Southeast Regional Council

William J. Hybl is Chair Emeritus and charter member of the board of Trustees of El Pomar Foundation, after serving 30 years as Chairman and CEO. In 2008 Hybl was confirmed by the United States Senate as Chairman of the U.S. Commission on Public Diplomacy, a position he was appointed to by President George W. Bush. He was reappointed by President Barack Obama on June 2, 2011 and currently serves as Vice Chairman.

He serves as Chairman of the U.S. Olympic Endowment and is President Emeritus of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). He served twice as President, when he led the U.S. Olympic Team Delegations at the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France, and the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. In 1998, he again led the U.S. Team at the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, and, in 2000, at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. He was a member of the International Olympic Committee from 2000-2002. He has also been engaged in a variety of public service activities. Hybl is Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (Senior).

In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Hybl as U.S. Representative to the 56th General Assembly of the United Nations. He serves as vice chair for the Fund for American Studies. In addition, Hybl was Chairman of the Board of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) from 2003-2009 and currently serves as Chairman Emeritus. He was named Citizen of the West by the National Western Stock Show of Denver in 2003. He is vice chair of the Colorado State Fair Foundation.

Hybl is a graduate of Colorado College and earned his juris doctor at the University of Colorado School of Law. He was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1972 and was Special Counsel to President Ronald Reagan in 1981. He was married to Kathleen Horrigan for 56 years until her recent passing. They have two sons, B.J. and Kyle, and six grandchildren.

Melanie Bravo is the Vice President of Philanthropy at Caring for Colorado Foundation, where she leads the foundation’s grantmaking and nonprofit capacity building efforts in Pueblo and manages statewide initiatives directed to adolescent populations. Before joining the Foundation, Melanie spent 10 years in the Boys & Girls Club movement—first as the President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Pueblo County and then as the Director of Organizational Development for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Early in her career, Melanie served as a Fellow and then Director of Programs at El Pomar Foundation. In this role, she worked on the Foundation’s regional grant making and leadership development programs. Melanie was born and raised in Pueblo, Colo., and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico.

Mike Cafasso has served as Chief Executive Office at St. Mary-Corwin since January 2018, after serving as the Vice President of Operations since March 2011. Mike is a strong supporter of the Pueblo community, having been named the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year in 2018.
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. Mike has an extensive background in customer service programming and developing innovative practices. He has completed programs at the Disney Institute, Ritz Carlton, Nordstrom, Lands’ End, and the Center for Creative Leadership. He is a current board member for the Association for Managers of Innovation.
As an active supporter of Colorado communities, Mike has served on the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation Board, co-chaired Access Denver, Girl Scouts of Colorado, and Goodwill of Southern and Western Colorado Boards. He currently serves as an elected member of the Board of Water Works of Pueblo and recently served as a Colorado State Fair Commissioner.
A Massachusetts native, Mike originally relocated to Colorado to attend Colorado State University-Pueblo.

Gina M. Cimino serves as President and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Mt. Carmel of Colorado, a 501(c)(3) non-profit which operates two campuses – Mt. Carmel Wellness and Community Center in Trinidad and Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center in Colorado Springs. She also serves as President and Broker for Kip Hampden, LLLP and as Vice Chair of the Phil Long Dealerships Board. Gina spent 18 years in the advertising industry starting as an administrative assistant while still in college and advancing through media buyer to account executive to Vice President with Graham Advertising, a Colorado based company. In 2009, Gina obtained her real estate license, where she specialized in business properties by joining Kip Hampden as a property manager and broker. Her responsibilities in this capacity include real estate owned by the Phil Long Dealership Group.
Being part of a philanthropic family has always inspired Gina to give back to her community. She has participated and volunteered in varied activities including those by The National Charity League, Newborn Hope, Boys and Girls Club, Care and Share, National Cancer Society, and a multitude of fundraising and support activities for St. Paul Catholic Church, Pauline Memorial Catholic School and St. Mary’s High School. Gina, a Colorado native, graduated from Cheyenne Mountain High School and the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. She has three daughters and loves outdoor activities.

Rhonda M. Epper, Ph.D., is President of Trinidad State College, based in Southern Colorado with campuses in Trinidad and Alamosa. She has spent her career serving all levels of the higher education sector – at the college level (rural and urban), system level, state level, as well as regional and national policy levels. Prior to Trinidad State, Dr. Epper served as Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs at Community College of Denver. She also served as Chief Academic and Student Affairs Officer at the Colorado Department of Higher Education, and in several roles at the Colorado Community College System Office, including Assistant Provost and Co-Director of Colorado Community Colleges Online. Dr. Epper also served at the California State University, Office of the Chancellor, and at the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) and the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO). She is recipient of the WCET (WICHE) award for lifetime achievement; was a Fellow with the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, and a Presidential Fellow with the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. Dr. Epper has served on numerous boards and advisory groups in higher education, and currently is a trustee for Mt. San Rafael Hospital and the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art, both in Trinidad, Colorado.

Dennis Maes sits on the District 60 Board of Education and is the former Chief Judge of the 10th Judicial District. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he was Director of the Pueblo County Legal Services and a Deputy State Public Defender. He was a past member of the Pueblo Regional Planning Commission and the Board of Directors for Eastside Child Care Center.

Dennis received his undergraduate degree from Southern Colorado State College and his law degree from the University of Colorado.

Chris Sohn began working at El Pomar in 2015 and currently serves as Vice President and Board Liaison. She also directs Awards for Excellence, El Pomar’s first program created in 1989 to celebrate outstanding nonprofit organizations and individuals in Colorado for their contributions. Chris is the senior staff member for the Southeast and San Luis Valley Regional Councils.

Chris is a member of 100 Women Who Care Colorado Springs and serves as Corporate Secretary for The Garden City Company.

An Air Force veteran, Chris served as an information management specialist.

Gabe Trujillo joined El Pomar Foundation as a member of the 2024 Fellowship Class. As a 1st Year Fellow, Gabe serves as a Program Associate for American Council of Young Political leaders, Elevating Leadership Development, and Fellowship Recruiting. He also supports the North and Southeast Regions.

Gabe has lived in Colorado Springs since the age of one. He attended MSU Denver where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Spanish and a certificate in Community Interpretation. During his time at MSU Denver, Gabe served on student government for three years, holding roles such as Student Trustee and Student Representative to the Auraria Board of Directors. He joined several programs and committees such as the Urban Leadership Program, Honor’s Program, Hispanic Serving Institution Committee, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to name a few. Gabe is also the 2024 Boettcher Foundation Colorado Student Leader of the Year and was the student speaker at his graduation. In the future, Gabe plans to go to graduate school and eventually earn a Ph.D. in higher education leadership, policy, and research with a hope to increase access to postsecondary education.

In his free time, Gabe loves to spend time with his family and engage in hands-on activities and adventures such as cooking, game nights, hiking, and going on late-night drives.