Our Team
Staff
Michelle Stewart, Ph. D.
Executive Director
About Michelle
Favorite place in CO: North Routt
Michelle Stewart is a Colorado local whose professional expertise and long-standing commitment to education, research and environmental stewardship align closely with her role as Executive Director. Raised in the foothills north of Fort Collins, she brings more than two decades of international experience in human-environment teaching, research, program development, and leadership to her work advancing decarbonization and resilience in northwest Colorado.
Prior to joining Western Resilience Center in 2020, Michelle served as the Academic Director for the School for International Training’s Iceland Program on Renewable Energy, Technology, and Resource Economics. In this role, she designed and led an intensive experiential learning program for university students. Together with her colleagues in Iceland, she co-developed one of the world’s first carbon-neutral study abroad programs in 2019 by offsetting transportation-generated emissions through reforestation initiatives in Iceland’s flight forests.
Michelle’s academic appointments have included service as distance faculty for the University of Denver’s M.A. Program in Environmental Policy and Management and for the University of Colorado Boulder’s Department of Geography. From 2013-2016, she was the Pick Visiting Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies at Amherst College. She subsequently worked as a rangeland social scientist in Colorado State University’s Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, collaborating with CSU researchers, the USDA, ranchers, and conservation organizations to identify approaches for managing Colorado’s rangelands that balance production, wildlife habitat, and floral biodiversity. Earlier, she was a doctoral fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where her work examined the politics of knowledge and environmental management.
Michelle holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Notre Dame; an M.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz; and a Ph.D. in Human-Environment Geography from the University of Colorado Boulder.
She lives in the Elk River valley with her husband, Nathan Stewart, Professor of Ecosystem Science and Stewardship at Colorado Mountain College, and their two sons, Michael and Leif. A dedicated outdoorswoman, she enjoys skiing, hiking, camping, biking, running, and horseback riding. Having spent time in the Yampa Valley since childhood, Michelle is honored to contribute to the long-term resilience of the region through her professional leadership.
Tim Sullivan, M. Sc.
Senior Director of Climate Resilience
About Tim
Favorite place in CO: Echo Park
Tim Sullivan has more than 30 years of leadership experience in international, national, and local conservation efforts. Prior to joining Western Resilience Center, Tim was the Climate Director for the North American Region of The Nature Conservancy where he oversaw work in all 50 states to develop a climate change program including work on state-level policy; land based emissions mitigation and adaptation; and communication and outreach projects.
Prior to this, he was the State Director for The Conservancy’s Colorado Chapter. As State Director he was responsible for the strategic vision and direction of the chapter, overseeing a diverse staff of professionals across the state, and reaching across borders to support the Conservancy’s work in other states and countries. Tim was earlier Conservation Initiatives Director for the Colorado program, managing programs in Science, Fire, Water, and Land Protection. He led the development of The Conservancy’s whole-system Colorado River Program.
Prior to joining The Nature Conservancy, Tim served as Regional Director for the Environmental Defense Fund, guiding their programs in seven states in the Rocky Mountain west. Tim was Deputy Director for Conservation Programs for the Chicago Zoological Society and worked for the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) Species Survival Commission. He also served as an aide to Senator Tim Wirth with responsibility for environmental and public lands issues.
Tim holds an undergraduate degree in Biology and History from Cornell University, and a Master’s degree in Conservation Biology from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Tim has lived in Steamboat Springs since 2014 and looks forward to working to enact land-based climate solutions that align emissions reductions, adaptive capacity and the unique cultural and natural assets of the Yampa Valley. In his spare time, Tim can be found outdoors–on skis, bikes, running shoes, roller blades, boats, etc.
Paul Bony, MBA
Energy & Transportation Director
About Paul
Favorite place in CO: The Grand Mesa
Paul is focused on reducing energy use and supporting the transition to a low carbon economy in the energy and transportation sectors.
Paul brings over 35 years of diversified experience in planning, implementing, marketing and evaluating energy efficiency, demand side management, renewable energy and consumer product programs and services. His work history includes electric, gas and water utility experience and time in the the HVAC industry where he focused on ground source heat pump market adoption at the national, regional, and local level. Paul’s energy efficiency and renewable energy market development activities have earned the Association of Energy Services Professionals “Achievement in Energy Services” Award, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Excellence in ENERGY STAR Outreach award, and special recognition from the Alliance to Save Energy.
