Staff

Chief Executive Officer

Sheri Mintz graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in English from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey and a Master of Science in Social Work with a concentration in clinical practice in health, mental health and disabilities from Columbia University in New York City. Sheri has served as executive director Bright Future Foundation since 2008. During the course of her career she has supervised child protective services, adult protective services and developed numerous adult and child case management initiatives. Sheri is considered to be a thought leader in the field of domestic violence and was chairperson for the Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence from 2009-2015. Presently Sheri is a member of the Placement Alternatives Commission for Eagle County Department of Human Services and serves on the Advisory Committee for the Colorado Department of Human Service’s Domestic Violence Program. Sheri is a dynamic leader with a lifelong commitment to advocacy and philanthropy on behalf of at-risk and under-served populations.

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Chief Operating Officer

Holly Kasper-Blank was awarded her Master in Social Work from University of Denver in 2005 and holds a Bachelor in Psychology from University of Texas at Austin. She recently worked as Manager of Children, Family and Adult Services at Eagle County and started at Bright Future Foundation in December 2014. Holly has over 15 years of experience working with children and families in human services fields including child welfare, early childhood education, and adult protective services. Her role at Bright Future includes grant management, overseeing the Crisis Hotline and volunteers and supporting the clinical team.

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Staff Attorney

Kristi Bloodworth is the Staff Attorney/Legal Advocacy Coordinator for Bright Future Foundation. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Kentucky, as well as a Juris Doctor degree from Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University. She has been licensed to practice law in Colorado since 2000. After working in private practice in the Vail Valley for several years, she joined Bright Future Foundation in April 2010. In addition to her work at Bright Future, she serves on a Domestic Violence and Domestic Relations task force coordinated by the Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence, in an effort to advocate the interests of domestic violence victims through legislation.

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Program Sustainability Manager

Jen is Bright Future Foundation’s Program Sustainability Specialist.  She joined the team in March 2018.  Jen has worked in an administrative capacity for much of her professional career and has worked in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors.  Jen earned her Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications from North Dakota State University. She and her husband have been in the Vail Valley for the past 23 years, enjoying the hiking, cross country skiing and snowshoeing out their back door!  Jen also is volunteers on BFF’s Crisis Hotline.

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Advocacy & Housing Supervisor 

Alma is the Advocacy and Housing Supervisor at Bright Future Foundation. Before becoming a full-time staff member at Bright Future Foundation, she volunteered and interned in various capacities for years within the organization. Her passion for helping survivors began when she was an adolescent and made the decision to obtain her undergraduate degree from Colorado Mesa University in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology. While there, she was able to excel and become a member of the National honor society for both areas of her education all while maintaining an internship with the probation office for Mesa County’s 21st Judicial District. In 2021, Alma received her master’s in social work from the University of Denver and was one of the My Future Pathways scholar recipients. She completed her internship working with the Bright Future prevention team that works with the goal of bringing social and emotional learning to schools with a focus on health relationships. Additionally, her other internship site was completed with Colorado Mountain Medical as the Behavioral Health Navigator assisting with the adolescent intensive outpatient program. In her spare time, Alma continues finding ways to uplift her community such as being a mentor for the adolescent girls who participate in My Future Pathway’s weekly mentoring sessions.

Bilingual Advocate

Leslie is a bilingual and bicultural advocate at Bright Future Foundation. Before working with BFF, Leslie worked in the school district as a Preschool Teacher Assistant for 6 years and has worked with YouthPower365 and Mountain Youth throughout her high school and college career. Although, she loved working with kids, Lelsie has found her passion in working with survivors and working for non-profit organizations. Leslie has her Associates in Psychology and is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Social Work at Metro State University in Denver. Leslie has lived in the valley for 23 years and enjoys going on walks with her dog, board games, traveling and spending time with her loved ones.

