andrew is a part-time faculty member at The University of Colorado, where he teaches in a graduate-level design program called CMCI Studio.
Wynn Gandera
Wynn Gandera is a proud fifth generation Colorado native. She grew up in Boulder and graduated from Colorado College in 1974 with a dual major in Political Science and Geology. Her first job was in Washington, D.C. working for the State Department on the Arab/Israeli Desk. She returned to Colorado to join in the oil boom of the 1970s. After 10 exciting years as a geologist in the petroleum industry, Wynn returned to the classroom to get her Masters in Secondary Education from the University of Colorado at Denver in 1987. Her years teaching various sciences to middle school and high school students in the Cherry Creek School District were extremely rewarding. In addition, she developed and taught three on-line programs for the Cherry Creek School District.
Working with the students in Denver Public Schools and Community Resources, Inc. for the past 16 years has been a highlight of Wynn’s next chapter. She fell in love with CRI when first introduced to a Family Night Program. Assisting with these evening programs as well as Academic Mentors and Science Fairs have been particularly rewarding. They are wonderful forums for students to learn and grow as well as for families to participate in their child’s education.
Wynn has served as president of the CRI Board and acts as a liaison to the Denver Rotary Club.
Hillary Ta
Hillary is originally from Los Angeles, CA and is currently a student in the School of Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She recently became involved with CRI as an Academic Mentor to a DPS student interested in a career in medicine. In addition, she has assisted CRI by cultivating pipeline programs and initiating grant funding through her school.
Beth Vinson
Beth Vinson currently serves as the Director of STEAM at Denver Public Schools. Before this role, she served as the Principal of Barnum Elementary in southwest Denver for six years. She is a member of the DPS Sustainability Task Force. Beth brings over 15 years of experience in K-12 and higher education and a deep commitment to educational equity, innovation, and excellence. She has developed a strong track record in leadership development, establishing strong school culture, and achieving high academic results.
Beth holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and Certificate of International Business from the University of Arizona, a Master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction, and Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) Graduate Certificate & Principal Licensure from the University of Denver. She is a proud recipient of the 2012 Presidential Award for Mathematics and Science Teachers. In addition, Beth is Leverage Leadership Institute Platinum Leader (2020-21), a selective program for exceptional leaders. She is recognized as the Top 10 STEM Directors 2023 by Educational Technology Magazine.