Paul’s market development activities have been reported on in many publications, including Time Magazine, Business Week, The Denver Post, Inc. Magazine, Rural Electrification Magazine, High Country News, The Energy Services Bulletin, Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES) Journal, Solar Today, The Fuel Cell Industry Report, and many others. Marketing and promotional efforts developed under Paul’s direction have won state and national awards.
Paul has served on the Electric Power Research Institute’s Demand Side Management Advisory Committee, the Cooperative Research Network’s End Use Solutions Advisory Group, the California Utility Energy Forum Steering Committee, the Colorado Geo-Powering the West state-wide working group, the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association’s Board and the Montrose Economic Development Corporation’s Board of Directors. Paul currently serves on the Board of Solar Energy International, located in Paonia, Colorado. He is also a Governor appointed member of the Colorado Community Access Enterprise Board, which funds roughly one third of Colorado’s vehicle electrification efforts.
Paul holds his B.S. degree in Grain Science and Industry from Kansas State University and an M.B.A from the University of Nevada – Reno.
Paul spends his spare time enjoying all of the outdoor opportunities Colorado has to offer with his wife Susan, their two large dogs, and the families of his adult daughters, Katherine and Lauren.
Jayla Poppleton
Resilient Water & Watersheds Director
About Jayla
Favorite place in CO: The Yampa River
Jayla Poppleton is a nonprofit leader with two decades of experience in the Colorado water sector. She has dedicated her career to advancing informed decisions and collaborative solutions that blend the practical demands of human communities with preservation of the natural environment that teaches, inspires and sustains us.
Prior to joining Western Resilience Center, Jayla served as the Executive Director of Water Education Colorado (WEco), a statewide organization providing nonpartisan information and training on the full gamut of water uses and values in the state. During her tenure, she launched key initiatives to expand WEco’s reach and impact, including Fresh Water News and the Colorado Statewide Water Education Action Plan.
Prior to taking the helm in 2017, Jayla served as WEco’s Content Program Manager and Senior Editor of Headwaters magazine where she oversaw production of informational resources that engaged a broad audience, from water professionals to policymakers to community members. Earlier in her career, Jayla worked as an intern and then Public Information Associate for the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. She also spent time as a freelance writer, with projects that included editing John Fielder’s book Colorado’s Yampa River: Free Flowing and Wild from the Flat Tops to the Green.
Jayla grew up near Chicago and fell in love with Colorado’s mountains, including Steamboat, as a young and developing skier. She earned a B.A. in Technical/Specialized Journalism with a concentration in Natural Resources Management from Colorado State University and received a Certificate of Completion from the Outdoor Semester in the Rockies at Colorado Mountain College. She is a 2016 graduate of WEco’s Water Leaders Program, and currently serves on the Board for CDR Associates, which provides project facilitation in the areas of transportation, water and land management.
In 2025, Jayla and her family relocated to Steamboat to make Routt County their new home. Jayla’s interests include running, reading, gardening, traveling and recreating in Colorado’s great outdoors—especially in, on or around water in all its forms.
Matt Kireker
Policy Director
About Matt
Favorite place in CO: Mt. Werner
Matt is the Policy Director at Western Resilience Center and brings over a decade of experience in government and renewable energy policy.
Before joining Western Resilience Center, Matt spent more than four years in the public sector with Obama for America and the Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute. He most recently served for six years as Regional Director for U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, covering northwest and north-central Colorado. In that role, Matt collaborated closely with local and state officials, agency leaders, municipal administrators, and other key stakeholders to shape policy across a range of issues, including economic development, agriculture and water, forestry and public lands, and energy. He also played a key role in coordinating the region’s COVID-19 response and supported communities transitioning away from coal-fired power—helping to develop nationally recognized models for economic diversification amid coal plant closures.
Matt holds a B.A. in Politics and a Certificate in American Studies from Princeton University. He grew up in Weybridge, Vermont and has called the Yampa Valley home since 2018. Matt and his wife, Karen, and their two sons, Brooks and Wesley enjoy skiing, biking, hiking and exploring one of America’s premier outdoor playgrounds—the Yampa Valley.
