Advocacy | Partnership | Impact
Who We Are
History/Founders
Sara and Michael Craig-Scheckman established the Craig-Scheckman Family Foundation in the spring of 2005 with a focus on youth advocacy, and the first grants were awarded in May of 2006. The emphasis on youth advocacy stems from Sara’s dedication of her professional life to championing the rights of youth who are vulnerable and underserved by typical societal systems. Sara began her youth advocacy career early in life working in direct services in California with youth who experienced a wide range of multi-risk factors and marginalization. Sara later attended law school in New York to become a civil rights youth advocate and is bilingual (Spanish).
During the early years, the Craig-Scheckman Family Foundation (now CSFF) reached out to local nonprofit organizations and public institutions to gain a deeper understanding of youth and family needs in Northwest Colorado. Through these relationships and a tremendous growth in assets, thanks to Michael’s extraordinary talent in finance and investments, CSFF has been able to increase its breadth and depth of funding impact since its inception. It is the hope and desire of Sara and Michael to continue building CSFF into an enduring and essential institution that serves the diverse needs of communities in Northwest Colorado and beyond.
CSFF Board of Directors
Sara Craig-Scheckman
President
Sara served as the founding CSFF Executive Director from 2005 through January 2020. Sara brought to the Foundation over 25 years of work in the non-profit field of youth advocacy and social justice. Her passion for building trusted community relationships and and supporting organizations in their capacity to positively impact youth and families greatly contributed to the building of the Foundation. Sara enjoys spending time traveling internationally with her partner, Michael, and time outdoors with their two chocolate Labradors. Sara and Michael have four adult daughters, who all work in the area of community engagement.
Michael Craig-Scheckman
Treasurer
Michael has been in the investment business for over 40 years and has over 25 years’ experience in the distressed mortgage-backed/asset-backed (MBS/ABS) field. Michael is CEO of Deer Park Road (DPR). He has operated DPR as an investment advisor, focused exclusively on deeply discounted fixed income securities, from July 2003 until the present. Michael, as well as the DPR staff, takes full advantage of their slope-side access to ski, hike and bike. Michael is the proud father of four daughters and two chocolate Labrador Retrievers.
Wendy McLaughlin
Vice President
Wendy is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Financial Planner in Colorado. Wendy brings not only financial expertise to the CSFF Board strategies but also tremendous passion and enthusiasm for supporting Routt County community needs. Wendy moved to Steamboat with her husband, Chris, in 1992, and they have a daughter. She is a dedicated mom, skier and paddle boarder. Wendy enjoys traveling the world with her family.
Brian Smith
Board Member
As a member of the Steamboat Springs community and Director of Development and Alumni relations at Steamboat Mountain School (SMS), Brian strongly believes in a community’s ability and strength to provide the “village” that supports and advocates for youth and their development. Brian is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University where he played Division III football, and he earned his MA in Mathematics from Northern Colorado University. A former member of the Steamboat Rugby Club, Brian coached middle and high school wrestling in Steamboat Springs for five years and has led many outdoor experiential trips and SMS Global Immersion excursions around the world. Brian and his wife, Alli, have twin boys.
Rachel Scheckman
Board Member
Rachel Scheckman has her Masters in Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health where she focused on public health policy and advocacy. Most recently Rachel worked as the Database Manager for the BU COVID-19 US Policies Database and interned at the Massachusetts State House for Senator Rausch as well as at the Massachusetts Public Health Association. This experience has sparked an interest in how policy decisions impact the lives of vulnerable populations. Rachel has a background in Anthropology and as a Clinical Toxicologist. Rachel lives on the east coast where she is a member of the National Ski Patrol and enjoys open water swimming and long bike rides on country roads. She is also the mother of a chocolate lab.
Maddie Craig-Scheckman
Board Member
Maddie Craig-Scheckman, who grew up in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, has a passion for environmental activism and energy policy. After graduating from the George Washington University (GWU) in May 2020 with a B.A. in International Affairs and Geography, she pursued further education at GWU, earning a Master’s of Arts in International Environmental and Energy Policy. Currently residing in Boston, she is actively working towards a PhD in Public Policy and Sustainability at Northeastern University. Her research focus for her doctoral studies revolves around equitable international renewable energy development within the context of US-China relations. In her leisure time, Maddie enjoys hiking, skiing, and exploring the great outdoors.
