- Organization Chart

Volunteer Connection Board of Directors

Each Board member works to strengthen and support Volunteer Connection programs. Board members come from a variety of professional and service backgrounds.

Chris Benham
Chris has more than 20 years of marketing experience and was most recently Vice President of Marketing at Boulder-based Webroot Software Inc. Chris has a BS in Marketing and a BA in English from the University of Kansas. Chris is a Colorado native and lives with his wife and two daughters in Superior.

Shavonne Blades
Shavonne Blades has been publisher/founder of Yellow Scene Magazine since inception in late 2000. Shavonne has worked in media since 1984 starting in Santa Cruz California. Shavonne has held many volunteer positions within the community and with local schools as well as helping coordinate small non-profit fundraisers. Shavonne lives in Erie, where the home office of Yellow Scene Magazine is located and is enjoying the new opportunities of living within bicycle distance to work. Yellow Scene Magazine serves the 14 communities of the North Metro market and publishes 69,000 copies monthly.

Angie Jeffords
Angie Jeffords joined the Volunteer Connection board in 2009. Angie grew up in Boulder and has been a volunteer in the community for most of her life. She has served on numerous boards including; the City of Boulder’s Children’s Services Advisory Board, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Boulder Valley School District Parent Advisory Council. Angie also has extensive professional experience in non-profit program management, fundraising, grant writing, event planning, community organizing, and volunteer management. Angie has worked for both public and non profit agencies such as the Boulder Valley Schools, the Boulder Police Department Victim Services unit, the Center for People with Disabilities, The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County, Philanthropiece Foundation, and Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence. She is certified as a mediator, Restorative Justice facilitator, and coach with alternative conflict resolution.

Chris Nelson
Chris Nelson is the Director of Finance for Webroot Software Inc. Chris has 10 years of finance and accounting experience in Boulder county software companies. Chris has a MBA from Regis University, a BS in Business Administration from Colorado State University, and is a graduate of the University of Denver Executive Leadership Program. Chris lives with his wife, Kelly, in Boulder, and together they enjoy cooking, traveling, reading, and working on their home.

Lynn Shook
Lynn has more than 30 years experience in the Financial Services Industry. She is a Financial Advisor/ CRPC® for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Broomfield. She’s been an active member of the volunteer community in Boulder and Broomfield counties working with various organizations including: SPAN, American Cancer Society, the Broomfield Community Foundation, Boulder County Family to Family, and Boulder County Parks and Open Space Adopt-a-Trail program. Lynn and her husband Barry are “semi” natives, living in Boulder County for more than 40 years. They have 1 daughter (a true Native) who lives in Boulder. If free time is available Lynn and her hubby like to ride their tandem, work in the yard, and socialize with friends.

Jane Morton Sovndal - Treasurer
Jane Morton Sovndal grew up in San Francisco and graduated from the University of California at Davis with a double major in French and English. While in California, she volunteered for many organizations in the San Francisco area such as the SPCA, St. Anthony's Soup Kitchen, Glide Memorial Church and the Parks and Recreation Department. After college, she moved to New York City for five years, where she worked as an editor and writer for various educational publishers and trade magazines. She also volunteered at the ASPCA in New York. She took some time off from her professional endeavors and had two boys, who now are nine and six. She and her family have lived in Boulder since June of 2003. Jane also spent the past three years volunteering for and eventually working as the Executive Director of the Community of Sudanese and American Women here in Boulder. In conjunction with three local synagogues, the organization helped resettle 16 orphaned refugee "Lost Girls of Sudan" here in Boulder. She resigned from her position as Executive Director in August 2008 and went back to school. She is currently a student at Regis University in the Master of Nonprofit Management Program. She also volunteers for Blue Sky Bridge and Reading to End Racism.

Ann Tinkham - Vice President
Ann Tinkham has worked in the private and non-profit sectors in small, medium and large organizations. She has been a consultant and a freelance professional. Her positions have included educational programming, human resources, facilitation, instructional design, writing, and marketing. All of the positions and projects shared a focus in training, professional development, and learning. Ann has also co-authored a nonfiction book, Climbing Mountains in Stilettos (SourceBooks, 2007). In addition to her professional experience, Ann served on the Board of Directors of Voices for Children and on the marketing committee of the Boulder International Film Festival.

Rachel Weinberg - President
Rachel, born and raised in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, has been in Colorado since 2001. After receiving a BA in Marketing from Ohio University she moved to Boulder. Rachel was Director of Events & Strategic Alliances for a training company for the past five years until she left in January of 2006 to launch a career in real estate. Rachel is a Realtor with Stellar Properties, a local company serving the residential and investment market in Boulder and Broomfield counties. In addition to working and volunteering, Rachel enjoys hiking, biking, swimming, backpacking, skiing and live music!