Advisory Committee
Meet the Advisory Committee Candidates
Vote for the next advisory committee member.
Read about the candidates and cast your vote electronically. Click here to vote.
You may only vote once and must provide your first and last name, and either your DERP ID or a work email for active members or a personal email for retired members.
Voting closes Friday, May 8, 2026, at 5 p.m.
Jon Braverman – Retired Member
Greetings. I am a retired physician from Denver Health and currently am serving my second term on the Denver 457b Deferred Compensation Committee. Retirement preparation and planning are pivotal steps we all need to take to ensure a secure and fruitful life after concluding our working years. The experience and knowledge I have gained serving on another one of Denver’s retirement plans are very translatable to DERP which would help me be an effective representative of and for DERP members.
Darnell Brooks – Retired Member
Hello,
I am pleased to announce my intent to run as a candidate for the DERP advisory Committee. I am a proud native of Denver and a dedicated employee for over 26 years. I believe in the city and the hard-working employees. It would be an honor to serve as an advisory committee member. My purpose is to give back to the city I love and what better way than being a part of DERP advisory committee helping city employees understand the value of early and thoughtful retirement planning. My strengths include teamwork, strong work ethic and collaboration. I am in retirement but I have not slowed down, I am seeking my BS in finance so that I can offer financial coaching to the low-income citizens of Denver I would also use my skills to suggest the best financial decisions to DERP and the active and retired city employee.
Richard Carreras – Retired Member
I want to be the voice for all current and retired employees. Some people are shy and afraid to speak up. I want to help make things better for all. So I ask for the chance to do so.
Maro Casparian – Retired Member
I’d appreciate your support and vote to continue serving on the DERP Advisory Committee. After more than 14 years with the Denver DA’s Office, I’m now retired and personally benefiting from the system we’ve all contributed to.
This fund is a critical part of your/our future. I want every employee to understand the value of DERP and feel confident in what it provides. My commitment is to continue representing your questions, concerns, and priorities and ensure that employees remain at the center of every decision. I will continue to advocate for a strong, transparent, and sustainable retirement fund that will support all of us.
Yasmine Chapman – Retired Member
I would like to run to determine if there are more efficient ways to manage the retirement funds in this time of economic constraints. Are there ways to restructure benefits which don’t add to the liability, but can enhance retirement for employees.
Jimmy Ferrer – Active/Vested Member
I would like to make a positive influence representing current city employees.
Toby Leroux – Retired Member
The changes to beneficiary clauses has ruined many past employees, with no alternatives to change. I will advocate, and strongly request and encourage a change. I want to make sure the change is in accordance to the best interest of the employee not the beneficiary.
Avis Simmons – Retired Member
I want to be on the advisory committee because I love helping people and I would like to spend some of my free time feeling a since of value by helping someone else achieve what it is they need
I also love to stay busy.
Jessica Skibo – Active/Vested Member
I am interested in serving on the DERP Advisory Committee to help ensure the pension system remains a strong financial foundation for past, present and future Denver employees. Over my 19 years with the City & County of Denver, I have gained broad experience across multiple departments and roles. I began my career in the Procurement Division within General Services, moved into the Budget & Management Office in the Department of Finance, served as Finance & Administration Section Chief during two Office of Emergency Management Mayoral activations, and currently work as a Capital Funding Manager in Capital Managing and Financing Division in the Department of Finance.
Throughout my career, I have helped establish procurement processes and contracts that continue to be used today. In BMO, I helped navigate the fiscal and operational challenges of COVID, the great resignation, and several collective bargaining negotiations with Police, Fire and Sheriff unions. Currently, I am managing the planning, issuance and post issuance compliance for the Airport and Wastewater Enterprise credits within the City’s Debt Portfolio.
I value the pension in a way I did not earlier in my career and hope to help employees better understand and appreciate this important benefit. I want to bring this comprehensive understanding of city operations, along with my financial expertise, to the DERP Advisory Committee.
Orlando Vega – Retired Member
This is my formal request to serve on the DERP Advisory Committee and would be honored to do so if accepted. I have served as an employee of the City and County of Denver for nearly 27 years – the first two years with the Assessor’s Office, and the remaining nearly 25 years with the Denver County Court’s Parking Magistrate’s Office. I was proud to do so.