Ashley Dean, MESM
Senior Manager for Collaborative Initiatives
About Ashley
Favorite place in CO: Floating down the Yampa River
Ashley Dean is an environmental management, marketing and communications professional with 18 years of experience working for mission-driven nonprofit, academic and for-profit organizations. Family and a love of the outdoors brought her to Steamboat Springs in 2019. Prior to her move to Steamboat, she spent 22 years in the San Francisco Bay Area. Most recently, Ashley was the Director of Marketing and Sales for Spiriterra Vineyards – a small, family-run vineyard in St. Helena, CA.
Stanford University was her second home for many years. Initially as an undergraduate student studying Human Biology, and then as the Assistant Director for Public Affairs for Stanford’s Center for Environmental Science and Policy. She represented the work of over 30 faculty and fellows and facilitated national and international collaborations of interdisciplinary research teams studying climate change, water resources, crop and livestock systems, natural capital, land use change and food security.
She briefly left “The Farm” in 2007 to obtain a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science and Management from the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UC Santa Barbara. When not surfing, biking or hiking, she could be found studying Eco-Entrepreneurship and completing a group business plan on real estate investments in responsible tourism and conservation. After earning her MESM, she returned to Stanford University to help support the launch of the Center on Food Security and Environment as their Communications and External Affairs Manager.
While Ashley occasionally misses the sound of the ocean waves, she loves mountain living. She enjoys the changing seasons and the outdoor adventures each season brings. Her husband Paul and kids Ella and Ethan have also embraced their beautiful new home. Ella and Ethan will be out-skiing her in no time. Ashley feels fortunate to work for an organization dedicated to protecting this special place and looks forward to supporting real climate solutions in the Yampa Valley.
Ryan Messinger
Resilient Watersheds Program Manager
About Ryan
Favorite place in CO: California Park
Ryan has been coming to Steamboat for his whole life to ski, and has recently settled down here to call it home. After graduating from the University of Colorado with a degree in International Affairs, he spent the next few years traveling through Europe, Asia, and Oceania. While abroad, he developed his passion for reforestation and conservation. He interned with Conserve Natural Forests in Thailand where he helped expand the reforestation program and lead tours around the project site. Ryan also sought out various conservation opportunities during his time in Australia, which included planting Eucalyptus trees for koala habitat and protesting against logging with The Bob Brown Foundation in the Tarkine rainforest. In addition to his employment with RMYC and the BLM, Ryan is currently working with Western Resilience Center on the Yampa River Forest Restoration Project, where he hopes to broaden natural climate solution efforts through tree planting and ecosystem restoration.
Dakota Dolan, M.S.
Resilient Forests Program Manager
About Dakota
Favorite place in CO: Gilpin Lake
Dakota grew up in New Jersey before moving to Fort Collins, Colorado in 2014 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability from Colorado State University (CSU). Prior to moving to Colorado, she completed her Associate’s degree in Mathematics and Environmental Science at Raritan Valley Community College, where her passion for ecology and sustainability planted its seed. As a student at CSU, she was the president of the Climate Reality Project where she assisted in CSU’s written commitment to use 100% renewable energy by 2030. During her undergraduate studies, she also spent five weeks in Costa Rica with the School for Field Studies working on a sustainable farm and taking immersive courses in Sustainability of Tropical Ecosystems. She graduated from CSU in December of 2017, and is currently back at CSU online completing a Master’s degree in Ecological Restoration.
During her undergraduate coursework, Dakota worked at the Colorado State Forest Service as an Administrative Assistant for two years, where she was nicknamed “The Sustainability Police”. After graduating, she moved to Steamboat Springs to switch gears within the Forest Service to become a Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Research Associate, where she became familiar with Colorado forest ecosystems. She spent three years in this position collecting and analyzing tree, soil, and vegetation data throughout remote locations of Colorado, Wyoming, and Yellowstone National Park. In 2019, Dakota took a year away from the Forest Service to explore nonprofit work in the Yampa Valley and became a Naturalist for Yampatika. There she created a daily curriculum for a children’s environmental camp, and quickly realized she wanted to grow roots in the Steamboat community.
Since moving to Steamboat, Dakota has also worked as a ski instructor for the past 3 winters, a server at Mountain Tap Brewery, and a representative at Ohana, giving her a variety of perspectives as a Steamboat resident. She is extremely excited to be a part of Western Resilience Center’s impressive momentum, and feels incredibly fortunate to serve the community she loves in a capacity that she is truly passionate about.
