President – Carissa Smith
Meet Carissa Smith, a dedicated and engaged individual who has been an integral part of the Colorado Springs community since her move from Texas in 2016. As an attorney licensed in both Colorado and Florida, Carissa practices in estate planning, probate, and trust administration, providing compassionate and diligent service to her clients.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Carissa has a strong commitment to giving back. Since 2017, she has been an enthusiastic volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Pikes Peak Region, making a positive impact on the lives of young individuals. She has also dedicated countless hours to various local organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association, Silver Key Senior Services, and the Senior Resource Counsel, among others. Carissa’s involvement extends even further, as she previously served as a Board Officer for the esteemed Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention Partnership, demonstrating her passion for mental health and well-being in the community.
In 2022, Carissa proudly joined the Board of the Winter Night Club, an important and historic organization with a mission to support the intellectual development of the community. Being part of this incredible initiative is an honor she cherishes, and she is excited about the opportunities to contribute her skills and insights.
Immediate Past President – Sallie Clark
Sallie currently serves as the State Director for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Colorado and was previously appointed to this position from 2017 until 2021. She also served as the Senior Advisor for Government & Military Engagement in the City of Colorado Springs Mayor’s Office Community Affairs.
She was previously elected as an El Paso County Commissioner and represented District 3 where she served as Board Chair and Vice Chair. During her years of service, she was elected as President of National Association of Counties (NACo), the first Coloradan to have been elected to this position to represent over 3,000 counties nationwide. Additionally, Clark is a past Colorado Springs City Councilmember and Utilities Board Member.
She became a military wife (US Navy) in 1980 when she married Welling Clark. She is a long-time resident of Colorado and has family roots in Colorado; her father was born and raised in Pueblo, and she spent every summer on her grandmother’s farm there. She loves Colorado, and continues to appreciate our open spaces, mountain scenery and especially the Pikes Peak area. She enjoys hobbies such as cooking, hiking, horseback riding, reading and gardening.
Clark is a small-business entrepreneur and has owned her own business since 1986. She worked in the health care field, prior to opening her own business. She is well-respected by her peers and her community as evidenced by her continued service on many non-profit and government committees.
First Vice President – Roland Rainey
Roland Rainey, Jr., currently serves as Colorado Springs City Councilman representing District 6. Councilman Rainey is a senior executive in the space and cyber defense industry, a business owner, professional football scout and broadcaster, and a retired U.S. Air Force/Space Force Lieutenant Colonel. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University in Human Development (2003), a Master of Science degree from Troy University in International Relations with emphasis in Global Studies (2008), a Master of Arts degree from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs in Counseling & Leadership Development (2017), and a Business Certificate from Harvard Business School in Entrepreneurship Essentials (2019).
Councilman Rainey faithfully defended our Nation’s democracy and freedoms for 29.6 years as an enlisted troop and commissioned officer. He was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) upon graduation from Colorado State University (2003), where he was selected as the graduation commencement student speaker. During his military career, Roland was a 3-time Commanding Officer, operations and staff officer in Air Force Space Command (now U.S. Space Force), and the National Reconnaissance Office. He also served as the Commander for Cadet Squadron 15 at the Air Force Academy. Additionally, he served as the Deputy Director, Commander Executive Action Group, for the first-ever Chief of Space Operations, and helped stand-up the newest military branch of the Department of Defense. Councilman Rainey is a decorated combat-veteran with a deployment to a combat-zone, Bagram, Afghanistan in 2019 and a deployment to Thumrait, Air Base Oman (1998).
Councilman Rainey also serves as a Commissioner, Fourth Judicial District Nominating Commission where he vets, interview and nominate judges to the Governor. He previously served as an Adjunct Professor, Colorado State University-Pueblo and was Vice Chair of the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council, whose purpose is to create and sustain study, discussion, and public participation in international relations. He also volunteered his time to the local community as the Vice Chair of the El Paso County Citizen’s Outreach Group and served on the Banning Lewis Academy Board of Directors.
His passion for the sport of football and business led to the creation of his very own Semi-Professional Football Organization, the Colorado Springs Cyclones (2009-2018). His focus was to promote the sport of football in the state of Colorado, while mentoring and developing the character of young men. He furthered this passion by receiving a Sports Management certificate in Professional Football Scouting and General Manager practices, where he was trained in NFL scouting techniques, statistical analysis, and the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement. Councilman Rainey also started and hosted a sports talk show, The EXTRA Point, on ESPN Denver 1600. He has worked for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Denver Broncos.
