Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families has a large Board of Directors, simply because we try to have representation on the Board from each of our ten heritage camps with adoptive parents, adoptees, and community members. If you are interested in joining our Board, please contact Sharon Blender, Board President at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Sharon Blender, Board President
Sharon & her husband Paul Grabowski have been part of Cambodian Heritage Camp for 10 years along with their 12 year-old son Adam, adopted from Cambodia. Sharon says what she loves about HCAF is “how we teach families to fully embrace & respect their child’s culture, community and identity in a positive, normalized, fun environment. We love all of the amazing people we have met through HCAF.” Sharon has spent 25+ years in the high tech industry in Global Sales, Strategy & Planning.
Marion Delanoy, Board Treasurer
Marion is a CPA and shareholder at Brinkerhoff Revenig & Corrigan, P.C. in Denver. She and her husband Rich have three adopted children from Korea, who are now adults. They have participated in Korean heritage camp for almost 20 years. They also have a bio daughter who keot coming to camp even afer her Korean siblings “graduated!” Marion says she is on the board because “attending camps, both as campers and counselors, has made a world of difference for my kids and I want to make sure every child adopted into a different culture also has an opportunity to have these experiences.”
Karen Hart, Board Secretary
Karen is a Literacy Teacher Coach in the Aurora Public Schools. Helping educators reach their teaching potential and supporting them in the classroom is what she enjoys the most about her job. Karen and her partner Meredith have one adopted daughter who is African American, adotped domestically. Karen and her family have attended African Caribbean Heritage Camp for the past eight years and Karen has served on the Board of Directors for the past 6 years. "Being a part of such a life-impacting organization brings true satisfaction to my life. Heritage Camps helps to bridge the gap between one culture to another and allows us to blend together two cultures (or more) into one household. That's the magic of camp."
Donna Class, Board Member
Donna has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in adoptions since 1998, formerly with Adoption Alliance and now CCAI. Prior to entering the adoption field, Donna worked in mental health with children and families for 30 years. She is the mother of a 17 year old daughter from China and a 15 year old daughter from Vietnam. The Class family has regularly attended both China and Vietnam Camp since the girls were infants. Her daughter, Mani, says: "Camp is fun! I get to see all my friends and talk about things people understand." Donna relates that camp has meant so much to her family that she is looking forward to giving back by joining the board.
Maria Collett, Board Member
Maria is a paraprofessional in a Jefferson County elementary school. She and her husband Tim have three adopted children, 18 year old twin boys born in the Philippines, and a 12 year old daughter born in Korea, so they have been involved in both the Filipino and Korean Heritage Camps for many years. "Our family has enjoyed Filipino and Korean Heritage Camps for eleven years, and it has been a wonderful experience. We have all learned so much, and the camps have opened up many avenues of conversation about culture and adoption within our family. I am excited to be able to contribute to HCAF as a board member, and look forward to giving back to an organization which has given so much to our family."
Carrie Daniel, Board Member
Carrie Daniel is an instructor of English at the Community College of Denver and an editor through her business Final Edits, LLC. She is the single mother of two young women: Chloe, adopted in China in 1995, and Robin, adopted in Viet Nam in 1997. They have attended both Chinese and Vietnamese Heritage Camps since they began. Carrie says she serves on the board because, “As an adult adoptee, I know the importance of connection, and at heritage camp we always connect. Adoptees everywhere deserve the validation we receive every summer, and I want to help ensure that HCAF will be here for them.”
Jim Dickson, Board Member
Jim is a self-employed consultant in the Denver area. He has two children, a biological son and an adopted African-American daughter. Jim and his family have participated in the African Caribbean Camp for many years. He says, “The reason we joined African Caribbean Heritage Camp was to equip our daughter and ourselves for the many challenges of a trans-racial family. We all needed to be educated in her culture and in the ways we could help her as she transitions to and from the Black and White cultures she now straddles.”
Wendy Hanophy, Past Board President
Wendy is a self-employed biologist and technical writer, who recently retired from the Colorado Division of Wildlife. She and her husband Rick have one teenage daughter, adopted from China. Wendy and her family have been part of Chinese Heritage Camp since it began. “Heritage Camps has meant the world to my family. We jumped right in at the first offering of Chinese Heritage Camp. It's an honor to serve on the board and enable all adoptive families to have a HCAF experience.”
