Board of Trustees
Gerald D. (Jay) Cimino
Chairman of the Board and Trustee
Mr. Jay Cimino was born and raised in Trinidad, Colorado. After graduating from Holy Trinity Parochial School, he joined the Marine Corps and proudly completed his tour of duty. Jay then attended Trinidad State Junior College and transferred to the University of Denver, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Jay is best known for parlaying Phil Long Ford in the Phil Long Family of Dealerships, encompassing 19 dealerships spanning the Front Range from Raton, NM to Glenwood Springs, CO. He is also known for his philanthropy, which includes a broad spectrum of charitable organizations, needs, people and causes. Jay is the founder of the Trinidad Community Foundation, La Puerta de Colorado project and Mt. Carmel of Colorado’s two non-profits: Mt. Carmel Wellness & Community Center in Trinidad and Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center in Colorado Springs.
Gina M. Cimino
Vice-Chairman of the Board and Trustee
Gina M. Cimino is President and Broker of Kip Hampden, LLLP. She also serves as President of Mt. Carmel of Colorado as well as Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees for the non-profit, which has two distinct centers – Mt. Carmel Wellness & Community Center in Trinidad and Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center in Colorado Springs. Being part of a philanthropic family has always inspired Gina to give back to her community. She has participated and volunteered in various activities including those by the National Charity League, Newborn Hope, Boys and Girls Club, Care and Share, and the National Cancer Society. She currently serves on El Pomar’s Southeast Regional Council. Gina is a Colorado native who attended Cheyenne Mountain High School and is a graduate of the University of Colorado.
Marcia Mitchell
Treasurer
Marcia joined the Mt. Carmel family in April 2019. She has an M.S. degree in accounting and over 15 years of experience working with non-profit organizations in the Colorado Springs area, including healthcare and science education organizations. Having recently completed the AICPA’s Not-for-Profit certificate program, she is excited about working with the team to strengthen systems and processes and develop a financial model for organizational sustainability. The daughter of a career Marine and Vietnam veteran, Marcia has lived on both coasts but decided to settle in beautiful Colorado 25 years ago after visiting it in a cross-country motorcycle trek. She loves to go on road trips, and she tries to do something creative every day with paper and paint.
Greg Garcia
Member
Greg practices as a Senior Vice President/Investments for the Garcia Wealth Advisory Group at Stifel, Nicolaus & Company. For more than 30 years, in Colorado Springs, Greg has helped businesses and individuals set and attain financial goals. Concurrently, he has spent community time in leadership positions with nonprofit organizations helping them achieve their financial and operational goals and objectives. Greg says, “My goal in life is to leave my corner of the world in better shape than I found it while helping my friends and family along the way.”
David Palenchar
Member
Dave was raised in Southern California and first came to Colorado to attend the United States Air Force Academy. After a career in the Air Force, he returned to Colorado and joined the El Pomar program staff. In 2007, Dave was recognized as the Colorado Springs Citizen of the Year by the (then) Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce. He retired as El Pomar’s Chief Operating Officer in 2013. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of El Pomar Foundation, President & CEO of the Broadmoor World Arena and the Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts and Chairman of the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation.
Board of Managers
Jim Hannon
Chairman
Jim is a third-generation career military veteran who served for 33 years in the Air Force, retiring in the grade of Colonel. He earned three master’s degrees and completed executive programs at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, and the University of North Carolina. Jim is a long-time advocate for improved veteran’s benefits and spouse services. He also supported the concept of Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center from the very beginning. He is married to Marta, and together they have four children: Kenneth, Jamie, Tyler and Mitchel.
Charles "Chuck" Murphy
Vice-Chairman
Chuck has owned and operated Murphy Constructors for over 50 years. He has served on numerous boards of directors and is Chairman of the Pioneer Museum Foundation and the Department Chair of the Colorado Springs Planning Department. He is presently a commissioner for the governor’s Budget Task Force. Chuck is a graduate of Regis University.
Leslie Abrams
Secretary
Leslie, a native of northern California, has spent the last 32 years in Colorado, primarily as administrative support in the legal field. Leslie serves as the Executive Assistant to the Executive Director and Director of Operations of the Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center.