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Bilingual Advocate

Flor is a Bilingual Advocate at Bright Future Foundation. Flor was born and raised in Vail, CO. She joined the team in July 2023. She completed a 3-year apprenticeship program with Career Wise Colorado through Can Do Multiple Sclerosis, focusing on nonprofit work. Additionally, she has worked with Mountain Youth, and Roundup River Ranch. Flor’s passion to the nonprofit world grew when she went on service trips with Children’s Global Alliance to Nicaragua and Tanzania as a Student Volunteer and as a Student Mentor. She is extremely passionate in giving back to her community and serving others. Flor’s mission with Bright Future Foundation is to provide support and guide any survivor that walks into our doors. She is grateful that she is in a position to serve others in her career. Flor is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services at Colorado Mountain College. In her free time, Flor enjoys spending time with loved ones, traveling, going to concerts, and fishing.  

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Bilingual Advocate

Erika is a bilingual advocate at Bright Future Foundation and was born and raised in the Vail Valley. Erika received her Advanced Standing Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work from New York University in New York City. Erika is passionate about being a support for individuals and aspires to bridge the gap between the Spanish speaking community and the access to services they have the right to receive.

Advocacy and Housing Specialist

Lauren is the advocacy and housing specialist at Bright Future Foundation. Lauren has grown up in the Vail Valley however left for a short time to complete her bachelor’s in social work at Azusa Pacific University in California. In California, she gained more experience in working with survivors of domestic violence, and since her return, she is looking forward to empowering more survivors. Before starting as a full-time staff at Bright Future Foundation, Lauren spent her last two summers interning with the organization and is grateful to be back.  

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Clinical Supervisor

Nina Campanile is a licensed psychologist and the Clinical Supervisor at the Bright Future Foundation. She graduated with her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from William James College, in Newton, MA. During her training, Nina was fortunate to treat a variety of populations with various presentations, including individual, family, and couples therapy, refugees and immigrants, crisis assessment and stabilization, substance abuse, complex trauma, mood disorders, personality disorders, and psychotic disorders. Nina’s mission is to provide trauma-informed care while utilizing a culturally responsive approach. Nina also received her BA/S from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is thrilled to be back in the Colorado community. 

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Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow

Natalia Garcia, MA, AMFT is a fourth-year clinical Psy.D. student at Alliant International University San Deigo, and currently serves as a Doctoral Intern at Bright Future Foundation. She received her Masters of Arts in Clinical Counseling from the University of Point Loma Nazarene, San Diego. She has experience working with primarily Spanish-speaking Latinx families, children, and adolescents.  She has experience providing therapeutic interventions in clients’ homes, women’s shelter, trauma focused clinics, and a special education school for children with severe behavioral needs. Natalia previously worked for New Alternatives INC. TBS in San Deigo where she served clients all over the San Diego County for 6 years as both a behavioral coach and case manager. Her clients included children who have survived trauma and abuse, in foster care, or required behavioral support due to symptoms related to their mental health diagnosis. Her areas of interest include forensic assessment, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and child development.

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Psychology Doctoral Intern

Emily Cantie, MA, LPC is a Psy.D. student at the University of Denver-Graduate School of Professional Psychology, and is currently completing her Doctoral Internship at Bright Future Foundation. She received her Masters of Arts in International Disaster Psychology; a clinical degree with an emphasis in trauma treatment and global mental health from the University of Denver in 2019. She has a wide range of experiences working in non-profit and community mental health settings working with adults who have experienced generational patterns of trauma, domestic violence, childhood abuse, grief and loss, and substance misuse. Emily also has a background in maternal mental health primarily working with single mothers. In addition to therapy, Emily is passionate about psychological assessment and its ability to help foster client insight and self-understanding. Emily’s mission is to collaborate with her clients to create a “relational home” of safety, curiosity, and connection-creating fertile ground where self-compassion and understanding can grow.

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Psychology Doctoral Intern

Katlyn Bagarella, MS, is currently pursuing her PsyD at Nova Southeastern University’s College of Psychology in Fort Lauderdale, FL, with a focus on school psychology. Her specialized training has equipped her with a deep understanding of how mental health intersects with academic success, and she has gained substantial experience within various educational settings. While Katlyn has worked across a broad spectrum of environments and with diverse populations, her true passion lies in community-based work. She is dedicated to enhancing access to equitable care and is particularly focused on suicide and violence prevention and intervention, especially among young adults. Committed to empowering survivors of abuse and overcoming adversity, Katlyn aspires to foster safe, supportive environments that promote healing and resilience throughout her time at BFF and her career.

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