MEET OUR BOARD

Chad grew up in Westminster, Colorado and graduated with an accounting degree from Regis University in Denver’s northside, where he met his wife Shantelle. They have four bio- kids, although you will usually find more foster kids in the home, having started foster care with the City of Denver in 2013. They have been living in Denver for 23+ years, with the last 12 years in Denver’s westside. Chad started his career with a Big 4 Accounting Firm in Denver, passed the CPA exam in Colorado, and spent three years in the audit practice before transitioning to work in industry. He was a practicing financial accountant for the next 15 years for two different multi-billion dollar organizations (public & private equity backed), finishing his last 5 years as Controller & Director of Financial Reporting. Chad & Shantelle launched West Colfax Lampstand in 2016 with a vision to outrageously love their neighbors and be a family on a mission to take action whenever and wherever they encountered suffering. As the neighborhood began gentrifying, they entered into development and construction and self-developed a 9-unit affordable townhome project in 2016, where they currently live and then completed a 20-unit affordable apartment project in 2022 a block away.  

Shantelle is a Colorado native and Denver resident for over 25 years. She taught secondary mathematics before moving into the West Colfax neighborhood in 2013, when she and her family began filling their home with foster children, as well as individuals and families experiencing turmoil. She seeks to lock arms through long-term relationships with economically and racially diverse individuals, stretching her far beyond any previous life experiences. A longing for a rich community led to the building of a 9-unit townhome with the purpose of living in an intentional community, where a diverse collection of individuals and families now gather their unique and powerful talents to serve and love all parts of the local neighborhood. She regularly leads and volunteers with organizations serving those experiencing homelessness and at-risk children, including the local neighborhood schools where she is actively engaged. In 2022, Shantelle was elected as co-president of the West Colfax Association of Neighbors (WeCAN), the local RNO, where she continues to volunteer her time to further connect neighbors into local resources and events. Shantelle is married to Chad and they have four kids that all share in this craziness of life and bring their unique giftings to the table to pursue their passion for loving people well.

SSG Lacy McDonald served honorably with the United States Army for 13 years with 2 deployments to Afghanistan. Currently, he volunteers full-time at Lake Middle School as a fitness coach and garden lead, providing weekly lessons to Lake’s center-based students. Additionally, he created a nonprofit organization called Outer Haven that provides outdoor urban education through fitness, camping, gardening, and archery. Lacy was a highly decorated Soldier being awarded the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Combat Action Badge, Army Commendation Medal with Valor, and nominated Soldier of the year in 2014 by the Chamber of Commerce of Aurora. Lacy has an extensive background mentoring and guiding the youth over the last 8 years. It is Lacy's goal to provide wisdom, character building, social-emotional support, and leadership skills for the youth today to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Cody is an attorney with a national law firm, McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney and Carpenter.  The focus of his practice is primarily litigation. Cody was raised in Durango, Colorado and received his undergraduate degree from Colorado State University in Fort Collins. He graduated cum laude from Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach. While in law school he served as a staff editor for the Journal of Global Justice and Public Policy and authored several published articles in the area of international law. After graduating from law school, Cody served as law clerk to the Honorable Paul A. Roetman, Presiding Judge of the Second Judicial District of Alaska. Prior to law school, Cody and his wife spent five years in Uganda, Africa with a non-governmental organization focused on providing sustainable solutions to community poverty.

Ann retired from the Denver Public Schools in 2021 after 31 years of teaching, with 14 years at Colfax Elementary. She currently serves as the President of Denver Classroom Teacher Association-Retired, and several other positions for Colorado Education Association and Denver Uniserv Unit. Ann is a community advocate for students, teachers and families. She has 1 adult daughter, 2 granddaughters and has raised her 2 nephews along with a step-daughter. Ann supports all Denver Sports Teams but never misses a home Broncos game. She was born and raised in Denver’s Northside where she still resides today.

Jennifer has been living in the West Colfax neighborhood for the last 6 years with her husband and two kids. You might see her and her family riding bikes or walking to the many playgrounds in the area. She loves connecting with those around her and providing support for kids and moms in the neighborhood. Jennifer worked in education as a teacher for 8 years and is currently homeschooling her kids. She coordinates a food rescue distribution site to provide free food for families in the West Colfax neighborhood. This is a great way to not only connect with neighbors, but to also help families put food on the table while limiting food waste. She is a Colorado native and loves spending time outdoors. 

Jessica has been a Denver Public School teacher for over 20 years. In 2019, she took a leave from teaching and focused on finding solutions to the displacement she witnessed in her classroom. During that time, she was named one of Denverite’s Who’s Next in Housing and was appointed by the Mayor to be on The City of Denver’s Housing Advisory Committee. She is currently working with Mile High Ministries to provide education and technical assistance to churches as they consider how they might transform their underutilized land into affordable housing.