Nancy Susan Germany, President
Nancy Susan Germany (Susie Germany) is an attorney with The Germany Law Firm, P.C., a probate and elder law firm with locations in Denver, Erie and Broomfield. Her practice focuses in the areas of wills, trusts, living wills, powers of attorney, estate administration, estate planning, probate, elder law, Medicaid, guardianships and conservatorships. Ms. Germany is a native of Erie, Colorado and she received her bachelor's degree from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington and her law degree from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. As the spouse of a former Air Force pilot, she has traveled to many parts of the world. She began her legal career in Alaska as a judicial law clerk and with a law firm practicing in the areas of domestic, civil and criminal litigation. She is a member of the Alaska Bar Association and the Colorado Bar Association, and past chair of the Elder Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association. In addition, Ms. Germany is a member of the Erie Chamber of Commerce, Alliance of Professional Women, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and a team sponsor and volunteer for Colorado Special Olympics. She is also a Director for Front Range Hospice. Ms. Germany frequently teaches legal education courses for members of the Colorado Bar Association and local bar associations, educating attorneys and other legal professionals about probate, elder law and legal ethics. She also provides presentations to organizations and members of the general public on topics such as the legal aspects of end of life decisions, living wills, wills and trusts, power of attorney documents, special needs planning and disability planning.
Stephanie Brennan, Vice President
Stephanie L. Brennan is a third-generation Coloradan who has been an associate with the firm Hurth, Yeager, Sisk & Blakemore since 2002.
After graduating with a B.A. cum laude from the University of Colorado she worked in Washington, D.C. prior to attending law school. Ms. Brennan received her J.D. from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1998, was an articles editor with the Land and Water Law Review and a member of the Order of the Barristers. She clerked for the Hon. Richard V. Thomas of the Wyoming Supreme Court and the Hon. Frank Dubofsky of Colorado's Twentieth Judicial District. Ms. Brennan has received training in trial advocacy and depositions from the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.
Ms. Brennan has worked for VoiceStream Wireless, AT&T and Sprint in land use procedures and leasing.
Ms. Brennan’s current community activities include serving as a Board of Director for the Association for Community Living in Boulder County and coaching the Boulder High School Mock Trial teams since 2003.
Ms. Brennan is licensed to practice law in the Colorado State Courts and the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.
M. Kent Olsen, Treasurer
M. Kent Olsen is a partner in Olsen & Traeger, LLP specializing in estate planning, estate administration, estate litigation, guardianships, conservatorships, advance medical directives, individuals with disabilities, and elder law. Mr. Olsen was referee of the Denver Probate Court for six years. A member of the Trust and Estate Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association, he is past chair of the section, past chair of the Rules and Forms Committee, past column editor for the Colorado Lawyer, co-chaired the Protective Proceedings Act subcommittee and now serves on the Statutory Revisions Committee. Mr. Olsen was an appointed member of the Governor's Commission on Life and the Law. He is also a member of the Denver, Colorado and American bar associations, as well as the Denver Estate Planning Council. In addition to being a former instructor for paralegals and a member of the advisory board of Denver Career College, Mr. Olsen is a frequent author and lecturer on probate, estate litigation, disabilities planning, health care treatment, protective proceedings, legal ethics and issues on aging. He is past president of the Colorado Fund for People with Disabilities, Inc., A pooled Medicaid trust; past president of the Arc of Denver, an advocacy organization for people with developmental disabilities; and a board member of Arc of Colorado. His name appears in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World, in Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers and Colorado Super Lawyers 2006 to 2009.
Hal Wright, Director
Hal Wright is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) offering financial planning, investment management and insurance services. He has unique expertise in comprehensive special needs planning and is the author of a book published in 2009, Special Needs Planning for a Loved One with a Disability: Life, Resource, Financial and Legal. He is married with three adult children, one with Down Syndrome. He has been active in the special needs community for over twenty years as a board member, volunteer and public speaker.
Mark Simon, Director
Mark has built a successful business as a general contractor, and as an expert and consultant. He currently is Board President for a Medicaid reform project, and has served on numerous other boards and Commissions, works on public policy issues, including Health Care, Medicaid and Social Security reform. He has coordinated lobbying at the General Assembly for the disabled community, has held 6 Gubernatorial, Senate and Presidential appointments, been an ADA trainer and mediator, and has received numerous commendations and awards.
Joe Beaver, Director
Joe Beaver moved to Colorado in 1972. He has been a resident of Jefferson County since 1976 and active in Jefferson County Democratic Party since 1988. He took it upon himself to reach out to the disabled community to get them involved in politics. Initially, his efforts failed because many of the political events were being held in inaccessible locations. Beaver was a pioneer in forcing all official Democratic events to be held in accessible locations. He joined Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and was soon elected as Treasurer of the Board. A few years later he was elected Board President - a position that he continues to hold. He also became a member of Denver-ADAPT and attends meetings at the Denver Commission for People with Disabilities. One could say that nearly everything that Beaver says or does is in someway related to promoting the rights of people with disabilities. That's why he ran and got elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2008.
Dale Gaar, Director
Dale Gaar graduated from Cornell Law School, cum laude, in 1983. Dale's law practice is limited to civil litigation including trials in the state and federal courts, administrative proceedings, and arbitrations. Many of Dale's cases involve litigation of Americans with Disabilities Act claims. Dale is active in community affairs and serves on the Board of Directors for the Center for People with Disabilities in Boulder, Colorado. For several years he chaired the Colorado Governor's Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities. He has taught skiing for many years with the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Faculty of Federal Advocates.
Dr. Chuck Jackson, Director