Marcia Mitchell
Treasurer
Marcia joined the Mt. Carmel family in April 2019. She has an M.S. degree in accounting and over 15 years’ experience working with non-profit organizations in the Colorado Springs area, including health care and science education organizations. Having recently completed the AICPA’s Not-for-Profit certificate program, she is excited about working with the team to strengthen systems and processes and develop a financial model for organizational sustainability. The daughter of a career Marine and Vietnam veteran, Marcia has lived on both coasts but decided to settle in beautiful Colorado 25 years ago after visiting it in a cross-country motorcycle trek. She loves to go on road trips, and she tries to do something creative every day with paper and paint.
Charles A. Anderson
Member
Charles (Chuck) Anderson is from Ashland, Kentucky and has over 43 years in leadership experience directing the operations of complex organizations ranging in size from 400 to 21,000 people. Chuck served in the Air Defense Artillery, Six Army Divisions, and was the first and only Air Defense Artillery officer to command an Army Division. In industry, Chuck has a history of planning, coordinating, and conducting operations world-wide with emphasis on Training, Security, Facility Services, Engineering, Enterprise IT, Aviation, Medical, and Logistics. Skills include Business Operations, On-Contract and New Business Growth, HR, Safety, Security and Quality. Proven experience on active duty with oversight of key Army facilities and the Manning, Arming, Equipping, and Sustaining responsibilities of the U.S Army deployed overseas. Over 10 years of P/L responsibilities leading up to a President role in PAE responsible for the Profit and Loss (P/L) of a 2.2B business.
Currently, Chuck is working for Bernhard Capital Partners a Private Equity company where they are collectively building a government services platform. Leveraging Chuck’s business and military experience, BCP’s intent is to build an agile and versatile company that solves our Nation’s most complex challenges. Prior to joining BCP, Chuck was a President in PAE where he had over 21,000 employees in 72 countries. His customers were DoD, DoS, NASA, HHS, USAID, FEMA, and Department of Commerce. During COVID his organization staffed, equipped, and ran healthcare facilities in the State of Georgia, Navajo Nation, and provided COVID testing for all sports teams, both men and women, in the Southeastern Conference.
From his experience, education, and opportunities for growth, Chuck is proficient in building teams, solving complex problems, and achieving results. From Afghanistan to Iraq, to Wall Street, and across the Federal Government, he is a leader that treats people with dignity and respect and his “audio matches his video.”
Peter J. Buckles, Jr.
Member
Peter joined the US Army in 1997, serving for seven years as a Military Policeman 95BV5. Upon leaving the military, he began his career selling cars for Ford and Kia in Sierra Vista, AZ. Peter and his family moved to Colorado Springs in 2007 where he joined the Phil Long Dealerships Team. He worked his way up from sales to sales manager, and now he is currently General Manager/Partner of Phil Long Kia. During his journey in the car business, he and his wife, Christina, have also opened three pizza restaurants and the largest bagel shop in Colorado Springs. The two met in culinary school as they both love to cook. He thinks that’s why they have always had a love for food and business. They have been married for 23 years and have three boys, Kyle, Brandon and Ryan.
Michael Cafasso
Member
Mike Cafasso serves as Chief Executive Officer at St. Mary-Corwin Hospital. He has been with Centura Health since 2011 when he first joined the organization as Vice President of Operations. Mike is a strong supporter of the Pueblo community, having been named the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year in 2018 and inducted into Pueblo Hall of Fame 2023 class.
A Massachusetts native, Mike relocated to Colorado to attend Colorado State University-Pueblo where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications. He later earned a Graduate degree in Banking from the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado.
Prior to joining St. Mary-Corwin, Mike served as Colorado President for the American Bank of Commerce. He also led Pueblo Bank and Trust as President and CEO with their expansion into several Colorado markets.
He currently serves as a board member for the Association for Managers of Innovation and as an elected member of the Board of Water Works of Pueblo and was reappointed by Governor Jared Polis to Colorado State Fair Board of Authority. He is also a member of Action 22 and El Pomar Foundation Southeast Regional Council.
Longinos Gonzales, Jr.
Member
Longinos Gonzalez, Jr. serves District 4 on the Board of County Commissioners. He took the oath of office for his first four-year term on January 11, 2017. His background includes graduating from the Air Force Academy in 1992 and continuing on to a 20-year career as an Air Force Intelligence officer, retiring as a Lt. Colonel in 2012. He has a Master’s in science education and he was a teacher with Harrison School District 2 prior to his election as County Commissioner. Longinos is the county representative on the Board of Health, Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority, Pikes Peak Workforce Consortium Executive Committee, and the Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control District. He serves as liaison on numerous other boards and committees — including the City/County Drainage Board and El Paso County Board of Retirement. Longinos’ community involvement includes serving on the State Board of Veterans Affairs, Colorado Springs Public Safety Sales Tax Oversight Committee, and being a volunteer Sunday school teacher and lector at his church.
