Meet the Team

THE EMPLOYEE LEARNING TEAM

Roberta Ballard

Director

Emily Holmes

District Leadership Coordinator

Theo Shaw

Leadership Pipeline Coordinator

Roberta Ballard is Director of Employee Learning for Aurora Public Schools. For more than 20 years, she has worked alongside educators and leaders to strengthen schools and create better learning experiences for employees and students. She is passionate about helping organizations build strong systems that support growth,

collaboration, and continuous improvement. Her leadership is grounded in the belief that when people are supported and empowered, they can make an even greater impact on the communities they serve. Before joining Aurora Public Schools, Roberta partnered with school districts and

national organizations to develop leaders and design meaningful professional learning. She enjoys bringing clarity to complex challenges and helping teams turn big ideas into

practical action. At the heart of her work is a commitment to creating environments where people feel valued, connected, and inspired. Outside of work, Roberta enjoys spending time outdoors, knitting, and making memories with her family.

An experienced educational leader with over two decades of district and school-level impact, Emily is dedicated to elevating student outcomes by deeply investing in the growth of teachers and leaders. Grounded in a commitment to effective teaching practices and continuous improvement, she operates on the belief that nurturing adult capacity is the most powerful lever for lasting educational change.

Throughout a career spanning classroom teaching, instructional coaching, and school and central leadership, Emily has focused on cultivating distributed leadership models and empowering educators at every level. By facilitating job-embedded professional learning, designing reflective coaching frameworks, and building collaborative data-driven cultures, she equips teachers and leaders with the support needed to thrive—ensuring every student benefits from exceptional instruction.

Theo Shaw is the Leadership Pipeline Coordinator for the Employee Learning Department at Aurora Public Schools. He has spent fifteen years in public education, moving through nearly every role this pipeline is built to prepare people for. He taught middle school English Language Arts and Social Studies, served as a Dean of Culture, stepped into an assistant principalship, and co-led a school through closure and turnaround. He took part in Denver Lead Today, then led district work in Culturally Sustaining Curriculum and Instruction, and in Community Partnership. As lead coach at the Center for Outcomes Based Contracting, he coached leaders across 11 districts to shift how they buy and measure results for students. His own path into leadership opened through work-embedded opportunities, and he now builds this pipeline to widen that door for the educators coming up behind him.

Outside of work, Theo enjoys spending time traveling, biking, reading, and watching his two boys explore and build confidence in their passions for baseball and engineering.

Kayla Bylund

School Leadership Coordinator

Kayla Bylund has spent over a decade in education, starting out as a kindergarten teacher and working her way through peer teacher coaching, school leadership, and eventually network leadership roles. Along the way she's helped school leaders build the systems and instructional know-how it takes to get real results for their students. That journey, from the classroom to coaching school leaders, taught her something she still carries with her: development only sticks when it's grounded in real data, and when the coaching happens on the ground with the people doing the work every day. Equity sits at the center of all of it. Kayla believes every student deserves strong instruction and a strong leader behind their school, and that closing gaps for kids starts with investing in the adults who lead them.

Outside of work, you’ll find her spending time with her husband and two kids. Some of her favorite things to do include relaxing at the pool in the summer time, skiing in the winter, or curling up for a movie night on the weekends. Kayla enjoys true crime, and a good book and is always looking for recommendations.

Denise Huber

Teachers & Teacher Leaders Coordinator

Denise Huber is an experienced educational leader with more than two decades in public education. Her career has included roles as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, school administrator, and district leader. Throughout these experiences, she has partnered with educators to strengthen instruction, build collaborative systems, and improve outcomes for students.

Grounded in the belief that equity is not an initiative but a commitment, Denise approaches her work with both strategic systems thinking and deep human connection. She believes meaningful improvement happens when student voices are valued, teacher expertise is honored, and strong relationships are at the center of the work.

Outside of work, Denise enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, traveling together, and cheering on her daughter's golf tournaments.

Alohalani Jones

New Educators Coordinator

Alohalani Jones brings a deep commitment to teacher development in her role as the Coordinator of New Educators. She began her career teaching high school English before moving into instructional coaching, where she worked with teachers across content areas using an asset-based, culturally sustaining, and reflective approach to growth. She believes coaching works best when it's specific, collaborative, and rooted in genuine partnership, and she brings that same philosophy to supporting new educators as they build confidence in their classrooms.

When she's not in classrooms or coaching sessions, you'll likely find Alohalani with a cup of coffee in one hand and a piece of chocolate in the other, both essential fuel for a career spent showing up for teachers and students alike.

Terrill Kucera

Classified Staff Coordinator

Terrill Kucera brings over 15 years of experience leading global education, health, and emergency response programs across Latin America, East and South Africa, Central Asia, and the U.S. He has designed and led professional learning across international organizations, including embedding inclusive leadership across a global workforce of 8,500 employees in 100+ countries, building teacher pipelines in remote Afghan communities, and co-creating youth mentorship programs in Madagascar. He is passionate about adult learning and social behavior change methodologies and brings a holistic, people-centered approach to complex challenges. Terrill also enjoys connecting over coffee/tea, food and/or hiking with his dog, Naya.

Angelica Preciado

Assistant to The Director of Employee Learning

Angelica is a dedicated professional at the Professional Learning and Conference Center (PLCC) and a proud mother of two beautiful children. She brings a strong work ethic, compassion, and a commitment to excellence to her role. At the PLCC, Angelica is known for her supportive nature, organizational skills, and ability to foster positive relationships with colleagues and participants alike. Balancing professionalism with empathy, she plays a vital part in creating an encouraging and efficient learning environment. Her passion for personal growth and helping others succeed continues to inspire those around her.

Eboni Jenkins

Assistant to The Director - Employee Learning

Eboni Jenkins is a proud Louisiana native and a two-time alumna of Grambling State University, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Therapeutic Recreation and a Master’s Degree in Sports Administration. Throughout her career, she has gained valuable knowledge and skills through a variety of professional roles, each contributing to her passion for growth, leadership, and service.

Eboni is a proud military wife and the mother of two wonderful children. She is also a dedicated member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, embodying the organization’s values of sisterhood, scholarship, and service in both her personal and professional life.

Outside of work, Eboni enjoys refurbishing furniture, shopping, spending time with her family, and listening to music. Her favorite colors are pink and green, reflecting both her personal style and her sorority pride.

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