Kia Murray

Educational Consultant/Board Chair, Propel: School Quality Consulting/Excel Academy

Kia Murray is a veteran educator, governance consultant, and charter school leader with more than 20 years of experience supporting public education systems in Colorado and beyond. Her career spans classroom teaching, instructional coaching, school leadership, network administration, and state-level consulting, giving her a rare, systems-level perspective on how governance, leadership, and instructional practice intersect to drive sustainable school success.

Kia currently works closely with charter school boards, executive leaders, and authorizers through partnerships with organizations such as the Colorado League of Charter Schools, the Charter School Institute, and the Colorado Department of Education. She facilitates board governance training, school quality reviews, and strategic planning processes, with a particular focus on helping governing boards clarify roles, strengthen executive partnerships, and recognize early indicators of organizational distress. As a long-serving charter school board chair herself, Kia brings both practical governance experience and deep empathy for the challenges board members face.

In addition to her consulting work, Kia is pursuing an Ed.D. in Charter School Administration at William Howard Taft University, where her Applied Doctoral Project centers on the development of a comprehensive board manual by integrating research, practitioner insight, and adult learning theory to equip boards with tools, metrics, and decision-making frameworks across six critical domains: leadership, governance, finance and operations, talent, culture, and instruction. Her scholarship and professional practice are grounded in the belief that strong governance is not compliance-driven, but relational, strategic, and deeply connected to long-term school sustainability.

Andy Franko

CEO, Minga Education Group

Experienced Superintendent with a demonstrated history of working in the primary/secondary education industry. Strong operations professional skilled in Administration, Curriculum Development, Public Speaking, Writing, and Grant Writing.

Andy Franko is the iConnect Zone Superintendent. The iConnect Zone encompasses eleven “non-traditional” schools within the district portfolio. Franko oversees four district operated schools including an Alternative Education Campus (9-12), multi-district online/blended school (K-12), multi-district online/blended Early College (9-14), and a Homeschool Program (K-12). In addition, Franko manages the authorization of seven charter schools offering K-12 models inclusive of online learning, classical education, expeditionary learning, career and tech, and humanities based education.

Franko holds a Masters Degree from the University of Colorado. His career in education includes teaching, coaching, and administration in the K-12 setting. With both traditional and public charter experience, Franko embraces a unique perspective of school choice and student opportunity. In addition to his work in District 49, Franko serves as a board member for the Colorado League of Charter Schools and the Colorado Association of Charter School Authorizers. He also provides consulting services to a number of charter school boards and administrators throughout Colorado.

: www.linkedin.com/in/andy-franko-03465521

Kenneth Schuetz

CEO, Aligned Influence

Kenneth Scheutz helps organizations improve effectiveness by aligning board, executive, and organizational leadership, drawing on more than 25 years of executive experience in higher education, board leadership, and an academic background in organizational communication. As a leadership coach and organizational development consultant, he works with organizations across the country to assess current strategies, introduce and integrate new approaches, engage stakeholders in planning efforts, and provide ongoing coaching for boards and executives. His work is grounded in Aligned Influence, a practical framework that supports leaders through change by combining strategic insight, facilitation, and executive-level coaching. Kenneth brings a unique blend of intellectual rigor and real-world executive experience to educate, challenge, coach, and encourage leaders, while emphasizing shared responsibility, clarity of roles, and safe, effective dialogue. He works with for-profit and nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, charter and private schools, and C-level executives, specializing in leadership coaching, board development, organizational development, and change management.

Keri Melmed

Leadership Coach and Educational Consultant , WINGS Consulting

Keri Melmed is an experienced, innovative and passionate educational leader with a strong track record of empowering leaders and their organizations to create environments where all students thrive. Keri is driven by what is possible and she challenges the status quo to intentionally design equitable communities that elevate all members of the organization to support student success. As a school leader, she instituted deliberate and monumental changes in both the culture and the curriculum of the schools she led to create more equitable and engaging places of learning. These changes improved the educational experience of both students and staff.

As an educational leader, DEIA work is Keri’s biggest priority and by working to dismantle barriers, the schools she supports can become truly equity driven and focused. This comes from Keri’s belief that every student deserves opportunities to learn and grow and it is our responsibility to create the environment for them to do so. She has been working in education for over 28 years, both as a classroom teacher and in school leadership; in various organizations in California, New York, and Colorado. Prior to consulting, Keri was the Executive Director at High Point Academy. She established a professional learning community that focused on equity driven practices to improve the outcomes and lives of the students, staff, and families. Keri was the Principal of a “start-up, turn around” charter school in far Northeast Denver. Starting from ground zero, Keri modeled best practice through hands-on coaching with her teaching staff. Keri built trust between families and the school during the foundational years.

Keith Ouweneel

Executive Director , Crown Pointe Academy

Keith Ouweneel is currently the Director of Crown Pointe Academy of Westminster, a role he has held since 2012.  He is responsible for the academic program, facility needs, budget, and day to day operations of the school which include the challenging issues of 50 employees, 300 parents, and 500 students.  While at Crown Pointe, Keith has developed and implemented many changes to the curriculum, schedules, and programming that have positively affected student engagement and performance.  Prior to coming to CPA, Keith worked at a teacher, assistant principal, principal and school administrator for 15 years in Weld County, Colorado.  He began his career in education as a third grade teacher, a job his wife described as working with his “peers”.

In addition to his work in schools, Keith has presented to numerous state and national conferences on education best practices, leadership, technology, and board governance. He has also consulted with governmental agencies on the topics of leadership, conflict resolution and personal motivation. Mr. Ouweneel holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Indiana University.  He has also graduated twice from the University of Northern Colorado with a Master of Arts and education specialist degrees in educational leadership and policy study.  He believes learning is a lifelong pursuit that requires constant growth and development which happen best in environments of mutual trust and support.