OUR LEADERS
Leadership of the Academy includes Lonnie Porter, Co-Founder and Executive Director; Staci Porter-Bentley, Co-Founder and Director; Chauncey Billups, Co-Executive Director; along with Lisa Hamilton, Administrative Manager and Jennifer Clark, Assistant Director and Liaison. An advisory board, made up of 30 members/leaders from the local and national communities, provide guidance and assistance with fundraising activities.
Lonnie Porter
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Former Regis Men's Head Basketball Coach Lonnie Porter is the Executive Director of the Porter-Billups Leadership Academy. Coach Porter's award list is vast and varied and includes the National Association of Basketball Coaches Merit Award in 1990 and the Colorado Athletic Conference Coach of the Year awards in 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96. He has also received numerous honors away from his sport. In 1995, Coach Porter was named "Man of the Year" by the Regis student body and was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. Coach Porter is widely recognized in the Denver area for leadership in community service and had a vision of creating a leadership academy to further serve the youth of the community beyond the school year. Coach Porter's vision became a reality in 1996. In May 2015, Regis University President Rev. John Fitzgibbons, S.J., awarded an honorary doctorate to Coach Porter, citing his commitment of giving hope and opportunity for a college education to a new generation of young people. Coach Porter is sincere in his commitment to the community in which he lives. "Serving the community is a humbling experience," said Coach Porter. "It helps me to realize how blessed I've been in my life. There is a tremendous need for us to use our talents to better the lives of those who may not be as fortunate as we are."
Chauncey Billups
Co-Executive Director
NBA All-Star and Denver native Chauncey Billups announced his involvement and support of the Leadership Academy on March 1, 2006. Billups graduated in 1995 from George Washington High School in Denver, where he led the Patriots to two state high school basketball championships. Billups attended the University of Colorado. In his 55 games at CU, Billups averaged 18.5 points per game, 5.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Billups was drafted by the Boston Celtics as the third player taken in the 1997 NBA draft. In 2004, Billups, then with the Detroit Pistons, was named the NBA Finals MVP, only the second player in NBA history to receive the MVP award before being selected to the NBA All-Star game. In 2007, he hosted 10 youngsters excelling in the PBLA to a Pistons home game, as well as a trip to the Charles H Wright African American Museum and Motown Museum. Billups joined the Denver Nuggets in 2008, leading them to the NBA Western Conference Finals in his first year. Billups was the 2007-2008 recipient of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award and won the 2008-2009 NBA Sportsmanship Award. He also played on Team USA which won the 2010 FIBA World Championship. He was a member of the Los Angeles Clippers from the 2011-2013 season and retired from the Detroit Pistons at the end of the 2013-2014 season. He now serves as a basketball analyst for ESPN. Chauncey and his wife Piper have three children: Cydney, Ciara, and Cenaiya. Billups continues to make a positive difference, be a powerful role model and an extraordinary leader in the Denver community.
Staci Porter Bentley
Co-Founder & Director
Staci Porter-Bentley, a native of Denver, Colorado, graduated from Bishop Machebeuf Catholic High School in 1987. She earned her B.A. in Communications with a minor in Education from Regis University in 1991; in 1996 she earned her Master’s degree in Education Administration from the University of Phoenix.
Staci began her professional teaching career with Denver Public Schools in 1992 where she diligently served 25 years as a Teacher and Administrator. She has served as Teacher in Beaverton, Oregon and was the Assistant Director over Intervention Services at the District level in Adams 12 Five Star Schools in Thornton, Colorado. Staci specifically chose to become an educator in order to directly impact and influence future leaders. In 2007, Staci was recognized for her committed efforts by former Denver Mayor and Governor John Hickenlooper, who presented her with the Teacher of the Year Award.
Staci currently serves as the Co-Founder and Director of the Porter-Billups Leadership Academy and is the Chief Executive Officer of Bentley Rises, an organization that assists parents with student advocacy and provides contracted services around mediation, training and intervention protocols for school districts. Her mission with this work is to ensure ALL students receive a safe, fair, equitable and legal Free And Public Education (FAPE).
Staci has worked as a diligent Co-Founder and Director of the Porter Billups Leadership Academy. She has selected outstanding teachers to work with students who attend the Academy, advocating for the delivery of quality 21st Century curriculum and instruction in order to ensure students will be best prepared to serve as leaders in their schools, communities and professional careers. Staci has helped her father carry out his vision to see all of the Porter-Billups Leadership Academy students graduate from high school and receive a college education for 25 years.
Staci is married to Peter Bentley. They have two sons, Jack and Hunter along with two dogs Moe and Ollie. Their favorite family pastime is traveling to beach areas and exploring the ocean.