Our Mission

To End Child Abuse and Neglect in
our lifetime

We Are All Survivors

We’ll never shy away from this fight. Where we invest our energy, we invest in well-being—so we’re tackling child abuse and neglect head-on, undaunted and unapologetic.

Our board

We lead through the lived experience of survivors, thrivers, and transcenders.

Lisa Altenburg

Board Member

Lisa Altenburg is a passionate entrepreneur and accomplished business owner with experience driving strategic growth in the food service industry. Lisa’s career reflects a demonstrated track record of leading through crisis, optimizing financial management processes, and developing collaborative business partnerships. She brings her governance, organizational strategy, and fundraising experience through her leadership with several non-profit boards. Currently, Lisa is the Owner and CEO of Y.Lo Epicure Catering, a premier corporate and custom catering company and oversees financial and business operations, sales, marketing, and human resources. Over the past 15 years, she has increased the business revenue, geographic footprint, and headcount by over 1,200%. Lisa has built and maintained an engaging culture, scaled a diverse workforce, and developed collaborative vendor and client relationships. Her leadership has been lauded by Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce (Finalist – Small Business of the Year) and Denver 7news (Top Denver Caterer A 'List). Lisa began her career in the financial services industry and held management positions in Corporate Finance at Janus Funds and Clayton Fixed Income Services. Lisa has contributed her financial acumen, small business development expertise and commitment to community to three non-profit boards. As the Finance Committee lead for the Girls on the Run of the Rockies, Lisa managed monthly reporting and annual budgeting and provided investment guidance. During her six years on the Cherry Creek Chamber of Commerce board, she served as the President and grew the organization to support hiring a full time Executive Director and an association management company. As President of the Wishbone Foundation, Lisa worked with over 500 medical providers in infant bereavement training. Her leadership contributed to the development of a nationwide virtual training platform for nursing school programs. Lisa also served on the Board of Advisors for A Precious Child and helped lead the organization through rebuilding the family affected by the Marshall fires. Lisa received her Bachelor of Science in Corporate Finance from Clemson University. She has also earned the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) certification.

Donald Bross, PhD, JD

Board Member

Donald Bross is Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and its Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect. He is published on the reporting of child abuse, termination of the parent-child legal relationship, neglect of children before birth, medical and mental health care neglect, and reporting of sexually transmitted infections. He has served as Co-Editor in Chief of Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal, Executive Director of the National Association of Counsel for Children, and Legal Advisor for ISPCAN. In 2018 he helped establish the Lea for Justice Chair in Pediatric Law, Ethics, and Policy at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, within the Kempe Center and the program for Bioethics and Humanities and continues to teach medical students and pediatric residents.

Paige Goss

Board Member

Point Solutions Group – Denver Paige Goss brings her dynamic background information security and technology services to the table as EndCAN’s 2023 Board Chair. Paige’s career highlights her ability to build and scale companies from the ground up. She has experience not only in leading multi-million-dollar operations, but in starting operations, human resource, finance, and technology departments from scratch. Paige brings a breadth of experience in enterprise operations as well as federal government contracting. She is qualified to serve on strategy, compensation, and risk committees based on her background in security-based consulting and human resources. Paige is currently the Founder and Chief Executive Offices of Point Solutions Group, a technology and engineering professional services firm. She started the firm in 2017 and has grown the organization to over 10+ million in revenue in 4 short years. In her role she has successfully built a commercial professional services arm supporting infrastructure and security assessments along with technology transformation initiatives. Paige also led the launch of their federal services offering and has extended that to support 7 federal agencies and over 10 programs. Paige has been critical to the development of PSG’s go to market strategy. Her ability to adapt to the ever-changing technical landscape while building the core of the organization makes her a tremendous asset to any growing organization’s board. Her accomplishments outside of Point Solutions Group are equally impactful and include investing and advising in multiple women-owned and lead firms across the country. She is also a co-founder of Precursa which is set to launch in late 2021. Precursa is a SaaS platform set to disrupt the incubator and accelerator market by providing a predictable platform for startup success. Prior to starting PSG, Paige drove the corporate expansion of The Select Group (TSG), a technology services firm. At TSG, Paige championed everything from finance, training, corporate expansion, and human resources to technical operations, customer service, and legal functions, bringing the company to a national presence and helping grow revenue from $7.5M to $160M annually during her seven-year tenure. Paige is the Chair of the YP Board for the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and is actively involved in several other industry organizations. She received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Elon University where she played Division I Softball.

