ETCH A FUTURE LEADERSHIP

Board of Directors

Officers

Jeff Kesselman
President, Treasurer and Secretary

After Mark’s passing, I decided to put two unrelated skills to work to honor Mark’s legacy – my day job as a corporate lawyer and my position as commissioner of our neighborhood fantasy football league. While these skills seemed unrelated, they came together to allow me to easily gather a group of friends and neighbors to provide seed donations and to do the legal work to get the foundation off the ground. It only seemed fitting given Mark’s consistent domination of the league and his hawkish oversight and enforcement of league rules and regulations. I am happy to be able to keep Mark’s memory alive through Etch A Future. Mark and I enjoyed frequent verbal sparring sessions on the circus of politics and the dismal state of the Colorado Rockies. Despite any political issues we might have been debating, we were always able to come together for a nice tall glass of Guinness and a song from Led Zeppelin, Rush or Deep Purple. I look forward to continuing to work with Etch A Future to support at-risk youth in fulfilling their musical dreams. I think Mark would be very proud.

Wade Perry
Vice President

I grew up in Laguna Beach, a small artist colony in the 1970s. Our high school, with the mascot “Artists,” placed a strong emphasis on the arts, offering diverse paths for students to explore their interests and develop their self-esteem. Music has always been a big part of my life, enhancing my experiences and elevating my mood.

As a coach for 20 seasons, I emphasized the principles of teamwork, pride, discipline, character, and integrity to the parents of my players. These values can shape one’s lifetime, and I wanted to instill them in the youth.

I wanted to be a part of the group establishing the Etch-A-Future foundation in honor of my friend. This foundation offers young adults in the community the opportunity to pursue their passion in music and foster their self-esteem. With the support of our community, Etch-A-Future will have a lasting impact on the lives of many.

Shannon Kesselman
Vice President and Director of Community Relations

I’ve been in education for almost 25 years and spent the past 13 years in Littleton Public Schools. I’ve served in many roles including classroom teacher, Literacy Specialist and Instructional coach. I see first hand the impact that caring adults can have on kids. I’m very passionate about inspiring our future leaders to be life- long learners and active citizens. I’m the proud parent to 3 awesome kids who all attended Littleton Public Schools. I’ve always been very community minded and spent most of my life volunteering at schools, youth events and church. I seek out opportunities to help kids thrive. Losing a great friend like Mark left a hole in my heart, and I feel extremely blessed to be part of an organization that will carry on his legacy by etching bright futures and hopefully changing lives.

Mary Anne Etchason
Vice President

I am a financial analyst by trade, a proud CU Boulder grad (Econ ’22), and Mark’s daughter. I was lucky enough to be his concert and Avalanche hockey game buddy for 19 years, and I also received the high accolade of being his “favorite person to run errands with”. We had fun doing anything and everything together, because there was always a great playlist and great conversation. I love that we get the chance to help young people develop and foster their passions in my dad’s name, especially since he was my biggest cheerleader. There really has never been a guy more excited to attend a middle school band concert or to chaperone a Taylor Swift concert. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a support system like that and I want to spread the love!

Nancy Etchason

Nancy works for Littleton Public Schools at Centennial Academy of Fine Arts. She has been there five years, and is passionate about serving area youth. In addition to academic instruction, she enjoys developing relationships with the students and coaching and mentoring them on character development, and provides sound advice for them in everyday interactions with their peers. Additionally, through her students, she is afforded an opportunity to help fill the hole in her heart , which was left with the sudden and unexpected passing of her beloved husband of nearly 27 years, Mark.

Nancy is the proud mother of John and Mary Anne who also share the vision of honoring the memory of Mark and serving on the Etch-A-Foundation Board. She has two long-haired Dachshunds whom she adores. She enjoys golf, skiing, reading, walking, but mostly her family!

Bob Palazzo

I’m a lifelong Coloradoan, a husband, a proud father (to two phenomenal young women), an avid mountain biker, and a part-time gearhead. Mark and I had shared views on the importance of family and friendship, as well as a love of music (though I never won the impromptu “name that tune” contests we regularly had). Mark’s passing left an enormous hole in the lives of many but launching Etch A Future provides an opportunity to carry his legacy forward by positively impacting young lives via music.

For my day job, I’ve been a management consultant (for longer than I care to admit) and I’ve spent a career helping all types of organizations – from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies. I’ve held roles from interim executive to program leader and have led teams through challenging situations by applying a combination of expertise, pragmatism, team building, and empathy. I’m honored to be a member of the Etch A Future board and look forward to watching our current scholarship winners flourish as we continue to strive to reach more kids and to make their musical dreams come true.