Our Staff

Susie Davis, Executive Director

sdavis@theyouthfoundation.org
Direct line: (970) 763-7002

With a background in nursing, Susie Davis has been actively involved in issues and concerns for families and children in Eagle County for over 25 years. Susie is one of the most widely recognized members of our community and it's easy to see why.

Outside of her job with The Youth Foundation, she participates and supports various organizations including The Public Education Foundation, Eagle River Youth Coalition, RSVP Advisory Board, CASA of the Continental Divide, and the Human Rights Campaign.

Susie is well-known for her experience in organizing successful political campaigns and ballot initiatives. Additionally, she has had involvement with the Salvation Army, Business Education Partnership, The Women's Foundation, Child Protection Team, and Eagle County Schools. Susie initiated the Licensed Child Care Association in Eagle County. Susie received the Women's Foundation of Colorado "Be Bold" Award in 2007 for her commitment to advocate on behalf of women and girls for more than 20 years.

Her other roles include being a mother to daughter Katie Bruen, and stepson Ryan Davis. She enjoys boating with her husband Scott Davis.

Katie Santambrogio, Marketing & Event Director

kbruen@theyouthfoundation.org
Direct line: (970) 763-7013

Katie Santambrogio, a Vail, Colorado native, graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of San Diego in 2003 with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations and Spanish. Following graduation Katie moved to San Francisco to work for United States Senator, Dianne Feinstein. During her two years in Senator Dianne Feinstein's office, Katie worked with Federal agencies to respond to constituent needs and researched policy issues for upcoming legislation. In the Fall of 2004, Katie returned to her home state of Colorado where she began working as the Project and Events Coordinator for the Institute on the Common Good (ICG) at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. ICG is a non-profit, community-focused organization that provides educational opportunities for the community to learn about social and civic issues, and to explore the meanings and implications of seeking the common good. In March 2007 Katie joined the Youth Foundation team as the Events & Marketing Director. Katie brings her passion for helping others and her energy to fundraise and plan exciting new events for the Youth Foundation.

Katie has a Master's degree in Non-Profit Management from Regis University and a graduate certificate in Dialogue, Deliberation and Public Engagement. Katie enjoys volunteering for various community organizations, skiing during the winter and traveling throughout the world.

Lee Jones, After School Enrichment Director

ljones@theyouthfoundation.org
Direct line: (970) 763-7003

Youth Foundation Director of PowerHours After School Programs:  Lee is the director of all after-school and summer programming for the Youth Foundation. Playing soccer since the age of three, Lee Jones has a true passion for the sport. Lee spent his first 28 years in Manchester, England, and won many accolades after high school competing in the North West counties and Manchester Amateur Leagues. After deciding to travel Lee played in both Greece and Australia in local leagues. He eventually settled in Eagle County, Colorado. While tackling a very full schedule playing, training, coaching and refereeing, Lee discovered another passion, kids.

As Executive Director and head coach of the Vail Valley Soccer Club for over three years, Lee refined his skills in coaching and teaching children team skills that could be applied to life. Having the desire to reach more children, Lee joined The Youth Foundation team as the Recreation Director in 2006. As The Youth Foundations’ programs have grown so has the scope of Lees’ activities.

He has naturally evolved into becoming the Director of the PowerHours After School Program and is now assisting thousands of children in the valley in through PowerHours After School and Summer programs, Community Coach Mentors and Copa Soccer League. In 2008 Lee traveled and helped implement a new after school program in rural South Africa that is providing hope for challenged youth. Lee holds a USSF A-License, USSF National Youth License, USSF National Goalkeeping License a NSCAA/NSCAA Professional Development Certificate, Grade 7 and 8 USSF Qualified Referee License, and is a qualified Colorado Referee Instructor. Lee is also a Certified The First Tee Master coach. Lee is among a handful of the highest certified coaches in Colorado and the only coach nationally certified in both soccer and in golf through the First Tee International.  Lee has gone through two CATCH trainings, attended the Annual National Up 2 Us Conference, and the Urban Soccer League Conference. Lee lives in Edwards with his wife, D’Nae, and their daughter, Ava, and enjoys participating in adult soccer leagues and a variety of other seasonal athletic activities.

