Mark Schleiger, President and Director

Mark Schleiger is a Colorado native who attended Colorado State University and holds BS/MS degrees in Business Management.  Mark began attending music venues as a teen and acquired a love for live music with a preference for live venues, especially those playing Blues. The Boulder Outlook was one of his favorite venues as it helped plant his roots in Blues music with the close-up stage seating and constant new talent that came through that venue.

Over his professional career Mark worked in numerous management/leadership roles.   He has mentored startup companies for the past 25 years and helped develop their business models for growth, strength and focus.  Mark volunteers in numerous capacities through CSU, helping students with their projects and mentoring students in the College of Business.

Mark’s background and passion for Blues, and his prior service as a board member/officer benefits the Colorado Blues Society.

Joe Menke, Treasurer and Director

Money and banking, administration, program coordination.

Joe Menke is currently an electrical engineer for Keysight Technologies who arrived in Colorado in 1981 with a BSEE and MSM from Purdue University.  Previously a classic rock fan, Joe got hooked on the Blues.  Early on, Joe attended the CBS Board of Directors meetings learning its mission, programs, and operations.  Since joining the CBS Board in 2012, Joe’s business know-how and organizational insights have been applied to the organizations’ fiscal management, inventory records, budgeting and financial discipline.  Further, Joe has judged band and solo /duo artists’ competitions that qualify performers through CBS sponsorship for the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

Joe’s community care plays out as the organizer of annual blues concerts in his back yard featuring local solo/duo artists and bands.  A highlight was the blues benefit concert in 2012 that raised $5,700 for the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department

Tracy Servantes, Vice President and Director

Tracy Servantes was born in New York where her exposure to a wide genre of music began early on.  She was raised on music and dance, singing on jingles for twelve years and taking dance lessons for sixteen years. Her father formed the 50’s vocal group, The Mellow-Larks, and sang for many years, later owning a successful recording studio in New York City until his retirement.  Tracy’s mother was a New York City Rockette, Copa Girl, who danced worldwide and taught dance until her retirement.

For years, the Blues has engaged a large part of the life that Tracy shares with her husband, Mike. They regularly attend Colorado blues festivals and support local and national Blues acts.  They take part in the fundraisers and benefit concerts for the Blue Star Connection, a non-profit organization that works with musical therapists and children in various hospitals and clinics around the USA.

Tracy’s varied occupational career started in advertising and marketing.  She moved to Colorado in 1991 and for an extended time managed a small manufacturing company.  Currently, Tracy is a project coordinator and inside salesperson for a HVAC firm.  Tracy has previously served as a Director of the Colorado Blues Society and has chaired its Merchandise Committee.

Grace Kuch, Vice President and Director

Whether fronting a band or sitting in with musical heavyweights, Grace Kuch conveys a rare ease and instinct on blues guitar. At 20, she’s already distinguished herself nationally playing renowned venues across the U.S., including the Memphis International Blues Challenge, Greeley Blues Jam, King Biscuit Blues Festival, Big Blues Bender, and more. More recently adding international musician to her title after playing the Notodden Blues Festival in Norway and blues pubs across France and England. True to her name, she moves gracefully within traditional blues compositions on both acoustic and electric guitar, while her distinctive solos convey the keen clarity of a gifted young artist on the rise—and eager for more.

 

Whether fronting a band or sitting in with musical heavyweights, Grace Kuch conveys a rare ease and instinct on blues guitar. At 20, she’s already distinguished herself nationally playing renowned venues across the U.S., including the Memphis International Blues Challenge, Greeley Blues Jam, King Biscuit Blues Festival, Big Blues Bender, and more. More recently adding international musician to her title after playing the Notodden Blues Festival in Norway and blues pubs across France and England. True to her name, she moves gracefully within traditional blues compositions on both acoustic and electric guitar, while her distinctive solos convey the keen clarity of a gifted young artist on the rise—and eager for more.

 

 

Cindy Smith, Secretary and Director

Whether fronting a band or sitting in with musical heavyweights, Grace Kuch conveys a rare ease and instinct on blues guitar. At 20, she’s already distinguished herself nationally playing renowned venues across the U.S., including the Memphis International Blues Challenge, Greeley Blues Jam, King Biscuit Blues Festival, Big Blues Bender, and more. More recently adding international musician to her title after playing the Notodden Blues Festival in Norway and blues pubs across France and England. True to her name, she moves gracefully within traditional blues compositions on both acoustic and electric guitar, while her distinctive solos convey the keen clarity of a gifted young artist on the rise—and eager for more.

 

Cindy was raised in Pueblo, CO and played both piano and flute, participating in orchestra and marching band during her high school years, and then she spread her wings and spent a year traveling with Up With People, a non-profit performing group. She married her high school sweetheart, Dennis, and had a 45 year career in the health field as a Physical Therapist and manager in a large, thriving rehab facility. Cindy has generally been appreciated for her management, organizational, networking, and people skills.

Her musical interests have always been varied but Dennis eventually swayed her to the Blues. She has thoroughly enjoyed attending events, volunteering, and getting to meet the great people associated with the Colorado Blues Society and is passionate about the need to keep the blues and live music alive. She looks forward to being able to put her variety of past experiences to good use wherever she can be of benefit to help with this wonderful organization.

