Board of Directors
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- Shaden Awada
- Courtney Brown
- Nitin Deshpande
- Ian Foley
- Joi Hiatt
- Jeff Holwell
- Jihee Kwon
- Jasper Peters
- Kathy Underhill
Shaden Awada
Shaden Awada
Member at Large
Up for re-election June 2024
sawada@cherrycreekacademy.org
A Colorado native who grew up in the Cherry Creek School District. Shaden obtained a bachelor's degree in Marketing, and is a licensed Real Estate Broker. Shaden chose to leave corporate America in 2007 when her oldest daughter was born, and shifted her attention to raising a family. A proud mother of three amazing daughters always guarantees that there is never a dull moment. Two of Shaden’s daughters currently attend CCA. Shaden currently oversees the marketing operations of their family owned business, Colorado Auto Finders. But the work that she is most passionate about is her shared commitment in her daughter's education. She is an active volunteer at Cherry Creek Academy as a former room parent, PTO member, a Fly Like An Eagle committee member, as well as a past member of the CCSD Leadership Committee. Her various volunteer experiences, and being present in the classroom, has allowed her to gain multiple perspectives into the education
Courtney Brown
Courtney Brown
Vice President
Up for re-election June 2026
cbrown@cherrycreekacademy.org
Courtney was born in Ohio but spent the majority of her childhood in a very small town called Sleepy Hollow, located 30 miles northwest from Chicago in Illinois. She attended the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts- Political Science and Communications. While in university, she spent her time as a Lead Teacher and Office Manager for the Urban League’s Early Childhood Education Center and developed a passion for education and understanding of people with all types of social and financial backgrounds. After graduation, Courtney relocated to Colorado and began her career in the Telecommunications sector with CenturyLink, AT&T and Comcast in various operations, project management and leadership roles.
Courtney is committed to the education of all children in the CCA community and is thrilled to contribute her time and talents to challenge CCA to continue to strive for excellence. She has held various volunteer roles at CCA as a room parent, PTO board and committee member. Courtney strongly believes in a solid partnership between students, parents, staff, and administration and is dedicated to ensuring the success of the shared vision and goals at CCA.
As a busy mother of 3 children that all attend CCA, she and her very supportive husband are often found on a soccer pitch or golf course as all three play at a competitive level in both sports. In her spare time, Courtney serves on the board of Slippers N Sliders Ski Club as president-elect and is an active volunteer for the Colorado Pug Rescue, Girl Scouts of Colorado, and Rapids Youth Soccer Club.
Nitin Deshpande
Nitin Deshpande
Member at Large
Up for re-election June 2026
ndeshpande@cherrycreekacademy.org
Nitin was born and raised in India. He moved to the USA to pursue his Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio. After graduating, Nitin moved to Colorado in 2004 for career opportunities, liked the mountainous landscape and active lifestyle the city has to offer and has since lived in the Denver metro area. Nitin has 20 years of public and private sector work experience. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Colorado.
Nitin is married and has two children who currently attend CCA. He plays cricket, tennis, and pickleball. He loves spending time with his family and friends. He likes writing picture books and is a published children’s book author.
Nitin has prior experience serving on the professional organization boards and committees in Colorado. He strongly believes that the teachers/administrative staff are our greatest asset, and the diversity of the parent community is our strength that could be banked upon to achieve greater results. As a public service employee himself, he feels honored and excited to serve the CCA community.
Ian Foley
Ian Foley
Treasurer
Up for re-election June 2024
ifoley@cherrycreekacademy.org
Ian believes that our greatest successes as humans come from respectful and positive collaboration. He is passionate about helping partners harness the power of technology to drive improved alignment with customers, stakeholders, and employees. Ian has been successful in both industry and consulting enabling him to bring a mix of experiences and expertise to all situations. He believes deeply in the power of ethics and integrity which serve as a cornerstone of his relationships. Ian is the father of two CCA children. |
Joi Hiatt
Joi Hiatt
Member at Large
Up for re-election June 2024
jnhiatt@cherrycreekacademy.org
A Colorado native hailing from a vibrant Spanish family, Joi Hiatt attended the University of Colorado, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. As a homemaker, Joi is a wife to her husband of nearly 20 years, and a mother to their four kids. Joi's unwavering commitment to Cherry Creek Academy has spanned 14 remarkable years as a parent within the school community. With all four of her children starting their educational journeys at CCA from kindergarten, she takes immense pride in witnessing three of them continue to thrive at high school and college while one is still a CCA student.
Since 2009, she has played various roles within the CCA community, demonstrating her commitment to education and parental engagement. From her initial experience as an occasional substitute teacher to her current position on the CCA Board of Directors since 2021. Previously, she served as the treasurer on the PTO board from 2012 to 2018, demonstrating her financial acumen and attention to detail. When she's not busy at home or CCA, Joi dons her "theatrical cape" as an actress, director, and teaching artist for the city of Aurora. Joi was recently honored with a prestigious “Lifetime Outstanding Achievement” award for her directorial work. With a passion for engaging young minds through the transformative power of theater, Joi performed with Zounds, a non-profit theatre company that brought Shakespeare into schools for several years.
She enjoys being active in her church, appreciates a good garden and loves storytelling, cooking, exercising, reading classic works of literature, and hosting tea parties. Joi's heart is deeply intertwined with the fabric of Cherry Creek Academy, embracing the values it represents and nurturing an environment where every child can thrive.
Jeff Holwell
Jeff Holwell
President
Up for re-election June 2025
jholwell@cherrycreekacademy.org
Jeff Holwell is President of the Board of Directors and is a proud parent at Cherry Creek Academy.
Jeff has been on the CCA Board since 2020 and he has previously served in the roles of Vice President, Finance Committee Chair, and Governance Committee Chair. Jeff has also served on multiple government and non-profit committees throughout the Metro Denver community, and is currently a board member of the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce.
Professionally, Jeff is the Director of Economic Development and Public Affairs at the City of Lone Tree, Colorado. He has served in a variety of advocacy and economic development roles throughout his 20- year career in the Metro Denver region, including Director of Business Development with the Colorado Office of Economic Development and Chief Operating Officer with the South Metro Denver Chamber.
Jeff is a Colorado native and graduate of Arapahoe High School and the University of Colorado (BA/MPA). Jeff is the father of two CCA children.
Jihee Kwon
Jihee Kwon
Secretary
Up for re-election June 2025
jkwon@cherrycreekacademy.org
Jihee Kwon has been a CCA parent for over 10 years. She is a loving mother of three boys, with her oldest as an alumni of CCA who is now a Junior in Cherry Creek High School. Jihee left her career in luxury sales and management to be better involved with her children in 2021. In 2022, Jihee was nominated and elected as a board committee member of CCA and has been actively volunteering as a committee member of Finance and Technology committees. Heading into 2023-2024 school year, Jihee was elected and will be a part of the executive member of CCA board as the Secretary. Also, she was appointed as the Chair of Technology Committee. Jihee has much love for diverse CCA community and honored and proud to be serving on the Board.
Jasper Peters
Jasper Peters
Member at Large
Up for re-election June 2025
jpeters1@cherrycreekacademy.org
Kathy Underhill
Kathy Underhill
Member at Large
Up for re-election June 2026
kunderhill@cherrycreekacademy.org
Kathy Underhill is a seasoned leader across the government, nonprofit, academic and foundation sectors. Specializing in domestic hunger policy and programming, she has won numerous awards for her innovation and impact and is a frequent keynote speaker. When not busy with her family including three daughters who have attended CCA you may find her gardening, volunteering, or painting. Kathy is currently a parent to one CCA student. |