Dakota loves mountain biking and skiing every moment she can, but can also be found playing with her dog, Poncho, reading Harry Potter, eating candy, or backpacking in our vast surrounding public lands.
Brenna Egan, M.S.
Restoration Projects Manager & Impacts Analyst
About Brenna
Favorite place in CO: Yampa River in Dinosaur National Monument
Brenna works to plan, manage and implement landscape restoration projects that support long term resilience in the Yampa Valley. Brenna is also a geospatial analyst and works across program areas to build geospatial products that support data collection and communication of Western Resilience.
Brenna’s professional experience is based in environmental science, GIS, and watershed resilience. She interned with the Western Resilience Center’s Resilient Land and Water program before working as a Geospatial Analyst for the United States Forest Service, where she mapped vegetation distribution across the Tongass National Forest. She has also worked on several small-scale vegetable farms, where she learned the ins and outs of local food production and community-supported agriculture.
Brenna earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of New Mexico, where she was also a member of the university ski team. She then completed a Master of Science in Geography and a professional certificate in Hydrology from the University of Utah, where she studied green infrastructure and its effects on urban stream health.
Originally from Park City, Utah, Brenna moved to Steamboat Springs in 2020 and quickly fell in love with the Yampa Valley. She strives to spend as much time as possible on her mountain bike, trail running, rafting and gardening.
Sally Cariveau
Resilient Water Program Manager
About Sally
Favorite place in CO: Estes Park
Sally grew up in the Midwest spending her summers at camp in Estes Park. Little did she know what impact spending her childhood in the mountains would have. After graduating college from the University of Colorado-Boulder with a Geography degree she quickly made her way to Steamboat Springs in hopes of fueling her love of snow science and of course-skiing. This led her to ski patrolling at Steamboat mountain and then as a lead ski guide with Steamboat Powdercats where she was in charge of snow safety and route selection.
The love of winters and snow was rivaled by the summers in Steamboat. In her first foray with the US Forest Service in the 1990s, Sally worked as a hydrologic technician where she focused on stream health determination and adaptive management practices. After seven years, she stepped away to start a family. As a true Steamboatian, Sally worked throughout the valley in many types of jobs that interested her including business of home management and running the Safe Routes to School program. When her kids got bored with her, Sally felt the call of the forest and went back to the USFS in her same position. This round with the Forest Service gave her different experiences to learn from. As fire became a common theme in summers, Sally gained experience in post-fire watershed restoration.
Sally wanted to share what she learned from the Forest Service with her community and worked with the Community Agriculture Alliance as Water Coordinator. There she combined her passion for people and water looking for multi-beneficial projects focusing on riparian health. There she also became involved in water policy through the Yampa White Green Basin Roundtable as their Public Education, Participation and Outreach Liaison. Sally recently acquired her GIS certificate and now is a GIS lab instructor at Colorado Mountain College.
After collaborating with Western Resilience Center on projects, Sally jumped at the opportunity to merge her love of science with the community that Western Resilience Center provides. In her new role as Resilient Water Program Manager, Sally is most excited about putting science into action in the community she has called home for over 30 years.
Kate Brocato
Donor Engagement Manager
About Kate
Favorite place in CO: Mica Lake
Kate Brocato is Yampa Valley Sustainability Council’s (YVSC) Donor Engagement Manager. She joined the organization in a part-time capacity in 2019 as the Communications and Administrative Assistant, moving into a full-time position in 2020 as the Communications and Program Manager, a role she served in for four years.
During her time as Communications and Program Manager, Kate led organization-wide communications strategies, events planning, year-end fundraising campaigns, and bookkeeping. Through her communications, Kate worked to increase public literacy of climate change in the Yampa Valley of Northwest Colorado while helping the community at large understand and engage with YVSC’s programming.
Kate went on to ideate and spearhead YVSC’s first signature fundraising event, Insight: Art for Climate Action, an event that elevates the arts as a means of connecting and communicating the meaning and value of climate action through the power of storytelling and visual representation. Through her work with Insight, she found her true passion in the nonprofit realm, fundraising and development.
In 2024, Kate moved into her current position as Donor Engagement Manager. In this role, Kate uses her strong communications background to tell YVSC’s story of impact and connect donors to their passions, channeling private philanthropy into the service of building a resilient future for the Yampa Valley. Since then, Kate has worked to grow YVSC’s culture of philanthropy, implementing a more robust strategy for major gifts and improving digital fundraising techniques, gratitude, and systems optimization.