Richard Krugman, M.D.

Board Member

Dr. Richard Krugman is one of the preeminent experts and scholars in the field of child abuse and neglect in this country and a protégé of Dr. Kempe himself.  Dr. Krugman, Dick as many know him, is a pediatrician and Distinguished University Professor at The Kempe Center. He is the former Director of The Kempe Center and served as both Dean and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. In the 1970’s, he also served an appointment with the Public Health Service at the National Institute of Health and the Food and Drug Administration and was a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow in Washington D.C. Most notably, Krugman headed the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect from 1988-1991. Throughout his career he has authored over 100 original papers, chapters, editorials, and six books. Dr. Krugman co-founded EndCAN, a long time dream of his with Lori Poland after retiring as Dean so to help move child abuse from being seen solely as a social and legal issue, to also a health, public and mental health issue.

Brian Mason

Board Member

Brian Mason was born in a military hospital in Germany, where his parents were stationed in the United States Air Force. They returned to Colorado when he was two years old and he grew up in Aurora with his twin brother. Later on, his family moved across town to Littleton, where he graduated from Heritage High School. Brian attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, and earned a degree in political science. After college, he moved to Washington, DC, where he served as an aide in the White House during the last three years of the Clinton Administration. Following his service in the White House, Brian worked on Capitol Hill as a senior aide to a high-ranking member of Congress. Brian then received a prestigious fellowship from the Robert Bosch Foundation to work as an American Fellow in the German Foreign Ministry and the German Parliament in Berlin, Germany. Brian attended the University of Colorado Law School, where he earned his law degree and served as a campus leader. In 2006, then-District Attorney Don Quick recruited Brian to join the District Attorney’s Office and he has worked here ever since. Brian has personally prosecuted thousands of cases, including over 100 jury trials, and has helped bring justice to victims of crime from all over our community. Brian’s top priorities as District Attorney are keeping the community safe and making the criminal justice system better.