Deb Dutmer, Magic Bus Director

ddutmer@theyouthfoundation.org
Direct line: (970) 763-7005

With a degree in Art Education, Deb always knew she wanted a career working with children. After college she worked in a variety of jobs culminating in the position of Associate Dean of Students at DeVry University in Chicago. In 1996, Deb left DeVry to relocate to the Eagle Valley with her husband Larry and two boys, Jake and Will. After a short stint as a stay-at-home mom, Deb was back to work part-time for the Eagle County School District as a substitute teacher and teacher's aide. In 2000, Deb started working part-time for The Youth Foundation driving The Magic Book Bus. Deb's love of kids, books and serving the community all combined to form the "ultimate career." In October 2006, Deb joined The Youth Foundation full-time in order to expand the services offered by The Magic Book Bus and to, ultimately, direct The Magic Bus kindergarten readiness program.  

As a child Deb’s favorite things were her “Lassie” stuffed animal, “The Roadrunner” cartoon and the book that got her hooked on reading, Huckleberry Finn.  Deb, currently, lives in Gypsum and enjoys hiking, biking, reading and spending time with family and friends.  For fun, Deb loves pounding on trashcans with the local "Stomp" group and singing with "The Dickens Carolers" during the holiday season.

Mike Santambrogio, Health and Fitness Coordinator

msantam@theyouthfoundation.org
Direct line: (970) 763-7001

Mike is a certified personal trainer and received a dual Bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado in Psychology and Exercise Physiology.  Mike has five years of experience in child and adolescent program development and is dedicated to implementing the programmatic and assessment aspects of the KidSTRONG programs. Through his own personal experiences, Mike has come to find that there is no greater feeling than that of making a positive impact on the lives of children. After looking at the void of physical fitness and nutritional education in the school system, Mike joined The Youth Foundation to help develop and implement the KidSTRONG program as an addition to The Youth Foundation’s PowerHours after school programs.  

Mike is the lead staff person responsible for KidSTRONG Programs and has gone through two CATCH trainings, attended the Annual National Up 2 Us Conference, and the Urban Soccer League Conference as well as receiving his National D License from the Colorado Youth Soccer coaching development program. Additionally, Mike is currently enrolled in Regis University’s Graduate School to receive his Master of Arts in Counseling with a focus on family and marriage therapy. When he isn’t “at the office” Mike loves spending time with his family and friends enjoying all that this wonderful valley has to offer, especially being in the snow and the 360-degree views from the top of Vail!

Lawson  Mischer, Development Associate

lawson@theyouthfoundation.org
Direct Line: (970) 446-7886

Lawson graduated Summa Cum Laude from Vanderbilt University in 2008 with a major in Human and Organizational Development and minor in Child Development.  Prior to joining The Youth Foundation, Lawson worked with youth and non-profit organizations in a variety of settings and roles. Her experience ranges from working with children in the townships of South Africa to working on development and fundraising efforts for the Memorial Hermann Foundation and Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.  

Lawson relocated to Vail from her hometown of Houston, Texas. She has always wanted to work for an organization dedicated to empowering youth and is excited to now be part of The Youth Foundation. As Development Associate, Lawson is responsible for donor cultivation, event coordination, human resource management, and development assistance.  

Outside of work, Lawson serves on The Women’s Foundation of Colorado Empowerment Council and Eagle River Youth Coalition’s Youth Leaders Council.  In addition to working with kids, she loves hiking, traveling, and enjoying the outdoors.  Her favorite children’s book is Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss and her favorite quote is “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Bratzo Horruitiner

bratzo@theyouthfoundation.org
Direct Line: (970) 306-3123

Life Skills Coordinator: Bratzo has a background in Advertising and Communications, and has a true passion for adventure, sports and fun. He was born in Lima, Peru where he learned how to play and gained a life long love for soccer. He played in many different levels and leagues including the professional level. As a competitive athlete, Bratzo has also been dedicated to practicing martial arts since he was a young boy. He has a wide variety of experience in Tae Kwon Do, Kickboxing and Jiu Jitsu.

Having lived in Eagle County for 12 years, Bratzo has been able to connect his passion for soccer by helping children to develop skills and values on and off the field.  Brazto continues to expand his knowledge of the game by pursuing his education and has received a professional soccer coaching certification USSF National C License, USSF National Youth License, and Grade 8 USSF Referee Certification.  Bratzo has gone through two CATCH trainings, attended the Annual National Up 2 Us Conference, the Urban Soccer League Conference, and is enrolled in The First Tee International Coach certification.

Maria Calvo, Magic Bus Coordinator

mcalvo@theyouthfoundation.org
Direct Line: (970) 763-7184

Maria, originally from El Paso, TX, has been living in the valley since 1999. Maria’s first experience with The Magic Bus was when she brought her 5 year old son, Bo out to be a student. After seeing the positive effect the program had on Bo, Maria became a true believer in the goals of The Magic Bus program. Maria’s natural ability as a teacher, her bilingual skills and belief in the importance of education makes her a perfect fit for The Youth Foundation. 

