Board of Directors

Board President:  Gina Steffens Lubno

Gina Steffens is an agile executive with more than two decades of professional experience in progressive leadership roles with global private firms and publicly traded companies. Gina is solution-oriented and results-driven, with a track record that reflects successful development and execution of economics-first strategies in a variety of industries. Originally joining PHM Brands as Chief Legal Officer in 2021, and then transitioning into the role of PHM Brands’ Chief Executive Officer in 2023, Gina's versatile background also includes senior leadership roles with Real Capital Solutions, Vail Resorts Management Company and Regency Centers Corporation. Gina has an excellent reputation for being an authentic and transparent leader who achieves outsized impact through thoughtfully structuring and motivating exceptionally driven teams, effectively orchestrating cross-functional collaboration and balancing competing priorities with opposing stakeholder needs. Gina thrives in dynamic, entrepreneurial environments and has demonstrated success in navigating companies through periods of accelerated growth.  Gina is a people influencer who comfortably leads change while creating a culture of accountability, and she has the vision and experience to successfully achieve long-term organizational success.

 

Gina earned her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School and her B.A. from the University of Florida. Gina also has many years of board experience, and currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for Compass Montessori School, a highly respected Jefferson County public charter school.

Board Vice President: Michael Deru

Michael Deru is the Group Manager for the Communities and Urban Sciences Research Group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. He conducts a broad range of research in commercial buildings and communities including starting the U.S. Life Cycle Inventory database, developing energy and carbon models for buildings, development and validation of energy efficiency technologies across all building systems, and leading large scale deployment programs for new building technologies. Dr. Deru has a PhD and MS in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University.

​​Pieter's professional experience and educational background have provided deep experience in strategic planning, contracts/legal matters, and communications. He has a strong understanding of and interest in K-12 education through my professional and personal experiences and interests. He served as a long-term board member and two year board chair of PEBC.org, a non-profit focused on quality teaching. In that capacity, he has experience in developing strategic plans, running meetings, and chairing committees. He served as the Executive Director for the Aurora Public Schools Foundation, where he focused on building a strong and engaged board. He has also volunteered for a variety of non-profit organizations including the Daniels Fund and the DPS Foundation.

Board Secretary: Amanda Burma

Amanda has 24 years experience selling and architecting complex solutions in competitive fast-moving markets. As a trusted industry advisor, she engages teams to understand their needs and successfully implement technologies. Prior to joining Appvance, Amanda held roles in Sales Engineering, Project and Product Management. Amanda earned a Masters in Computer Information Systems from the University of Phoenix.

Board Member At Large: John Cordial

Jon has experience managing the Membership and Marketing Department for a non-profit organization, and as Membership and Marketing Director, he ran monthly committee meetings, set agendas, and aligned committee goals with strategic goals of the organization.