Cisco Networking Academy Course Instructors

James A. Batiste – Is the owner of NetWorthy Consulting and he also teaches at the University of Denver’s University College and at the Community College of Denver.   He has a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Denver and an MS in Systems Engineering from Southern Methodist University.  James is a Certified Information Systems Security Engineering Professional (CISSP-ISSEP), along with certifications Security+, Linux+ and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH). His education and time spent acquiring Information Technology credentials are all excellent experiences utilized in classroom settings lecturing, in lab settings demonstrating and in homes and small offices implementing IT and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) related projects.

Ganesh Basawapatna – Former president Microsource, Inc., currently a consulting developer at Asvan Technology. MS Electrical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago.  BS Electrical Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, India.  Ganesh was a founder and President of Microsource, Inc., a Microwave Components and Subsystems manufacturer, and Encore International, which is part of Liberty International. He has been Project Manager and Section Manager at Hewlett Packard and Raytheon Company. Presently he is an RF and Microwave Sub-systems developer and consultant at Asvan Technology LLC.  Among his extensive volunteer activities, Ganesh has served for years as a volunteer instructor in the JETS, Math Enrichment, and SAT Preparation programs of CABPES, as well as a volunteer math tutor at Overland High School, Aurora CO.

Ron Fontenot Sr. – Retired after 28 years as a Design Engineer and Technical Manager in Telecommunications and Data Communications Switching Systems development at AT&T Bell Labs/Lucent Technologies/Avaya. Earlier, Ron worked 5 years on pipeline automation as a Senior Staff Engineer at Amoco Pipeline Co. He has MS and BS degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana. Ron helped to establish CABPES’ JETS program in 1980, and has served as a volunteer JETS instructor of high school and junior high students, teaching electronics, and a “Fun with Microcontrollers” class. Ron has been recognized by 9 Who Care and Channel 7 Everyday Heroes for his work at CABPES. He was also a 2010 recipient of the Alpha Kappa Alpha M.O.D.E.L. Man Award, which honored 10 African American men for their distinction, excellence, and leadership in serving the Denver Community. Ron is a certified Cisco Networking Academy instructor and holds Career and Technical Education (CTE) Authorizations in Information Technology and STEM in the state of Colorado. Ron is Co-Founder of Colorado Futuretek and served as President until 2022.

Lucious Shellman Jr. – Lucious has 11 years’ experience working as an Electrical Engineer and 19 years’ experience as a Software Engineer. He has worked as a Software Engineer at Raytheon Co.  During the past 30 years, Lucious has experience developing software applications utilizing C/C++ and Java programming languages.  He also worked on a software project implementing client-server (web based) architecture.  In addition, Lucious has also served as a project lead software engineer.   Lucious received his BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.  Lucious has served as a volunteer JETS Electronics instructor for over 20 years. Lucious also holds Career and Technical Education (CTE) Authorizations in Information Technology and STEM in the state of Colorado.  Lucious is a certified Cisco Networking Academy instructor and he is the lead instructor for our 6-week SummerTEK Introduction to Computer Networks course.

Sharlene Thomas – Sharlene has over 25 years of Software Development experience, which includes Project Management and Software Lead over the entire Software Development Life Cycle.  She was awarded a United States patent for “System for Processing Incoming Calls Based on Call Priority for Telephone Stations Having Multiple Lines” from Avaya Bell Labs in 2002.  Sharlene currently works as Communication Systems Design Consultant at Triunity Engineering & Management, a company co-founded by her husband, Jonnie Thomas, who is an electrical engineer.  Sharlene received her MS degree in Computer Science from the University of Denver, and a BS degree in Computer Science from the University of Redlands, in California.  Sharlene is a Denver native, and a graduate of East High School.   She actively promotes education and workforce opportunity, and she has also served for a number of years as a volunteer instructor in the JETS program.  Sharlene also holds Career and Technical Education (CTE) Authorizations in Information Technology and STEM in the state of Colorado.  Sharlene serves on the Colorado Futuretek Board of Directors.

Jhia Turner – Jhia is a Software Development Engineer. Her background is in Mechanical Engineering and Environmental Science. Shortly after graduating she decided to take her career in a different direction and pursue software engineering. She spent about a year and a half learning Web Design and Development on her own before taking a job as a webmaster at a small company. From there she continued to develop her skills by enrolling in a software engineering immersion program where she studied advanced JavaScript on both the front and back end, frameworks such as React and AngularJS, RESTful APIs, Agile methodologies. Jhia is a member of the Colorado Futuretek Advisory Board, and she is a Cisco Networking Academy instructor for our Introduction to Cybersecurity course.

Guest Instructors

Jamal Bowen – Jamal currently serves as the First-Year Experience Coordinator and Chair of Advanced Academic Achievement (AAA) at the Community College of Denver.  He also teaches Business and Entrepreneurship.  Jamal is a member of the African Leadership Group (ALG) Business and Economic Opportunity Committee.  He also serves on the Board of Directors for African Chamber of Commerce Vice Chair of Entrepreneurial Education.  Jamal received the Post-Secondary Educator of the Year award from the Education Center on March 7, 2020.   He teaches Entrepreneurship and College and Career Readiness courses for Colorado Futuretek.

Professor Lynn Wilson – Lynn is Program Chair of the Business Administration & Economics department and an 8-year Associate Professor at the Community College of Denver. He is also the founder of SparqU, a social enterprise that helps the underserved and underrepresented to achieve faster entry into college and STEM career pathways through industry-approved certification training, tutoring, and testing.  Professor Wilson teaches Entrepreneurship and College and Career Readiness courses for Colorado Futuretek.

Computer and Office Skills Instructors

Gloria Cannady- Gloria is a professional educator who has taught at the college, high school, and middle school levels. She is an adjunct faculty member at both the Metropolitan State University of Denver and the Community College of Denver, where she teaches Computer Technology. She is also an independent IT contractor/consultant. Gloria has held leadership positions in numerous church and community organizations. She is committed to helping African Americans learn about and prepare for opportunities in the IT and Computer industries.

Gloria served as an MS Office instructor for our Colorado Futuretek Career Exploration Program in partnership with the Denver Office of Economic Development Youth Services.

Gloria also serves on the Colorado Futuretek Board of Directors.

Lynn Jackson- Lynn is a community activist, mentor, and dedicated educator.  She is an elementary school teacher, and she also has a great deal of experience teaching, tutoring, and mentoring high school students at her church and in the community.  Lynn has also served as a volunteer coordinator for the Montbello High School cheering squad.  In the future she would like to have 100 percent of her students academically proficient in reading and writing, and in order to achieve this goal, she would like to open a reading and writing learning center in the heart of the Montbello/Green Valley Community. Lynn is dedicated to creating high quality educational opportunities for our youth.

Lynn teaches basic computer and MS Office skills to senior citizens in our Summer SilverTeks and Silver Saturdays programs.

Lynn  served as an MS Office instructor for our Colorado Futuretek Career Exploration Program in partnership with the Denver Office of Economic Development Youth Services.

Lynn also serves on the Colorado Futuretek Board of Directors.