As a nearly life-long Denver native, a proud graduate of Denver North High School, and the University of Denver, I care deeply about the City of Denver in general, and in particular, employees and retirees of the City and County of Denver. I believe I would add a unique perspective to the DERP Advisory Committee as a recent retiree. As such, we face local and national challenges that must be examined carefully and respond accordingly, so we can best serve our constituents.
Thank you for your kind consideration.
Heather Britton
Term expires June 30, 2026
Heather Britton was appointed to the DERP Advisory Committee by the Career Service Board in 2011. Her career in the field of human resources has been focused on employee benefits, and she has worked for the City and County of Denver since 2001, where she is currently the director of benefits and wellness. Heather is a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS), an honor she earned through the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.
“Although my primary responsibility is to ensure our active and retired employees have access to world class medical insurance, I want to help all employees understand and use other resources and benefits available to them as city employees,” she said. “Although the administration of DERP benefits and contributions fall outside the Office of Human Resources, being on the advisory committee prepares me to stay abreast of important plan changes, allows me to caution the retirement board against adverse employee impact, and aids me in having intelligent conversations with our employees about their pensions.”
A dyed-in-the-wool Colorado sports fan with an affinity towards the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies, and University of Colorado Buffaloes, Heather also enjoys working on crossword puzzles and vacationing.
Maro Casparian
Term expires June 30, 2026
Maro Casparian was reelected to the DERP Advisory Committee in May, 2023. Before her retirement, she spent over a decade as the Director of Community Engagement at the Denver District Attorney’s Office. In that role, Maro led outreach efforts to educate the public on the office’s roles and responsibilities, with a particular focus on fraud and scam prevention and awareness, and advocacy for elder and at-risk adult protection.
As a member of the DERP Advisory Committee, Maro is committed to helping city employees understand the value of early and thoughtful retirement planning. She is guided by values of honesty, accountability, teamwork, and a healthy sense of humor.
When she’s not serving on the committee, Maro enjoys hosting friends, training for long-distance hikes, and making the most of her own retirement.
Chris Miller
Term expires June 30, 2027.
Chris Miller joined the DERP Advisory Committee in July, 2025. For nearly 20 years, he has worked in finance and budgeting roles, including in the Department of Finance and the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. He currently serves as Director of Finance for Denver Arts & Venues. He’s also actively involved in his local community as the elected Treasurer for the City of Wheat Ridge.
Chris is driven by a strong work ethic, integrity, and a commitment to continuous improvement. “I believe in creating efficiencies that make financial operations more transparent, accurate, and productive,” he says. “I also value collaboration and accountability, especially in public service.” Chris serves on the advisory committee because he believes it gives him the opportunity to represent city employees’ perspectives while helping to ensure DERP is managed responsibly. He adds, “I have a deep passion for public service and the mission of municipal government. I take pride in knowing that my work supports the public good and contributes to making our city a better place for all residents.”
Outside of his financial roles, you’ll find Chris walking along the Clear Creek Greenbelt in Wheat Ridge. He also loves traveling and is especially drawn to exploring the vibrant communities and rich culture of Mexico, where he hopes to retire one day.
Roberta Monaco
Term expires June 30, 2028
Roberta Monaco was elected to the DERP Advisory Committee in 2022. For 22 years, she worked in the Office of Human Resources for the City and County of Denver, where she was a member of the classification and compensation team, first as a compensation analyst and later as the team’s manager. Responsibilities included establishing pay, pay practices, and fringe benefits. Roberta also managed the recruiting team and oversaw a full-service HR team. Over the years, she worked on many large-scale compensation projects, impacting pay and benefits for all city employees, that required approval by the Career Service Board as well as Denver’s City Council.
“I believe my experience working closely with employees and management to develop and deliver compensation and classification tools provides me with a unique perspective as a member of the DERP Advisory Committee,” Roberta says. “I have a broad understanding of employee needs and issues, which I believe is key to creating successful changes and outcomes.” She also brings expertise in collective bargaining and has served as a subject matter expert on pay, pay practices, and benefits survey data.
A Colorado native, Roberta enjoys skiing, reading, and attending live music events. She is grateful that life has afforded her the opportunity to travel and experience cultures and cuisines from many corners of the globe.
To contact a member of the advisory committee, email DERP.Advisory@DERP.org