BILL RUBIN, President, is a Certified Public Accountant and a senior accountant with Weatherwax and Associates. He graduated from the University of Colorado School of Business with an MBA in public accounting. He operated Rubin Accounting for 10 years, providing bookkeeping, accounting and tax preparation services for various clients including housing development. Bill has been a Board member since 1994, serving as the Treasurer for 6 years. Bill has been a resident of Boulder County since 1971.
ANN MARKS GETCHES, Vice President, joined Thistle’s Board in 2000 and is the Managing Partner of Centro, a building development company in Boulder (20 years). She has also been a regular volunteer at the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless for the last eight years, and a Downtown Management Commissioner for the last five years. Ann has a BA from Occidental College and an MA from CU (Educational Psychology) and has been a Boulder resident for 30 years.
JOE BALLESTRASSE, Treasurer, joined Thistle’s Board in 2000, is the Vice President of commercial lending at First National Bank of Colorado in Boulder. Prior to joining Thistle’s Board Joe was instrumental in the construction financing for Thistle’s Buena Vista Community Land Trust, Colorado’s largest permanently affordable home ownership community. Joe’s expertise of the real estate market and the financing needed for affordable housing provides the organization with needed is a great asset to Thistle.
MIKE LINK, Secretary, has lived in Boulder County for more than 20 years. Growing up in Boulder Mike graduated from the University of Colorado in 1995 with a BA in Political Science. He and his family are homeowners in Lafayette through Thistle’s Scattered Site Community Land Trust program. Mike has been a Thistle Board member since 1998 and has experienced the difficulties that working family home buyers face in Boulder County. He currently works for Storage Technology Corp.
DERRICK ROBINSON of Sargent Bickham Associates – financial consultants is new to the Thistle board. Derrick, has a strong interest in Thistle because of his concern for affordable housing and his knowledge on real estate and financial planning. Derrick has a lot of experience with finances and trusts. Derrick came to Boulder in 1971 for school and never left. Before working for Sargent Bickham, he worked for Colorado National Bank in the trust department. He has 13 years of experience in selling and developing real estate. Since he currently has two kids in college, he has more time to give back to the community, and being on the Thistle board fits in with his natural interests and expertise. He also serves on the United Way Investment Committee.
JUDY RICHTEL former Board President, is a Sales Associate for Wright-Kingdom, a Colorado realty company, and an entrepreneur with expertise in remodeling homes. She is the former Director of Human Services for Boulder County, among her many former administrative roles within city and county government. Judy brings expertise in many areas of real estate and has served on the Board for 10 years
RICHARD HARRIS is a former Boulder City Council Member and Planning Board member and has served on the Thistle Board for the past 6 years. Richard has lived in Boulder County for 25 years and has a long-term commitment to low-income housing and environmentalism. He works as a Senior Scientist for the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
LEE REDFIELD has had a long career with various departments of the City of Boulder, including Children’s Services and Housing and Human Services. She is a published author who raised four children in Boulder and remains an actively committed participant in the progress and promotion of affordable housing issues. Lee lives in Longmont and has been a resident of Boulder County for over 40 years and has been on Thistle’s board for 9 years.
BRUCE GOGUEN is the Statewide Services Coordinator with United Cerebral Palsy of Colorado. As a person using a wheelchair, Bruce has been a leader in the disability rights community for over 10 years. Bruce is the President of the Colorado Cross Disabilities Coalition, multi-disabilities coalition dedicated to equal rights and full access. Bruce has been a Boulder County resident for 20 years and joined Thistle’s Board in 2000
JERRY LEE has over 20 years experience in real estate development through his work with the WW Reynolds Companies and through his own private development company. He has helped develop, finance and retain ownership in 1.7 million square feet of commercial/ industrial/ office/ retail space, and has helped develop and finance over 1200 apartment units. Jerry sits on the Board of Directors for Boulder’s Community Food Share and the Boulder Community Hospital Foundation. He is a Commissioner with the Boulder Urban Renewal Authority, is on the Executive Committee for Citizens for Commuter Rail, and is on the Council for Small Scale Development with the Urban Land Institute. Jerry is a Certified Public Accountant and joined Thistle’s Board in 2002.
