We Want You!

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

PAST STAFF & INTERNS

Operations Manager Intern: Jade Keomanivong

Jade is the newest member of the Colorado Dragon Boat team as the Operations Manager Intern. She is a rising senior at the University of Denver, studying Business Management with an emphasis on Organizational Behavior. At DU she held the position of Asian Student Alliance President, where she successfully planned and managed APIDA-focused events with over 200 attendees including a Lunar New Year Celebration, an Asian food showcase, and an Asian talent showcase.

Jade is captain for Colorado Dragon Boat Alliance’s team after paddling for CU Denver for 2 years. With aspirations to become a professional paddler one day, she is incredibly excited to have a summer full of dragon boat, both on the water and in the office!

Operations Committee/Key Volunteers

Public Safety

Public Safety is one of the most important aspects of the festival. Our chairs work with our contracted public safety officers (DPD, Security, EMTs, Park Rangers, Etc) to ensure the safety of the festival goers. ​

Public Safety Coordinator: Tyler Walker

Public Safety Co-Chair: Samuel Cobb

Public Safety Co-Chair: Ben Lin

Non Profit Partner Vending

Non Profit Partner Vending (NPPV) is another important aspect of the festival where we work with local non profit organizations to give them the opportunity to sell festival products to earn commission towards their mission and vision. ​

Non Profit Partner Vending Co-Chair: Stephanie Prokop

Steph (she/her) is thrilled to celebrate the Colorado Dragon Boat fest this year and support the experience of our non-profit partners. Raised in Denver, Steph has enjoyed being involved with teams who have a passion for enabling social awareness, operations efficiencies, and fun experiences. At her full-time job, Steph works as a Senior Manager of People Experience at Uplight in Boulder, a software development company whose mission is to impact the environmental ecosystem, create a sustainable future, and use business as a force for good. Steph learned about CDB as a leader and supporter of the company's employee resource groups, specifically the UNA-POC affinity group whose mission is to foster inclusivity, belonging and advocacy for their black, indigenous, people of color and allies in the company. You can count on Steph to be your biggest supporter, help lead efforts, and give you a boost of positive energy!

Non Profit Partner Vending Co-Chair: Kirk Matsuzaki

Parking and Transportation

Parking and Transportation Chairs are in charge of working on the transportation side of the festival to ensure attendees are able to come to and from the festival safely.

Parking and Transportation Co-Chair: Bryan Yee

Bryan Yee, an engineering geoscience professional, holds a B.S. in Land Use with concentrations in the earth sciences. In the community, he volunteers with the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), Society of Asian Scientists & Engineers (SASE), and as a professional resource for high school and college students in Colorado. He also served as a youth mentor and program coordinator for the Asian Pacific Development Center. New to the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival leadership team, he looks forward to working with an amazing group of leaders and the challenge the festival provides. As a Colorado native, Bryan loves the outdoors. Besides volunteering, his hobbies include camping, tennis, archery, chess, reading, and exploring new places.

Parking and Transportation Co-Chair: Teresa Carnes

As a Colorado native, Teresa is an avid event-goer that is able to give unique insight gained from years of personal experience as both an attendee and a volunteer/staff. From being a loyal attendee at various events such as Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, Denver Cherry Blossom Festival, Colorado Renaissance Festival, Colorado Anime Fest, and such to volunteering and staffing at events in recent years; she loves to support the local events and communities here in Colorado. She is also a foodie that enjoys trying various Asian cuisines from local restaurants and shops across Colorado, wanting to promote small businesses and cultural diversity. While she is still new to being on the Operations Committee of the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, she is very eager to take on the challenges this festival provides and feels lucky getting to be part of an incredible organization.

Volunteer HQ

Volunteer HQ volunteers are in charge of working with our day-of volunteers. Stationed at our Volunteer Head Quarters, these volunteers are in charge of empowering our day-of volunteers to ensure festival success.

Volunteer HQ Chair: Kristin Libberton

Volunteer Back-end Support: Luna Ly

After having raced for several years on That One Team, OCA Dragonflies, and starting the CU Boulder Dragon Boat Team, Luna is thrilled to be behind the scenes as the Volunteer Chair with CDBF this year. During the day and outside of Dragon Boat, Luna is the Social Media Manager for UltraViolet and is passionate about revolutionizing the way we engage online, reclaiming digital autonomy, and considering the impact of digital communications. Luna has a Masters of Public Health in Public Health Policy and Management from George Washington University, is an Alexander Hamilton Scholar, and avid reader. She enjoys being weird on social media, writing long sentences, and learning how to jam on the bass guitar.

Interactive & Live Art Demos

This is a new section of the festival! We are happy to provide our attendees with the amazing live art demos from local AAPI artists in the community. We will also be providing fun interactive art projects throughout the festival. A huge thank you to our amazing Art Chairs, Courtney and Preston, for creating this fun space!