When not on the bus helping families, Maria enjoys spending time with her husband, Pablo and three energetic boys. She is an active member in the PTO at her boys’ school and enjoys the exercise she gets walking the family dog.

Heather Hower, Volunteer Coordinator

heather@theyouthfoundation.org
Direct Line: (970) 390-9513

Heather Hower graduated from Providence College before she moved to Boulder where she was an editor of a national trade magazine. She then came to the Vail Valley Foundation to be part of the 1999 World Alpine Ski Championships. After a stint leading bike tours in France, Heather came back to the Vail Valley Foundation and worked on world-class athletic events. Deciding to change directions in her career, Heather joined The Gallegos Corporation where she worked closely with Gerald Gallegos, a Youth Foundation founder.

It was while she worked at Gallegos that she became involved in The Youth Foundation and saw how the organization affected children throughout the valley. She is excited to bring together volunteers with The Youth Foundation students and programs. She’s already seen that often the student becomes the teacher, and long-lasting, remarkable relationships are formed.

Heather lives in Eagle with her husband and two daughters who are starting on their educational journey. When not chasing her daughters around the park, and when time permits, she loves to bike, run, hike, snowboard and read.

Dana Bronfman, Scholarship Coordinator

dbronfman@theyouthfoundation.org

Dana Bronfman joined The Youth Foundation in January 2011.  As Scholarship Coordinator, she manages the Scholarship Collaborative as well as the Guardian Scholars and DREAM First programs. Originally from Palo Alto, CA, Dana came to Eagle County in fall 2010 after graduating from The Colorado College in Colorado Springs, CO with a BA in Spanish Language and Literature.  Prior to joining The Youth Foundation, Dana taught children’s horseback riding lessons and worked with cancer-related non-profit organizations, including the Cancer Prevention Institute of California.   Dana now enjoys being in a position to work with a bilingual population through creative and interactive work.  She loves anything creative and adventurous, especially horseback riding, yoga, skiing, and traveling.  Her many talents include her unique ability to touch her nose with her tongue. The thing she loves most about living in Colorado is the sun and being able to wear cowboy boots wherever she goes!

Maggie Jackson, AmeriCorps Coach Across America

mjackson@theyouthfoundation.org

Maggie Jackson graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2010 with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies. She worked in various non-profit organizations in college, including the I Have a Dream Foundation and the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center.  She landed a job at The Youth Foundation through AmeriCorps and has enjoyed every second of service here! Since she started in December, she has helped develop and coordinate a new program called Girl PowHER, which encourages health and wellness through involvement in sports. She has always loved athletics and is excited to be sharing that passion with the youth in her community. Maggie is a Colorado native and enjoys doing anything outdoors. She also loves to run and play volleyball, and is always in the mood for an adventure. After mastering the Rubik Cube, it has become her life long dream to appear on Wheel of Fortune.

Alyse Oneto, AmeriCorps VISTA

alyse@theyouthfoundation.org

Alyse, originally from Stockton, CA, spent two years at New York University before moving to Colorado to attend The Colorado College, where she graduated with a Bachelors Degree in English.  Alyse taught literature electives and music to students and was part of a variety of service organizations dedicated to filling gaps in underfunded public schools.  Most recently, Alyse assisted with program development at 826 Valencia, a literacy non-profit in San Francisco.  She was specifically involved in a number of direct service projects, including writing and implementing lesson plans for the organization’s English Language Learners’ summer camp for students two or more years behind grade-level.  

Alyse is now coming to The Youth Foundation as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. She is excited to be involved in an organization that is impacting the lives of so many kids! Her favorite quote would have to be by Oscar Wilde, “Even the greatest man among us is afraid of himself.”  Also, despite a serious fear of heights, skydiving is at the top of her bucket list.  

Lindsey Fuller, AmeriCorps Coach Across America

lindsey@theyouthfoundation.org

Lindsey was born and raised in Northern California. Upon completing high school in 2006, she moved to San Luis Obispo California and obtained her associates degree in childhood development while working full-time. Lindsey then joined The Bridge Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to bridging the education gap between low-income Hispanic children and their peers.  

Lindsey’s experience at The Bridge Project ignited her enthusiasm for working with at-risk youth and their families and directed her decision to pursue a BA in Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State University.

 Lindsey now lives in the Vail Valley and works for The Youth Foundation as a Coach Across America Volunteer.  Her favorite smell is jasmine and the thing she misses most about being a child is that her biggest worry was the stress of deciding whether she wanted a Snickers or a Twix.  Today, she sometimes chooses fruit.