 

Robert "Wolf" Perlman,  Director

 “Wolf” is a lifetime fan of Blues music and has been a fixed accessory on the Colorado blues scene since 2010. Wolf critiques artists and songs using his distinctive personal perspective to opine on CDs, shows and concerts.  Wolf originates a weekly three-hour Internet Radio Show. In addition to frequently volunteering at festivals and musical happenings, Wolf spearheads managing the CBS membership pool for an array of activities needing helpers. Wolf’s commitment for fostering the Blues genre is particularly directed toward fledgling musicians.

Deborah Stafford, Director                                                                      

Deborah Stafford is well known as a Jazz, Blues & Big Band Singer in Colorado.   Her Jazz Quintet is peopled by some of the finest musicians in the
Boulder/Denver area. Her 18-piece Swing Big Band, The Flatirons Jazz Orchestra recently opened for the world-famous Glenn Miller Orchestra and has become one of the premiere Big Bands in Colorado. Her 8-piece Big Bad Funky Horn Band is gearing up to play some cool festivals, and this year Deborah put together the IBC band of her dreams and thus Deborah Stafford & the Night Stalkers was born. They won the Colorado Blues Society Blues Challenge and are headed to Memphis to try their luck at the 2022 International Blues Challenge. She has been invited to sing at The Women in the Blues Showcase at the IBC, AND was also honored to be included in The Women in Jazz showcase last time. She fronts another award-winning Blues Band, Deborah Stafford & The State of Affairs (who just opened for Buddy Guy) and represented Mile High Blues Society at the IBC in 2019. They were nominated for three Member's Choice Awards by Colorado Blues Society including favorite band.

Besides performing, Deborah does all the booking and marketing for her bands including social media and keeping her large mailing list informed via email blasts, she is proficient in Adobe InDesign and Photoshop and designs and updates her own websites, most recently using Wix. She has worked in management at The Boulder Theater, The Paramount Theatre and Chautauqua, and has been president of a 700 household neighborhood association, The Historic Eastside Neighborhood Assoc.   

Kim Leonard, Director

Kim Leonard grew up in Denver, developing an interest in great blues singers and muscians in her teens. Blues has always been her passion; inspired by her parents love of the great jazz and blues musicians in their house.  She was most especially drawn to the harmonica, as she started playing the chromatic harmonica at the age of 12 and is considered to be a soulful harmonica musician in the Denver Blues scene. She worked with Jodie Woodward for Woodward Production helping coordinate such events as Women Rock the Night from 2004 to 2008, Blues Holiday Toy Drives and musical concerts.  Kim also worked with Mile High Blues Society as a volunteer, then board member for many years, as a fund-raising coordinator.

Kim is a Senior Technical Support Engineer, where she started her technical support career working 10 years for Microsoft FRx Software, financial reporting, She is currently working for NICE Systems Inc, a software company out of Israel.   
 

Dennis Smith, Director

Dennis Smith is recently retired from a 47-year career in the Environment Safety and Health field. During his career he honed the skills of his craft, became a self-employed consultant, and helped numerous clients achieve their goals. 
As a Director, Dennis gets fulfillment helping the Colorado Blues Society preserve the blues heritage and increasing awareness of and appreciation for the blues as an indigenous American art form. A longtime fan of the blues, Dennis got turned on to the Allman Brothers Band, B.B. King, and John Mayall in the early 70’s and never looked back. Working with the CBS parallels Dennis’s musical hobby of playing blues and jazz guitar, attending musical events, collecting, and listening to vintage vinyl, and learning about the rich history of American music and its culture. Dennis and his wife Cindy often collaborate on efforts including a 45-year marriage (Psst. he even married his HS Sweetheart).  
 

Kevin Thomas, Director

Kevin is an Artist/Musician/Drummer/Producer/Educator born in Washington, DC, grew up in Maryland and then attended music college in Pennsylvania. After spending the first half of his life on the east coast, he moved across the country to Denver, CO in May 2020 and started a whole new path for this hippie musician!

Kevin fell in love with music at an early age and started playing drums at age 5. As a young music fan with stars in his eyes, he was captured by the theatrics of KISS while hearing country music played in the house growing up, but soon discovered Led Zeppelin, Rush and a plethora of other groups. Kevin has been performing with a wide variety of projects since the age of 12… everything from blues and funk rock to classical/orchestral, pop and progressive rock, country, jam, rock, and even a circus band! Citing John Bonham and Neil Peart as his biggest influences in drumming, it was the musical, solid and joyous drumming of Liberty Devito (Billy Joel) that inspired him to become a professional musician. He came to the blues through the popular movie The Blues Brothers, the emotional prowess of David Gilmour from Pink Floyd, and being mesmerized by early Led Zeppelin. Kevin has spent years studying the blues of artists such as Freddie King, Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Texas shuffle drumming of Chris “Whipper” Layton, who he credits as one of his many mentors.

As a Sound Recording Technology Major at Lebanon Valley College then a Percussion Performance Major at Wilkes University, Kevin built a solid foundation of technique, skills, music theory and composition, audio recording and teaching, that has been the backbone of his success as a performer, educator and recording artist. He credits his most influential mentors to be his high school band director and college jazz band director.

Kevin enjoys working with artists to develop their careers through his business, Elevated Music Group. In addition to his business, he stays busy working as a professional drummer and as an active member of the blues community. He enjoys hiking, exploring these majestic Rocky Mountains, and everything Colorado!

More information on his website...http://229drummer.com