About us
Let us walk alongside you in a judgment-free zone where you can adapt to the life you want to live.
who we are
The Alpine Square Team assists people with disabilities and their support systems to navigate those changes in light of the neurodivergent way of thinking.
Our team works with clients transitioning to independence and self-reliance with employment as the lynch pin to self-determination. Employment is not only our source of income but also the connection that binds us to our communities and provides a structure to balance our daily tasks of living and the emotional fulfillment necessary for a strong sense of self-worth.
My Story
I grew up in a Neurodiverse Family and that is my sense of normal. Not surprisingly, I married a man with a neurodivergent mind, and we have our own Neurodiverse Family. I was extremely fortunate to have the example of my mother Margaret’s support for my father and my brother who were the most impacted in our household while I was growing up. She was completely alone in her advocacy for our family, but she just did what was right because she loved us. My mom protected us all fiercely and meekly, using her gut to decide what was right and what was wrong. She was brilliant! After her death in 2008, my son was diagnosed with learning disabilities (2E) and eventually with Asperger’s Syndrome. When he was in high school, I realized that his father too has Asperger’s. There are only two choices you have when faced with this kind of knowledge; you can go all in or you can run. I went all in with the help of a wonderful network of friends and supporters that I had created for myself while raising my kids, and the example of my amazing mother who always showed me the way to love people unconditionally and with her whole being.
Now I’m helping other families bridge the gap to independence and adulthood professionally. When challenged daily with how to help my clients without enabling them, I think to myself “What would Margaret do?”
Professional Training and Development
I earned dual degrees in Economics and Political Science from the University of Minnesota in 1990. After short stints working for congressional offices in Minnesota and Washington DC, I sought an opportunity to work in the burgeoning online technology markets out of Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. I spent the rest of the 1990s working with systems integrators and software companies in a variety of sales and marketing roles.
With the birth of our second child just prior to Y2K, I left the tech world to manage our significant real estate investments and educated myself about the residential design business and real estate management. We divested our North Carolina real estate holdings in 2005 to move to Chicago. There I earned my Illinois real estate and certified property management licenses. I renovated and flipped our family residences and managed the sales and renovation of client properties.
During these years our second child was identified as Twice Exceptional, eventually leading to an Asperger’s Syndrome diagnosis. I sought training through the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy, and became a contracted Parent Advocate for the Illinois State Board of Education. With my neighbors we started the Riverside Area Inclusion Network (RAIN) to support families and work with the school systems to create more inclusive educational and community opportunities for our exceptionally identified children. Public educators and the state systems were just adapting to this new normal and by high school we moved our exceptional child to a Catholic single sex high school with wonderful supports, and MOST importantly, a sense of belonging not experienced anywhere before. A wonderful priest (to whom I will always be grateful) also helped me to see that my husband is on the spectrum. This insight saved our marriage!
Recognizing a family dream to live in the Rockies, we relocated to Colorado in 2018. Here I went to work for state licensed program approved service agencies (PASA) to learn the supportive ropes for the Neurodiverse community. I earned my Association of Community Rehabilitative Educators (ACRE) certification, and have built a network within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF), the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), Employment First Colorado, the Association for People Supporting Employment First (APSE), and the PASA and private provider networks. The greatest need I discovered in this culturally accepting region is with those who do not “look” disabled and often fall through the cracks. I’ve made it my mission to help those individuals attain their highest potential by assisting in the creation of their individualized support teams and access to services.
My Story
Growing up in Michigan, I was always busy—an industrious kid who liked tackling projects on my own. I found comfort in numbers; math and science just made sense to me. While some people thought I was shy, it was really more about feeling awkward in conversations, worried I might come across as a little different. Sports became my safe haven, giving me a sense of belonging and normalcy.
Later, I met my wife Mary in Charlotte, NC. We got married and welcomed two wonderful children, feeling like we had built our perfect family. When we moved to the Chicagoland area, I started noticing that our son shared some of the same traits I had as a child. He gave sports his best shot, but it just wasn’t his thing. When he was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, it was a lightbulb moment for me—I realized I was also on the neurodivergent spectrum. Understanding this helped me make sense of why I sometimes felt different, and reassured me that it’s perfectly okay.
