Our board of directors.
Marissa Lewis
President
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Marissa has been a volunteer supporting people of all ages with different needs since 2003 and has a passion for helping the Autism community. She was in the ASC Village and had a six-year career supporting families and doing community engagement for an Autism provider. She is so excited serve on the board of the Autism Society of Colorado and is dedicated to building awareness and acceptance for autistic people statewide.
Marissa grew up in the Chicago area and went to school at the University of Kansas where she got her undergraduate degree in Marketing with a Spanish concentration. After spending some time in Kansas City, she moved with her husband to Denver in 2015. She now spends her spare time with her incredible husband, daughter and dog camping, hiking, skiing and traveling.
Dr. Jennifer "Jenn" Paz-Ryan
Vice President
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Jenn is the co-founder of Elevated Insights Assessment, specializing in Psychological Assessments for Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults. As a graduate with her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP), Jenn specializes in bilingual (English/Spanish) assessment and treatment of children/adolescents and their families. Jenn earned her Master of Education through Regis University and taught for five years within DPS. She dedicated herself to providing a culturally responsive classroom, formed strong relationships with her students and their families that continue today, and was awarded Mile High Teacher of the Year 2009/2010.
Commitment and admiration for underserved populations led to volunteering with AmeriCorps, and Jenn was awarded the 2014 Mountain West Engagement Award for Excellence and honored by the University of Denver Magazine. In 2015, Jenn began working on program development for the Latinx Psychology Specialty (LPS) at DU. In 2017-2019 was appointed as the Senior Program Associate, bridging the Latinx and Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Specialties. Jenn’s passion for community partnerships and collaboration has led to presenting at national conferences (ZTT 2018; NLPA 2018 & 2019) and co-creating a professional development workshop for practitioners- Diversity Informed Practice: Infusing Multicultural Awareness into Your Work. In an effort to increase access to services, Jenn created a consultation group for bilingual (English/Spanish) psychologists who provide assessments with a specialization in diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This group aims to enhance providers’ ability to ensure evaluations are culturally and linguistically responsive. Jenn is excited to join the Autism Society of Colorado to assist the organization in expanding its services for Spanish-speaking autistic individuals and their families in a linguistically and culturally appropriate way.
Erik Utzinger, PPC
Secretary​​
Erik is a financial advisor with over 20 years of experience. He is passionate about helping families with special needs plan for the future. For the past 13 years, he has hosted financial planning workshops for families in the Denver area. These workshops cover a range of topics, including Letters of Intent, Medicaid, SSI Disability, Guardianship, ABLE, and Trust services.
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Through his work with families, Erik has developed a deep understanding of the challenges they face. He has also seen firsthand the positive impact that early intervention and support services can have on people with autism.
Erik is excited to join the Autism Society of Colorado and contribute to its mission of providing support and resources to families affected by autism. He currently resides in Broomfield with his family.
Brian Glabe
Treasurer
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Brian currently serves as the treasurer on the board of the Autism Society of Colorado. With a career dedicated to finance, he is committed to supporting the organization's expansion and facilitating the strategic financial planning for the ASC. A long-time resident of Colorado, Brian grew up in Arvada and later pursued his undergraduate education at Colorado State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. Seeking to expand his knowledge and skill set, Brian went on to complete an MBA in Finance from Willamette University in Oregon. Brian currently resides in Colorado Springs with his wife and two energetic boys.
Michel Friberg
Board Member
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Michel joined the Autism Society of Colorado’s board in September 2021. She had several years of experience as a board member in the roles of President, Treasurer and Secretary. She also serves on the Colorado Special Education Advisory Committee.
Michel originally grew up in California and while attending the University of Colorado at Boulder, fell in love with the state. While attending the university she started working for nonprofits and for the past 20 years, she has worked in Development in several nonprofits throughout Colorado.
Michel has a twice exceptional daughter that was diagnosed with Autism in 2017. Knowing the challenges parents face upon diagnosis and the issues that come up while navigating services and the school systems, she is looking forward to working with families on their journeys. Understanding the importance of Autism awareness and acceptance, Michel will work with the board and community to help bring about programs and support for families.
Dr. Mary Jones
Board Member​​
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Dr. Mary Jones is a Board Certified Pediatrician and founder of Bright Starts Pediatrics who specializes in early, accurate evaluations for children with autism and ADHD. Using evidence-based tools and a child-centered approach, she helps families gain clear answers, understand their child’s strengths and needs, and access the right supports. As both a trained life and leadership coach and a parent in a neurodiverse family, Dr. Jones combines clinical expertise with personal insight to guide and empower families throughout their journey.
Heather Shepard
Board Member​​
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Heather Shepard is a Colorado-based leader in education services, bringing over 17 years of experience spanning K–12 instruction, partnership development, and mission-driven organizational leadership. Her career has been defined by a commitment to advancing equitable, high-quality support for students and families, with particular dedication to improving systems of care for neurodiverse learners. She began her career as a severe-needs special education paraeducator, providing direct 1:1 support for a student with Autism—an experience that continues to shape her perspective and advocacy.
Currently, Heather serves as Director of School Development at Center for Social Dynamics, where she leads strategic district partnerships to expand access to behavioral health services for students with complex needs. Her expertise includes strategic growth, stakeholder engagement, market development, and cross-functional collaboration within education-focused service and technology organizations. Her work has consistently centered on building strong external partnerships, expanding organizational reach, and aligning mission-driven strategy with measurable impact. Heather brings to the Autism Society of Colorado a commitment to thoughtful governance, strategic partnership development, and advancing the mission of supporting individuals and families across the state.
Eric Disman
Board Member​​
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Eric joined the Autism Society of Colorado as a volunteer and board member in March 2026. He is a retired service-member with over twenty years of experience in military intelligence and special operations. Eric was also recently diagnosed with Autism at the age of 47, bringing an entirely new and relieving perspective to his life experiences and how he perceives the world around him. He hopes that his experience and passion to serve will benefit both the Society and, more importantly, those to whom the Society is committed."