Joshua Brooks
J.B. Brooks is a cybersecurity and cloud architecture executive with over twenty years of leadership experience across military, government, and enterprise environments. His work has centered on enterprise governance, risk management, and building security frameworks that protect organizational integrity at scale. He currently serves as a GlobalPublic Sector Architect within Salesforce’s MuleSoft business unit.
Earlier in his career, J.B. served in U.S. military and government roles supporting overseas operations and interagency initiatives. His experience includes advising senior leaders, contributing to complex multi-agency efforts, and serving in high-accountability environments requiring discretion and disciplined decision-making. He holds a master’s degree in cybersecurity and is CISSP certified. J.B. is a committed member of his local church and is actively involved in his community alongside his wife and three children.
Nicole Duran
Nicole is a registered nurse, mother, foster parent, and Christian woman whose life and work are rooted in her faith in Jesus Christ. She is deeply passionate about reaching mothers impacted by incarceration, especially women navigating parenting and separation from their children while in prison. Nicole strongly believes that no woman is beyond redemption and that, through Christ, restoration and transformation are always possible. As a mother and foster parent, she understands both the beauty and the weight of raising children, and she feels called to stand in the gap for women who feel forgotten or unseen. Guided by compassion and faith, Nicole joined the Board to walk alongside incarcerated mothers, offering hope, encouragement, and the reminder that they are still loved, still valued, and never beyond God’s grace.
Barbara Mathews Ellena
Award-winning Interior Designer with Mathews Design Associates. Barbara is also an accomplished fundraiser, having chaired events for Wings for LIFE International, Make-A-Wish and other charitable organizations. She is Event Chair for ChannelMom’s annual fundraiser, Accelebrate, held yearly at the scenic Rancho Vaya Con Dios in Castle Rock, CO. As a Colorado native, Barbara is an avid skier and hiking enthusiast. She is married to Greg Ellena and they have one daughter, Catherine. Barbara joined ChannelMom’s Board in 2021.
Dakota Johnson
Dakota Johnson is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and business owner whose passion for ChannelMom is rooted deeply in his personal story. Growing up with a single mother, he witnessed firsthand the courage, strain, and sacrifice that many moms carry alone. Those early experiences shaped his lifelong desire to support families who are struggling and to ensure that mothers—especially those facing adversity—are met with compassion, dignity, and hope. Dakota believes strongly in ChannelMom’s mission to reach incarcerated mothers and restore families from the inside out. Serving on the board allows him to use his lived experience, faith, steady leadership and business skills to champion programs that bring healing where it is needed most. Dakota serves ChannelMom alongside his wife, Alie Johnson, who leads the Forever Moms Prison Program, and together they are committed to helping women and children experience generational change that comes through Christ-centered support. Dakota joined the ChannelMom's Board in 2025.
Tonya Milligan
Tonya is a mother of two adult children and author of the book, No Perfect Parent, Just a Perfect Purpose: Keys To Unlocking Every Child’s Greatness. Tonya also owns her own successful business, Rent-A-Theme Entertainment, and she brings a wealth of business experience and parenting knowledge to the Board. Tonya has two Ivy League educated children; her son is a renowned surgeon and her daughter is an experienced engineer. Tonya joined ChannelMom's Board in 2019.
Mike Schmidt
Mike is a husband and father of two children. He and his wife, Jenny, have been married since 1989 (they met in nursery school). Mike is Superintendent of Platte Canyon School District, where he also serves as High School Principal. Over the years, Mike has also served as a high school math teacher and head varsity football coach. Before he turned his career to education, Mike was a Defensive Coordinator for a Division III college football team. Mike was formerly a director on the Board for CHSAA (Colorado High School Activities Association) and he joined the ChannelMom Board of Directors in 2014.
Diana Wellman
Diana is a dedicated volunteer and brand ambassador. From the time she was a youngster, Diana has had a heart for volunteerism, whether it be helping out with Boys and Girls club or teaching dental health to children. Later in life, when she served as a member of the Jr League of Colorado Springs, Diana chaired committees that provided mentorship and outings to young adult girls recently released from detention and living in transitional housing. Over the years with her longtime employer, she arranged annual holiday stays for women and children staying at Room in the Inn, Chattanooga, TN. Each family came to stay at our hotel the day prior to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Their quarterly Pay it Forward activities included projects such as restoring playgrounds, painting projects, beautification and serving meals at the shelter.
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