NATIONAL JEWISH HEALTH 

Denver 

News: The dress code: black-tie with 1950s flair, where the cool cats were decked out in bobby sox and saddle shoes, cinched-waist cocktail dresses and pompadour hairdos. 

The cocktail hour nibbles: Soda shop favorites like hamburger sliders, French fries, miniature hot dogs dressed with mustard or catsup, and bowls of flavored popcorn. Osso buco was dinner’s main course; desserts were confections named Pink Ladies Dream and T-Birds After Midnight. 

The entertainment: musical numbers sung by Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Etta James look-alikes who were introduced by an Ed Sullivan impersonator. 

The occasion: National Jewish Health’s 29th Beaux Arts Ball, a March 7 dinner and entertainment extravaganza that was presented by Bonnie and David Mandarich and raised $2 million for the hospital’s world-renowned, cutting-edge research and treatment for individuals with lung, heart, immune, and related disorders. 

It was chaired by John J. Hanley, managing director of the Denver office of J.P. Morgan Private Bank, and Barry Hirschfeld, a lifetime member of the National Jewish board of directors, and paid tribute to the 2026 Grand Marshals — four couples whose support of National Jewish Health has been exemplary: 

• Susan and Geoff Barker 

• Bridget and John Grier 

• Denise O’Leary and Kent Thiry 

• Shereen and Michael Pollak 

Geoff Barker is a vice chairman in J.P. Morgan’s 23 Wall Group, a global team that serves as strategic advisors to the largest families with whom J.P. Morgan works. He has served on the National Jewish board since 216 and chairs its finance committee. Susan Barker, a former contracting specialist with the U.S. Department of the Navy, volunteers on behalf of Clothes for Kids and Newborns in Need. 

John Grier is chairman of the board of Crescent Energy and chairman of Crimson Renewable Energy, the largest biodiesel manufacturer in California. He was chief executive officer of Crimson Midstream for 17 years and president/CEO of Crimson Resource Management for 24 years, a buyer and operator of oil and gas producing properties. Bridget is a trustee of the Denver Art Museum and a former board member of the Johnson Depression Center on the University of Colorado Anschutz campus. In May, she will complete her master’s degree in history through Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education. 

Kent Thiry was chairman and chief executive officer of DaVita, the multinational kidney care company, from 1999 to 2019, growing its revenues from approximately $1 billion to $11 billion before stepping down as executive chair in 2020. His wife, Denise O’Leary, is a private venture capital investor and corporate director. She is a member of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution and serves on the boards of Stanford Health Care and the University of Denver. 

Michael and Shereen Pollak are perhaps best known as philanthropists and owners of Hyde Park Jewelers, which they operated for 49 years before selling it to a Philadelphia-based company. Following the sale, they launched GRWN, a lab-grown diamond and fine jewelry company that operates an online business and physical location in West Hollywood, Calif. In addition to National Jewish, the couple also supports nonprofits that include the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, the University of Denver, the Denver Art Museum, Denver Health, and the Children’s Hospital of Colorado. 

In addition to the Grand Marshals, tribute was also paid to the late William Gold II, recipient of the 2026 Arthur B. Lorber Award for Distinguished Service. The award is National Jewish’s highest honor, and board chair Evan Zucker acknowledged Gold, who was 89 when he died on Nov. 14, 2014, as a “Deeply engaged and highly respected leader. At the end of the day, though, he was just a very kind man.”  

A veteran of World War II, he was part of a troop that was one of the first to liberate the Dachau concentration camp in Germany. Later, he served as president of Gold’s of Nebraska, one of the largest department stores in the state, and after moving to Denver, he founded GoldBug, a leading designer and distributor of children’s accessories. His daughter, Katherine, is GoldBug’s president/CEO and accepted the award on behalf of her late father. 

“Somewhere up there, my father is laughing that room-shaking laugh of his – the one that startled small pets and children,” she said. “He was one of the most humble people you’d ever meet. He admired National Jewish so much because it gives, it teaches, and it inspires.” 

As he introduced JJ Raterink, who conducted the traditional paddle-raise, Dr. Michael Salem, the president/CEO of National Jewish Health, noted that this year’s 1950s theme was chosen because it reflects “An era of hope and optimism,” values that are even more important today, given world events and funding cutbacks. 

“If we don’t disrupt this momentum, we won’t recover for many years – or forever,” Salem said, adding that the cuts have created a sense of paralysis that interferes with the development of treatments and medicines that will one day lead to the prevention of conditions for which there are currently no cures. 

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper and his wife, Robin, who were Grand Marshals i 2022, were among the guests, along with U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, U.S. Reps. Joe Neguse and Brittany Pettersen;  Attorney Gen. Phil Weiser; Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade and former Grant Marshals iKelly and Marc Steron (2020). 

Also, attorney Ellen Stewart and hubby Donald Vancil; Dr. John Grossman and his wife, Pam; Jamie Van Leeuwen, managing director of the BuildStrong Foundation; Robin Chotin, a member of the NJH board; lifetime director David Engleberg; Cancer League of Colorado President Gary Reece and his wife, Barb; Dana Davis, executive director of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation; Mary Leprino, co-founder of Pepper’s Senior Dog Sanctuary; Christine Benero, president/CEO of Mile High United Way; NJH doctors Steve Frankel, Carrie Horn, Greg Downey and David Beuther; and Ellen Robinson, whose father, Dick Robinson, and late uncle Eddie Robinson, also have received top honors from NJH. 

About the organization: The nonprofit National Jewish Health is the nation’s leading respiratory hospital, delivering excellence in multispecialty care and world-class research. It was founded in 1899, and today is the only facility in the world dedicated exclusively to groundbreaking medical research and treatment of children and adults with respiratory, cardiac, immune and related disorders. 

Website: njhealth.org 

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