Paulette Greenberg
Member
Paulette serves on the FEMA board at United Way and the Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center board. She chairs the Greenberg Center for Learning and Tolerance committee on fundraising to provide programs. She is also on the Community Outreach Committee for the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
Terrance McWilliams
Member
Terrence recently retired as the Vice President of Military and Veterans Affairs for El Pomar Foundation in Colorado Springs. He serves on the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross, Pikes Peak Chapter, Southeast Armed Services YMCA, The Salvation Army Military Affairs Committee, and Operation TBI Freedom Advisory Board. He previously served on the Executive Advisory Board for the TriWest Healthcare Alliance, and is a Past Board Chair of Pikes Peak United Way and the Center for Nonprofit Excellence Board.
Donna Nelson
Member
Donna is the Chief Development Officer with Pikes Peak State College. She is a dedicated, honest professional who serves her community in many ways. She started her professional career as a Medical NCO in the United States Army, serving nine years around the world to include a six-month tour in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm/Shield. Donna continues her service in Colorado Springs by serving on numerous boards, often in a leadership capacity to help shape the future of our community. After transitioning from the military, she was a leader at a local credit union, then was appointed by the mayor as the city’s first Economic Vitality Specialist.
Michelle Ruehl
Member
Michelle Ruehl is a flight instructor, English professor, veteran, and theater director. She spent 16 years on active duty in the Air Force, where she was a mission commander and instructor pilot. She flew 807 combat hours in Afghanistan, providing real-time airborne targeting data to air and ground forces during Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force raids. She also worked as a NATO/ISAF Intelligence and Surveillance aviation liaison in Kabul. From 2014 to 2019, she served as an English Instructor, Theater Director and Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Victim Advocate for her alma mater the United States Air Force Academy. Additionally, she served as a volunteer teacher and humanitarian in Ghana, Tanzania and Nepal. She has presented papers on community violence prevention and is the creator/director of Social Impact Theater Project, an interactive bystander intervention program, which she facilitated for 2750 military members. Michelle is also a certified PATH therapeutic riding instructor and equine specialist in mental health. She earned two M.A. degrees, one in Psychology and one in English (University of Colorado, Denver). To honor fallen military colleagues, she founded Parwana LEADership Legacy, a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide leadership camps to veterans and their families to enhance empathy, communication, and teamwork so youth can then use these concepts to lead others.
Kevin Shaughnessy
Member
Kevin serves as the Vice-President of Operations for Phil Long Dealerships, overseeing all 21 Phil Long dealerships. He joined Phil Long in 2006 as the General Sales Manager at Phil Long Ford of Denver. Kevin assumed the General Manager position at Phil Long Ford of Denver in 2011 and became the Managing Partner in 2013. Kevin attended Eastern New Mexico University from 1986-1990. He has served on the National Ford Dealer Council and currently serves on the Phil Long Enterprise Board of Directors.
Mark Waller
Member
Mark is a former Colorado county commissioner as well as a former legislator and county-level assistant district attorney. Mark received his Bachelor’s in Political Science from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. He then studied at the University of North Dakota where he received his Master’s in Space Studies, followed by his Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver, College of Law.
Ross White
Member
Ross was born and raised in the Amarillo, TX area. He has spent most of his career working for local television stations in news, marketing and sales roles. That work took him around the country in various roles, most recently as Vice President and General Manager of KOAA TV. Ross and his family found a home in Colorado Springs. He has served on a number of nonprofit boards through the years, and appreciates the opportunity to give back to veterans in the area.
Barbara J. Winter
Member
Barb Winter recently retired from Ent Credit Union where she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Community Officer. She was responsible for executive oversight of human resources, payroll, training, and the real estate development and facilities divisions
of Ent. She also coordinated community outreach and philanthropy along the Front Range. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Colorado State University. Barb has served and currently serves on numerous boards in the community. She is the 2002 recipient of the Athena Award from the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and is a 2004 CSBJ Woman of Influence, as well as a 2013 Girl Scout Woman of Distinction award winner. She was also named as the 2017 Southern Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce Accolades Business Executive of the Year. She also has recently received community leadership awards from the Pikes Peak YMCA, Leadership Pikes Peak, and Silver Key Senior Services. She is a graduate of the Center for Creative Leadership Community Leaders program.