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Capital Construction Assistance Board (CCAB)
About
In 2008, the Public School Capital Construction Assistance Board (CCAB) was created within the Colorado Department of Education. The CCAB powers and duties are outlined in C.R.S.22-43.7.
The CCAB is comprised of nine appointed members: one public school board member, one public school superintendent, two school facilities planners or managers, one architect, one engineer, one construction manager, one school technology expert, and one public school finance expert.
None of the CCAB members may hold any state elective office and will serve two-year terms, with a maximum of three consecutive terms.
Announcements:
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Welcome to our newest CCAB members George Welsh and Lara Vincent! Read more about our newest members below.
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The Capital Construction Assistance Board approved its FY24 prioritized list of projects to receive financial assistance. The list of recommended grants was presented to the State Board of Education for review and approval during their June meeting.
CCAB Meeting Information:
- November Monthly CCAB Meeting - November 16, 2023, 1:00pm-3:30pm - Virtual
- December Monthly CCAB Meeting - Canceled
- January Monthly CCAB Meeting - January 18, 2024, 1:00pm-3:30pm - Virtual
Watch Live is only available during scheduled meeting dates and times.
PUBLIC COMMENT: For in-person meetings, public comment may be given during the public comment segment of the meeting. Written public comment for any meeting may be submitted to BESTSchools@cde.state.co.us prior to the public comment segment of each meeting and will be read to the CCAB.
Other CCAB Materials:
Capital Construction Assistance Board Members
Board Chair
Jane Crisler
Architect, Appointed by the Governor
Jane Crisler is inspired by great educational buildings, both old and new, and is passionately committed to improving neighborhood quality of life through designing and preserving these great community buildings. Jane leads both the K-12 and Historic Preservation markets for EUA's Denver office. She has worked for more than 14 years in commercial architecture as well as 12 years at the Federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. She currently serves on Denver's Lower Downtown Design Review Board as well as on the Board of Directors for the Association for Learning Environments, Rocky Mountain Region.
Jane's experience includes design of large-scale K-12 rehabilitation and adaptive use projects as well as ground-up new construction and additions throughout Colorado. She is a licensed architect practiced in all phases of the K-12 architectural design process. Jane enjoys the creative problem solving associated with tough adaptive use projects and is a leader in the firm's K-12 and historic preservation planning and design practices.
Vice-Chair
Wendy Wyman
Facility Planner and Manager, Appointed by the G.A. Speaker of the House
Wendy Wyman is committed to promoting equity and ensuring that all students participate in high-quality educational experiences. She understands that all students deserve to learn in safe, healthy, and enriching environments. As the superintendent of a mountain district she led two large construction projects supported by BEST grants matched with local bonds; projects funded by BEST cash grants; and other facility improvements.
In her current role as the executive director of the Mountain BOCES, Wendy works with four rural school districts that have all benefitted from the BEST program. Time and again she has seen school facility improvements revitalize communities and enhance the lives of students and educators.
Dr. Wyman’s work as an education leader includes eight years as a superintendent and five years as a building principal. Wendy has also served as a teacher; an assistant professor in higher education; a Title I senior consultant at the Colorado Department of Education; and an education policy analyst.
VACANT
Technology Expert, Appointed by the G.A. Minority Leaders
Lara Vincent
Construction Manager, Appointed by the Governor
The daughter of two teachers and a fourth generation Colorado-native, Lara Vincent is passionate about public education and leveraging construction to benefit Colorado’s students.
Lara is currently Director of Client Relations at Haselden Construction, where she focuses on procurement of PK-12 projects. She has been with Haselden for 15 years, where she has been involved with preconstruction and estimating, project management, and project procurement, at various points throughout her construction career. Through this work, she has been involved in dozens of PK-12 construction projects. She is a LEED AP, interested in sustainable building.
Lara has a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Colorado State University.
George Welsh
Public School Superintendent, Appointed by the State Board of Education
George Welsh is a 27-year Colorado resident with a BA in Secondary Education and an MA in Education Leadership.
He's in the midst of a 38-year career in public education serving at all levels from classroom teacher to principal, central office administrator, and even 25 years as a Superintendent of Schools. He is currently a PERA retiree but allocates time to the Colorado Education Initiative as a Senior Partner, the Colorado School Finance Project as a Field Representative, the Canon City School District as Coordinator of Special Projects, and as a Trustee of the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind.
Matthew Samelson
Public School Finance Expertise, Appointed by the President of the Senate
Matt Samelson works at the Donnell-Kay Foundation, and is an attorney with Western Environmental Law Partners. Matt’s education work focuses on public school infrastructure issues, such as facilities, transportation, school finance, bond and mill levies, and educator housing. Recently, he helped improve transit equity in the Denver metro area by working with numerous youth and community organizations to create a more affordable RTD youth pass. As an attorney, Matt works on a variety of oil and gas policy issues for conservation groups and communities. Matt has a law degree from the University of Colorado and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Colorado Denver. Prior to engaging in law and policy work, Matt was a journalist for eight years.
Michael Wailes
School Board Member, Appointed by the State Board of Education
Michael D. Wailes is a member of the Weld County RE-5J Board of Education. He is a Colorado native and lives on his family's farm near Johnstown. He owns and operates a small digital marketing agency and runs a small, fledgling charity: Johnstown-Milliken Coats for Kids.
In addition to serving on the school board, Michael serves as the Chairman of the Weld County Planning Commission and the Weld County Board of Adjustments.
Vaishali McCarthy
School Facilities Planner/Manager, Appointed by the State Board of Education
Vaishali is currently a Sr. Manager in the Office of Planning and Design for Denver Public Schools, and has been with the District for five years. She assists in the development and maintenance of long range capital plans for District facilities and necessary capital expenditures for new construction and capital reinvestment. Additionally, Vaishali acts as a liaison between the District, school site administrators, architects and contractors to assure that the authorized projects are accomplished in accordance with District policies and procedures, and oversees day-to-day activities for the Planning and Design team.
Prior to Denver Public Schools, Vaishali has had 15 years of experience in the private sector as an architect in Denver, with the majority of work with schools. Her school projects have ranged from small renovations to new high school construction projects throughout the State of Colorado and North Dakota.
Kevin Haas
Engineer, Appointed by the Governor
Kevin Haas is currently a principal at Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers in Lakewood, Colorado. With 16 years of experience as a structural engineer, he leads a team that focuses on the structural design of K-12 facilities in Colorado. Through this work he has been involved in dozens of K-12 construction projects, including structural assessments of existing buildings; master planning efforts for grant and bond applications; mechanical/ventilation upgrades; and ground-up new construction, and renovations and additions for elementary, high school, and K-12 facilities throughout the state. In this role he works closely with design professionals, contractors, owner’s representatives, and school district staff to achieve sustainable, efficient, and positive outcomes with the resources and opportunities that are available for the maintenance and development of school facilities. He greatly values the opportunity to contribute as a professional to the betterment of education in Colorado. Kevin is a licensed engineer in Colorado, California, and Georgia; serves as a member of the Structural Engineers Association of Colorado; and a is Colorado native from Fort Collins.
For more information or if an alternative version of a document is needed, please contact BESTSchools@cde.state.co.us or call 303-866-2153
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