Stephanie Donner to Join Galvanize; Gov. Hickenlooper Appoints Jacki Cooper Melmed as Chief Legal Counsel

Press Release

Gov. John Hickenlooper today announced Stephanie Donner will be joining Galvanize as general counsel, and appointed Jacki Cooper Melmed as chief legal counsel.

"Stephanie's leadership and counsel has been invaluable as we have navigated through floods, fires and rebuilt our economy. She has been solution oriented and innovative in her thinking so we know she'll be a tremendous asset as she joins one of Colorado's top competency-based education businesses."

"Working for Governor Hickenlooper for four years has inspired me to join the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship that the governor has worked so hard to foster in Colorado," Donner said. "I will miss the governor and his outstanding team."

Hickenlooper appointed Jacki Cooper Melmed to the role of chief legal counsel, effective Aug. 1, 2015.

"We are delighted to welcome Jacki Cooper Melmed to our team. She brings a diverse legal background and strong commitment to the community," Hickenlooper said.

Cooper Melmed currently works at Shoemaker Ghiselli + Schwartz in Boulder, where she represents multiple clients in complex litigation and other matters involving securities, contract, intellectual property, land use, insurance coverage, and other corporate law. Her extensive legal experience also includes Hogan & Hartson LLP where she successfully represented multiple clients in matters involving cable television programming, employment law, election disputes, land use, contract, and intellectual property issues. Before joining private practice, Cooper Melmed served as a law clerk for the Honorable Michael Bender in the Colorado Supreme Court where she worked on a wide range of legal issues including freedom of speech, Miranda rights, urban renewal, land use, and administrative law.

"I'm honored to be join Governor Hickenlooper's talented team of public servants, and I'm excited to get to work on the issues facing the people of Colorado," said Cooper Melmed.

Cooper Melmed holds bachelor's degrees in English literature and French from the University of Michigan, a master's degree in English literature from the University of Chicago, and a juris doctorate from the University of Colorado where she was editor-in-chief at the University of Colorado Law Review.

She is currently the chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council where she helps develop policy positions, advocate community perspectives, and prepare responses to emergencies that arise in or affect the Jewish community. Cooper Melmed has also served as president of the Allied Jewish Apartments and was a founding director of Partnership for Sustainability (since absorbed by iCAST Colorado), a nonprofit that provided no-interest loans to fund solar energy projects.

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