MBA Alumni Advisory Council (MBAAC)

Advise faculty and administrators on industry best practices, program strengths, and areas for improvement.

Act as ambassadors by sharing testimonials, advocating, and increasing visibility among internal and external stakeholders.

Assist in recognizing emerging trends to shape and enhance new concentrations within the MBA curriculum.

Strengthen the alumni community and foster meaningful connections among members.

Help identify and grow resources that support the college’s mission and alumni development.

As the Director of Revenue Cycle Management at WellPower, Sarah Otto effectively channels her MBA expertise to advance the mission of Colorado’s largest community mental health center. In her pivotal role, Sarah ensures compliance with government and payer guidelines, accurately capturing charges and payments for a non-profit dedicated to serving over 20,000 individuals annually. With a keen focus on driving change, she harnesses technology to optimize and streamline manual workflows. Sarah’s commitment to healthcare began after high school when she joined the Army as a medical laboratory technician. Her passion for the field, especially behavioral health, has been a guiding force in her career. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Metropolitan State College of Denver, graduating in 2009, and completed her MBA in General Business from the University of Northern Colorado in 2022. Additionally, Sarah is certified by AAPC as a practice manager, biller, coder, and auditor. While at the University of Northern Colorado, Sarah engaged in the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Collegiate Program, first as a team member in 2021 and later as a team leader in 2022. Serving as the Spring 2022 commencement speaker, she inspired her peers by leaving them with two powerful questions: “Who do you choose to be, and what difference do you wish to make?” Sarah embodies the drive to make a meaningful impact in her community and encourages others to do the same.

Alex is a proud first generation, UNC MBA graduate with an emphasis in Human Resources. She graduated from the University of Louisville with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing in 2017. She has served in the Marketing industry for the past decade. She currently serves as Consulting Support Specialist for Forvis Mazars. A top 10 Consulting and Accounting firm. Before working in consulting she was a marketer for Colorado State University. Alex is known for her enthusiasm for learning and mentoring. After receiving her MBA, she decided to put those skills into practice by becoming an Instructional Coordinator at CSU. Alex is pursuing her PMP certification and looks forward to advancing her career. Alex also served on the Fort Collins International Center Board and CSU Young Professionals Board. She recently relocated back to her home state, Kentucky. She enjoys connecting with people from different cultures and careers. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, hiking, reading, and paddle boarding.

MBA Director & Professor

I am a Nurse Manager of the Federico F. Pena Southwest Family Health Center of Denver Health. With over 14 years of experience in health care serving critically ill patients and 3 years in managerial roles. I serve as a chair on the shared governance managerial council for ambulatory care services known as CSAC, and works with several quality improvement groups within the organization. In my free time I enjoy writing, billiards, and being an announcer for my daughters high school basketball team. I am passionate about servant leadership, community involvement and creative leadership methods to help struggling teams recover and reach their potential.

With over two decades in the Human Resources profession , Jill Scott is an experienced and strategic executive who is passionate about developing and retaining top talent, enhancing employee engagement, and fostering a high-performance culture. As the Human Resources Director for Weld County Government, Jill oversee a team of HR professionals who deliver innovative and effective programs and services that support the organization’s goals and objectives of serving the citizens of Weld County.

Mrs. Scott’s core competencies include talent acquisition and management, organizational design and development, compensation and benefits, performance management, and employee relations. Jill holds a MBA with an emphasis in Human Resources from the University of Northern Colorado and is also certified as a PHR and a SHRM-CP. In addition, Jill is skilled in HRIS integration, employee benefits, and HR analytics. She thrives on creating a positive employee experience, promoting diversity and inclusion, and driving business growth through human capital strategies.

At the age of ten, Esthela Núñez Schnee immigrated from Mexico with her parents. With a passion for helping others; Esthela developed her career as a working professional, and embraces her artistic talent through writing, painting, and photography.

Esthela’s professional role as a fluent bilingual/bicultural Human Resources Manager with over 20 years in the industries of consumer goods and food manufacturing are highlighted by her skills in recruiting, developing, and retention of employees. Her expertise in corporate adherence to labor laws, safely regulations, and creating an inclusive work environment are instrumental in talent acquisition and management, compensation and employee benefits, training and development, compliance, and workplace safety, which are critical for the success of the organizational structure and the ability to meet business needs effectively by managing the employee life cycle. From wide scope employment guardianship to cultural concerns, Esthela has played a crucial role in creating a cohesive environment for employees and management alike.

Esthela’s professional career is punctuated by her enthusiasm for teaching as a Business College Instructor, which includes courses in business administration and management, including accounting, finance, human resources, labor and industrial relations, marketing, and operations research. In addition to instruction, Esthela supervises students’ lectures, demonstrations, discussion groups, laboratory workshop sessions, seminars, case studies, field assignments and independent or group projects, while developing curriculum and preparing teaching materials and course outlines.

On the creative side, Esthela uses her pen name (Esthela Núñez Franco) as the author of several children’s books: BreezyGirl, Breezy & Esthela with Friends: Coloring & Activity Book, A Day with Mom, Grandpa is Happy, and the upcoming My Uncle is Sick. As evidenced by her love of horses, Esthela is an avid equestrian, and her social media often depicts her with horses. Her creativity through children’s books side-stepped in 2021, when she debuted as a contributing author in A Path to Purpose: Seven Inspired Stories to Find Your True North. Most recently, Esthela has published Seven Stories for My Father: Letters of Love and Legacy, a heartfelt journey in both English and Spanish; memories of her father and the profound impact he had on her life.

Esthela believes everyone has a story – some are just courageous enough to share it. She has taken a leap of faith and is currently writing a nonfiction account of living with a medical diagnosis and the challenges that come with establishing a healthy lifestyle. Wisdom, Love, and True Grit, has become the biggest challenge of her life, where academic intelligence does not apply; it only requires the presence of heart and soul.

Between the structure of business and the self-expression of creativity, Esthela has found that teaching business courses at Northeastern Junior College helps her to combine verbal and visual explanations, “big picture” versus detail-oriented approaches, and allows students the opportunity for active learning and reflection. She has discovered that she loves asking difficult questions to engage students, and teaches to continue her own learning.