I used to think my son was so different from me, but now I see how much we have in common. This realization has helped me embrace both my strengths and my challenges, and inspired me to support others as well as myself.
Professional Training and Development
I studied at the University of New Hampshire, where I earned my Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and picked up a minor in Business Administration along the way. During college, I spent three summers interning at different engineering firms, which taught me a lot about the field—and about myself. I realized that Technical Sales at a large company would be a better fit for my strengths and interests, and that’s where I learned the art of Consultative Sales.
After that, I found myself drawn to smaller companies, each move giving me the chance to take on more responsibility and learn new skills. My very first business venture was back in high school, mowing lawns for eight customers. Being my own boss was incredibly rewarding, and it inspired me to start two companies in residential development later on.
My career has taken me into Operations and Finance, including partnerships in two mortgage banks. Most recently, I’ve worked in Management Consulting, helping small businesses thrive by teaching and implementing new strategies. Now, I’m putting my experience to work managing finances for Alpine Square, and I’m excited to keep making a positive impact.
My Story
My experience with the neurodiverse world began when my daughter was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at age 9. This diagnosis did not come as a shock but rather as an answer and a path to solutions. I have always believed that she had so much potential and that with the right support, she could reach that potential and live a full, vibrant life. Through this process we have met and had to overcome many obstacles. My daughter, currently employed with a multinational organization related to her degree, has entered the “transition phase” to adulthood and independence. Having a team in place to support and guide her through this process has been instrumental. Alpine Square has been an essential part of this team. The end goal is that she take ownership of her own independence and success. I am happy to be a part of Alpine Square and help other neurodiverse individuals reach their potential and achieve their goals.
Professional Training and Development
I graduated from Boston College in 1990 with a degree in history. I then received my J.D. from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law and practiced law in Chicago for four years. Subsequently, I worked in the non-profit sector while earning my Master’s in Education at DePaul University. I taught in the Chicago area full time and as a substitute. I also have taught as a substitute in the Denver area.
After moving with my family to Denver from Barrington, Illinois in August of 2020, I joined the board of the Autism Society of Colorado. As a board member I have worked on programs to promote Autism awareness and acceptance.
Since moving to Colorado, I have navigated some of the resources and supports that exist for neurodiverse adults including the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. This experience will be invaluable as I strive to help other young adults through the transition to employment and independence. I am certified with the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE).
My Story
I grew up in the Chicago suburbs to a lower-to-middle class family. Though academically gifted and involved in traveling sports teams (baseball and soccer) I never really had my own “group” of friends. I never paid much attention to how frequently friends and acquaintances entered and exited my life until my mid-20s. Then, with the birth of my and my wife’s first child in 2023, I forced myself to focus on my own physical and mental health so I could be as present of a father as possible. That investment in self lead to the ability to put a diagnoses to some of the struggles I have endured throughout my life including ADHD, OCD, and possibly Irlen Syndrome.
My nuclear family never spoke about mental health, never acknowledged its impact on everyday life; yet many substance addiction disorders are found on both sides of my extended family as well as bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, anxiety, depression, and many more. I believe that my upbringing and experiences shaped me to be, to this day, a fierce advocate for adults with disabilities, particularly those with invisible disabilities that accompany mental health diagnoses/disorders.
Professional Training and Development
With the original intention of becoming a mechanical engineer, I attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. A very long and complicated process of self-discovery and career-searching later, I found that working with people was my passion! I graduated from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville with a major in Psychology and a minor in Sociology with a focus in gender studies.
From there, I held various jobs trying to find the right fit: a direct care professional at a group home for adults with disabilities, administrative staff at a mental health clinic, and even a graduate student studying for my master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. When the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown occurred, the opportunity to work at an independent living center in Colorado presented itself and I took it! I served as the agency’s only benefits planner and rapidly fell in love with the line of work. In this position I served as the lead benefits planner for the Securing Employment and Economic Keys to Stability (SEEKS) research grant, a 5-year grant looking to make benefits planning services more accessible to adults with disabilities – among other goals.
