Jennifer (Jen) Douglas has an extensive background in school and nonprofit leadership, primarily in the charter school sector where she has worked since 1999. Prior to joining the Peak to Peak team as executive director of operations in the summer of 2023, she worked as an educational consultant for five years providing leadership coaching and development, operations systems development, governance training, strategic planning facilitation, grant writing, and project management. Prior to that, Jen was the founder and executive director of New Legacy Charter School, an alternative school in Aurora primarily serving pregnant and parenting teens and their children. Jen is also a co-founder of Highline Academy in Denver where she worked as an operations-oriented administrator for several years after helping with the school's launch in 2004. In addition to her experience in direct school leadership, Jen worked for ten years (in two different periods) at the Colorado League of Charter Schools where she held several different roles, including Director of Finance and Operations and Director of New School Development. Jen volunteers as a board member at New Legacy Charter School. Equity and inclusion are driving values for Jen and, while still learning herself, she chooses to work with organizations that share these values and also commit themselves to ongoing learning and growth in these areas. Jen received her B.A. in English and secondary education from St. Olaf College (MN) and her M.A. in Administrative Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Colorado Denver.

Crystal leads LISC’s Charter School Financing lending team, overseeing business development, underwriting and asset management. In 2024, LISC, as part of Power Forward Communities, was awarded EPA Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds which the Charter School Financing team will be working to disseminate over the next few years. Crystal has been focusing on school facility lending as part of LISC’s Charter School Financing team for over eight years. Prior to LISC, she was a small business and community development lender for TruFund Financial Services and a Finance and Construction Project Associate for affordable housing developer UHAB (Urban Homesteading Assistance Board) in New York City. Crystal holds an MBA in Real Estate and Finance from Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business, History and English degrees from Temple University, and she serves on Civic Builders’ NMTC Advisory Board.

Nicole Sonderegger is the Vice President of Climate and Environmental programs at Opportunity Finance Network. Nicole is passionate about deploying capital to support community development and brings experience implementing clean energy programs serving low-income communities. At Opportunity Finance Network, Nicole is responsible for planning, developing and implementing green financing initiatives, including activities of OFN’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund award. Prior to this role, Nicole managed equitable community solar, resilience, and energy efficiency programs at Groundswell. She managed all aspects of projects—from community engagement efforts, to structuring and securing funding and financing, to managing technical vendors for both residential and commercial customers. Nicole also brings experience in workforce and small business development through her work with a job training program for immigrants and refugees. Nicole holds a master’s in Social Entrepreneurship from the London School of Economics, as well as dual degrees in Business Administration and Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Nicole is originally from Costa Rica and is a lover of nature and the outdoors.

Alan Washington, President and CEO of Charter Schools Development Corporation (CSDC), has dedicated his life to helping underserved communities control and own their real estate, whether directing real estate operations within an organization or leading a corporation founded on this mission.

Previously, Alan was the Executive of Real Estate for Success Academy Charter Schools, a network of 49 charter schools serving over 20,000 students. Prior to this, Alan enjoyed a successful career with the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership as a Managing Director, Real Estate & Economic Development.

Alan earned his Master of Science in Real Estate from NYU and is also an alumnus of Dartmouth College. His is proud of his long tenures as Board Member of multiple organizations, including Harlem Academy in New York City and Camp Timanous in Raymond, Maine.