Staff and Board

Denver Audubon Staff

Board of Directors

Curt Frankenfeld, President (Director, Access Strategy and Development at CenturyLink – retired)

Don Hall, Vice President (Healthcare Consultant and Podcaster, Delta Sigma)

Elvira Kozhevnikova, Secretary (Attorney)

Diane RaPue, Treasurer (Canva Credit Union – Town Center Branch Leader )

Dale Campau (Former PhD Chemist)

Dina Baker, (Arapahoe County Extension Director, Colorado State University Extension)

Pilar Hoyos (Retired)

Committee Chairs

Audubon Master Birder: Diane Hutton

Children’s Hospital: Susan Sass

Colorado Bluebird Project: Kevin Corwin

Conservation: Polly Reetz

Field Trip: Deb Bogar

Finance: Diane RaPue

Lois Webster Fund: Allen Stokes

Soaring Soirée: Shelley Conger & Patricia Marnette

Nicole Bopp

Executive Director

Nicole Bopp is an energetic leader with over a nearly 15 years of experience in the non-profit sector. With a strong creative flair and a natural ability to inspire, she has excelled in various leadership roles, demonstrating a keen aptitude for driving growth and impact.

In her most recent role as Event and Development Manager at Colorado Preservation, Inc. (CPI), Nicole was instrumental in planning and executing a range of successful education and fundraising events. Her responsibilities included managing membership programs, soliciting major gifts, grant writing, and overseeing communication plans. Notable achievements include securing significant grants and expanding the donor base, contributing to the organization’s overall success.

As President of Ideas Amplified, Inc., Nicole served as a project-based consultant, providing expertise in areas such as appraisal, land use, historic preservation, economic development, and graphic design. She has worked with a diverse range of clients, including the National Park Service, Urban Neighborhoods, Inc., the Federal Boulevard Partnership, and the Colorado Department of Transportation, among others.

During her tenure as Executive Director of the Governor’s Residence Preservation Fund (GRPF), Nicole played a pivotal role in expanding programming, creating more access leveraging a robust volunteer program, and revenue through collaboration and strategic partnerships. She successfully secured grants from local, state, and national foundations and implemented mechanisms to increase earned income, contributing to the organization’s financial stability.

Nicole’s leadership experience also extends to the business sector, where she served as Managing Partner of r + d Wine Shop, LLC, overseeing strategic planning and operations. Her business acumen and strategic thinking were key factors in the success of the boutique wine shop, which garnered recognition as 5280’s Top of the Town Wine Shop.

Nicole holds a Master’s degree in Historic Preservation Planning from Cornell University and a Bachelor’s degree in U.S. History from the University of Colorado. A Colorado native, Nicole is deeply connected to her community and is passionate about community planning and placemaking. In her free time, she enjoys running, yoga, reading, birdwatching, and spending quality time with her family and furry friend, Bowie Bopp.

Kate Hogan

Kate Hogan

Community Outreach Manager

Kate is a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, but her love for the ocean took her to the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. There, Kate interned with  Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, where she learned, “You haven’t lived until you’ve bleached an ENTIRE puffin exhibit and shoveled polar bear poop! Kate has a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Science-Biology and a Master’s in Nonprofit Business Management. In 2012, she joined Denver Audubon and loves getting our message out into the community. She currently lives in Parker with her husband Bryan, daughter Caitlyn, and son Luke.

Kieran Fish

Youth Environmental Educator

Kieran’s background is in conservation and science education, including ornithological research in the Florida Everglades and habitat restoration in the Sierra Nevada. Kieran has a Bachelor’s degree in biology and a Master’s degree in education. As a teacher, he shared his love of nature and science with children from pre-K to high school through hands on, real-life experiences. He believes that nature has endless lessons to teach us, and strives to create opportunities for all people to participate in the outdoors.

Delaney Bensler

Communications and Development Coordinator

Delaney grew up in Colorado, where her love for the outdoors was born. She attended the University of Denver, receiving a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Legal Studies, and Spanish. After college, she pursued a career in wine, becoming a certified specialist of wine and establishing her own wine tasting business. However, her passion for nature and conservation led her to Denver Audubon, where she took our Naturalist training and decided to join us full time. In her free time, Delaney enjoys exploring the Colorado wilderness with her two dogs, cooking, perusing local farmers markets, traveling, and settling in with a good book.

Kristen Peterka

School Programs Manager

Kristen taught in Ohio, Philadelphia, and San Francisco before finding her true home here in Denver. She has a degree in Environmental Education and a passion for science and youth development. She has taught both in the classroom and outdoors as a middle school science teacher, wilderness adventure guide, environmental educator, and summer camp director. She loves backpacking and being outdoors with her family and dog.

Lara Cueni

Administrative Assistant

Lara was born and raised in Colorado and has a lifelong love of nature fostered on camping trips throughout the West with her family. She holds degrees in Archaeology and Sustainable Tourism Management, and has lived and worked around the world in the ecotourism and hospitality industry, from Switzerland to Greece to the Virgin Islands and finally back to Denver. Her love for nature led her to initially volunteer with Denver Audubon, and she’s excited to bring her organizational and project management skills to further support the work of the organization. She currently lives in Centennial with her partner and two dogs, and her free time is mostly spent reading, gardening, exploring the outdoors, and obsessing over birds.

Angel Tobin

Volunteer Coordinator

Angel has over three decades of experience in environmental education, interpretation, and volunteer management. She retired from Roxborough State Park in 2022 as their Volunteer & Interpretive Services Manager, where she worked for 22 years. Her passion is to bring awareness through education and to inspire others to take action towards protecting, sustaining, and enjoying Colorado’s natural environments. She loves to engage and support volunteers who are dedicated to doing the same. She enjoys walking, hiking, camping, traveling, music, dancing, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Audrey Hicks

Americorps Member

Audrey has a M.S. in Environmental Science and a deep love of the outdoors. She is an avid birder and has experience with guiding, surveying, and banding birds in South Texas. Before pursuing her Masters, she lived and worked in Tanzania for 6 years, first as a Health Educator in the Peace Corps and then as a manager at a non-profit. She lives in Littleton and enjoys reading, painting, and spending time in nature with her husband and son.