The Denver South Board of Directors is committed to building upon the organization’s legacy through visionary economic development leadership, civic involvement, and positive business advocacy in a non-partisan and collaborative manner to continuously improve the region’s economy and high-quality living standard.

Sam Inman

Economic Development Chair

Sam Inman is Wells Fargo’s Commercial Banking Leader for the Denver Tech Center and South Denver Metro Markets. He manages a team of Business Banking professionals who work with local businesses and business executives to support their business needs and goals. Inman has been with Wells Fargo for 19 years, all within the business banking team.

Sam began his career with Wells Fargo as a business banking associate, served as a credit analyst for three years, and as a Relationship Manager for three years before becoming the Business Banking Manager for the Denver Tech Center market. He has since had the opportunity to manage business banking teams across Colorado and in Southern Wyoming.

Throughout his career, Inman has been active in the community. Sam currently serves as Treasurer for the Boulder Community Hospital Foundation, and formerly was Chairman on the Jeffco Schools Foundation Board, a Boulder Economic Council Member, and SEBP Member. He has formally served on the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Group, SMDC Transportation Committee, SMDC Legislative Action Committee, Town of Castle Rock Investment Committee, and has volunteered for Junior Achievement. Outside of work, Sam is married with two daughters and enjoys spending time traveling, backpacking, road and mountain bicycling, cooking, and exercising.

Buz Koelbel, Jr.

Economic Development Vice Chair

Walter A. (Buz) Koelbel, Jr. is President of Koelbel and Company, founded in 1952 and recently celebrating its 67th year in business, one of the longest continually operating real estate companies in Colorado and real estate income producing investments. The company’s efforts are focused on development of office parks, master-planned residential communities, and real estate investments.

Projects include: The Preserve at Greenwood Village, Pinehurst Country Club, Tava Waters, Centennial Valley Business Park, and Rendezvous in Winter Park. New company platforms include urban infill homes through Koelbel Urban Homes which currently has over 250 for-sale units in the pipeline, low-income tax-credit apartments (LIHTC) with over 400+ units developed over the last seven years, and Catalyst HTI at 35th and Brighton Blvd. in RiNo, a 300,000 sq. ft. innovative office development. Its first phase of 180,000 sq. ft. revolutionary building that is part co-working space and part healthcare innovation ecosystem designed to serve as an integrator for the digital health industry and attendant businesses. His professional and civic involvements include the Urban Land Institute, having served six years as Trustee, Co-Founder and Vice Chair of Denver South Economic Development, past Chair and Board Member of Colorado Council on Economic Education, and Denver Museum of Nature and Science Board Member.

Koelbel is a native of Colorado and graduated from the University of Colorado in 1974 with a degree in finance. He is married to Sherri, and together they have four children and nine grandchildren.

Mayor Stephanie Piko

Transportation Chair

Mayor Stephanie Piko has been involved with the City of Centennial since 2007, as a member of Centennial’s Open Space Advisory Board, Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council. She brings a broad background to her role as Centennial’s third Mayor. As Mayor she is involved with many state, regional and local committees and boards such as the National League of Cities, Denver South Economic Development Partnership and Transportation Management Association, Centennial’s FiberWorks Commission, Chair of the Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority, Centennial’s Audit and Budget Committees and others.

She and her husband, Jim have lived in Centennial since 2001. Their two sons Austin and Conner are both graduates of the Cherry Creek School District where Mayor Piko taught technology for 10 years. In her free time she enjoys being a substitute teacher for the Cherry Creek School District and skiing and hiking in the mountains.


Jessica Campbell-Swanson is serving her first term as Arapahoe County Commissioner representing District 2, which includes Centennial, Greenwood Village, a portion of Aurora and unincorporated central Arapahoe County.

Jessica’s goals are focused on supporting the community through complex times, striving to ensure public resources are used to positively affect our growing county. Whether tackling housing and mental health issues or growing our local economy, Jessica is invested in making Arapahoe County healthy, thriving, and sustainable.