Kate holds her B.A. in Sustainability Studies from Colorado Mountain College. She has participated in Colorado Gives’ Level Up program and obtained her certificate in Fundraising Copywriting from the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy.
Tad Lane
Energy & Transportation Projects Manager
About Tad
Favorite place in CO: Mt. Zirkel Wilderness
Tad manages and implements energy and transportation projects at Western Resilience Center, helping advance equitable, locally driven climate action throughout the Yampa Valley. His work focuses on building decarbonization, clean energy, transportation initiatives, and community resilience programs that help residents, businesses, and local governments reduce emissions and improve sustainability. He also conducts home energy assessments, helping homeowners identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency, comfort, building performance, and electrification.
Tad brings a background in environmental science, project management, and sustainability to his role. Before joining Western Resilience Center, he managed operations and logistics across multiple sectors, developing expertise in project planning, stakeholder coordination, and program implementation. While earning his Environmental Science degree from Villanova University, Tad interned with the World Wildlife Fund’s Danube-Carpathian Program in Vienna, Austria. There, he contributed to cross-border sustainability initiatives, supported research on floodplain restoration and species conservation, and helped coordinate international stakeholder workshops focused on environmental issues across Central and Eastern Europe.
Tad holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Villanova University and is certified as a NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) Photovoltaics Associate. He also holds multiple Building Performance Institute (BPI) certifications, including Building Science Principles (BSP), Building Analyst Technician (BA-T), and Building Analyst Professional (BA-P). These credentials support his work in residential energy assessments, building performance analysis, energy efficiency, and electrification. His professional interests include building science, renewable energy, transportation decarbonization, and practical climate solutions that strengthen community resilience.
Outside of work, Tad is an avid outdoors enthusiast who enjoys skiing, camping, running, golfing, and fishing in and around the beautiful landscapes of Colorado. He is proud to support Western Resilience Center’s mission and help build a more sustainable and resilient future for the Yampa Valley.
Caitlin Farkas
Waste Diversion Projects Manager
About Caitlin
Favorite place in CO: Mt. Zirkel Wilderness
Caitlin grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs before moving to Burlington, Vermont to study environmental science at the University of Vermont (UVM). During her time at UVM, she worked as an undergraduate teaching assistant, supporting student learning on pollutant movement, as well as a surficial geology intern on a regional mapping project.
After graduating, Caitlin moved to the Yampa Valley to pursue her love of skiing, originally planning to stay for just one winter as a ski instructor — but she quickly found a sense of home in Steamboat.
In the fall of 2024, Caitlin interned for Yampa Valley Sustainability Council. Through her internship program, she focused on the creation of an electric vehicle transition plan for Steamboat Ski Resort. This involved assessing the resort’s current fleet inventory and identifying key areas for electric vehicle integration, alongside conducting community engagement to involve both resort employees and community members in electric vehicle outreach work.
Now serving as the waste diversion coordinator, Caitlin is passionate about building community through sustainability and finding practical, people-driven solutions to environmental challenges. Caitlin can be found skiing, running, camping, gardening, and taking advantage of all of the amazing opportunities there are to be outdoors in Colorado.
Abby Vander Graaff
Communications Manager & Strategist
About Abby
Favorite place in CO: North Routt
Abby was born in Michigan, grew up in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and has strong ties to both South and North Routt County.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary liberal arts with minors in Spanish and anthropology from Colorado State University. Before joining Western Resilience Center in 2023, Abby worked in media, holding roles like managing editor of the student-run Rocky Mountain Collegian and journalist at the Laramie Boomerang in Wyoming, covering local government, community and social issues.
When she’s not at work, Abby enjoys coaching and playing hockey, doing anything outside and enjoying time with her friends and family in the community.
Julia Hebard
Marketing and Communications Associate
About Julia
Favorite place in CO: Ice Lakes (outside of Durango) & The Strawberry Park Hot Springs
Julia Hebard is a communications and marketing associate for the Western Resilience Center, where she leads strategic communications initiatives that help translate complex topics into clear, engaging stories that spur action. Her work includes campaign development, public outreach, stakeholder engagement, media relations, content strategy, and community education efforts that connect residents, partners, funders, and decision-makers across Northwest Colorado.
