Richard “Rick” Bednarski

Board President
Criminal Defense Attorney

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.

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 St. Denis

Treasurer
ASJ Consulting Group, Senior Director

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.

Angela Rose, M.S.

Board Member
University of Colorado-Denver

Executive Director, CASA

Angela’s CASA career began as a Volunteer Training Coordinator; she added the responsibilities of a Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator and then became a Dependency and Neglect Case Supervisor. In 2013, she became the Director of Programs where she was responsible for oversight of all five core programs as well as all Volunteer responsibilities to include recruitment and training. In 2018, she became the Executive Director, now overseeing all aspects of the organization. She has established relationships with Judges, DHS, attorneys, and many other community partners. She is known in this role for her values and integrity, being calm in the midst of chaos, motivating employees, making thoughtful decisions, and being optimistic. Angela currently serves on the El Paso and Teller Counties Best Practices Court Committees, The Place Board of Directors, and the Joint Initiatives Interagency Oversight Group. Angela began her corporate career after college at Ford Motor Credit Company, remaining there for 21 years. She was a respected high-level executive, leading departments of over 75 employees. In her current role, she has loved being able to combine her leadership skills with her passion for CASA’s mission.  

Sheilagh McAteer, JD

Executive Director
University of Denver College of Law

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.