Jessica represents the County’s interests on a variety of boards and committees, including:
• Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority (ACWWA)
• Arapahoe County Board of Social Services
• Arapahoe County Executive Budget Committee
• Arapahoe County Housing Authority
• Colorado Counties, Inc.: General Government
• Colorado Counties, Inc.: Taxation and Finance
• Denver South Board of Directors and Transportation Management Association
• Forfeiture Board, Office of the 18th Judicial District Attorney
• Homeless Coordination Committee
• Metro Area County Commissioners
• Public Airport Authority
• Southeast Metro Stormwater Authority (SEMSWA)

Jessica earned her Master’s in Comparative Politics, her Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver, and is a licensed attorney with the Colorado Bar. After stints teaching English, practicing Election Law, and working at a local political consulting firm where she worked on international, local, and statewide campaigns, Jessica launched her own political consulting firm in 2017. In that capacity, she worked on city, state, and national campaigns and recently served as the Chief of Staff to Representative Iman Jodeh (HD41) for the 2021 and 2022 General Assembly sessions. In that role, Jessica focused on housing, health care, electoral, and immigration policy while managing staff and communications for Rep. Jodeh.

Jessica moved to Colorado in 2008 and has raised her family in Arapahoe County. Her husband Nick and stepchildren Oliver and Charlotte are proud to call Arapahoe County home.

Peter Culshaw immigrated from London, UK in January of 1984. He worked as a Partner in the London-based company Gooch and Wagstaff before forming his own business, Winchester Properties in 1985. In 1989 Winchester Properties was sold and Peter joined DTC/Meridian where he served as President and CEO. He has been responsible for all of DTC’s operations, land development, vertical development, and the acquisition and disposition of numerous assets through the metro Denver area. In 2006, DTC/Meridian was merged with the J.F. Shea Company where Peter now serves as Executive Vice President for Shea Properties, overseeing Colorado and Arizona. Peter holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Land Administration from Portsmouth University in the UK, is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and is a licensed real estate broker in the State of Colorado. Peter has had numerous philanthropic involvements. He was a founding member of the Cherry Creek Schools Foundation Board and a board member from 1995-2001, during which time he chaired the annual luncheon for two years. He was a board member of the MackIntosh Academy School from 1994-2000 and Chair of the Board from 1996 -1999. He joined The Children’s Hospital Research Institute in 1994, which he chaired from 1996-2006. He also served as a Children’s Hospital board member from 1997-2006 and is currently a board member of The Children’s Hospital Foundation where he has also served as Vice Chair and Chair. In 2006, he was awarded the Children’s Hospital “Miracles Award” for philanthropy. Peter and his wife, Cathy, have chaired the Kempe Center Annual Dinner as well as The Children’s Hospital Gala. Peter was awarded the Starlight Foundation’s Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year Award in 2001. He has been a board member of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation since 1996, and the Culshaws chaired the High Hopes Tribune Dinner on behalf of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation in 1997. Peter is on numerous civic and governmental boards including Chair of Denver South Economic Development Partnership, SPIMD Board, Goldsmith Metro Board, Meridian Metro Board, Greenwood District Board and former member of the Cherry Creek North District Design and District Boards. Peter is a member of the Urban Land Institute and International Council of Shopping Centers and has been a Colorado University Real Estate Council Member since 1997.

Michael Fronapfel is Chief Executive Officer of the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority, owner and operator of Centennial Airport, one of the busiest corporate and general aviation airports in the US. Fronapfel, who holds a B.S. in Aviation Management from Metropolitan State University of Denver and began his career at Centennial Airport in 1998 as an operations intern. He then went on to become the airport’s very first noise officer and would play an integral role in establishing many of the public outreach programs within the airport’s noise office and programs.

Fronapfel, is a noted speaker on airport planning, development as well as being a pioneer in the use of drones for on-airport inspections. He developed Centennial Airport’s drone program; one of the first in the nation to be recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration.