Julia’s professional skill set spans a wide range of areas, including communications, marketing, fundraising, event management, public education, and business development. In addition to her role with Western Resilience Center, Julia works with numerous local non-profits, including environmental, healthcare, animal welfare, and civic engagement organizations. Her broad clientele has given her a clear perspective on building partnerships, engaging various audiences, and creating communications that produce meaningful community impact. A lifelong advocate for community-based solutions, Julia is passionate about helping organizations tell their stories in ways that educate, inspire, and create positive change.
Julia holds a Master of Business Administration in Global, Social, and Sustainable Enterprise from Colorado State University, where she was recognized for research excellence, as well as bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration (Marketing) and Graphic Design. She is a graduate of Leadership Steamboat and has completed additional training in entrepreneurship, human-centered design, and sustainable business development.
When she is not working, she can often be found exploring the mountains on her mountain bike or working on a variety of projects at her house in North Routt.
Jill Bergman
Creative Climate Communications Associate
About Jill
Favorite Place in CO: Dinosaur National Monument
Jill Bergman is a printmaker and writer influenced by the western landscape, wildlife, storytelling, and concern for our environment. She has created illustrations, written articles, and helped build collaborative work for many years for environmental organizations in Northwest Colorado. Jill has been designing artwork to promote ReTree with Western Resilience Center since 2016. Since 2024, she has also worked as Creative Climate Communications Associate, helping tell the variety of stories related to Western Resilience Center’s work.
You can see Jill’s artwork at jillbergman.com, or in Steamboat Springs at The Alley Gallery and Art Studios at alleygallerysteamboat.com or the Steamboat Art Museum Store.
Luisa Lombera
Climate Equity Associate
About Luisa
Favorite place in CO: A patch of ripe huckleberries/Lincoln Avenue during street events
Luisa was born and raised, for the most part, in Mexico City. Throughout her career, Luisa has worked in the intersections between development, sustainability, social entrepreneurship, energy-efficiency and renewables.
Luisa holds a BS in Earth Systems and a MS in the Atmosphere/Energy program in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University as well as an MBA from ESADE University in Barcelona, Spain.
Her energy background led Luisa to work at Zola Windows promoting high-performance, high-efficiency windows that meet Passive House standards. After completing her business studies, Luisa started a social enterprise working with coffee farmers to diversify their income streams. Previously, Luisa also worked on the Energy Team at Rocky Mountain Institute helping corporations and utilities reduce their carbon footprint.
Beyond professional endeavors, Luisa relishes opportunities to talk about her native Mexico City Valley (at a slightly higher elevation than the Yampa Valley, and surrounded by a couple 17,000+ ft volcanoes). She also feels very fortunate to have ended up living a Steamboat life and raising kids (who are 5th generation Steamboat – on their father’s side!) in this community. Some of the treasures of Steamboat living Luisa cherishes include biking, skiing, hiking, foraging, library-ing and camping with friends and family. Luisa also finds it very rewarding to support other great local organizations and loves her roles as a Booktrails board member and occasional Cycle Effect Coach.
Grace Zanni
Energy Apprentice
About Grace
Favorite place in CO: Slide Lake, Mt. Zirkel Wilderness
Grace Zanni joins Western Resilience Center as an Energy Apprentice, driving local building decarbonization and clean energy initiatives. She supports the implementation of the Routt County Climate Action and Building Electrification Plans, connecting community members with Energy Smart Colorado programs through hands-on energy advising and rebate guidance to advance regional climate goals.
Grace recently graduated from Dartmouth College earning a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Economics with a minor in Environmental Studies, focusing on Sustainable Energy. While at school she competed on the varsity cross country ski team. She brings experience in policy and sustainability from her work with the International Mountain Bicycling Association, along with independent research conducting a human-subjects study on community engagement and food system resilience at Cedar Circle, a non-profit educational organic farm in Vermont.
Grace grew up in Steamboat Springs and is excited to be back in Colorado supporting the community she grew up in and adventuring in the mountains she calls home.
Board of Directors
Sarah Loughran
Board Chair
About Sarah
Favorite place in CO: An impossible question!
Sarah grew up outside of Edwards and Eagle, CO with a 3 rd grade stint in Steamboat and a 5th grade adventure traveling through Central America in a converted school bus. Her deep love for the environment stems from a childhood filled with being outdoors
amongst the wonders of nature.