CSFF Advisor
Brad Craig
Brad is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the day to day operations of Deer Park Road Management Company, with the exception of portfolio management and trading. Brad has extensive experience in managing businesses prior to joining DPRC in 2007. He was the President/CEO of a nationally recognized environmental laboratory. Brad earned a BA in Geology and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania and a MS in Earth Sciences at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire. Brad is a native of California. He moved to Steamboat Springs in 1991 with his wife Lara, and they have a son and a daughter. Brad is a five-time Ironman, a former collegiate swimmer, and a mountain and road biker.
Dawn Scheckman
Dawn Scheckman is a Secondary Educator (middle and high school teacher) and has taught social studies on Colorado’s Front Range. She holds a BA from Hampshire College and a MEd from Prescott College. Dawn has served as an AmeriCorps volunteer and later as a project leader with the Student Conservation Association. She knows from her own experiences how important it is to provide young people with opportunities to build tangible skills and to have diverse experiences that give back to the environment and local communities. Dawn enjoys being of service in her local community and looks forward to listening and learning more about the unique needs of CSFF’s partnering agencies.
Rebecca Scheckman
Rebecca Scheckman is a visual storyteller who develops media strategies for various nonprofit community-based organizations. After a decade of media production for the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) she became their Arts and Media Specialist to use art to amplify, engage and intervene for national campaigns such as the #SayHerName Mothers Network. Rebecca is a proud three-time cancer survivor and mentor for the newly diagnosed and their caretakers. She lives in Brooklyn where she has a drawing practice and studies aikido at Brooklyn Aikikai dojo. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and a Master’s of Art in Media Studies from The New School University where she focused on documentary and archiving.
CSFF Staff
Mark Andersen
Leadership
Mark provides leadership in developing the strategic direction and oversees daily operations of the Foundation. He also seeks partnerships with other funders and community members to collaborate and strengthen the advocacy and philanthropic impact of CSFF. He has over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector including serving as the Executive Director of the Yampa Valley Community Foundation, heading the Routt County United Way, leading a summer camp for children with chronic medical conditions, and working as a program manager at a residential facility for abused and neglected youth. Mark has served on numerous community boards including as Board Chair of Philanthropy Colorado. His connections throughout the state highly benefits CSFF as the Foundation looks to learn from and partner with other funders to strengthen its advocacy and deepen its philanthropic impact. He enjoys a variety of outdoor recreational activities, including mountain unicycling, reading a good book and sampling the local craft beer. Mark and his wife, Kris, have two grown sons and originally moved to the Yampa Valley in 1993.
Erin Ax
Impact
Erin supports CSFF partners in all aspects of impact efforts. With a Ph.D. in School Psychology, she has expertise in project design, development, evaluation, and scaling initiatives, and is passionate about organizational transformation and equitable access. She spent over a decade in New York City, where she provided extensive organizational support to educational systems to enhance outcomes. After moving to rural Colorado eight years ago, Erin worked as a Senior Consultant with the Colorado Department of Education on a federal grant to support educational system changes with an emphasis on rural implementation and equity. Erin enjoys hiking, skiing, live music, and traveling with her husband, daughter, and dog.
Kris Andersen
Operations
Kris manages the operations of CSFF where she performs a variety of tasks from paying bills, managing the website, processing grant proposals to the general organization of all aspects of CSFF. She has business experience in the legal, environmental, and mental health fields. Outside of work Kris enjoys spending as much time as possible with her family, including her granddaughter, and family dogs. She also likes to read, skate ski, garden, run, and take part in everything else the Colorado outdoors has to offer.
Jamie Boeri
Administration
Jamie helps with the Administrative functions at CSFF, including developing relationships with our funding partners that foster trust and respect. Jamie has spent the last 10 years supporting a non-profit dance organization in the community and has a passion for the arts. She is a dedicated mom of two girls, and two rescue dogs and enjoys spending time with her friends and family.