My love for the career blossomed so quickly and so intently that I opened my own business, Frosted Peak Benefits Counseling, in 2022, where I continue to implement the SEEKS grant alongside my private caseload of clients through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). Now I have the privilege of partnering with the great staff at Alpine Square LLC. as a benefits planner to help even more Colorado residents access benefits planning services. I am eager to help everyone I meet to the best of my ability and thank my never-ending desire to learn as the main reason why I am so proud of the work I do as a benefits planner.
My Story
I grew up in Colorado and had several neurodivergent friends in various school settings, but it wasn’t until I began teaching in Minneapolis that I was truly impacted by this. In the classroom, I worked with students of various abilities, needs, and learning styles. This experience opened my eyes to how much more I needed to learn about different ways of thinking and communicating.
My immediate family has deeply influenced my experience of neurodiversity. My brother has struggled with ADHD for many years. He has worked with the department of Veterans Affairs to find effective medication and healthy work/life habits. My partner and stepchildren are all diagnosed with various neurodivergent traits. While I haven’t been formally tested, I recognize many ADHD tendencies in myself.
We are now strong advocates for individuals with autism, ADHD, and other disabilities. I am a Scout leader for my stepsons’ pack. We’ve worked to make it a safe and welcoming space for other neurodivergent families. We now are able to better understand, support and befriend coworkers, friends, classmates and those in religious spaces who have different needs and ways of communicating.
Professional Training and Development
After earning my undergraduate degree in Applied Linguistics, I initially hoped to work as a translator overseas. However, I found myself teaching at an inner-city school in Minneapolis, which inspired me to pursue a Master of Education from Hamline University. When the program requirements suddenly increased, I decided to test the waters and teach overseas.
For three years, I taught in Jordan, where I gained a wide range of experience. I served as a lead teacher for both fourth and fifth grades, became a technology specialist, wrote curriculum, served on the school board, and even led the elementary school administration. My original plan was to resume my master’s studies once I returned to Minneapolis.
Upon returning, I began the process to get my educational license, but a series of professional changes led me to earn a certificate in Graphic Design and Print instead. I planned to use these new skills in a classroom setting in Minneapolis. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted me to move back to my home state of Colorado instead. After several trial runs in education during the pandemic, I decided to explore other career paths.
I eventually discovered a passion for training Direct Support Professionals in CPR, First Aid, and safety holds for adults with disabilities. This work introduced me to the complex process of helping vulnerable individuals receive state and federal benefits. When I learned about a Colorado state grant for those interested in becoming certified benefits counselors, I seized the opportunity.
I am now in my second year as a benefits counselor. I continue to learn through professional training and by navigating the ever-changing requirements and information for public benefits. I find it incredibly rewarding to support families as they work to get the assistance they need to live and be successful. I look forward to continuing to learn alongside the families I support and from the new challenges that arise.
My Story
I split my time in my formative years between Colorado and Seattle due to my Dad’s career as an Iron Worker. Our family moved to where the work was. My mom worked seasonally as a tax preparer, and was an amazing stay-at-home-mom, saving the family money by couponing and making homemade dinners. She handled all things behind the scenes that we couldn’t possibly understand until we became married and had children of our own. My sister and I had friends who called our family the Leave it to Beaver family. We were strong, we leaned on one another, and everyone knew they could count on us when they had tough situations in their lives.
No matter where I was, I had many friends who embraced “different” or “weird” around me, which I now understand is because I was taught to be a natural advocate and a compassionate person by my parents. This reached far into my childhood because I often visited my Aunt, who was impacted by Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, at her group home of which she was so proud to be a part. Imagine my surprise that she even had a job! My Cousin had suffered a Brain Tumor at age three and had a large portion of her brain removed with the tumor leaving her body and mind to rapidly decline until she was unable to move or speak or eat for herself. She was able to go to school! I learned so much about disabilities. You are only limited by your supports and what you want to accomplish in this lifetime.
