Board of Directors
President: Jon 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. He has two kids at Compass, and has been a huge support to our school.
Vice President: Leah Saieg Leah is a K12 education consultant, supporting prospective, new and existing schools to ensure their efforts and resources are mission-aligned. She has worked in neighborhood and public charter schools for 15 years in various roles including teaching middle school humanities, teacher recruitment, talent development, communication strategy, program evaluation, fundraising and like every startup employee - plunging a few toilets. Prior to her involvement in education Leah worked in leadership development, focusing on helping companies scale without losing their culture and values-driven ethos. She holds a MS in Leadership and a BS in Business Administration. Most importantly, she has three delightful kids who attend Compass and she is so honored to serve this school community.
Board Treasurer: 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.
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 Compass Alumni: Imani Garcia
Imani is a Compass Alumni, graduating in 2018 after attending the Golden Campus from Children's House through 12th grade. During her time at Compass, she spent 100s of hours volunteering both on and off campus, went on trips all around the state of Colorado, California, and Germany, and even played on the ultimate frisbee team for a semester. Following her graduation from Compass she moved on to attend the Colorado School of Mines, receiving an Engineering degree with a focus in Energy and graduating in May 2022. For the past two years and counting, Imani has been an Energy Engineer at Group14 where she primarily supports multifamily ENERGY STAR projects, conducting energy modeling, building energy simulations, performing on-site testing, along with creating reports and design document reviews.
Corey Exline brings her passion for creativity, education, and community to the Compass Montessori Board. With over 25 years as a professional actor and theater educator, she has performed from New York to Colorado and internationally with Missoula Children’s Theater. Corey holds dual BFAs in Acting and Musical Theater from Elon University and remains a working actor in Denver, appearing at theaters like Miners Alley, the Arvada Center, and Aurora Fox. Alongside her stage career, Corey teaches at the Arvada Center and has led programs as Artistic Director of Broadway Bound Kids and Senior Director at Random Farms Kids Theater, where she shaped young performers and developed programs that nurtured thousands of children.
A parent of two Compass Montessori students, Corey is committed to helping children find their voice and supporting their emotional and academic growth. At home, she embraces the joyous chaos of her non-traditional blended family of 3 adults, 4 kids, 2 big dogs, 3 chickens, 7 ducks, 1 bearded dragon, and too many pet snails. Corey is excited to bring her energy and creativity to the Compass community, where she hopes to foster a nurturing and empowering environment for every child.