Prior to taking his current position at NWCCI in August 2013, Ian was Executive Director at the Center for People with Disabilities (the ILC based in Boulder) and before that he was Executive Director for the SouthWest Center for Independence with a main office in Durango. Ian sustained a spinal cord injury in a 40 foot fall from a tree on October 1, 1994. He was hired as an advocate with Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, defending and enforcing the rights of people with disabilities. This work focused on investigating abuse and neglect in nursing homes as well as state and private institutions. Ian quickly developed a life-long passion for working with people to have more freedom and control over our own lives through exercising our right to choose and direct community-based services. Ian began delivering speeches and facilitating workshops on the conference circuit for human rights and social justice non-profit organizations, with a focus on nursing home transition and person-centered planning. Ian gained experience handling administrative duties, managing organizational budgets, facilitating dialogue-based interactive learning in participatory workshops, and organizing people to effectively address systemic issues in order to affect public policy. He enjoys connecting people with resources to further independence for many who are capable of doing more, in the larger community, for themselves and each other.
our team
Barbara HENRY, CPDT-KA
Executive Director, Lead Trainer and Forever, Caitlin’s Mom
As a life-long animal behavior enthusiast, Barbara is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer Knowledge Assessed(CPDT-KA), a Certified Trick Dog Instructor, an AKC Canine Good Citizens Evaluator and a Canine Life and Social Skills Evaluator. She is also a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and a graduate of the Rocky Mountain Regional Dog Training Academy. Additionally, Barbara is also a certified Level One TAGTEACH Teacher and a graduate of the 2017 Non-profit Leadership and Management Program, hosted by the Community Resource Center.
As an active leader in her community, Barbara has received the 2016 Cappi Service Animal award from the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and the 2017 Shining Star Award from the Department of Labor and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Although Barbara has accomplished many things during her life, she is most proud to be the dedicated mother to five incredible kids and six grandchildren. Four of Barbara’s children live very successful lives on this earth, while Caitlin Tyra Brady awaits the next adventure.
Michael Neil, Ph.D.
My name is Michael Neil and I am a fellow from Denver with Spina Bifida and Upper Motor Neuron Dysfunction. I grew up in the Park Hill neighborhood of Denver. I began political organizing in 1998 by phone-banking with the Gail Schoettler for Governor campaign in 1998 and was a part of both my Amnesty International Chapter and Colorado College Fair Labor from 2000-2003. In graduate school at the University of Denver, I joined the Center on Rights Development from 2006-2007 and the DU Task Force on Modern Slavery from 2007 to 2008. From 2004-2006, I began my first stint as a precinct committee person in Denver, and I joined the Diversity and Outreach Committee of the Denver County Democratic Party from 2007-2008. After I began my dissertation work, I stepped back from my official political duties for a few years to focus on my academic work on John Rawls and the intersection of theories of democracy, disability politics, and membership in a sociopolitical community. Upon my dissertation completion in 2013, I became a very-part-time ADA Compliance Investigator for the Civil Rights Enforcement and Education Center. From 2015 to 2016, I was appointed by the Governor to the Disability Benefit Support Contract Committee, which became the Disability Funding Council in 2016, and which I chaired from late 2017 until late 2020. I also joined the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition in 2015 as a legislative liaison. More recently, in September 2019, I was appointed liaison from Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition to the Colorado Civic Engagement Roundtable and, in April of 2019, I was also appointed as a liaison to the Women’s Lobby of Colorado.
Jim BAUSANO
Experienced senior leader with a successful record of achieving strategic growth and profitability with over 30 years of experience in the Consulting, Engineering, and Construction fields with ever increasing professional responsibilities. Direct experience includes leadership positions in Strategy, Business Development, Operations, and Program and Project Management supporting the planning, engineering, construction, and management of major capital projects for industrial, commercial, and government client groups in various countries and multi-cultural environments. He is currently a Senior Vice President and Global Market Sector Leader – Oil and Gas operating in seven (7) global regions.
Tim GORDON, CPA
Tim Gordon is a CPA and has been in the accounting world since 2009. His specialty is income taxes, focusing on individuals, real estate investors, and small businesses.
He was raised in California and graduated from Brigham Young University in 2009 with a Masters of Accountancy. He moved to Colorado in that same year and has been here ever since.