As the Senior Vice President of Operations for Shea Properties, Eric is engaged in everything from business operations and project piloting to strategic visioning and political outreach in pursuit of Shea Properties’ sustained success. An implementor of holistic consideration, his well-rounded understanding of market analysis, legal processes, finance, construction, and District oversight supports the synchronized synthesis of each project’s many disparate influences. An expert in water resources, rights, and supply, Eric is heavily involved in many of Shea Properties’ water issues and complex rezoning or entitlement efforts where his savvy enhances efficiency. A central presence connecting many perspectives, Eric helps Shea eliminates internal silos and serves as a vital bridge between the firm’s different divisions.

Eric completed two Masters’ degrees (Environmental Sciences and Public Affairs) from Indiana University following a degree in Biology from Lawrence University. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Zimbabwe.

Darryl M. Jones is the Senior Vice President for Coventry Development Corporation.  Coventry is the community developer for the mixed-use master planned communities of RidgeGate, Springwoods Village and Hobe Grove communities in Colorado, Texas and Florida respectively, focused on community appreciation through development of various asset classes.

Darryl has worked in both the public and private sectors in real estate development and planning and is a former mayoral appointee and part of the executive leadership team as the Chief Real Estate Officer at Denver International Airport (DEN).  Prior to his service at DEN, Darryl was Vice President and Development Manager of Coventry Development Corporation, where he managed the day-to-day development activities of three major real estate assets.  He has also served as the Director of Planning and Government affairs for Oakwood Homes, and in development regulation and vision implementation for several municipal jurisdictions on both the east and west coasts.

He previously served as an elected official and member of the Greenwood Village City Council and is a former member of the Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA) Board of Directors. He holds a Master of City Planning degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in Landscape Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley.

George started his community service in Greenwood Village as a member of the Greenwood Village Board of Adjustment and Appeals where he served for 12 years as both Chairman and Vice-Chairman. For eight years he served on the Greenwood Village Planning and Zoning Commission including serving as Chairman for three years. He was elected to the City Council in 2015 and served as Mayor Pro-tem from 2017 – 2019. George was recently elected to the position as Mayor in November 2019. He has also participated as a board member of his homeowners association for 21 years and has served as the President for the last 18 years.

George served as President and CEO of an iodine exploration and production company, which traded on the London stock exchange. Prior to that he and his partners founded a telecommunications company, which they built to be a worldwide market share leader. The company was acquired by Polycom Inc. George also held positions in several large corporations including Texaco, IBM and ROLM.

George’s formal education includes a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Business both from the University of Wyoming. George and his wife Debbie have lived in Greenwood Village since 1989. Their two sons were raised in Greenwood Village and recently graduated from Vanderbilt University and Wake Forest University. George enjoys travel, fly fishing, golf and spending time with family and friends.

Abe Laydon was elected Douglas County Commissioner, District I, in November 2018 and began serving his first term in January 2019. 

Laydon’s top priorities as County Commissioner include cutting taxes, providing real transportation solutions, ensuring responsible growth, working collaboratively with law enforcement and the school board to make sure we have proven safety solutions ready and in place to protect our kids, and making certain we have clean and abundant air and water for generations to come. 

As County Commissioner, Laydon seeks to collaborate with everyone in Douglas County – citizens, the press, business leaders, civic servants and nonprofits – to deliver good things for the community. He has an open-door policy and invites the opportunity to connect with all constituents and collaborators. 

In addition to his fundamental responsibilities as a County Commissioner, Laydon also serves as a representative of Douglas County, by way of Board appointment, to the following area organizations: Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority Board, Arapahoe/Douglas Workforce Investment Board, Centennial Airport Community Noise Roundtable, Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Control Authority, Community Services Block Grant Tripartite Board, Developmental Pathways Board of Directors, Douglas County Community Foundation, Douglas County Housing Partnership, Douglas County Youth Initiative Advisory Board, and the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation. 

Additionally, Commissioner Laydon shares in the Board’s responsibility for the County’s presence on the Chatfield Basin Watershed Authority, Denver South Economic Development Partnership, Metro Area County Commissioners, Partnership of Douglas County Governments and Urban Drainage and Flood Control District. 

