vailsymposium

James Kenly-Executive Director

James Kenly joined the Vail Symposium at the beginning of 2023. He is proud to have served other nonprofit missions in our community, including as the Director of Individual Giving at Walking Mountains Science Center and as Executive Director of the Vail Jazz Foundation during its 25th anniversary. He is originally from Boston, Massachusetts and is a happy Colorado transplant and Eagle-Vail resident with his wife, a teacher at Vail Mountain School, and two children. Prior to settling in the Vail Valley, James worked as an artist manager and event producer in the music industry, a software development consultant, and a nonprofit cofounder.

He attended Phillips Andover Academy and earned a BA in Rhetoric from Bates College and an MBA from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver where he serves as a guest lecturer in management ethics. He is an avid skier and hiker and loves spending time on the river and at campsites with his family. His academic interests include organizational psychology, early American history, technology, music, and climate change.

Email James at jkenly@vailsymposium.org

Kevin Ives-Operations Manager

Kevin Ives joined the Vail Symposium team as Operations Manager in June of 2023.

While his primary career path has been wellness and healthcare, he has extensive experience in community organization and non-profit support. He is the founder of Nomadic Roots, a non-profit which offered yoga and wellness education to underprivileged communities in Stafford, Virginia, as well as environmental stewardship opportunities for local collegiate student-athletes. Kevin also spent time working as the Health and Wellness Coordinator for Wounded Warrior Project in Colorado Springs, where he built meaningful connections and learning experiences with veterans of the US Armed Forces. He is coming from the Performance Coordinator position at Howard Head Sports Performance where he organized the SafeHealth employee wellness program, as well as the Tactical Optimization Program which provided psychological and physical therapies for active duty Special Forces.

Kevin has a proud career in athletics, being a former collegiate athlete and Team USA bobsled athlete. He has always enjoyed being involved in his local community through sports, wellness and coaching. He is a State Champion varsity boys soccer coach at Vail Mountain School where he regularly returns as a guest teacher, presenting on nutrition, wellness and athletics for students in middle and high school.

Kevin has a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management from Grand Canyon University, and a Master’s in Exercise Science from Old Dominion University. He currently resides in Red Cliff with his wife and spends his free time snowboarding, gravel cycling, hiking and camping.

Email Kevin at kives@vailsymposium.org

Megan McGee Bonta-Program Manager

Megan McGee Bonta joined the Vail Symposium in May 2023.  Megan was born and raised in the Vail Valley. After spending time travelling and learning around the world, she and her husband came back to the Valley to serve their home community, where she has worked most recently as the Regional Health Equity Coordinator for Northwest Colorado for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Healthy Families Manager for Early Childhood Partners, and the Community Integration Services Coordinator at Catholic Charities.

She was awarded the L. Anthony Sutin Civic Imagination Award by the U.S. Department of Justice for developing and facilitating the nationally recognized Law Enforcement Immigrant Alliance. Megan is trilingual in French and Spanish and holds a B.A. in French from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame and a M.A. in International and Intercultural Communications from the University of Denver.  Megan enjoys playing the piano, spending time with her two very active kids and husband (who is a Detective in Eagle), reading, hiking and training her service bloodhound Buttercup.

Email Megan at mbonta@vailsymposium.org

Katie Coakley-Marketing Manager

Katie Coakley joined the Vail Symposium as the marketing manager in June 2017.

Katie has worked in the Vail area since 2006. She began as an Account Supervisor with Peeples Ink PR, working with businesses and organizations like Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, Vail International Dance Festival and Vail Summer. In 2011, she started Katydid PR, providing communications services for events and organizations in addition to providing contracting and consulting work for other public relations firms.

She is also a freelance journalist, contributing to local publications like the Vail Daily and Vail Valley Magazine as well as state-wide and national editorial outlets.

Katie received a BA in English with a secondary education certificate from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta and taught high school English for several years before moving to Colorado. She lives in Gypsum with her terrier mix of dubious origins, Flossie.

Contact Katie at kcoakley@vailsymposium.org