Gigot Hudspeth, Board Member
Gigot is an IT engineer for Navy Federal Credit Union. His passions include skiing, mountain biking, wine, travel and family. He and his wife, Eli, have one teenage son who was adopted from Guatemala. Gigot embraces the opportunities at Latin American Heritage Camp to learn about and celebrate his son's ethnicity. Gigot is moved by the positive, lasting and loving impact that camp has on attendees. He looks forward to helping HCAF's mission to be a post adoption resource and advocate for children and families with diverse heritages.
Jody Lang, Board Member
Jody and her husband Chris have a daughter and son, now teenagers, adopted from Korea. Prior to becoming a homemaker, Jody worked as a paralegal and legal secretary with experience in both public (federal and state level) and private practice. While raising her children, she filled organizational leadership and fundraising roles with PTA’s, Girl Scouts, charter schools, the local homeowners association and swim team. Jody joined the HCAF board to contribute to accomplishing the mission of the camps, and values the positive impact they have had on so many families, including her own. As Jody says, “camp gives my kids the opportunity to meet and learn from other adoptees of all ages. The families at camp look like us and share many of the same life experiences, which makes connecting easy and fun. At camp, we all ‘get it’.”
Sanjiv Nariani, Board Member
Sanjiv is a Senior Project Manager at KDC Architects/ Engineers, PC in Denver. Sanjiv, his wife Namita, and their two daughters, have been instrumental in bringing authentic India culture to our Indian Nepalese Heritage Camp for many years. Sanjiv joined the board because “after 12 years of being in awe of the generous parents nurturing these balanced & beautiful adopted children and both surpassing differences and man-made limitations to form a wordly family unit, I feel privileged to be on the board of this organization.”
Jolynne Reynolds, Board Member
JoLynne is a Professor in the Graduate Counseling Program at Regis University in Denver, CO and has a private counseling practice in Denver where she specializes in children, adolescents and their families. She and her husband have one teenage daughter born in Russia. Jolynne and her family have participated in REECA Heritage Camp for many years. “I joined the HCAF Board because HCAF does more to strengthen adoptive families and internationally adopted children than any other organization I have found. Not only do the family camps give children a better sense of their cultural heritage and birth country, but give us time to have fun as a whole family. My daughter has benefited so much from meeting other adopted children and members of Russian Eastern European community. I am proud to support all the programs of HCAF.”
Jeanne Ryan, Board Member
Jeanne (Jean) is the Controller for a law firm in Denver, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP. She and her husband Michael have 2 children (ages 8 and 11) who were adopted in the United States. Jeanne was on the planning committee for the first Domestic Adoption Camp (DAC) held in July 2011. She wants to offer her services to the HCAF board because “HCAF helps adopted children develop positive self-esteem. Although my kids look like they might be my birth children, our family has unique needs that can only be fulfilled meeting and working with other adoptive families.”
Ken Seeley, Past Board President
Ken is the CEO of the non-profit organization, Partnership for Families and Children. He and his wife Karyn have an adult adopted daughter born in India. They have participated in Indian Nepalese Heritage Camp for many years. Ken is on the Board of Directors because “My family connects to Heritage Camps because it provides cultural roots for our daughter and the enrichment of joining with the Indian community for our entire family.”
Devon Shendleman, Board Member
Devon is an East Indian Adoptee with deep roots in Colorado. He was schooled here at University of Denver & University of Colorado and has built small businesses that blanket the Denver Metro Area. Devon brings an adoptee perspective, business sense and a great amount of passion for the adoptee experience to the board.
David M. Slattery, Board Member
David works for the Food Service Warehouse in the Sales Department and is a Filipino adoptee. I have been involved in Filipino Heritage camp since the very beginning of that camp. “I am a part of the board because I want to hear the views of the parents and see what drives them to be a part of the board. I truly enjoy sharing the adoptees experience and voice. Each of the board members have shared a special part of their life, along with their story. If it was not for the HCAF Board, I wouldn't be able to call them a part of my extended family.” I am expecting a baby girl this December and can’t wait to introduce her to my culture, extended family and friends.
Donald Wagler, Board Member
Don is an IT Specialist for IBM. He and his wife Roseanne have been a part of REECA Heritage Camp for many years. Their teenage daughter was born in Russia. Don is also a Board Member of the Colorado FRUA organization.
Scott Wong, Board Member
Scott is a financial consultant. He and his wife Dawn have two adopted children, a daughter born in China and a son born in Korea. They have been involved in both the Chinese and Korean Heritage Camps for over 15 years. Scott is currently Co-Director of the Korean Heritage camp and his wife is Co-Director of the Chinese Heritage Camp. Scott joined the Board of Directors to give back to the heritage camp families and staff for all they have done for their children. This amazing group provided their son and daughter a sense of family and community support needed to address any adoption and or cultural issues.
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