Sarah graduated from Vanderbilt University with a BA in Economics and from the University of Michigan with dual Masters Degrees in Business Administration and Health Services Administration. After a decade in hospital administration and consulting, Sarah co-founded HealthGrades, Inc in 1998.
After leaving HealthGrades in 2010, Sarah switched her focus to aiding the natural world that has given so much to her. This includes going back to school to study environmental science and serving on steering committees, boards, and commissions for The Nature Conservancy-California, Environmental Forum of Marin, the Marin Conservation League, and the San Rafael Planning Commission. Major areas of work and advocacy include recycling, use of 100% renewable energy, and alternative financing mechanisms for conservation.
Sarah recently returned to Colorado and is thrilled to be HOME! She loves to spend time outdoors with friends and family – hiking, skiing, biking, backpacking and just sitting quietly to experience and enjoy the workings of the natural world.
Terry Huffington
Board Co-chair
About Terry
Favorite place in CO: Strawberry Park
Terry Huffington grew up in Houston, Texas. While driving from Texas to California before her junior year at Stanford University, she discovered the beauty of places such as Carlsbad Caverns and the Grand Canyon and decided to change her major from Asian Studies to geology. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree, she moved to Austin to pursue a master’s degree in geology at the University of Texas. Going where the jobs were post-graduation, Terry joined Chevron, U.S.A. as an exploration geologist in Denver, and it was then that she fell in love with Colorado and discovered Steamboat. After four years, she left Chevron to pursue an MBA at Harvard Business School, then returned to Houston to work in the international petroleum industry, first for her family’s company, then for her own.
In the late 1990’s, Terry decided to sell her business and turn her focus to supporting educational and other non-profit institutions, serving on a variety of boards across the country. Currently, in addition to Western Resilience Center, she serves on the Board of Trustees of The Nature Conservancy, Colorado Chapter, and the Advisory Board of the Jung Center’s Mind Body Spirit Institute (Houston).
In 2009, Terry and her husband wanted to do something special with land they had purchased in Strawberry Park in 1993, so they established Elkstone Farm, using permaculture principles to grow produce for sale to the local market. As this endeavor has evolved and expanded, it has transformed Terry’s casual interests in the environment and community into her passions.
When not at the farm, Terry cherishes time to relax outdoors, whether by road biking, hiking, camping, skiing, snowshoeing, or just stretching out to read a good book in the fresh mountain air.
Andrea Forster
Board Treasurer
About Andrea
Favorite place in CO: Yampa Valley
Andrea grew up and has spent much of her life in the Northeast where she raised her family and pursued a career in finance. Most recently she was Mastercard’s Corporate Controller and then EVP – Shared Services Strategy. Prior to that, Andrea spent more than 20 years with the PepsiCo organization in various finance and process improvement and risk management roles. Andrea received a B.S. in Business Administration from Providence College and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Andrea and her husband Bob visited Steamboat for many years, always leaving with a sense of peace and contentment. They dreamed of moving to Steamboat Springs and several years ago, that dream became reality.
Andrea aims to be a contributing resident of the Yampa Valley and has been a volunteer at Lift Up for three years. She is also passionate about turning climate solutions into actions to reduce emissions and make the Yampa Valley more resilient as it faces a changing climate. The mission of Western Resilience Center resonates loudly with Andrea as she firmly believes that locally developed solutions based on science with community input will keep the Yampa Valley healthy and sustainable for all. Andrea expects to leverage her past experience and expertise to add ideas and develop solutions.
Andrea is an avid yogi, enjoys traveling and exploring new places, hiking, biking and skiing.
Gail Garey
Board Secretary
About Gail
Favorite place in CO: Moose Meadow
Having grown up in a rural farming community in Kansas, Gail has always felt at home in the natural environment. She and her husband moved to the Yampa Valley to raise their children in a grounded Community where they would have ample opportunity to be closer to nature.
Before calling Steamboat home, Gail began her career working in policy and the political arena venturing to the Nation’s Capital after earning her BA in Journalism from Kansas State University. She also worked for Verizon holding various roles in public policy, advocacy, marketing operations and compliance.
