AFY staff

Alternatives for Youth (AFY) employs highly qualified staff, including three program directors, ten program staff members and three administrative staff members, most of whom work part-time. As much as possible, we engage volunteers and youth workers to assist with our after school and summer programs and activities. 

AFY staff members (top row, left to right) Angel Salathe, Deb Roberts, Gretchen Florescue, DA Erickson and Yael Glick; (bottom row, left to right) Alexa Van Dalsem, Ann Arling and Padma Adepu.

Deborah Roberts, Executive Director
Deborah holds a Masters of Non-Profit Management from the University of Illinois.  She has over 30 years of experience in the non-profit management arena.  She has been the Executive Director of numerous human service agencies and worked with the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta for over twelve years. In April 2007, Deborah received a Longmont Children and Youth Resources "Make Time for Kids Award," which recognizes people and organizations in the Longmont and Lyons area who strive to help youth succeed. Deborah brings her wealth of knowledge and experience to lead Alternatives for Youth.

Michael Behmer, Program Director, iThrive and Interim Director, Clearview Educational Center
Michael holds a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy and Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Arts. In his six years as a therapist, Michael has worked with youth, parents, individuals, and families in private practice, therapeutic groups, residential treatment, wilderness therapy, crisis debriefing, and family systems restoration. Michael previously worked with Alternatives for Youth as the counselor at Clearview Educational Center and a boys group leader. In addition to his work with Alternatives for Youth, Michael has a private practice in Longmont and Fort Collins, is co-creator of the parenting manual, Chaos to Connection: 9 Heart-Centered Essentials to Parenting Your Teen, and is a member of an international disaster response team that travels oversees to help during times of natural disasters. He has worked internationally with families and communities in Russia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Haiti, China, and Japan.

Lisa Smeltzer, Counselor, Clearview Educational Center and Teen Counselor, iThrive

Lisa is a licensed social worker with a Masters in Social Work and Bachelors degree in history. Lisa’s career as a social worker has been dedicated to working with multi-risk youth and their families. She has extensive experience working with children and adolescents in a variety of therapeutic settings, including clinics, schools and in homes. Before joining Alternatives for Youth’s staff, Lisa was the social worker at New America Charter High School in Denver, providing crisis intervention, case management, advocacy, group and individual counseling, and implementing programs to support issues such as gang involvement, teen parenting, immigration, discrimination, homelessness, domestic violence, and mental illness.

Mary Vigil, Attendance Advocate and Program Director, Summer Program
Mary holds a CAC I certification and has twelve years of experience in the field. Mary is one of Longmont’s Hispanic leaders and is considered a premier advisor in the field of youth at-risk, with many other organizations soliciting Mary’s advice and counsel on a variety of issues. Mary has many certifications, including Victim Assistance, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (ADAD), and Bystander Trauma. Highly respected in the schools and communities, Mary works with at-risk youth from birth to age 20.  Mary has received Longmont's "Community Unity Award,"  for her dedication to the Longmont community and promoting diversity and Boulder County Community Action Program's "Multicultural Award for Community Service" for her devotion to helping families and youth.

Alexa Van Dalsem, Director of Resource Development
Alexa holds a Masters in education philosophy and policy and a Bachelors degree in liberal arts.  She has over ten years experience working for educational and non-profit organizations, bringing a passion for education, especially for disadvantaged and underserved youth, as well as a wide variety of experience in non-profit marketing, public relations and fundraising to Alternatives for Youth.

Marie Terry, Office and Finance Manager            

Marie holds an associates degree in accounting and has over 25 years of experience in bookkeeping. She has worked in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, mortgage, education (Dawson School for ten years), and has been with Alternatives for Youth for seven years.

PERSONAL DE AFY

Alternativas para la Juventud (AFY, por sus siglas en inglés) emplea a personas altamente cualificadas para incluir a tres directores, diez miembros de personal de programas y tres miembros del personal administrativo, la mayoría de los cuales trabajan a tiempo parcial. En la mayor medida posible, animamos a voluntarios y personas que trabajan con jóvenes a ayudar en nuestros programas de después de la escuela y en las actividades y programas del verano.

Longmont's Mayor Julia Pirnak presented AFY's Executive Director, Deb Roberts, with a "Make Time for Kids Award" in April 2007.

Deborah Roberts, Directora Ejecutiva
 Deborah tiene un Master en Gestión de Organizaciones Sin Ánimo de Lucro de la Universidad de Illionis. Tiene unos 30 años de experiencia en el campo de la gestión de organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro. Ella ha sido la Directora Ejecutiva de numerosas agencias de servicio humano y ha trabajado con la organización United Way de la ciudad de Atlanta durante unos doce años. En abril del 2007, Deborah fue galardonada con el “Premio Haga Tiempo para Estar con Niños” de los Recursos de Niños y Jóvenes de Longmont, el cual reconoce a personas y organizaciones en las áreas de Longmont y Lyons que se esfuerzan por ayudar a los jóvenes a tener éxito. Deborah trae su riqueza de conocimiento y experiencia para dirigir Alternativas para la Juventud.

Mary Vigil, Directora de Programa, Celebrando la familia
Mary tiene una certificación CAC I. Tiene doce años de experiencia en el campo,  es una de las líderes hispanas de Longmont, y está considerada una consejera principal en el campo de la juventud con riesgo, y muchas otras organizaciones cuentan con el consejo y asistencia de Mary en numerosos asuntos. Mary tiene muchas certificaciones, incluyendo Asistencia a Víctimas, la División de Abuso de Alcohol y Drogas (ADAD, por sus siglas en inglés), y  Trauma del Espectador. Altamente respetada en las escuelas y comunidades, Mary recibió el “Premio Unidad de Comunidad” de Longmont por su dedicación a la comunidad de Longmont y por promover la diversidad, y el

“Premio Multicultural al  Servicio Comunitario del Programa de Acción" del Condado de Boulder por su dedicación a ayudar a familias y jóvenes.

Alexa Van Dalsem, Directora de Recursos de Desarrollo
Alexa tiene un Master en filosofía y política de la educación y una Licenciatura en Humanidades. Tiene unos diez años de experiencia trabajando en organizaciones educativas y organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro, trayendo a Alternativas para la Juventud pasión por la educación especialmente por los jóvenes en desventaja y desatendidos, así como una amplia variedad de experiencia en el marketing de organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro, relaciones públicas y la recaudación de fondos.

Marie Terry, Oficina y Encargado de las Finanzas

Marie lleva a cabo un grado de asociados en la contabilidad y lo tiene durante 25 años de experiencia en contabilidad. Ella ha trabajado en una variedad de industrias, incluyendo la fabricación, hipoteca, educación (escuela de Dawson por diez años), y ha estado con las Alternativas para la Juventud por siete años.