Meet the Team

Our leadership team has a lifetime of experience, expertise, and courage dedicated to achieving our mission.

COBBLED STREETS

SHARI SHINK, ESQ.

Founder & Executive Director

Cobbled Streets

Shari Shink is the Founder and President Emeritus of the Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center of Colorado where she spent almost three decades as Executive Director. During this time, she represented thousands of abused and neglected children, developed innovative programs, and raised millions of dollars to pursue the goals of the organization. In addition, she was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law where she taught the first class on children's rights and supervised law student interns who represented children in court. Beyond her direct responsibilities as Executive Director, Shari engaged the community to pursue a public policy agenda in an effort to transform the child welfare system to be child-centered and family-focused.

Shari’s work has continued to evolve for four decades, and although her work and the work of many others has brought about important change, so much more needs to be done. Shari's vision for Cobbled Streets is about bold, dramatic change that will help homeless and foster kids move forward.

ELLEN TOOMEY-HALE, ESQ.

Board of Directors, Secretary

Ellen has served children, youth, and young adults in Colorado since 1982 as District Court Magistrate, Assistant Director/Training Coordinator of the Office of the Child’s Representative, Deputy District Attorney, Court Facilitator, Guardian ad litem, Defense Counsel, Adjunct Professor, and Probation Officer. Ellen has legal expertise in nonprofit development and has volunteered to assist non-profit startups for decades. She still believes that one person can make a difference and change the world. She endeavors to accomplish systemic change for kids, especially through the foster care documentary, as her legacy.

Board of Directors, Treasurer

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TERRI HOOPES, CPA

For the past 25 years Terri has assisted small businesses and not for profit organizations establish and maintain reliable accounting systems. Focusing on management’s questions, she develops and tailors systems and reports to address each organization’s particular concerns. By providing managers with timely, pertinent, information, they become more effective mangers and can focus on their mission.

Her admiration and respect for those in the non-profit world, directed her to specialize in non-profit organizations. She helped turn a debt-ridden organization, about to close, into a viable, debt free organization with a half million operating reserve and a $2.5million budget. In addition, Terri has assisted in the startup of five for profit and six non-profit organizations. Recently retired, Terri now has more time to work with those non-profits she is passionate about, like Cobbled Streets, and work in her garden.

BECKY MILLER-UPDIKE

Board of Directors, Chair

Becky has more than 20 years of experience in public policy advocacy and research in child welfare, early childhood education, and human services issues. She is skilled in developing coalitions, community and government relations, policy analysis, research, legislative relations, nonprofit management, association management, and public speaking. She provided exceptional leadership as Executive Director for the Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center. Becky is currently representing the Colorado Association of Family and Children’s Agencies (CAFCA) which serves foster youth and Fostering Colorado.

LINDA L. SHINK, MSW

Board Member

Linda’s career in the Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice System spanned 35 years, starting as a counselor for delinquent boys to the Executive Director position for the Youth Development Center system in western Pennsylvania. Responsible for many secure residential treatment programs, she championed innovation, creativity, and a vision for programming beyond the expected. She helped create and support the first juvenile sex offender treatment program and a girls’ unit focused on the trauma and impact of sexual abuse.

During her years as an advocate for youth, it became clear that every case of delinquency illuminated the many lost opportunities for intervention. Linda collaborated with her sister, Shari, to generate a vision of care that would create meaningful change for kids in care, as well as, challenge the systems that served them. In retirement, Linda continues to share her experience, ideas, and advice. She believes Cobbled Streets will be life changing for kids.

SHERRI ALBERTSON

Marketing & Communications Manager

Sherri has more than 25 years of experience in public relations, marketing and communications, specializing in working with nonprofit organizations to get their messages out to the community.

She holds a degree in Print Journalism from Penn State University and currently works with several nonprofits along the Front Range of Colorado, as well as a public relations firm based in Woodland Park.

Sherri has an affinity to working with nonprofits that address the needs of women and children. She looks forward to creating awareness of Cobbled Streets' mission of helping homeless and foster kids.

KATIE BOZZONE

Marketing Associate

Katie assists us with all things marketing from posting on our social media platforms to updating our website, taking event photographs, and creating videotape snippets to use for outreach and more.

Hello everyone my name is Katie, and I just completed my senior year at the University of Denver.

I am working for Cobbled Streets because I have known Shari Shink for a long time and I have always admired her work and I am so happy I get to be a part of it now!

I am a digital artist with even more digital skills to help Cobbled Streets get their name out there so we can help as many kids as possible. We have already done some exciting things so far and I can’t wait to do more.

I grew up just outside of Pittsburgh PA, on a farm and that definitely taught me work ethic but working for a cause like this pushes me just that much farther to do an awesome job for some great people. I moved out to Denver in 2018 and absolutely love it out here.

In my free time, I like to do art, play video games, hang out with friends, be outdoors, and I love to ski.

SOPHIE UPDIKE

Program Coordinator

Sophie is a proud member of the Cobbled Streets team. Serving as the Program Coordinator, she has been able to put her passion for Public Health into action in a unique and critical way.

She graduated from CU Boulder in 2020 with degrees in Biology, Sociology, and a certificate in Public Health. This education expanded her understanding of how different systems of health and support can work together to ensure that our most vulnerable populations thrive.

Upon graduating, Sophie worked for Make-A-Wish Colorado. Her role on the wish granting team prepared her with a variety of experience, including the mindset that anything is possible… a must-have when working for the legendary Shari Shink!