Tim and his wife Amy started working with Domino Service Dogs in 2020, helping to train their poodle for and along with his son, Finley, who didn’t sleep through the night until his service dog came along
Dawn RUSSEL
Dawn Russell doesn’t initially strike you as the type of person you would expect to have been arrested over 25 times with charges ranging from trespassing to disturbing the peace. She is an organizer with ADAPT. ADAPT will say they use civil disobedience and direct action to advocate for people with disabilities, but these feel like too big of words for me.
Basically, they are badasses literally willing to throw themselves under a bus for their voices to be heard. And what are they shouting about? The first ADAPT actions happened around issues of wheelchair access on public transit in Denver in the late ’70s. People with disabilities were stranded in nursing homes, an issue that persists to this day, and people were further isolated because the bus that swung by their place wasn’t wheelchair accessible. The activists, who became known as the “Gang of 19,” laid themselves in the path of an R.T.D. bus and an organization was born.
ADAPT launches two national actions a year. Their modus operandi is to flood a room, a meeting or an office of government with people in wheelchairs. Their intent is to remain until their demands are met. “It’s the real fucking deal,” says Dawn. This often leads to arrests. “I didn’t think my sweet David [her recently passed husband] was paying attention to how many arrests I had. When I got out of jail after an action in Chicago, and we were in real jail there, and I remember getting out and he’s standing there with flowers and balloons and a big sign that read Happy 25th.”
Dr. Brett SARGENT, DVM
Dr. Brett Sargent earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University in 1987. Shortly after graduation he joined his father at Front Range Veterinary Clinic. Brett’s area of special interest includes internal medicine, dentistry, and soft tissue surgery. Dr. Brett has been certified as a Diplomate by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) specializing in canine and feline practice. Dr. Brett Sargent was awarded the 2012 Cappi Service Animal award by the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition.
Marilou KIESSIG
Marilou has lived her entire life in Denver, with the exception of college at University of California Santa Barbara where she graduated with a degree in Marine Biology. Not so useful in Denver but this was where she wanted to raise her family. Real Estate has been a family business so the transition worked well and gave her time to spend with her sons growing up.
Marilou has worked in Real Estate for thirty five years. Twenty-eight of those years, have been spent at ReMax of Cherry Creek. Over her incredibly successful career, Marilou has been entered into the ReMax Hall of Frame and just this year, she received another award for Excellence.
Marilou found and negotiated the lease on the Domino training facility. Thankfully, Marilou also gladly accepted the invitation to be on DSD’s Board of Directors. Personal medical issues then gave her the opportunity to train my own service dog, Jujubean, through the DSD program. Having been a participant in all aspects of DSD she can unequivocally say this is a wonderful program that does everything it commits to do!
At this time in Marilou’s life her family, ( She has two sons, two grandsons and another on the way) Real Estate, DSD, and gardening keep her busy and happy!
Barbara HENRY, CPDT-KA
Executive Director, Lead Trainer and Forever, Caitlin’s Mom
As a life-long animal behavior enthusiast, Barbara is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer Knowledge Assessed(CPDT-KA), a Certified Trick Dog Instructor, an AKC Canine Good Citizens Evaluator and a Canine Life and Social Skills Evaluator. She is also a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and a graduate of the Rocky Mountain Regional Dog Training Academy. Additionally, Barbara is also a certified Level One TAGTEACH Teacher and a graduate of the 2017 Non-profit Leadership and Management Program, hosted by the Community Resource Center.
As an active leader in her community, Barbara has received the 2016 Cappi Service Animal award from the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and the 2017 Shining Star Award from the Department of Labor and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Although Barbara has accomplished many things during her life, she is most proud to be the dedicated mother to five incredible kids and six grandchildren. Four of Barbara’s children live very successful lives on this earth, while Caitlin Tyra Brady awaits the next adventure.
Randy WALKER
I’m an Air Force veteran and have always loved teaching people. One day a friend of mine said, “You love to teach, and you love dogs. When are you going to put it together?” I finally did. I’ve been training dogs for 5+ years. I’ve found my passion!!
My qualifications and training time include over 10,000 hours of classroom instruction experience, 100+ group classes for families, training 45+ rescue dogs in my home helping them get adopted , and helping 20+ dog trainers earn their certifications.
I’ve also studied Karen Pryor and Jean Donaldson. Their theories of behavior modification and rescue dog training have had a huge influence over my style and technique.
I work with all types of dog behaviors and ailments. From working with dogs in basic obedience training, destructive and aggressive behaviors, and dogs that are disabled; deaf, blind, and/or missing a limb.
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