Being a stay-at-home-mom was a blessing as we found a fixer-upper right up the street from my parents. When my youngest daughter was about 10-months-old, we started noticing a shift in her behavior and demeanor. She was easily angered, wasn’t using her words, and hit and bit aggressively. She would only eat like a cat – out of a bowl on the ground – and insisted on drinking from tupperware containers. Things had to be done in the same succession in our routine each day or there was a tantrum, and when playing she started repeating patterns over and over. At 18 months, she leaned over my shoulder when I was seated at my computer reading an email. She described in great detail why the grammar was written incorrectly. She then proceeded to grab a book, climb up into my lap, and read the entire thing to me. I was stunned! We had a smart little cookie on our hands.
My older daughter started insisting we do math equations with her every night before bed. She wanted to do harder and harder equations – mastered adding, borrowing while subtracting, and knew simple multiplication by the time she was four-years-old. By her senior year in high school, she was teaching herself Calculus II on video at 2X speed. Neurodivergent? I definitely believe so!
Through Parent/Teacher Conferences, my husband and I were told that we needed to set up an assessment for High Functioning Autism for our younger daughter. I pushed for an Advanced Learning Plan as well because by the time she went to Kindergarten she was reading encyclopedias about different kinds of military transportation.
From there, it was quite a journey to where our family is today! My youngest daughter was assessed to have Asperger’s Syndrome at age 5. Under the umbrella of Asperger’s Syndrome she was impacted negatively by dysgraphia, OCD, extreme anxiety and depression, sensory issues, and executive functioning disorder. Positively and with early interventions, she maintains information read or watched with great specificity. She has always been very verbose, reading and speaking at levels far above what she should have been able. She is passionate about issues that she chooses and she can debate them with anyone she chooses. Because of her diagnosis, we were able to have my husband both clinically and biologically assessed and he was also found to have Asperger’s! Now my marriage and family make much more sense!
Professional Training and Development
I attended California Lutheran University and earned my Bachelors of Science in Biology in the Spring of 2000. Instead of going through with my original plan of going to medical school, I chose to continue at CLU with Masters in Education courses. In the Winter of 2003, I earned my Multiple Subject Elementary Teaching Certificate and my husband had just earned his Masters in Physical Therapy. We packed up our life in California with the help of my parents, moving to Colorado to start our new life with our 5 month baby girl in tow!
After having our second baby girl and spending a year home with both children, I stuck my toe in the substitute teaching pool at the local Title I Elementary School. The children there were poor – 90% or more free and reduced lunch – and resources for teachers were very thin. Within 2 years I was hired for a full time teaching position and began challenging myself to make every learning experience hands-on and fun!
I had a gap in my teaching career due to a spinal cord injury – I was paralyzed from the eyelids down and had a tracheostomy. After regaining enough strength, which took me 6 years, I decided to go back to work as an elementary teacher but from a wheelchair. I found myself feeling so led to advocate for children who are “labeled” one thing or another by the school system. I found myself fighting to have students in my class who were on Individual Education Plans (IEPs), Advanced Learning Plans (ALPs), and Reading to Ensure Academic Development Plans (READ Plans) to get exactly what they needed to thrive in their learning environment. Of course, I also wanted in my class any students impacted by any physical or intellectual disabilities as well. All of the children who received an education through me had the same basic accommodations so nobody felt targeted. Other accommodations weren’t looked at as grounds for teasing… After all, the teacher had a wheelchair. I began having quite the wait list of students for my classes each year, and my classes were such a fun community of acceptance and learning!
The COVID shot unfortunately led me to a further diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis on top of my other autoimmune disorders and spinal cord injury. I retired from teaching much earlier than I had hoped, but after meeting with a fantastic team of doctors and receiving a plan of action for the RA, I knew I couldn’t just sit and do nothing. I was offered the opportunity to truly help others by completing coursework to become a Benefits Counselor! Learning is like an addiction to me and I have coursework that I amass to help me connect with my clients and their situations. After working for two different companies, I spread my wings and chose to start my own business.
I’ve always believed in the spirit of collaboration with others. I wanted to be a part of a great, courageous group of individuals who want the best for our fellow human beings! That is why I chose to join Alpine Square and the wonderful people here who work each day to champion for others in ways that aren’t always recognized but are so helpful. I look forward to meeting you, chatting with you like old friends, and working on your behalf to find benefits that you may not know you could tap into.
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