About Us

Daphne Burlingame is passionate about working with those recovering from substance abuse addiction. As a Magistrate in the 4th Judicial District for 8 years, she led the Recovery Court team, guiding probationers through this 2-year Problem Solving Court program from jail to graduation. She saw first hand the difficulties participants have adjusting from a life on the streets or in jail to a stable life in the community. This experience led Daphne to be active in the community volunteering legal services and doing what she can to try to give those in need a hand up. Daphne has been an attorney practicing in Colorado Springs for 24 years, as a Deputy District Attorney, a private practitioner doing juvenile defense work, and a District Court Magistrate Judge.

Nic Paczolt is a person in long-term recovery whose journey began on August 20, 2020. Initially, he was heavily encouraged by law enforcement to do things differently, but he quickly embraced recovery as his own path. Since then, Nic has dedicated his life to showing that people in recovery can thrive and lead.

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As the Founder and Director of Front Range Peer Coach Academy, Nic provides high-quality training for future recovery coaches, blending professionalism with an engaging, down-to-earth style. He also serves as the HR Director for Freedom Recovery, helping to build systems that support both staff and clients.

Nic is passionate about changing the narrative around substance use disorder. As an expert witness, he brings lived experience into legal cases involving trafficking and distribution, challenging stigma and providing insight that goes beyond traditional law enforcement perspectives.

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A summa cum laude graduate of UCCS with a double major in Industrial Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management, Nic is committed to leadership, advocacy, and empowering the next generation of peer support professionals.

Deana is in her 16th year serving as a Colorado State Public Defender. She is grateful to be able to supervise brand new Public Defenders while handling complex and capital cases. Her favorite part of her work is getting to know her clients and fighting to get them through the darkest times in their lives. She has always had a special interest in veterans and active-duty military clients because her father served in Vietnam and passed away from cancer caused by Agent Orange exposure. In honor of her father. she helped to create Colorado’s first Veteran Trauma Court along with Sheilagh McAteer in 2008. She takes great pride in knowing that the Veteran Trauma Problem Solving Court serves the military members of this community giving them a way out their criminal justice involvement and allowing them to create healthy and stable futures. Without this court, many would spend years behind bars or worse because they could not beat the demons that came with combat trauma. Deana is the SCCOR Board Treasurer. She is looking forward to being able to help bring support services to problem-solving court members.

Latisha Quintana was born in Colorado Springs and has lived her entire life there. She earned a Master of Social Work Degree from Colorado State University and a Bachelor in Sociology Degree from Colorado State University-Pueblo. 

Latisha has dedicated the past two decades of her career serving victims of interpersonal violence, youth in the juvenile system, and individuals with complex behavioral health needs. She previously served as the 4th Judicial Unified Problem Solving Court Coordinator where she led efforts to ensure the use of evidence based practices for people struggling with behavioral health and involved in the justice system. She currently serves as the Service and Resource Equity Director for Bridges of Colorado. 

Beyond her professional sphere, Latisha volunteers with Educating Children of Color, Mission Possible, Ballet Folklorico de Barajas and actively mentors others. She has two children, a husband and a chihuahua named Stitch. 

Caitlin is passionate about uncovering community perspectives and enjoys empowering social-purpose organizations to challenge the status quo in search of the exceptional. She brings to SCCOR a knowledge base in nonprofit strategic planning and evaluation. 

In her free time, Caitlin tirelessly hunts for the perfect cup of coffee to compliment her most recent read. She also explores the outdoors with her pup, learns about culture and history through wine, and acts as a mental health advocate.

Sheilagh spent over 30 years as a Deputy State Public Defender, tirelessly representing indigent people charged with criminal offenses. During her time as a criminal defense attorney, Sheilagh came to appreciate the philosophy of Problem Solving Courts and their impact on our communities. In 2008, she was responsible for creating the first Veteran Trauma Court in Colorado, which today is recognized as one of the best in the country. Sheilagh retired from the public defender’s office in 2019 and immediately became involved in creating SCCOR, where she is currently the executive director.

Sheilagh also sits on the Colorado State Advisory Board for Problem Solving Courts and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs in the School of Public Affairs-Criminal Justice program. In her free time, Sheilagh likes to travel the world and explore Colorado parks with her 2 dogs, cook, garden, and practice daily mindfulness and yoga.

Rick Bednarski has been a criminal defense and civil litigation lawyer for over 20 years.  He started as a Public Defender in the Colorado Springs office in 1999.  He entered private practice with Richard Tegtmeier in 2002 and joined Sherman & Howard L.L.C. in 2011.  Rick has tried more than 75 jury trials throughout Colorado during his career.  He is a fellow of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers (ABCL), a member of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Ben S. Wendelken Inn of Court.  Rick has handled a number of cases in the Problem Solving Courts and knows how hard addiction and recovery are for individuals.

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In his spare time, Rick enjoys golfing and skiing with his son (11 years old), traveling the world with his family, new dining experiences, and spending quiet nights at home with Tipsy, our family dog.

Cherish brings over 20 years of experience on a national, state, and local level developing and implementing fundraising campaigns, programs, and events for a wide array of causes, think tanks, organizations, private companies, and political candidates. Cherish spent 18 years as an Army Special Forces spouse and served on both the Care Team and Family Readiness Group (FRG). She serves as a Board Member for SCCOR, member of the Junior League, as well as an active member for many community groups. In her free time Cherish and her children serve as a foster home for kittens and large dogs.

Greg Ruben is Vice President of Business Development for Kinder Morgan’s Western Pipeline Group, where he oversees growth initiatives across multiple interstate natural gas and storage systems. With more than three decades of experience in the energy industry, Greg has held leadership roles in marketing, gas supply, and business development with companies including El Paso Natural Gas, Colorado Interstate Gas, and Consolidated Natural Gas. A Louisiana native, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Louisiana State University.