The role of the Governing Council (GC) (also known as the Board of Directors) is to uphold the mission, vision, and policies of the school.
If you are interested in learning about the composition, regulations, and limitations that govern the Council, please review the MPCS ByLaws.
Parents/caregivers are encouraged to attend at least one Governing Council meeting each school year. This is a great way to learn more about the leadership at MPCS (and the meetings count toward your volunteer hours)!
There are three months that conflict with the school’s holiday schedule (November, and March) and during those months, meetings will be held on the third Wednesday of the month. There is no December meeting.
The GC is committed to publishing the following documents and posting it on the front page of the web site within the posted time frame:
GC Packet. (agenda and materials) No less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled meeting.
Meeting Summaries. Within 10 days of a regular meeting – this appears as the GC Corner which lists out all approved actions from the latest GC monthly meeting, two Fridays after a public meeting and is published in the Weekly Reporter.
Minutes. Within 60 days of a regular meeting
If you’d like to address the GC via Public Comment or regarding a specific Agenda Item, please submit the following Request to Speak Form at least 24 hours prior to the meeting start time.
The Open Meetings Law requires the secretary of each local public body to keep a record of each person who has requested specific notice of meetings and to provide individual notice to such persons in advance of any meeting. If you would like to be added to a “Sunshine List” please contact Secretary, Mark Ruthven, mark.ruthven@mountainphoenix.org
Have you ever wondered what your MPCS Governing Council does? Click below to understand the roles and how they work within our school.
To send a general message to the whole board, please email to GoverningCouncil@mountainphoenix.org
Jen was introduced to MPCS by a dear friend and quickly fell in love. Her daughter, Lola started Pre-K in 2015 at MPCS, and is now finishing her last year at the school as an 8th grader. The incredible community of parents, students, teachers and staff that Jen and her daughter have found at Mountain Phoenix is what keeps them firmly rooted at the school. She joined the Board in 2022 and has served on the Personnel Committee, the Foundation, and the Mountain Phoenix Accountability Committee (MPAC).
She has over ten years of experience fundraising, and creating programming for several local non-profits. An active member of the Denver Food Community, Jen has served on the Leadership Council for Cooking Matters Colorado for 4 years, a Board Member for Slow Food Denver for 8 years, and a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier for 2 years.
Jen studied at the Evergreen State College in Washington where she received her degree in Photography. She has created a successful business as a Commercial Food, Product and People Photographer in Colorado. Over the last 20 years she has had the honor to work with such clients as 5280 Magazine, Noosa Yoghurt, Starbucks, and the Food Network. In 2008 she independently published her best-selling cookbook, Colorado Organic, and has worked on over 10 other published books since. She has tasted and photographed so many amazing and inventive dishes, but is easily won over with a simple home cooked meal and thoughtful conversation around the dinner table. Jen loves food and photography, but above all she loves watching her daughter grow to her fullest potential with the support of the Mountain Phoenix Community.
Mark A. Ruthven is a seasoned Product and Customer Experience Leader with extensive expertise in financial services, operations, and project management. He has a strong background in product strategy, data-driven decision-making, and team leadership. Mark’s career includes senior leadership roles at Western Union, where he managed Agile development teams, oversaw multi-million-dollar budgets, and drove innovation in self-service products. He holds a Master of Science in Engineering and Technology Management from the Colorado School of Mines.
Most importantly, Mark is committed to his wife of 25 years, Misti, and his son, Britton, who is in the 4th grade at MPCS. Mark brings his strategic vision, operational expertise, collaborative leadership style, and experience as an emeritus board member in other non-profit organizations to the Governing Council at Mountain Phoenix Community School.
Anne and her family joined the Mountain Phoenix Community in 2016. Both of her children attended the Seedlings Program and knew they had found a special place for preschool and beyond. Her son, Everett, and daughter, Mia, both attended Mountain Phoenix until 4th grade. Anne has been involved in various committees including the MPCS Foundation, Annual Give, Auction, as well as a classroom representative from ECE to 4th grade. She has been the Governing Council Treasurer for the last five fiscal years.
