Chief Executive Officer & Founder
Judy Perez is the CEO and founder of iLearn Collaborative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering educators through cutting-edge professional development and consulting support services. She is also the co-founder of EDC3, supporting
communities of practice and a marketplace for educators to support other educators.
With over three decades of unwavering commitment to education, Judy’s career
includes a variety of roles that reflect her deep passion for transforming education.
Prior to the launch of iLearn Collaborative in 2013, Judy served as a career educator,
serving in roles as a teacher, school principal, district administrator, and as the Chief
Authorizing Officer for the Colorado Charter School Institute at the Colorado
Department of Education.
During her 30-year career, Judy played a pivotal role in the emergence of online education within the K-12 sector. For two decades, she was a driving force behind this transformative shift, overseeing the development and implementation of Colorado’s largest statewide multi-district online middle school. Her leadership extended to Jeffco Public Schools, where she spearheaded the district’s innovative blended learning program and successfully launched Jeffco’s Virtual Academy, which grew to accommodate 3000 students. Under Judy’s guidance, Jeffco Virtual Academy became the state’s first online school to earn Performance Accreditation.
Judy’s work transcended district borders, as she worked with numerous districts to plan
and execute districtwide initiatives aimed at fostering innovative learning environments.
She served on state-appointed advisory boards, where she contributed to the quality
and growth of digital learning across Colorado. Judy’s contribution in the development
of House Bill 16-1222, expanding blended and online learning in Colorado, passed in
2016 which led to the formation of Colorado Empowered Learning. Nationally
recognized as an expert in blended and online learning, she participated in research
projects for the U.S. Department of Education, iNACOL, Project Tomorrow, The Buck
Institute, the State of Colorado, and other organizations.
Her consulting work has taken her to underserved communities and institutions in other
countries, including Colombia, S.A., where she served as advisor and collaborator with
the Secretary of Education in Manizales, the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, The
ASCENT Initiative in London, and the International School for Champions in Nairobi,
Kenya, and the Latin American and Caribbean Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Ecosystem Builders.
Judy takes the most pride in her role as a mother of blended learners, which has led her
dedication to creating meaningful, flexible, and equitable educational opportunities for
all.
Senior Director of Development
Natalie Lundberg has more than 25 years in education as a teacher, administrator, professional development facilitator, and advocate for students in both traditional and online educational environments. She started her career in education as a first-grade teacher in Santa Ana, California delivering instruction to English Language Learners (ELLs) in a Sheltered English Immersion classroom. It was during this time that she developed a passion for ELLs and went on to receive her master’s degree in ELL Instruction for K-12 students.
She then moved to Arizona where she worked with both traditional brick-and-mortar schools and online charter schools. While working with traditional district schools and online charter schools in Arizona, she had the opportunity to fill various responsibilities from state compliancy to school-wide blended program implementation. Natalie has also delivered and managed professional development services provided to schools and districts nationwide. Natalie currently is focused on supporting iLearn Collaborative as they grow and expand to provide student-centered professional development that also builds capacity and sustainability.
Senior Director of Operations
Julie Taylor earned a Master of Business Administration with an Organizational Leadership Emphasis from Grand Canyon University. She also earned a Post-Baccalaureate Teaching Certificate in Education from Ottawa University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Iowa.
With 23 years of expertise in delivering educational solutions in both online and hybrid settings, Julie has a proven ability to provide leadership across various functional teams. She has demonstrated an aptitude to surpass organizational goals by analyzing needs and developing creative solutions. She is passionate about creating new learning opportunities for all students.
Julie has held positions of Vice President of Academics, Head of School, and Senior Director of Instructional Coaching.
Director Professional Development
After a brief stint in marketing and sales, Jill Pellegrini followed her heart and has spent the last 27 years in the educational space as an instructor in brick-and-mortar, virtual, and blended learning environments. She has also served as a teacher leader, mentor, curriculum writer, and professional development instructional designer and facilitator. Her talent and dedication were recognized in 2016 when she was awarded the Colorado Department of Education Blended and Online Teacher Award.
Today, Jill is honored to direct professional development for Colorado’s premier provider, iLearn Collaborative, where she oversees the needs of school districts, teachers, and educational professionals at state, national, and international levels. Jill’s unwavering commitment to equity fuels her passion for advancing student-centered learning in all educational settings.
Content Development Manager
Rosemary Sweat has over 20 years of experience in the field of education. She is endorsed in both Secondary Social Studies and English, and has taught middle school and high school in brick-and-mortar, online, and blended settings. She also has experience in the expeditionary and project-based learning classrooms. In her various roles, Rosemary consistently incorporated project-based, experiential, and hands-on field work in her content areas. She has overseen myriad educational expos and community events, encouraging award-winning student projects.
Leadership and Program Specialist
Tracy is a results-driven education professional with extensive experience in professional development, educational leadership, and program coordination. She brings deep expertise in designing and implementing impactful learning experiences for school and district administrators, grounded in strong leadership, strategic planning, and relationship-building. Her work is rooted in a firm understanding of educational policy and best practices for adult learning.
With a career that spans roles as a senior-level district leader, principal, assistant principal, classroom teacher, and college-level instructor, she brings a systems-thinking approach to her work. She focuses on the intersection of organizational culture, growth, and success—helping teams ask the right questions that foster collective efficacy and inclusive, stakeholder-driven decision-making.
Her leadership philosophy is guided by the belief that “if you’ve met one leader, you’ve met one leader.” She honors the unique experiences and gifts each individual brings, advocating for contextual leadership that supports diverse strengths. She is particularly interested in how leaders can remain nimble and responsive, using deep listening and empathy to cultivate sustainable growth—for clients, teams, and communities.
Known for thinking big, putting ideas into action, and bringing a sense of humor to the work, she is committed to helping each person thrive.
Leadership Consultant
Jef Fugita is an educational leader and has held several positions throughout his career, including teacher, middle school assistant principal, elementary principal, high school principal, principal supervisor and executive director curriculum & instruction.
With more than 20 years of education leadership experience, Jef Fugita has worked on several valuable projects, including Colorado Graduation Guidelines Implementation. In addition, Jef has been the host committee chair in 2021 and host committee advisor in 2024 for the Learning Forward Annual Conference in Colorado.
Jef believes everyone is a leader. He coaches leaders on aligning their goals with their values and beliefs. Jef facilitates meetings and teams so leaders can participate with their team to stay focused on meeting goals and outcomes. Jef fundamentally believes our people are our greatest strength and resource.
Leadership Consultant
Dr. Kirk Henwood is a practicing superintendent in rural Colorado. Kirk facilitates strategic planning for schools, school districts, and small businesses. He is also a trusted leader who coaches and mentors others in the C-suite, as well as working with boards and teams to set course for organizational success.
With over 20 years of leadership experience, Kirk has led numerous teams to success. This success has occurred through several valuable projects, including school district and non-profit strategic plans, board retreats to define vision, goals, and outcomes, as well as leadership team coaching and development.
Before joining iLearn, Kirk launched his consulting career with Harmony Concepts, where he was responsible for strategic planning, executive coaching, and leadership team development. His expertise has allowed him to be recognized as a distinguished leader and coach.
Dr. Henwood graduated with an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, focusing on the effective rural superintendency. He earned his degree from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado.
