I have been a member of the Colorado College community for over 20 years and have been delighted to serve on the W.E.S. board for the last four. My role at the College is to support faculty in seeking external funding to support their scholarly and creative work. While challenging, grant writing is incredibly satisfying; our faculty is stellar in so many ways, and it’s very fulfilling to help them pursue their passions, knowing this will also benefit their classrooms. The only downside to my role is that I do not work with students very often, which is why I love getting to know the W.E.S. Scholars.

My own undergraduate experience was life-changing: I grew up in coastal New England and attended Bryn Mawr College, a women’s liberal arts college outside Philadelphia, where I majored in chemistry and minored in dance. I moved to Colorado Springs soon after graduation, first working for the local newsweekly, the Colorado Springs Independent, in various editorial capacities before joining Colorado College. I’m a proud mom to two thoughtful and engaging sons; my oldest is a senior in high school and my youngest is a freshman.

Random facts? At 40, I started learning Reiki from a now-retired CC faculty member and, at 50, I learned to solve a Rubix cube from my kids. Next up: Learning Spanish and running in a Spartan Sprint. My favorite quote? “Leap, and the net will appear” ~ John Burroughs.

My name is Connie Rickard, and I joined WES in February 2022 when I took on the role of Treasurer on the Board of Managers. I became connected to WES through a friend and mentor, and have interacted with several CC students over the years who are El Pomar fellows and interns.

I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and attended Adrian College, a private Michigan liberal arts college, majoring in Accounting, and passed the CPA exam in 1988. I moved to Colorado Springs in 1984 with my fiancée.

Currently, I am the Assistant Controller/Investment Analyst with El Pomar Foundation and have been with them for 23 years. In addition, I serve as the assistant secretary and accountant to the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Foundation and am the transfer agent for The Garden City Company.

Through volunteering, I have made many community connections. Currently, I volunteer for the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, working events like the Rocky Mountain State Games, Pikes Peak Cycling Hill Climb, Labor Day Lift Off, and Figure Skating Championships, along with Care & Share Food Bank, and serving as a DECA judge at their state competitions.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, cooking, and being outdoors.  I have just celebrated my 33rd wedding anniversary with my husband, and have two children who both live in Denver.

I am originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin. My professional background is primarily in oncology nursing. I have been in numerous nursing-related positions from staff nurse, to ICU nurse, various management positions, and education-related positions with the common clinical tread of oncology. I very much enjoyed my career and believe it was a privilege to work with oncology patients, their families, and the staff.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the University of WI-Eau Claire and a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of WI-Madison.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, gardening, walking/hiking, being a docent at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and of course, spending quality time with my family and friends. In the past, I have also volunteered with TESSA, Partners in Housing, and the Oncology Nursing Society (local and national) among other organizations.

I became connected to WES 9 years ago when a friend of mine who was on the WES Board of Managers invited me to attend a board meeting. I was sold on the mission of WES, to financially support students attending CC. I have served in the roles of Secretary, Vice President, and President and am currently Co-Chair of the Scholarship Committee. Through WES, I have met some amazing, talented women that have or are on the Board of Managers, and of course, meeting and getting to know each of the stellar WES Scholars.

I grew up in Albany, New York, but also spent many of the summers of my childhood in Finland. I went to public school in New York, then to Smith College for my BA, graduating in 1985, and finally to Stanford University for my Ph.D., completed in 1990.

Since then, besides a lot of restaurant work waiting tables to get through school, I’ve only always had one job: professor of psychology. I also do consulting with the American Psychological Association, and I serve as an expert in court cases involving sexual objectification and sexualization as forms of gender discrimination.

My hobbies/interests/activism/advocacy include all things feminism, avid fiction reading, knitting, running, hiking, yoga, traveling whenever I can, going to museums and looking at art, and thinking and talking about emotions, aesthetics, and ethics.

I served for a short while on the WES board many years ago and am happy to return to this group. Fun fact: our first male scholar in many years, Jack, was in my FYP course entitled “Inside Out: The Philosophy and Psychology of Emotion."

My name is Lisa Bonwell. I joined WES in 2018, excited to become involved in the education community here in Colorado Springs. I have met many inspiring other board members and CC students during my time with WES and am now honored to serve as the current President of the WES Board of Managers 2023-2024.

         I am from Wichita, Kansas and growing up loved all things biology. I spent hours dredging the Arkansas river flowing behind our house looking for interesting nature to take apart and study.

         After high school I attended a small teachers college, Emporia State University, and then University of Kansas School of Medicine. I moved to Chicago after completing my Internal Medicine Residency to study Infectious Disease and have worked since then in many places on both coasts, and internationally. I now work part time practicing outpatient Internal Medicine in Colorado Springs.

My interests include cooking, sewing/design, gardening and art. I volunteer whenever I can to help the environment and actively participate in establishing and maintaining trails in our community. I enjoy hiking with my husband and 2 lively dogs, and have 2 children, both college students living in Colorado.

I grew up in Colorado, graduated from CC with a degree in Psychology, and was honored to be a WES scholar during my four years as a student. The scholarship made an enormous difference to me, and I have maintained my connection to WES ever since.

After working for a few years as an insurance adjuster, I became a registered nurse and later completed a bachelor’s degree in nursing. I worked primarily in psychiatric settings, especially in drug and alcohol addiction, but also in school nursing, and loved both specialties. With a lifelong interest in languages, I also worked as a sign language interpreter at all grade levels of public school.

With my family, I have moved a great deal, living in many parts of the U.S., and also Scotland and China. While finding many beautiful places, I missed Colorado throughout those moves, and have been thrilled to be back for the last five years. I have always enjoyed sports, including intramural hockey at CC, and I have skated ever since. I am a rabid knitter and am certified by the national guild as a Master knitter, a designation whose medieval beginnings I enjoy. Compelled to take knitting to its source, I also love to spin, particularly wool and alpaca.

As a board member, getting to know the board and each year’s amazing WES scholars has been a highlight of my return to Colorado.