Art Co-Chair: Courtney Ozaki

Courtney Ozaki (she/her/hers) is a third and fourth generation Japanese American creative producer born and raised in Colorado. She is the founder of the Japanese Arts Network (JA-NE) - a national resource for artistic collaboration and connection that supports advances, and strengthens visibility for Japanese Artists in America. Courtney is deeply committed to cultivating cross-cultural exchange through the lens of artistic collaboration and with cultural intention. Also a professional taiko musician with over 25 years of experience, she has performed across the globe from Dubai, UAE to the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival. Courtney holds an MFA in Performing Arts Management from Brooklyn College in NYC, and produced and developed new dance works with the Joyce Theatre including Wendy Whelan's Restless Creature. She is currently producing IKKAI Means Once, a multi-disciplinary dance theater production about the Japanese American incarceration experience and pilgrimage and ZOTTO an immersive supernatural Japanese folktale. Courtney strives to lift-up our APINH and other Global Majority communities through projects and programs like the recent exhibit she curated for History Colorado "Colorado's Asian Food Culture: Rice & Resilience" and her upcoming AMPLIFY AAPI 'Mixed' series and program at the Arvada Center for Arts and Humanities.

Art Co-Chair: Preston Pettigrew

Preston Pettigrew grew up on the Southside of Oklahoma City. He attained his Bachelors of Fine Arts, with an emphasis in sculpture, from the University of Central Oklahoma. His work investigates personal connections with the surrounding environment through a variety of media. He has organized  a variety of arts exhibitions, including gallery openings, arts festivals, and youth art competitions. 

Stages

Stage managers are in charge of working with our amazing performers at each of our stages (Performing Arts Stage, Band Stage, 360 Stage).

Stage Manager: Andrew Ho

Andrew is a criminal defense attorney at Recht Kornfeld P.C. Upon leaving the Public Defender's Office, Andrew wanted to find ways to contribute to the diverse communities in the metro Denver area. Colorado Dragon Boat is important to Andrew because they provide a forum and voice for smaller communities, as well as opportunities to individuals who may have been overlooked in the past.

Stage Manager: Jake Vestal

Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Jacob "Jake" Vestal moved to Colorado in 2015. He earned his Masters Degree in Architecture from Kansas State University and became a Colorado Licensed Architect in 2018. Jake first volunteered with the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival in 2019 as a band stage coordinator. He appreciates learning about all types of new cultures through food, film, and travel. When Jake isn't designing buildings he enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and snowboarding.

Stage Manager: Ryan Loewinsohn

Ryan is Filipino and German. As a kid Ryan has always existed in a state of his imagination, and creativity, that knows no bounds. Ryan has an affinity for the fine arts, graphic arts, film making, creative writing, arts & crafts, cooking, baking, 3-d cakes. As a Visual Designer Ryan has the honor of working with Google’s YouTube Music project, where he utilizes most of the latest graphic tools and programs to create anything and everything in a market that competes with the other music streaming platforms. Ryan has a love for anime such as Naruto, Demon Slayer, Fire Force and more. Because of his love for anime he has fallen in love with Japanese culture and is currently learning the language. He is very active and partakes in sports such hocky, football, track and racing canoes, outriggers, and has even been on a Dragon Boat! He is excited to be a part of the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival Operations Team.

Stage Manager: Yun Wang

Mr. Yun Wang is an attorney licensed to practice in the State of Colorado. Starting out as a prosecutor in Rural Colorado, he is now a Partner at Britt, Tshering and Wang, a full-service litigation firm providing legal services in general criminal defense, domestic relations, and real estate matters, with a particular focus on serving the Asian immigrant community. Originally from Shanghai, China, Mr. Wang grew up in Los Angeles, California before settling down in Colorado. An active member of Denver's Chinese-American community, Mr. Wang is eager to participate in community events; his hobbies include playing the piano, racing cars, and photography.

Stage Manager: Emerson Sonny Masicampo

Finance and Accounting Specialist with a degree in Accounting from Columbia College and Master in Business Administration from Regis University. Retired from both the US Navy and the Federal Government. Chairman of The Music Council for the Denver Art Society. Frontman, founder, song writer and guitar player for Pilot Haus (an original alternative rock band from Aurora, Colorado).

Dragon Boat Race Management

Festival Contractors

Productions Coordinator: Pamelah Maragh - Owner, Siteline Events

Pamelah has a BFA from the California Institute of the Arts, and is a multifaceted artist: she's a teacher, dancer, drummer, festival event planner, stage manager who manages CDBF's production logistic from stages and sound to duct tape and cord ties. She's also performed with her African drum troupe at the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival.