SecureSavings Program Board Members

As Managing Director, LaKeshia (Keshia) Allen Horner leads ProgressNow Colorado Education and ProgressNow Colorado’s efforts to expand operational capacity and optimize service delivery through solid business strategies, well-designed business processes, and sound financial and human resource allocation practices. Before joining ProgressNow, Keshia spent 13 years in the government auditing profession. She served 5 years with the City and County of Denver Auditor’s Office where she supervised audits of a variety of city operations, including those pertaining to city planning, public safety, and economic development. She also served over 8 years with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in Washington, D.C.—leading audits that spanned several areas including domestic and international tax policy and administration, oversight of employer sponsored pension plans, and small business lending. Keshia holds a master’s degree in Public Administration, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Public and Urban Affairs from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).

Jennifer Luce is the Executive VP for FirstBank leading the South Market. Founded in 1963, FirstBank is the second largest financial institution in Colorado with over $20 billion in assets and 2,500 employees. It operates 114 locations in Colorado, along with ten in Arizona and five in California. During her 20 year career at FirstBank, Jennifer has served in a variety of positions that include: developing and leading the Business Lending Group central to the bank’s 250 lending officers; responsible for growing loans annually over $40 million and deposits over $6 million; manage and mentor a team of 21 officers that oversee the daily operations of our 10 branch market; responsible for the growth, profitability and operations of a $1 billion bank with ten branches and 100+ employees; founded and chaired FirstBank’s Advocacy Program working with state and federal legislators.

Jim Martin was President and CEO of Denver based Kroenke Sports & Entertainment from November 2010 through December 2019. KSE owns and operates the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Pepsi Center and various other sports, entertainment and media assets. Martin first joined Kroenke Sports in 2004 as President of Altitude Sports & Entertainment. He previously held executive and management positions with Fox Sports and Liberty Media Corporation, and before that practiced corporate law in Denver and Phoenix. He is a graduate of the University of Wyoming and the University of Notre Dame Law School. He currently also serves on the Gold Crown Foundation and the Denver Police Foundation Boards of Directors, and previously served on the Visit Denver Board and the Denver Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) Board.

Toby Nuber has more than 20 years of investment banking, corporate finance and operations experience. Since 2014, he has served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Good Chemistry. Headquartered in Colorado, with additional operations and licenses in Massachusetts and Nevada, Good Chemistry is a successful, responsible and philanthropic cannabis company. Prior to joining Good Chemistry, Nuber successfully applied his corporate finance skills at several investment banks in New York and San Francisco, including the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC Capital Markets) and UBS. In this capacity, Nuber completed more than 40 transactions including initial public offerings, debt and equity capital raises, and buy/sell side mergers or acquisitions for a diverse set of technology and healthcare clients.

Carolyn Paul is a high-energy and confident executive with broad-based experience in financial services, retail and non-profit boards. An analytical problem solver with excellent communication skills, Paul has extensive experience working with regulators and has served both on a privately held corporate board and numerous non-profit boards. She brings over three decades of experience in financial services and has held leadership roles for ANB Bank, Bank of the West, Charles Schwab, and Wells Fargo. Paul is active in the community currently serving on the Komen Colorado Board and Wise Women Advisory Board (Past President). Key competencies include investments, asset allocation, strategic planning, risk management, governance, and client experience.

Kelly Stecklein is the Founder and President of Wealth Evolution Group. She has worked in the financial planning field for over 20 years at organizations such as Charles Schwab, Wells Fargo Investments, and Penn Mutual. Kelly began Wealth Evolution Group in 2009 to offer a comprehensive financial coaching
process based on honest and objective guidance. Kelly specializes in comprehensive financial planning and coaching for affluent individuals, families, and business owners, and supports her clients in the areas of investment management, retirement planning, risk management, and tax and estate planning. Kelly received her BA in International Business and French from Fort Lewis College, and holds an MBA and MS in Finance from the University of Colorado at Denver. Additionally, she is a Certified Financial Planner.

Kara leads the Inclusive Saving and Investing Initiative at the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program. There, she supports a community of policy and market leaders in pursuit of a lifelong inclusive savings and investing system. Prior to joining Aspen, Kara led the Funding Our Future Coalition on retirement security at the Bipartisan Policy Center. Additionally, her background includes policy and advocacy work, campaign organizing, as well as experience working on Capitol Hill. Kara earned her BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a double major in Political Science and Latin American Studies, with a certificate in Spanish.

A native Coloradan, Dave Young is honored to serve as Colorado State Treasurer. Dave served as a Colorado Representative from House District 50 for eight years. While in the legislature, Dave served on the Joint Budget Committee and as the Chair of the House Appropriations Committee. In January 2019, he was sworn in as Colorado State Treasurer. As State Treasurer, Dave has advocated for legislation that centers economic justice, including college savings accounts, small business loan funding, and the Colorado Secure Savings Program.