Local VIPs Lend Support to Beaux Arts Ball

National Jewish Health is proud to name Carrie and John Morgridge, Linda and Richard Schierburg, Viki and Jack Thompson and Joni and Scott Wylie as its Morgridge Family Foundation 2011 Beaux Arts Ball Grand Marshals.
 
The four couples bring a wealth of energy to the Leadership Committee for the event on March 19 at the Hyatt Regency Denver.           

Carrie and John Morgridge share a commitment to education and its importance in fostering a sense of opportunity among young people in the Colorado community. Education, especially literacy of adults and children, and the development of the whole child has been the focus of their giving. They have invigorated community pride with investments in new buildings on college campuses, reading programs in elementary schools, scholarships, a new charter school and other education initiatives.

The Morgridge Family Foundation has supported local and national programs for over 16 years. They formed the 21^st Century Classrooms Collaboration (21^st CCC) to provide the tools of interactive technology and multi-media curriculum to impact student achievement and teacher engagement and retention. Through this initiative, interactive whiteboards and accessory tools have been donated to school districts, charter schools and independent schools across Colorado, including Kunsberg School.

Carrie and John’s partnership with the University of Denver led them to establish the Morgridge College of Education in 2007. They have supported the development of a Science Education Center at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and also created the Morgridge International Reading Center in central Florida.

In addition to their philanthropic activities, John and Carrie are the proud parents of two children and are competitive triathletes.

Linda and Richard Schierburg are both avid supporters of National Jewish Health and of its Kunsberg School for chronically ill children.

Rich is the founder and owner of Peregrine Group Development.  Based in Denver, Peregrine is a real estate development company specializing in land development, retail and mixed use projects and has completed developments in Colorado, Arizona and California.

Rich is a Board member of National Jewish Health and is Chairman of the Development Board. He is also Board Chair of Archdiocesan Housing, an affordable housing provider throughout the State of Colorado and a subsidiary of Catholic Charities. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP). A native of Colorado, Rich received his BS in mathematics from Seattle University and his MBA from the University of Colorado.

Linda moved to Colorado in 1969 from Kansas City, Kansas, after graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in English. Linda’s volunteer interests include the Kunsberg School, the National Kidney Foundation, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. She was also active in heading volunteer organizations related to their children’s school activities.

Linda and Rich both enjoy playing golf and bridge, traveling and spending time with their children.

Viki and Jack Thompson share a deep love for children and support children who are at risk.

Jack Thompson was one of three founders of JD Edwards and Co., a global leader in Enterprise Resource Planning software.  He is a co-founder of Silver Spring Networks, an internationally recognized provider of smart meters and the metrics for optimization and reliability of the utility grid.

Viki Thompson was born and raised in New York City and is a passionate supporter of children’s causes and education. After earning a master’s degree in Diagnostic and Remedial Reading, she taught in Harlem before moving to Denver where she worked in Aurora Public Schools.

Together, Viki and Jack share a deep commitment to ending child abuse through mentoring and education. They funded a chair at the Kempe Children's Center to help create a path of support for children at risk. In addition, they support educational programs at the Denver School of Science and Technology, Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, Denver Museum of Nature and Science and National Jewish Health.

Along with their son, Brian, they run an oil and gas company in Denver. In addition, they share a love of movies and are involved in their movie production company in Santa Monica, California.

As a family they spend time traveling and enjoying the outdoors with their son, his wife and their two granddaughters, Quinn and Chloe.

Joni and Scott Wylie are active supporters of many educational charities.

Scott Wylie has started and built several successful banks, most recently First Western Financial and First Western Trust Bank, where he serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Based in Denver, First Western owns and operates local, boutique private banks in Colorado, Arizona and California, with over $4 billion in client assets under management.

Scott currently serves in leadership roles on the boards of Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, the School of International Service (SIS) at American University, the Two Percent Club and Colorado Succeeds. He has held board leadership roles at several non-profits, including the Denver Botanic Gardens and Central City Opera House Association. Scott is a co-founder of the Colorado Young Presidents Organization and has served in a leadership position with the Colorado chapter for more than 20 years. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan, and earned graduate degrees from SIS and Harvard Business School.

Joni Wylie earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and a graduate degree in Public Administration from American University in Washington, D.C. She has focused on raising their four children, with ages ranging from 12 to 26, and has been actively involved in their various school and extracurricular activities.

National Jewish Health is known worldwide for treatment of patients with respiratory, cardiac, immune and related disorders, and for groundbreaking medical research. Founded in 1899 as a nonprofit hospital, National Jewish Health remains the only facility in the world dedicated exclusively to these disorders. Since 1998, U.S. News & World Report has ranked National Jewish Health the #1 respiratory hospital in the nation.