Board of Directors
Merry Lynne Hamilton
Chair & Secretary
Merry Lynne is a lifelong Christian as well as a retired physical therapist and professor. She grew up in Denver, attended CU - Boulder, then lived and worked in five states and The Netherlands. She has been a member of Grace Commons Church since returning to Boulder eight years ago. At Grace Commons Church, she is involved in the Messenger Program, Habitat for Humanity, and KidTrek. Significant past volunteer leadership positions include Vice Moderator, Church Council member, Sunday School Superintendent, PTA President, School Board member and head of the Research Committee for the Education Section of the American Physical Therapy Association. She is married to Paul, has two children and four grandchildren.
Greg Parr
Vice Chair & Treasurer
Greg has over 35 years experience in the financial services industry, working with individual and business clients to develop financial goals and manage their investments and protection planning. He is senior partner at Parr and Strand, a Financial Advisory Practice of Ameriprise Financial.
A member of Grace Commons Church for over 40 years, Greg is thankful for this body of Christ for helping him grow in his faith and giving him opportunities for ministry. Greg has served as Elder, Deacon, and Sunday School teacher. His areas of ministry have included Missions Council, liaison to Personnel and Budget Committees, Annex Core Group leader and Lamb’s Lunch chef.
Originally from Texas, Greg came to CU on an athletic scholarship. He graduated with a BS in Business-Finance and has the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation. Greg continues to be active in the University of Colorado’s athletic letter winner’s “C” Club. For recreation, he enjoys travel, golf, Crossfit workouts, and cooking.
Greg and his wife Lynnie have two sons, two beautiful daughters-in-law and five active grandchildren.
Sandy Bracken
Director
Alexander (Sandy) Bracken has served Grace Commons Church Grace Commons Church in several capacities, including Elder, Personnel Committee Moderator, Trustee and Capital Campaign Committee Chair. Sandy has enjoyed a long career in both the corporate and higher education fields having worked for Ball Corporation and the University of Colorado. He received his BA degree from Carleton College and MS and PhD degrees from Ball State University. Sandy and his wife, Sally, have two daughters, Sarah and Betsy, and three grandchildren.
JP Clark
Director
JP is retired after a diverse career as a commercial real estate appraiser, financial advisor and 28 years of military service. As an appraiser for 10 years he worked primarily on farm and ranch appraisals throughout Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. JP worked as a financial advisor with Smith Barney and Prudential Securities for 15 years. He served in the USMC as a helicopter pilot, commanding a squadron for two years and retiring as Colonel in 1994.
JP has been a member of Grace Commons Church for over 28 years and is currently serving as a Trustee. He has served as a Deacon Moderator and on the Global Missions Committee. He is currently a member of Chancel Choir and TED selection committee.
JP was born and raised in a small town just outside of Houston, Texas. He received a BS degree and MS degree from Texas A&M University. JP, his wife Marty and their two sons, Travis and Tyler, moved from Dallas to Boulder in 1992.
Jamie Dixon
Director
Valuing community outreach, Jamie has been involved in diverse areas of volunteer work with Grace Commons Church for 30 years. After serving in leadership with Bible Study Fellowship, Jamie served as a lay counselor at Grace Commons Church. She went on short-term mission trips painting Christian themed murals in Mexico, India, Africa and Bolivia. She and her husband, Jim, taught the Dynamic Marriage course.
Jamie has a passion for conservation and the protection of wildlife and the environment. In her community of Superior, she is a member of the Wildlife Encouragement Team, Raptor Monitoring Group, and Breeding Bird Survey. She is working on a lecture series entitled, “Plants, Pollinators, and Pest Control.”
For 14 years, Jamie pursued entrepreneurial endeavors. She managed a contract engineering company supplying technical professionals to companies along the Colorado front range. She created a second company to market and support a specialized software package for the commercial printing industry across the US and Canada.