His affiliations and accomplishments include: Recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, U.S. Delegate to the International Committee for Global Navigation, multiple Field & Company Grade Officer Awards, and the National Reconnaissance Office Government Employee of the Year Award, to name a few.
Hobbies: fishing, football, traveling, playing the trombone, and flying Cessna’s
Second Vice President – Lisa Marie
Lisa Marie has spent the past twenty years contributing her voice, perspective, and expertise to bringing communities together and strengthening relationships across Colorado.
She has served on over fifty boards and committees and completed several distinguished leadership programs throughout the state.
A proud member of the Winter Night Club since 2011, she brings elegance, intellect, and enthusiasm to engaging members and encouraging discussions. With extensive experience in commercial real estate, specializing in land acquisition and development, she also works with students as a substitute teacher and counselor.
Third Vice President – George Shen
George Shen, Denverite and 5-year patron of the Winter Night Club.
Program Committee Chair – Stan Vanderwerf
Stan VanderWerf serves District 3 on the Board of County Commissioners for El Paso County, Colorado. His district encompasses central and western El Paso County, including Green Mountain Falls, Manitou Springs, Palmer Lake, Monument, downtown Colorado Springs, and unincorporated western areas of the County. He is presently serving his second term.
Commissioner VanderWerf is founder of several small businesses and previously served 28 years in the US Air Force. He has 40 years of experience in industry and public agencies. He is the founding CEO of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Colorado, Advanced Capitol LLC (aerospace defense consulting), CEM-TEK USA (computer aided design and 3-D printing), and the Freedom Center of the Rockies. He is active in the community providing award-winning expertise to many local and national non-profits and holds extensive public budgeting, public policy, and disaster planning/recovery experience.
Among his professional achievements, VanderWerf received the Industry Cluster Team Award from the Colorado Springs Chamber and the El Pomar Institute. He is a Bronze Star awardee for his service in Iraq and a Legion of Merit awardee for his military service. Stan has National Team Performance and National Leadership Awards from the Defense Contract Management Agency and is a former National Aviation Speed Record Holder from the National Aeronautic Association. Stan is a Distinguished Graduate from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces achieving a Masters Degree in public policy and budgeting.
Commissioner VanderWerf has been assigned around the world having served in Korea, Iraq, and Germany including assignments at Peterson Space Force Base, and Schriever Space Force Base. He is a former director of the Air Force’s C-130 E/H program office, and served in the acquisition directorate of Special Operations Command.
Commissioner VanderWerf presently serves on over 17 boards including the State Board of Health, State Homeland Security Advisory Committee, Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, National Association of Counties – Community, Economic Development, and Workforce Board, Colorado Springs Airport Advisory Commission, and El Paso County Park Advisory Board.
He is married to Betsy and has two children. Hobbies include mountain climbing, skiing, and flying.
Membership Committee Co-Chair – Chuck Duray
Chuck Duray is the owner of Artillery Farm, a cow-calf and custom beef ranching in El Paso County, Colorado, emphasizing healthy, angus-cross bloodlines and the biblical pairing of fat and protein has led to a reputation for savory, prime beef. Operating from the Code of the West, the outfit is known for a fair price per hanging weight combined with superior quality and high yields, often sold-out over a year in advance.
As a reformer to return education back to the classical intellectual and moral domains, Chuck currently serves as the Chief Research Officer for Constitutional Analytics. Dr. Duray served as an educator for over twenty years in a variety of positions at the secondary and university levels. While a teacher and administrator in the Colorado Springs area, Chuck’s schools were consistent in earning The Gazette’s “Best of the Springs” Honors from parents. As an assistant professor at Rutgers University, he received the U.S. Army’s Instructor of the Year Award for all 270 colleges offering Army ROTC. He also operates a mathematics tutoring service to assist rural students in the eastern half of El Paso County.
Chuck’s public service included a military career, followed later with seasonal rolls as a wildland firefighter. Enlisting as an infantry private in 1984 and retiring as a Lt. Colonel in 2012, his experience involved command and staff positions with airborne infantry and air/missile defense artillery units during such operations as Burnt Frost (shoot-down of an errant satellite), Fardh al-Qanoon (Baghdad, Iraq), and Southern Watch (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). As a wildland firefighter, Chuck has served during mega-fires and severity periods in Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.
Knighted over fifteen years ago into the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, Dr. Duray continues efforts with other professionals from across the world to assist Christians and pilgrims in the Holy Land. Married for 33 years to the former Miss Paula DeSantis, a science educator, they raised three children and maintain a small boarding activity for former competitive horses.
