Welcome to DSST Onboarding!

Makita Cotto: Welcome to DSST! I am the Vice President of Talent Operations. I found my way to DSST as the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Conservatory Green High School and I was so impressed by the commitment to the core values of our student and staff that I made the transition to full time in January of 2019. Before joining DSST, I was a Realtor for 5 years and before that I was Paralegal with a specialty in Child Protection. What I value most about my work here at DSST is our commitment to educational equity and molding our future leaders. When I am not working, you can usually find me in a gym or on a field cheering on one of my three very active kids. You might even catch me coaching!   

De’Nicea Jacquet: Hello and welcome to the DSST team! We are a group of fun-loving, hardworking people here, and we know you will fit right in. I am a Human Capital Director who support's the Home Office by developing leadership programming, hiring, and providing human resource support. I am originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. I retired from Allstate Insurance Company after 33 years of service where I gained a multitude of experience in Human Resources, Claims, Project Management, Marketing, Finance, and Continuous Improvement. I obtained my HRM-MBA and served as an adjunct professor for Webster University and the University of Phoenix. I am married with one son and two beautiful granddaughters who light up my life. In my spare time, I enjoy doing internal and external designs. I love thrift shopping, making charcuterie boards, and spending time with family.

Janet Hobley-White: Hello! My name is Janet Hobley-White and I am the Senior Manager of Employee Relations. I was born and raised in Denver, CO having attended Cole Jr. High and Manual High Schools. After graduating from Hampton University, Hampton, VA, I returned to Denver to be close to my family. I retired from Allstate Insurance Company after 33 years of service where I gained valuable Human Resource and Education knowledge and where I was able to pursue and obtain my HRM-MBA. I later served as an adjunct professor for Webster University for several years putting my skills and knowledge into action. I am married with two sons and four beautiful grand-daughters who are the apple of my eye.  In my spare time, I love making unique door décor with the goal of wanting to make as many people as possible smile.

Jessica White: Sending you a very warm welcome to the DSST Team! We are delighted you have joined us and hope for a long and successful journey with you! I support team members at Cole Middle School, Cole High School, Elevate Northeast Middle and Elevate Northeast High School, as a Manager of Talent Operations. My background is in human resources in the hospitality industry, as well as nonprofit advocacy and community engagement. I look forward to supporting and partnering with DSST staff members to improve equity in education, and elevating teacher and student success. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my husband and two boys, live music, the outdoors, and cheering my boys on at their sporting events.

Jeremy Desiongco: Awesome you're joining the DSST team! I help manage the HR inbox (especially with onboarding new staff), maintain Workday systems data and guidance, as well as support all Talent Operations Partners with their campuses and workstreams. I'm in my 6th year in education and 5th year with DSST. Prior to joining the DSST dream team, I worked in healthcare, taught as a community college instructor in Florida and as a guest teacher for several charter school networks around Denver and Aurora. My favorite part about DSST (besides being a former Soccer and Volleyball at Montview High School Sports Coach - Go Knights!) is making strong connections and building relationships with our wonderful staff as they prepare the next generation of students for college success. When I'm not at work I enjoy trail running, yoga and eating burritos. 

Jacob Acosta: Hello and welcome to DSST from me and my little corgi mix, Walter! I am the Senior Manager of Total Rewards, and I think you will love it here as much as I do. I support our staff with Performance and Evaluation, Compensation and Benefits.

About me: I was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where I grew up surrounded by my 8 other siblings. I went to CSU- Fort Collins where I studied Psychology and Criminal Justice before joining Teach For America as a special education teacher. Prior to DSST, I worked for Guild Education supporting adult learners! I am happy to be back in the K-12 setting. When I am not working, you can catch me at the climbing gym, mountain biking, skiing, playing video games, or hanging out with the best little dog there ever was!

Lucas Almeida: Hi, and welcome to DSST! I am so excited to be working with you through the Human Resources team for this upcoming school year. I support our staff at Cedar and College View as their dedicated Human Resources Business Partner.

About Me: I was born and raised in Broomfield, Colorado with my one older brother. I graduated as a first generation student from Colorado State University in Fort Collins and I studied Finance and Business to Business Selling before beginning my career in recruitment after college. I found a passion for providing support to new employees and being their resource for anything they may need while beginning a new chapter. This led me to work in the HR department with a start-up in the education sector consulting/managing charter schools. I fell in love with collaborating with the school leaders and found a ton of satisfaction in supporting the staff in their mission. I am so excited to continue my journey in education and in Human Resources through DSST. When I am not working I love to play soccer, listen to music, watch movies and hang out with friends! 

Giuliana Marquez: Hello and welcome to DSST!

I'm so excited to have you join our amazing team! I support GVR High School/Middle School and CG High School/Middle School, and I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such passionate educators.

A little bit about me—I'm a proud Denver native and a graduate of CU Denver, where I earned my bachelor’s degree. Over the past 8+ years, I’ve had the privilege of supporting educators and learners in a variety of roles, including working with dental students, residents, and patients, serving as a middle school office manager, and most recently, working as a District HR manager.

Outside of work, I love to travel, explore new restaurants and cuisines, cheer on my daughter at her softball games, and attend sporting events and concerts. Most of all, I cherish time with my family—my husband, our two wonderful kids, our three dogs, and my six siblings!

I’m looking forward to getting to know you and supporting the DSST community together!