OLLI@DU / 2023 FALL / MEET OUR FACILITATORS

Anne Christner-

Anne Marshall Christner, Ph.D., Platinum Facilitator, who, as a lifelong concerned citizen and former professor, has been watching the dramatic increase in calls for banning books from U.S. schools and public libraries. So, she did some research on past and current precedents to determine what is behind this latest trend toward censorship, then decided to share her findings with OLLI participants.

Ann Cohen-

Dr. Ann Cohen has been teaching at OLLI for many years and is now a designated Diamond Facilitator. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of literature through discussion, and finds she often learns much from her students. She attended Smith College and the University of Minnesota, where she received her PhD in literature.

Rabbi Sandra Cohen-

Rabbi Sandra Cohen is a passionate teacher of rabbinic and medieval Jewish texts. She believes that learning together, in conversation, can be transformational for all concerned. In addition to teaching (which she has been doing in various forums for 28 years in Denver), she also works in mental health outreach in religious communities: to expand how can we make our places of worship inclusive and welcoming to all. She works nationally, as a scholarin-residence, as a teacher of classes and workshops, and as a preacher. She sits on the NAMIColorado state board. She was ordained 28 years ago from HUC-JIR.

Gene Cole-

Gene Cole is an engineering management professional with over 30 years of experience in leading the development of new medical products, the support of existing products, and the improvement of product quality. He has participated in OLLI for seven years and has previously facilitated Great Decisions and Ted Talks.

Natalie Conklin-

Natalie Conklin has facilitated classes at OLLI South for many years since retiring from a career in education. Many of the classes have been in the arts, particularly music. She has also facilitated classes in history and literature. Having many diverse interests, Ted Talks is a great fit for her, since it gives her an opportunity to listen to dynamic people who are passionate in their respective areas of interest. Natalie hopes this class will open a whole new world of ideas to the class as well.

Hille Dais-

Hille Dais, OLLI Senior Facilitator, grew up and completed high school in Hamburg, Germany and has lived in the United States since the late 1960s. She retired from public administration positions with the State of Colorado in 2003. Hille is an amateur pianist and enjoys live symphony and chamber concerts. Hille has facilitated OLLI courses on classical era music and composers and on European history.

Carol Darrow-

Carol Cooke Darrow has been a professional genealogist for more than 20 years. She teaches all levels of genealogy classes and facilitates a genealogy writing group. Her goal is to help people trace their ancestors and understand their lives and the times they lived in.

Mary Dudzinski-

After leaving a career in nursing caring for newborns, and raising two children, Mary Dudzinski still had a passion for nurturing. So, she turned to kittens. For the past 13 years, Mary has been fostering kittens, often nursing them to good health, always socializing them for adoption into loving homes. Along the way, she has guided nearly a dozen pregnant cats through delivery and fostered more than 300 kittens.

Kent Epperson-

Kent Epperson is a graduate of Denver East High School and the University of Colorado. He has been involved with public education for 45 years as a teacher, instructional coach, school administrator and central office support staff member. He has served three Denver area districts and currently works part time with Denver Public Schools.

Chris Evans-Klock-

Chris Evans-Klock retired from the UN in 2019, completing four years as the UN Representative to Ghana and 21 years working for UN Specialized Agencies in Geneva, Bangkok and Vienna. She has a PhD in economics from Boston University and a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University. She has enjoyed facilitating OLLI classes on the United Nations for the past few years.

Joseph Feldstein-

Joseph Feldstein is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, having served from 1967 to 1971. He graduated from CSU with a major in physics and chemistry in 1976. He worked in the energy mineral industry until he retired in 2008. He has facilitated for OLLI before and enjoys following global events.

Alan Folkestad-

Alan Folkestad has been a student of history almost his entire life. In his world travels his knowledge of history only expanded. For a time, he lived in Thailand, Italy and Turkey. Alan obtained a BA from the University of Minnesota and a masters from Texas Christian University.

Fran Fraser-

Fran Fraser is an OLLI-West Master Facilitator. Wisconsin born, Fran graduated with a BS in Geology, and retired from the US Bureau of Reclamation having worked on Federal dams, powerplants, and irrigation projects from Arizona/New Mexico to Washington State/Idaho. She spent two years in Blantyre, Malawi, Africa, and 12 years on Colorado’s far Western Slope. She is interested in native plants, birds, rocks, spiders, bees, and peoples. Fran is the Queen of mostly non-essential….but INTERESTING…..fun, informative, historical trivia.

Gretchen FreyDr. Gretchen Frey is a retired OBGYN physician and menopause specialist who completed her medical training and residency at the University of Colorado and practiced in the Denver metro area for over 30 years. She holds an Assistant Clinical Faculty appointment in the CU Department of Family Medicine. Her interests extend from menopause to healthy aging, healthy sexuality and the role of hormones and hormone therapy. She currently speaks and writes about topics related to menopause, sexuality and aging for both professional and community audiences.

Jan FriedlanderJan Friedlander’s travel experiences with various organizations like National Geographic, Natural Habitat, Reef to Rockies, and others, both domestic and international, have taught her much of what it takes to organize interesting, educational and fun “off road” excursions into nature for people with varying backgrounds and abilities. Her TRAIL WALKING class has become an OLLI favorite and this term promises to continue the tradition of learning and fun!