Today she is providing upstream support to children in the foster care system by supporting the Cobbled Streets team “to help make childhood what it ought to be.”

Outside of her work with Cobbled Streets Sophie serves as the Head Coach for the Nationally ranked Evergreen High Poms Team (aka dance team). In her free time she enjoys the Colorado sunshine, learning about nature, dancing, and spending lots of time with friends, family and her dogs.

KIARA J. GALVAN, BSSW

Program Associate

Kiara is excited to join the Cobbled Streets team and to participate in fulfilling the program’s mission. She recently obtained her bachelor’s degree in Social Work at Metropolitan State University in Denver. During her time at MSU she supported youth who were currently involved in the child welfare system and also those who emancipated from it.

As a peer leader for the EPIC scholars’ program, Kiara also supported independent students on campus and was a youth advocate with other youth advocacy programs.

Kiara has both personal and professional experiences that inspire her passion to help foster youth and the youth homeless population. She’s excited to be part of a team who provides enriching experiences and opportunities for individual youth, while fighting for social justice.

Kiara’s other interests are cooking, painting, hiking, and playing the guitar. She is also a dog mom to Tyrion, her adorable Chiweenie.

SARA STOVALL

Special Project Manager

We are honored to have Sara join the Cobbled Streets team as a Special Projects Coordinator. Serving in such a position has allowed Sara to really put her passion at the forefront of serving foster youth in numerous, enriching and life altering ways.

Sara spent 15 years in the medical field in both pediatric and internal medicine. Her experience and passion caring for others is what really pushed her to “retire” and take children into her home full-time.

Sara is a current foster and adoptive mom in Colorado and has 5 years of personal experience living with, learning and growing alongside foster youth. Sara is passionate about creating relationships with not only the foster youth, but also their birth family when appropriate, and the caregivers in whose homes they are living. She has done and continues to do volunteer work for Foster Source, Mentorship Program, Adams County Advisory Council and has spoken on many panels sharing her story and unique expertise.

Sara enjoys coffee with friends, brunch and being outdoors. If this can be done kid free it is a treat, but most times you will find her with many children in tow and a huge smile on her face.

Sara truly believes that each child deserves help, hope, opportunity and someone who believes in them. Sara is so excited to put her passion to work with the inspiring Cobbled Streets team.

SHARI SHINK, ESQ.

In recognition of her pioneering work on behalf of
Colorado’s children, Shari was inducted into the
Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame.

COBBLED STREETS ADVISORY BOARD

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ANTHONY GRAVES

Anthony Graves is a public affairs and economic development consultant with more than 20 years of experience creating strategies to help organizations enhance their relationships with critical stakeholders, build a positive community brand, and advance diversity, equity and inclusion.

During his 7-year term as a mayoral-appointed executive in the City and County of Denver, Anthony was part of the team that helped to preside over the city during an unprecedented period of growth and economic expansion.

Anthony recently began a new chapter as the inaugural Managing Director of Partnerships and Innovation at CU Denver. He will develop an all-encompassing partnership strategy that propels equity, quality of life, and economic development, while simultaneously discovering synergistic opportunities that will move the needle in terms of CU Denver’s reputation and relevance. Additionally, Anthony will heavily focus on addressing societal challenges and fulfilling Colorado’s workforce pipeline.

As a consultant, government official, corporate manager, economic developer, non-profit volunteer, and university leader, Anthony has worked in a myriad of environments that will aid in his tenure at CU Denver. Recently, he served as Director of External Affairs for Economic Development for the City and County of Denver and as the Mayor’s former Director of Regional Affairs.

While serving as Denver’s regional affairs chief, he managed high-value economic relationships and created agreements with neighboring jurisdictions on a variety of topics, including sustainability goals and gender equity. A champion of economic equity issues, he supported the Mayor’s Race and Social Justice Initiative team that led city-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion planning for over 13,000 employees across all city agencies.

Anthony is committed to civic engagement and good governance. He currently serves as the 2020-2021 Chairman of the Board for the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation.

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NATASHA PEPPERL

Natasha Pepperl is a foster mom to a teen girl and the founder of Just As Special — a foster care podcast, training portal and online community focused on amplifying diverse perspectives of foster care to drive lasting progress. Natasha was selected for the national New Leaders Council to advance her work of foster care advocacy through Just As Special and was also selected for House of Pod’s podcast incubator where she won funding for Just As Special’s pilot season.

Before launching Just As Special, Natasha founded the digital marketing company Pulse Perfect Consulting where she worked with many of Colorado’s movers and shakers including Rocky Mountain PBS, Denver Public Schools, and Colorado Succeeds. The proud daughter of a Persian political refugee, Natasha is also a published poet whose work explores her experiences as a brown woman in America today.

DEAN MICHAEL PRINA, M.D.

Dean Prina was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. He has an identical twin brother. Dean received a BA in Art History and a B.S. in Human Biology from Stanford University, graduating in 1975. He attended Stanford University School of Medicine, graduating in 1979. Dean moved to Denver in that same year to complete a residency in pediatrics at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. He joined Partners in Pediatrics as a full partner in 1982 and remained in private practice for 35 years. During those years, his areas of special interest were children with disabilities, premature infants, and the mental health issues of children of all ages. During those same years, Dean had a parallel “career” in the nonprofit sector. He served on several dozen boards, mostly focused on arts and culture, women and children, and education. Dean enjoys traveling, collecting art, movies, all cultural activities, the company of his dear friends, and staying fit. He retired from the full-time practice of pediatrics in 2018.