Jacque (Murphy) Montgomery

Board Member

Professional Experience Colorado Academy Director of Advancement and External Affairs June 2020 – Present Montgomery Media Solutions – Founder Media Relations, Public Relations & Corporate Communications January 2019 – Present but inactive A strategic communications and advancement professional, I currently oversee the Office of Advancement at Colorado Academy and an integrated team of communications and development professionals. I develop strategic approaches to capitalize on communication and fundraising opportunities to advance the brand. Specializing in health care, independent and higher education, and nonprofit sectors, I have a breadth of experience navigating critical situations, minimizing negative impact and cultivating relationships that provide long term engagement and benefits, developing strategic messaging to ensure all content is on-target, identifying media opportunities or overseeing crisis communication and emergency management response.   State of Colorado | Governor’s Office  |  Press Secretary  |  2017 – 2019 As a senior advisor to the Governor of Colorado, I provided strategic media planning and daily issues response management. Overseeing day-to-day media related activities, I coordinated with the Communications Director regarding external communications in support of the Governor’s platforms. Utilizing my understanding and news management experience, I orchestrated media response activities when addressing issues coming out of the state, affording transparency while maintaining a positive public image. Requiring patience and the ability to speak and write rapidly, I was a pivotal member of the Governor’s team in communicating to the state’s population and constituents. Kaiser Permanente | Executive Communications Consultant | 2016 – 2017 Heightening the profiles of the CEO and executive leadership, I developed executive stakeholder engagement and communication plans designed to share their perspectives on public policy, broader issues and social concerns while engaging with the community. Developing external communications, including presentations, speeches and video segments, I built trust amongst the leadership by providing expert strategic counsel. Distributing content through a variety of owned, earned and paid media channels, I was instrumental in cultivating positive relationships across all levels of the company as well as with a vast network of media outlets. Communications Manager – External Relations |2013 – 2016 Developing and implementing strategic communication plans to raise awareness and visibility of Kaiser Permanente, I nurtured and cultivated relationships with external audiences. Promoting how Kaiser Permanente was integrating and supporting the requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), I hosted community forums and telephone town halls designed to address member concerns, answer questions and communicate Kaiser Permanente’s community ACA messaging. University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus, Integrated Communications Department Executive Director Media Relations and Communications | 2007 – 2013 Developing thought leadership platforms and initiatives, I was pivotal in setting the organizations narratives, strengthening the brand reputation and presence. Overseeing the development of communications materials for internal and external audiences, I delivered consistent messaging supporting the organizations’ mission and program goals. Leveraging my years as a journalist, I shared deep relationships with the media and other influencers which afforded access and opportunity to cultivate valuable and relevant media coverage. Following the Aurora Theater shooting, I managed the University’s reputation and public communications surrounding the care of both victims and the accused. Navigating the heightened emotional climate, I was the direct liaison between University leadership and the local, state and national media. University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus | Interim Associate Vice Chancellor |2008 – 2009 Acting as a counselor to senior leaders in the office of media relations and communications, I served as an advisor on matters that impacted the University community and its geographic surroundings. Focused on providing strategic, tactical, and operational support, I developed strategic communications plans designed to achieve both short- and long-term goals. Kaiser Permanente | Kaiser Foundation Health Plan News media coordinator 2007 Media Relations 2001 – 2007 KCNC-TV Managing Editor 1996 – 2000 Education University of Missouri-Columbia Bachelors – Journalism

Andy Nathan

Board Member

Andy Nathan is the founder and CEO of Fortnight Collective, a brand marketing accelerator with offices in Boulder, Colorado and London, England. In its first year, Fortnight Collective was awarded Ad Age Small Agency of the Year, West Region (Silver). During his 20+ years of experience, Andy has served as CMO of Victors & Spoils, Managing Director of TBWAChiatDay NY, and VP/Account Director at Crispin, Porter + Bogusky. Plus, roles at BBH New York and Ogilvy New York and London. Andy has worked on brands like IBM, Miller Lite, Nestle, Microsoft Windows, Vail Resorts, Harley-Davidson, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Smirnoff, even Michelle Obama’s various White House initiatives. He has been an integral part of multiple award-winning campaigns, taking home Cannes Lions, Effies, One Show and ANDY Awards. When Andy’s not working, he’s wrangling kids, skiing, and coaching lacrosse.

Lori Poland, M.A., L.P.C.

Board Member

Lori is a thought leader by nature, guiding and leading innovation and conversation about taboo topics using authenticity, humor, and humility. Lori is a therapist who specializes in attachment and trauma, is trained in family counseling, child and adolescent therapy and infant mental health. Lori maintains a small private practice supporting people in attachment, relationships, and personal growth. Lori has spent the last 27 years as a public-speaker motiving audiences in self-improvement, personal introspection, and healing through life’s presented challenges. Lori shares openly and genuinely about the effects of trauma, the journey of healing, and the impact that relationships have on our growth by being open about her own traumatic experience of being abducted, abused and left for dead in the pit of an outhouse toilet at the age of 3. Lori’s healing experience has led her, along with her treating doctor from her kidnapping, to co-found The National Foundation To End Child Abuse and Neglect (EndCAN). Through her work at EndCAN, Lori continues the conversation with audiences big and small helping people to talk more openly about child abuse and neglect, moving it from its current view of being solely a social and legal issue to also being seen as a public health, mental health and physical health problem that needs attention, community, a voice, and significant change in order to end abuse and neglect. Lori’s mission in life is to be intentional, impactful, kind and loving to as many people as possible, spreading messages of hope and possibility and uniting communities to change together one audience at a time. <3