Laydon also serves on the Colorado Counties, Inc. (CCI) subcommittees on Health and Human Services, Land Use and Natural Resources, Taxation & Finance, and Transportation and Telecommunications. In spring 2019 he was appointed to serve on both the National Association of Counties Transportation Policy Steering Committee and the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials Public Health Transformation Steering Committee. In addition, he is a member of the Douglas County Mental Health Initiative Workgroup for Development of Programs and Interventions, and the Sky Ridge Community Council. 

Prior to being elected as County Commissioner, Laydon served as a Douglas County Planning Commissioner for two terms, and as the Douglas County Republican Party’s first vice-chairman and treasurer. A graduate of the Leadership Program of the Rockies, Laydon has been involved in philanthropy and civic service his entire life. He sits on the board of many local nonprofits, was an officer and member of Denver Active 20-30 and the Metro Denver Board of Christian Legal Society. 

A 15-year land use and business attorney, Laydon was a senior partner at Coan, Payton & Payne, LLC. He is a member of the Denver Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. 

Laydon is a proud fifth-generation Coloradan and graduate of Colorado State University and the University of Colorado School of Law. Laydon and his wife reside in Lone Tree with their three children. The family attends and are members of Cherry Hills Community Church. 

Christie Lee is the State and Local Affairs Director for United Launch Alliance (ULA) headquartered in Centennial, Colorado. She has over 20 years of experience in state and local government and – prior to joining ULA in 2022 – she worked for 10 years in State and Local Government Relations at Lockheed Martin Space.  She is involved in many local chambers of commerce and economic development organizations throughout multiple states and is the current Chair of the Colorado Competitive Council in the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and a past Board Chair of the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce. She also sits on the Colorado Space Business Roundtable Board, where she developed a two-week aerospace internship for rural high school and college students in the state of Colorado. This program, which has been running in Colorado for nine years, expanded to Alabama in 2021. She serves as the Co-Chair of the Colorado Chapter of Citizens for Space Exploration and manages and coordinates many Aerospace Days at the Capitol and other outreach events through the Aerospace States Association across multiple states including Alabama and Colorado. Christie also worked for Legislative Council at the Colorado General Assembly.

Christie graduated from Colorado State University with a BA in Political Science and holds a paralegal certificate from Denver Paralegal Institute.

Senior Vice President, Infrastructure Engineering Director
Merrick & Company

Mike Martin currently serves as a director on the Merrick & Company Board, where he also leads the firm’s Infrastructure Business Unit. Mike is a long-time Denver resident and actively volunteers within his community. Mike has 20 years of experience with increasing responsibilities, focusing in design of arterial and local roadways, intersections, storm drainage systems, water systems, and sanitary sewer systems, as well as the construction management and observation of those projects along the Colorado Front Range.

Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet is a solutions-oriented leader with a proven record of consensus building and collaboration. Her years of experience as a Registered Civil Engineer, Lone Tree Planning Commissioner, Council Member and Mayor have afforded Jackie the opportunity to work with a broad range of citizen, business, and government stakeholders to provide real solutions for community challenges.

Jackie has represented Lone Tree on a number of regional organizations including Vice Chair of the Metro Mayors Caucus, Chair of the Denver Regional Council of Governments, the Regional Air Quality Council, the E-470 Board of Directors, and the Partnership of Douglas County Governments. Jackie has become a well-respected voice on many regional issues including transportation and collaborative government.

Diana grew up in southeast Denver and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. She is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and has spent her career working in the nonprofit sector. She and her husband raised their daughter and son who are now young adults in District 4. Diana’s career has been dedicated to ensuring that all children, youth, and families have access to the same opportunities that she and her family have enjoyed. She understands the long game of public policy, having built a statewide coalition to raise the profile of family, friend, and neighbor care, laying the groundwork for change years before the political appetite finally caught up. Her advocacy for early care and education, youth development, and out-school-time program and family support has anchored her values in community. Diana understands at her core that change happens when you listen to all voices, treat everyone with respect and dignity, lift up people who have been historically marginalized, and follow the data as well as your heart. Diana previously served as the President & CEO of Scholars Unlimited and is excited to work on behalf of the Denver South community.