Bord – FireFly

Board of Directors

Linda Childears

Board Chair Former President and CEO of Daniels Fund

Linda Childears

Linda Childears retired from the Daniels Fund on April 30, 2020, after serving as its President and CEO for 15 years. Under Linda’s leadership, the organization grew from $1 billion to $1.5 billion, after distributing approximately $1 billion in grants and scholarships. In addition to serving with Firefly Autism, Linda is the past Chair and a current board member of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.

She has served on over 25 state/local boards and five national boards and chaired nine of them. She has received several honors including most recently the Outstanding Women in Business Lifetime Achievement Award from the Denver Business Journal. Linda has received honorary doctorate degrees from Johnson & Wales University and the University of Denver.

Janette Ferguson

Board Vice Chair Director, Farmers Insurance

Janette Ferguson

Janette Ferguson grew up in Boulder, Colorado. She started her career as a commercial litigation attorney in Newport Beach, California and San Francisco, California. She returned to Colorado in 2000 with her husband and two sons where she continued her thirty-five-year career as a commercial litigator. Her two sons are neurodiverse, one has ADHD and the other is on the autism spectrum.

They have taught her so much about the beauty and strength of a unique mind, as well as the challenges faced by neurodiverse individuals. Both are now thriving; one is getting his Master of Fine Art in creative writing at Emerson in Boston and the other will graduate soon with a Masters in Cybersecurity from the University of Denver. Janette recently retired from private practice and her firm Williams Weese Pepple & Ferguson PC; she took a position in house with a former client to stay engaged until she is ready to fully retire.

She is honored to be a member of the Board of Directors of Firefly Autism and hopes that in her retirement she can provide more support to the neurodiverse community and educate people (especially employers) about the amazing talent and unique vision that neurodiverse individuals offer those who are willing to be open to diversity and take the time to engage.

Jessen Perko

Board Secretary Partner, Ruddy Gregory PLLC

Jessen Perko

Jessen Gregory is licensed to practice law in CA, CO and TX. Ms. Gregory focuses on corporate and commercial real estate transactional work with Ruddy Gregory. Her practice involves complex mergers and acquisitions business transactions.
In 2009, Ms. Gregory was recognized for her Pro Bono work in the Denver Bar Association’s publication, “The Docket.” Ms. Gregory earned her Juris Doctor from San Diego School of Law in 2005. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado.

Ed Francis Treasurer

Board Chair Former President and CEO of Daniels Fund

Ed Francis Treasurer

Ed Francis joined Firefly’s Board of Directors in 2020. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board, President and CEO for InBank, a commercial bank serving the Denver Metro Area, southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. Ed studied Managerial Finance from the University of Mississippi before his post graduate work at Louisiana State University. In addition to Firefly, Ed has served as President of the Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana, Baton Rouge Area Foundation and the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. Mr. Francis is excited to bring his impressive background of executive leadership, team-building and finance experience to Firefly, to share ideas and help the organization grow to new heights.