Secular Hub Board of Directors
Barbara Sannwald
Chair/Treasurer
I have been a non-religious person all of my life. As a young adult seeking community, I got involved in various secular groups in the Denver area, hosting book groups, speakers, and social events. I became one of the founders of the Secular Hub in 2012 and joined the Board of Directors in 2016. During this time, the Hub has transformed into a thriving, vibrant community. I look forward to building the Secular Hub into a regional center that attracts major speakers, encourages stronger connections among local groups, and helps our secular community flourish.
My professional background includes 30 years as an Information Technology consultant, specializing in Oracle database development. I have an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from the University of Denver.
Monica Toole
Vice Chair
Monica and her family are proud members of the Secular Hub after moving to the Denver metro area two years ago and seeking similarly-minded groups shortly thereafter. She hopes to increase participation of other secular families in our community as we work to build and grow our diverse membership at the Secular Hub. Monica is also a member of the American Humanist Legal Society.
Becky Greben
Secretary
Becky grew up in a non-believing family in Chicago and moved to Denver in 1980 where she later joined the Humanists of Colorado and the (now defunct) Rocky Mountain Skeptics. She is a long time member of the national organizations The Center for Inquiry (publisher of Free Inquiry and Skeptical Inquirer magazines), and the National Center for Science Education. She is one of the founders of the Secular Hub. Becky holds Bachelor degrees in psychology and geology. She is retired from state government where she was the manager of several medical services programs in the Division of Workers’ Compensation. She is currently secretary of the Metro Denver chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and also the board secretary for the Western Interior Paleontological Society. She has been a volunteer at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science for more than 21 years (working in the fossil preparation lab), and volunteers annually as a judge for the high school state science fair held at CSU.
Dirk Huizenga
Director
I have been a non-religious person most of my life, but have very seldom have been in the company of atheists more than one other at a time. About seven years ago, I started getting involved with secular groups in Colorado. I think the secular community needs more of a voice in our society and I want to help that happen. Also the separation of church and state needs to be protected. I want to be more involved and help the Secular Hub community expand.
I enjoy putting my IT experience to work helping the Secular Hub to grow and connect with our community. As a humanist, I want to help create a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry, separate from supernatural views of reality.
Heili D. Lehr
Director
When I found the Secular Hub in 2014, I had recently gone through a divorce and was seeking community. As someone who grew up in a family of Secular Humanists, I was overjoyed to find such a large, vibrant group of like-minded people to call my friends. Over the years I have been involved with the Secular Singles group, the Secular Adventure Crew, the Events Committee bringing in national speakers and planning fun social events, the Relocation committee assisting with finding the Hub’s new home, and as a co-facilitator of the Death Café discussion group. I am a Mental Health Counselor in private practice who specializes in Loss, Change, Grief, Religious Trauma and Life Transitions and am listed on Recovering From Religion’s Secular Therapy Project directory. I have a deep and enduring passion for supporting the secular community in a wide variety of ways, and as a board member I am committed to the vision of a thriving, dynamic, inclusive and fun secular community center we can all call home for many years to come. and help the Hub continue to grow and reach out to our community.
Smokey Aldhafir
Director
I was born and raised in Kuwait around Islamic traditions, but rejected Islam from a young age when aspects of it conflicted with my own thoughts towards a belief in higher power, morality and how the religion viewed people within its own community. As a gay man, I kept aspects of my own life very hidden and eventually moved to the United States (specifically Tennessee and later CO) where I could be the person I wanted to be. While in TN, I went to several different denominations of Christian churches and ultimately came to the belief in self-goodness. While I respect others with faith based beliefs, I myself became an atheist.
When I first connected with the secular community, it was very gratifying to find like minded individuals who just believe in themselves and the goodness they can bring into the world.
I have a BA in Business Administration from Colorado State University with a background in volunteering and working for community foundations, and nonprofits supporting the LGBTQ community in data management and fundraising efforts. I hope to bring my experience to help our community continue to grow and pass on the welcome that I myself have cherished by being a part of our organization.
Sheryl Kallivrousis
Director
I grew up as a member of the Nazarene church then later a charismatic church where I was encouraged to dance and speak in tongues during services. I graduated from high school from the newly founded “Faith Ministries Academy” in Greeley. My slow journey to atheism began as I pursued an undergraduate degree in chemistry, while learning how many things in our world can be explained by science. I graduated with a BS in Chemistry from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
After working over a decade in the biotech industry, I enjoyed staying home and raising my son. I recently began to re-engage with the community by volunteering at the Broomfield Depot Museum giving tours, at Broomfield FISH packing food boxes, for Meals on Wheels and as a CASA, a “Court Appointed Special Advocate”. I currently work at the Broomfield Recreation Department as a front desk clerk.
I joined the Boulder Atheists in 2019 and served as Secretary for one year then President for two years. During that time I helped increase board efficiency, improve event opportunities and grow overall membership. I also learned many new skills such as website building and presentation facilitation. I’ve become educated in the state legislature and am the current chair of the American Atheists State Advocacy Team.
I would like to help the Secular Hub join forces with local and national allies to expand our presence and attract newcomers with engaging events, an interactive website, and services that meet the needs of all secular people in the Denver area.