Anne is looking forward to leveraging her skills and passions to help MPCS grow, and to work with the various partners and alliances around the country to uphold MPCS's charter and mission. She is passionate about ensuring the long-term fiscal health and stability of the school, and making sure others enjoy the magic of public Waldorf education!
Anne grew up in the St. Louis area and attended Washington and Lee University in Virginia where she majored in Economics and Mathematics. She met her husband, Chris, in Austin, Texas while earning their Masters in Business Administration at the University of Texas.
Updated Bio Coming Soon
Updated Bio Coming Soon
Community involvement in decision making is very important to Mountain Phoenix Community School. Since widespread public participation in school policy making is the best guarantee that community interests will be reflected in the school program, a variety of advisory committees, comprised of Mountain Phoenix community members, are formed to facilitate community input. Such committees, under the direction of the Governing Council (GC) or designee, make thorough studies of the subjects assigned to them and submit their findings and recommendations to the Board at its monthly meetings. All committees (except Personnel and MPAC) are open to the public. For more information on each group and how you can help, join the Governing Council Parent Square group or contact the board at governingcouncil@mountainphoenix.org.
The purpose of the Finance Committee is to provide financial oversight and perform governing financial responsibilities on behalf of the Governing Council. The committee develops and presents a 3-5 year rolling budget that is aligned with the strategic plan for approval; develops and presents the annual budget for each school year; provides recommendations to the GC for the Strategic Plan Financial Goals; provides financial accountability with monthly and quarterly reviews of the actuals to budget to identify problems and resolutions; reviews and drafts business policy recommendations to the Governance Committee, and monitors business policy processes and procedures.
The purpose of Mountain Phoenix Accountability Committee (MPAC) is to support the GC in its work to provide oversight of the school’s educational program and school culture. MPAC is the avenue for the Governing Council to gather, analyze and report on academic performance data and survey data, and works as oversight of the school administration’s work to develop and implement Public Waldorf Education. MPAC looks through a lens of school sustainability, student equity, and accessibility when collecting, analyzing, and sharing data.
The Governance Committee is dedicated to supporting high-quality practices of the Governing Council. It is responsible for matters pertaining to Board recruitment, nominations, orientation, training, and evaluation in accordance with the school’s bylaws, as well as established policies and practices approved by the Board.
Develop short-term and long-term plans for the physical campus with a focus on reducing the carbon footprint and creating a sustainable environment for generations to come.
Have a campus project in mind? Fill out the Master Planning Submission Form here.
As required by law, the Governing Council (GC) conducts its business in public. In addition to holding open, public meetings, the GC maintains a section of the website as the primary means of distribution of information for upcoming regular meetings as well as all public documents in accordance with the Governing Council Communication Policy.
In an effort to facilitate access to all documents managed by the GC, an Ad Hoc Document Management Committee has been formed and is in the process of changing platforms to streamline maintenance and storage including public facing documents. Below is a list of items that is available in the new GC Public Documents Folder. Please access the current month’s agenda and packet here.
Check out the Governing Council’s 24-25 Strategic Plan!
Mountain Phoenix Community School
4725 Miller Street, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
f – 303.728.9801
p – 303.728.9100
In accordance with Title IX and its regulations, Mountain Phoenix Community School has a designated Title IX Coordinator. Please refer to Title IX Policies and Procedures for additional information.
Mountain Phoenix is committed to providing a website that is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. We believe everyone deserves equal access to information and resources, and our website is designed to meet accessibility standards as set forth by Colorado state law. In accordance with House Bill 21-1110, if you encounter any accessibility barriers or have suggestions for improvement, please contact us at questions@mountainphoenix.org. We appreciate your feedback and will respond to accessibility concerns within 3 business days.
© 2023 Mountain Phoenix Community School. All rights reserved. MPCS is an asbestos-free school. Copies of our Asbestos Management Plan are located in both the main and middle school offices for public viewing. Website Design by Winter Design Group - Ben Winter - a former MPCS Parent
