Board of Directors

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, one graduate of CCA and two currently attending, 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.

Jihee (Kwon) Eitel has been a dedicated CCA parent for more than a decade. She is a proud mother of three boys—her eldest, a CCA alumni who graduated from Cherry Creek High School, is currently pursuing a degree in neuroscience and psychology at CU Boulder, while her younger two sons attend CCA in 7th and 8th grade. In 2021, Jihee transitioned from her career in luxury sales and management to focus on actively engaging with her family and school community. Jihee joined the CCA Board leadership in 2022 following her nomination and election as a board committee member, during which she served on the Finance Committee and chaired the Technology Committee. Her leadership journey continued through a series of key roles:

• 2023–2024 School Year: Elected to the executive board as Secretary
• 2024: Appointed Chair of the Human Resources Committee
• 2024–2025 School Year: Elected Vice President
• 2026–2027 School Year: Elected President

Deeply devoted to the vibrant and diverse CCA community, Jihee is honored to serve on the Board and support the school's ongoing success.

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.

Eran was born in Israel, but has lived in the United States since he was 2 years old. His family spent time in Pittsburgh and New Jersey before settling in Colorado. He attended the University of Colorado (Boulder) where he studied Civil Engineering. He spent the first half of his career in Operations for a Construction Contractor prior to studying Finance at the University of Denver. He then transitioned into Finance from Operations and has served as the CFO for three separate Construction companies.

Eran loves being a father of 2 beautiful daughters, the oldest of which is in 1st grade (the younger will be attending Kindergarten the following year). He stays actively involved in both of their lives not just as a spectator for all their activities, but also being their soccer coach. He spends his minimal free time playing sports, mostly on his adult soccer team.

Eran is very excited to join the board and help serve the CCA community. Last year he volunteered with the Finance Club alongside Mr. Leins where he enjoyed connecting directly with the students and sharing his knowledge and experience as a Finance professional. In addition to this Board position, he is also a Board Treasurer for a group of Summer Camps on the East Coast, where his daughters go to camp. 

Sam serves as the Executive Director of Digital Learning at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where he leads the university’s online learning and artificial intelligence initiatives. He is also a Professor of Communication Studies and has been a proud member of the MSU Denver community for 14 years. Sam earned his Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Digital Media from the University of Denver, an M.A. from the University of North Texas, and a B.A. from the University of Iowa.

A passionate advocate for innovation, access, and student success, Sam brings experience in faculty development, strategic planning, and digital transformation in higher education. He is excited to support CCA’s continued excellence and is honored to serve on the Board.

Sam and his wife Catherine have been CCA parents since 2018. Beginning in Fall 2025, all three of their daughters will be attending CCA. Sam enjoys spending time with his family, going to his daughters’ activities, playing golf, and cheering on Iowa Hawkeyes sports year-round.

Irina was born in Belarus and moved to Colorado in 1997. She finished her schooling in Colorado and earned a dual Bachelor degree in Finance and International Business at the University of Colorado. Upon her graduation, she relocated to the Middle East where she spent 1 year working under contract for a logistic company.

Upon her contract expiration, she returned to Colorado where she delved back into the corporate financial world while simultaneously pursuing her MBA, specializing in accounting, at the University of Colorado.

In 2008, she decided to leave the corporate world behind and opened a home care company which specializes in helping elderly, blind and disabled individuals. In 2019, she expands her desire to help people by opening a medical company that focuses on more advanced care for people.

Despite her demanding professional life, Irina prioritizes her role as a wife and mother, ensuring her family's well-being and supporting her children's education at Cherry Creek Academy. Her passion for travel and nature serves as a source of inspiration and rejuvenation, enhancing her adventurous spirit and enriching her life experiences along the way.

Tahlia Sayers moved to Colorado from the East Coast in 2004 after graduating from Bates College with degrees in Secondary Education and English Literature. While teaching English at local Public and Private Schools- including a boys Juvenile Prison, she studied for her Masters in Communications at the University of Denver. Tahlia has worked for the city of Centennial since 2018 when she was elected President of the Marvella Metropolitan District. Additionally, she serves as an Executive Board member on various boards for organizations based both locally in Colorado as well as New York City. Tahlia and her family have been at Cherry Creek Academy since 2019 and now have three children here: one 8th grader and two 4th graders. They are all three actively involved in the world of competitive sports; namely Rapids Soccer, Flag Football and basketball.
Prior to joining the board, Tahlia served on the PTO as an Executive Board Member, VP of Enrichment and Fundraising co-chair. She has been a member of the Fly Like an Eagle Committee, worked on the Foundation’s Fun Run and been a devoted room parent, since joining the school.
Tahlia is truly honored to have been elected to the CCA board and hopes to represent and support the incredible administration and staff that make up the school. While
embracing the wonderfully diverse community and culture at CCA, her focus is on maintaining strong communications as well as upholding the school’s high academic
expectations and character values.