Dr. Des Runyan

Board Member

Dr. Desmond Runyan is the Jack and Viki Thompson Professor of Pediatrics and in 2018 retired as Executive Director of the Kempe Center. Des completed the MD degree and pediatrics training at the University of Minnesota and added a doctorate in public health and the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars fellowship at the University of North Carolina. Des has researched child abuse for over 30 years while maintaining a clinical practice evaluating possible child abuse victims and serving as a general pediatrician.  Des has published over 170 articles, book chapters and books. His research has addressed the identification and consequences of child abuse and neglect in the United States and in other countries. He designed the longest multi-site prospective study of the consequences of child abuse; LONGSCAN, which is now more than 28 years in duration. Runyan also helped design and conduct the first US study examining the incidence and consequences of “shaken baby syndrome.” His other work has included examining the rates of harsh or abusive discipline around the world.

Candace Sanchez

Board Member

Candace Sanchez credits her Racine, WI roots to providing a foundation for her success as a strong Latina woman. Mother to two college graduates, Candace is a firm believer in higher education, having completed her own B.S. in Information Technology and M.A. in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix in June 2008 and 2014, respectively. Candace prides herself on giving back to her community through service. She is a board member of the nonprofit Por La Gente (PLG) Association, where she has served as the Executive Board Secretary, Treasurer, President, and currently as Vice President. Candace has dedicated countless hours to helping establish this organization, which currently provides two, $3000 scholarships to local Latino youth. In addition, Candace helped found the Milwaukee Chapter for the University of Phoenix Alumni Association and served as their Vice President of Operations. She is a proud sister of Gamma Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, through which she has volunteered for numerous philanthropic initiatives including the annual “Make A Difference Day” and “Hunger Cleanup” events, her local food bank, the Milwaukee AIDS walk, and more. During the pandemic, Candance stepped into the new role of Director of Health Informatics Technology, Strategic Partnerships with Advocate Aurora Health, reflective of her desire to continually grow and develop both personally and professionally. A survivor herself, Candace shares her story of transformation and resilience, and continues to find deep and personal meaning in helping youth succeed.

Shalini Sharma

Board Member

Shalini Sharma is Chief Legal Officer at Ping Identity. She heads the company’s legal department and serve as the primary source of legal advice for issues spanning governance, IP, compliance, privacy, labor, commercial, and strategic transactions. Shalini is a seasoned legal professional with more than 23 years of international corporate legal experience and 15 years of global financial technology expertise. She will join Ping Identity from Vantage Data Centers, where she oversees legal and corporate governance and compliance during a period of expansive international growth. Prior to Vantage, she was the assistant general counsel and chief privacy officer at Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR), where she was responsible for legal activities and information privacy across the global organization and served as the focal point for data privacy compliance-related activities. Sharma was previously in private practice as a corporate transactional attorney in the New York office of Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP. Shalini is a founding member of the General Counsel Mentorship Program in Colorado, a member and former board member of the Association of Corporate Counsel Colorado, a member of the Senior Women Corporate Counsel, and a volunteer mentor for the Center for Legal Inclusiveness. She is also a recipient of a Fulbright Award.

Alycia Steiner

Board Member

Alycia Steiner is a Senior Manager at Deloitte’s Data Risk Services, a practice that helps clients be Secure, Vigilant, and Resilient in the face of an ever-increasing array of cyber threats and vulnerabilities. Specializing in data governance, privacy, and protection services, Alycia helps organizations build and/or strengthen their practices and programs. With a career focus in TMT and FSI industries, Alycia carries an extensive array of experiences working with Global Fortune 500 and larger organizations building ISO, NIST, GDPR, CCPA, and GLBA compliant programs, and is the Leader of Deloitte’s OneTrust alliance supporting technology automation and implementation initiatives. Outside of professional services, Alycia serves on the board of two not-for-profits, is an active member of the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce, helps train service dogs, and spends her free time doing various activities in the mountains.

