OUR MEMBERS

The McAuliffe at Smiley Foundation meets the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00PM in the lobby conference room at McAuliffe. All board meetings are open to the broader McAuliffe community. The Foundation is comprised of a board of directors. Current members of the board include:

AMANDA FLORENCE

PRESIDENT

Amanda is excited about serving on the board of the McAuliffe at Smiley Foundation. She and her husband, Zach, have three kids -two are current McAuliffe students and one attends Teller Elementary School. Amanda loves the vision of MIS and is excited to be a part of supporting the students and staff through this role. Amanda has a background in teaching and is now the Director of Operations for Florence Realty Co, the boutique residential real estate brokerage she and Zach launched in 2017. Amanda loves people and finds great joy in helping others to succeed. When she isn’t working, you can find her enjoying a good book or busy exploring this amazing city and state with her family.

Contact Amanda: president@mcauliffefoundation.org

MEGAN ZEIGER

VICE PRESIDENT

Megan is honored to be on the McAuliffe at Smiley Board and a part of the amazing McAuliffe community!  Megan and her husband Ryan have three boys including one current McAuliffe student and one alum.  She and her family live in the Cheesman Park neighborhood.  Megan is retired from a career in business ownership and business consulting and is passionate about giving back to the community, with specific interests in kids and education, healthcare and disability and theater.

Megan loves hiking and being active, traveling, entertaining, needlepointing, watching her kids perform on stage, play soccer or volleyball, and getting dragged down a ski hill by her family.

KAREN SHAPIRO

SECRETARY

Karen has worked for the federal government for twenty years in Information Technology and Management Analysis and has a strong foundation in communication, leadership, problem solving, building partnerships, and promoting best practices. She was a founding family of Inspire Elementary and served for four years helping to start up the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) as the Treasurer, including establishing 501c3 nonprofit status, fundraising, serving on the Collaborative School Committee (CSC), and then passing the baton on to the next generation of Inspire families! Karen and her family reside in North Central Park and she looks forward to supporting our amazing students and wonderful staff at McAuliffe.

ROMI HOWELL

TREASURER

Hello! I am a Colorado native. Born in Colorado Springs, grew up in Woodland Park and attended the University of Northern Colorado (go Bears!). I have been a resident of Denver since 2007 and live in Park Hill with my husband and daughter who is an 8th grader at McAuliffe. It has been awesome to watch her flourish and grow at McAuliffe. My goal is to be a positive, helpful contributor to the school through my role on the MSF Board. In my former life (much former), I was an elementary school teacher for 6 years. However, for the past 12 years, I have enjoyed working in the accounting department of a real estate investment firm. My current role is Treasury and Investor Relations. When not working, I love exploring different types of food, traveling, skiing and spending time with the wonderful family and friends in my life.

Contact Romi: treasurer@mcauliffefoundation.org

VANESSA VARGAS

Vanessa has served on PTO boards in the past at her son’s elementary school as well as on the boards of community non-profits so I am familiar with board service. She likes to be involved in her son’s education in any way possible.  Vanessa is committed to helping her son and others have the best educational experience possible and find that using her available time to help and be of service is within my capacity to accomplish this.

I like to view ideas from a lens of equity, I speak fluent spanish and I feel that having diversity on a board that represents the student body is important.

I enjoy helping with events, community connections, and wherever needed. Willing to try things I may not have done before or may not be comfortable with.

Vanessa currently works for Stryker, a medical device company in the area of Employee Relations. 

AMY HLADIK

I’ve lived in the Central Park neighborhood for 13 years with my husband, Jason, and our two children—both of whom have grown up in the local schools, from Swigert to McAuliffe and now Northfield. With Jason often traveling for work, our Labradoodle is my faithful companion while I work from home.

My career has always centered on care management and supporting others in need. In 2022, I launched Care Coordinators of Colorado, a geriatric care management group dedicated to improving the lives of older adults and the family members who care for them.

I’m passionate about community, connection, and trying new things. I’ve recently taken up MahJong and golf, and I’ve been an avid pickleball player for years. As a family, we enjoy following Jason’s love for the outdoors—rafting rivers, skiing in the mountains, and spending time on the golf course.

MARY BETH MCERLANE

Mary Beth has lived in the Central Park community since 2011 and in Denver since 2007. A former aerospace engineer, she has spent most of her time since the birth of her daughter volunteering with school and other non-profit organizations. She has 10+ years of fundraising experience and is excited to bring that experience to the McAuliffe Foundation. Mary Beth is passionate about helping the students and staff at McAuliffe thrive and is grateful to be a part of this community!