After selling these companies, she changed her professional hat and worked with Jim in his veterinary orthopedic surgery practice becoming the business manager and surgical assistant. Having a passion for animal rescue, they were very involved with a no-kill shelter. They recently retired from veterinary surgery.
Jamie lived in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Michigan before relocating to Colorado. She enjoys hiking and observing wildlife in her travels. She is blessed with a family life with Jim’s children and grandchildren.
Tony Fischer
Director
Tony retired after over 30 years working in the telecommunications industry, finishing his career project managing the design and manufacture of products across multiple continents. Currently he is a substitute teacher in Boulder Valley School District.
As a member of Grace Commons Church for over 30 years, Tony is thankful that his twin daughters were able to go through the full program of children's and youth ministry offerings. He has served as a Sunday school teacher, Salt and Light choir parent, Chancel choir member and deacon. He has also been active participating in multiple mission trips to Africa and most recently Cuba.
Tony grew up on a farm in rural central Missouri. He attended the University of Missouri for his BS in Industrial Engineering. He continued his education with a MS in Computer Integrated Manufacturing from Brigham Young University, and finished with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from CSU.
Tony and his wife Shelly enjoy outdoor activities including camping, hiking, backpacking, skiing and snowshoeing.
Kha Le
Director
Kha is Corporate Vice President at hrQ Inc., an Inc. 5000 America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies 8-years in a row. Kha is one of the founders and leaders of the global consulting practice for hrQ Inc., which advises clients on “simplifying their people equation.” He has also held executive leadership roles with corporations, such as CH2M Hill, Teletech, and Revolution Advisors.
Prior to his business career, Kha was part of a US military unit, whose primary function was personnel recovery, with emergency medical capabilities in humanitarian and combat environments.
Today, along with providing strategic insights and advisory services, Kha has integrated his passion as a servant leader and steward for the Lord’s resources through serving as a past Elder, Personnel Committee Member, and Safety and Security Member at Grace Commons Church. He has also volunteered his time with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Junior Achievement, Adams 12 Five Star, Boulder Valley School District, and with several other non-profit and for profit boards. He is married to Kimberlee and has two daughters.
Steve Rice
Director
Steve comes to the foundation with a BS Degree from the University of Colorado, Leeds School of Business, and more than 40 years of business entrepreneurship experience both in software and hardware manufacturing. Throughout most of his career he has primarily assisted companies in developing revenue growth strategies. Currently as Global Director of Business Development for IPVideo Corporation, an Internet of Things manufacturer on Long Island in New York. Steve has a keen interest in growing startup companies from their initial inception to market adoption.
While involved with the Navigators in college, Steve began his Christian journey of faith. Since that time, he has mentored men and women in their faith and over the past 40+ years has served in several different capacities at Grace Commons Church of Boulder, CO. Areas of service have included elder, lay counselor, Sunday school teacher and Moderator of Pastoral Care committee. Over the past twenty-eight years he has sung in the church choir energized by how the Holy Spirit transforms the music people hear into meaning for their individual lives.
In his role as Director at Grace Commons Foundation, Steve’s passion to serve on the board is guided by Micah 6:8. "He has told you, oh man, what is good: And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly before your God?" He is excited to share his expertise and gifts, strongly believing that the mission of the Foundation will truly serve the needs of the disenfranchised and vulnerable.
Steve and his wife Carolyn of 41 years, have three daughters, three sons-in-law and four wonderful grandchildren.
Staff
Courtney Ballagh
Director of Communications
Courtney works with the Board to tell Grace Commons Foundation's story and assist in donor-focused strategy. She believes that philanthropy is a powerful and beautiful tool to build God's kingdom. She has worked alongside donors to support the Leeds School of Business at CU and has communications experience on staff at Grace Commons Church. Courtney holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science with a minor in speech communication from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!).
Contact
The Grace Commons Foundation is proud to be a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. The ECFA’s Standards of Responsible Stewardship focus on board governance, financial transparency, integrity in fund-raising, and proper use of charity resources.