Cathy Studer

Board Member

Cathy Studer is sexual abuse survivor, award winning author, and certified speaker who is passionate about guiding others that have experienced trauma or brokenness, rejuvenate to wholeness, discover their purpose, and empower their potential. She is also a Darkness to Light facilitator and guides parents, groups, and organizations to raise their awareness about how we, as a community, can defeat child sexual abuse by learning strategies and actionable steps to prevent and respond appropriately. Cathy served as the volunteer lead for the Columbus, Ohio, event of EndCAN’s 2021 Walk Together to End Child Abuse and Neglect series. Learn more about Cathy at https://cathystuder.com/.

Kristina Swain-Spaete

Board Member

Holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in Behavioral Science with a focus on Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in nursing, Kristina Spaete brings a diverse and unique background to EndCAN. A teacher of 11 years, Kristina nurtured her love for children and creativity. She currently works as a float nurse at a local hospital, caring for all types of patients. In 2013, Kristina launched Dream and Believe, a non-profit organization that challenges today’s youth to see how their actions can make a difference in the world around them. Kristina’s devotion to mental health and children is the driving force behind her personal mission to bring compassion and empathy to all areas. When she’s not working, Kristina is hanging out with her four boys, getting messy, making art, or exploring outside. She believes that change is created through knowledge and passion and can break the stigma of abuse.

Jon Vaughn

Board Member

Jon Vaughn is a former professional football player who was a running back and kick returner in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons (1991-1994) for the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, and Kansas City Chiefs. In July 2020, Jon revealed that he had been sexually abused by a former University of Michigan doctor, after allegations began emerging that February. Vaughn became active in efforts to hold the university accountable, including speaking about bills aimed at removing barriers that would allow victims to sue the university. In 2022, The Foundation for Global Sports Development (GSD) honored Jon with its prestigious Humanitarian Award. The award dates back to 2010 and recognizes individuals and organizations that work to preserve the values of fair play and sportsmanship in the world of sports.

Tom Wolf

Board Member

Tom Wolf is the former Chief Financial Officer of Shield Security Systems. Having joined the company in December 1998, Tom served as its CEO from April 2003 to May 2012. Tom has served on Shield’s Board since 1995. He presently serves as a director, and chairman of the audit committee of Birner Dental Management Services, a public company, and a Denver-based private company in the restaurant business; and has previously served on the Boards of two private companies, a sporting goods manufacturer and a restaurant chain. Tom also serves as Board Chair of the National Inventors Hall of Fame and on one other Board for a non-profit entity in Colorado. Prior to joining Shield, he was Chief Investment Officer of Western Growth Capital, a private investment company, Vice President of Hanifen, Imhoff Inc., a regional investment bank, and a Director of Corporate Finance for Prudential Insurance Company. In these capacities, he assisted numerous companies in raising the financing needed to expand their business. Tom holds an MBA degree from Pennsylvania State University and a BA degree from Bucknell University.

Our history

When she was three years old, EndCAN CEO Lori Poland was abducted from her front yard by a stranger who sexually abused her in the mountains before leaving her in an outhouse toilet. She remained there for three and a half days before being discovered by traveling bird watchers.

Lori has dedicated her life to healing and helping others who have been affected by abuse.

In collaboration with co-founder and field research expert Dr. Richard Krugman of the Kempe Medical Center—who was Lori’s own treating doctor in 1983—EndCAN was born.

EndCAN was founded with the belief that we deserve a future free from child abuse and neglect—and the knowledge that the stigma, shame, and insufficient systems currently surrounding it prevent us from achieving that future.

Child abuse and neglect is being overlooked as an issue of public health, but when we raise our voices—together—we bring the future we envision within our reach.