Gail created and hosted a video series interviewing experts on climate change and actions that we as individuals can take to live a sustainable life. She is the Founder and Creator of Impact 360 Strategies, whose mission is to guide and empower businesses to accelerate environmentally friendly and socially responsible, sustainable business practices that benefit the bottom line and create positive social change by becoming Certified B Corporations.
She serves as Chair of the Organics Recycling Task Force which has been working to bring community wide composting to the Yampa Valley.
When she isn’t at her desk, Gail can be found hiking, trail running, backpacking or nordic skiing with her two Brittany Spaniels.
Katie Durrwachter-Erno
Board Member
About Katie
Favorite place in CO: Steamboat Ski Resort
Katie Durrwachter-Erno grew up in central Pennsylvania, hiking and swimming in creeks. Her passion for the outdoors led her to the University of Oregon where she graduated with a BS in Environmental Studies.
After graduation, Katie taught biology in Tanzania, which sparked her interest in global health and led her into medicine. She obtained her M.D. at Temple University School of Medicine and pursued her residency in Pediatrics at University of Minnesota. At present, Katie is a neonatologist working in the insurance industry, which is a remote position that allowed her and her family to move to Steamboat.
Katie’s passion is the intersection of environmental issues and health, and advancing public awareness and action addressing climate change as a public health emergency. She is a Climate Advocate for the American Academy of Pediatrics, working at both the state and national level, and she looks forward to engaging with Western Resilience Center’s Climate Action and Adaptation Priority Area along these lines. In her free time, Katie can be found skiing, snowboarding, hiking, kayaking, and camping with her husband and three boys.
Debra Sauermann
Board Member
About Debra
Favorite place in CO: Flattops Wilderness
Debra grew up in Texas and spent much of her life in Houston, where she raised her family and pursued a career spanning 25 years at ExxonMobil in various roles in corporate finance, planning, and gas and power. After leaving ExxonMobil in 2010, Debra supported her husband’s business, SGV International, in the areas of contract negotiation and strategy for several years before shifting her focus to philanthropic engagement. Debra received a B.A. in mathematics from Austin College and a Masters of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.
Debra has been coming to the Yampa Valley since the early 1970s when her cousins moved to Steamboat. Debra and her husband Roland share their love of the valley and winter sports with their son, who learned to ski here over the course of many family visits. Debra and Roland bought a home in Steamboat in 2007, and now divide their time among Steamboat Springs, Anchorage and Houston. Debra believes that belonging to a community means working with others to promote quality of life for all.
Locally, she has volunteered for the United Way of the Yampa Valley for more than ten years and has been a Board member of that organization since 2019. In a broader context, she and Roland have sponsored paleoclimate research and public outreach on climate change through the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History. In working with Native Alaskan communities, they have seen how differing degrees of planning, resource stewardship and communication affect adaptability. Debra is motivated to help the Western Resilience Center advance solutions that enable people and places to adapt to the environmental, economic and social pressures of a changing climate. Now more than ever, local leadership, tailored strategies and community partnerships are needed to guide adaptations that will make the western slope resilient to change while sustaining the beauty of wilderness, rivers and rangeland that draws us near and keeps us close.
Debra enjoys sharing time with friends and family, travel, hiking and cross-country skiing.
Lee White
Board Member
About Lee
Favorite place in CO: Fly fishing on the Elk River
Lee White is a municipal bond investment banker and Managing Director at DA Davidson’s public finance office in Denver.
He has been in the investment banking business for 39 years and is responsible for underwriting over $10 billion of municipal bonds and advising state, local governments, and higher education institutions on public finance. He has also financed a range of renewable energy projects in four states, including solar, wind, fuel cell and methane capture.
He came to investment banking with extensive cabinet level experience in state government under Governor Richard Lamm. He was Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Administration in 1979-80 and then Executive Director of the Colorado Office of State Planning and Budget in 1981-82.
Lee served as a Trustee of the Colorado Historical Society, the Greater Denver Corporation and is a member of the Colorado Forum. He was elected twice to the Denver Board of Education in 1996 and served for five years.
Lee also has experience as a co-chairman of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee’s Study on Infrastructure in the United States and of the City of Denver’s Comprehensive Planning Advisory Committee, among others.
Lee received a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School, a Master of City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
JC Norling
Board Member
About JC
Favorite place in CO: Red Mountain Pass
JC Norling serves as vice president and campus dean at Colorado Mountain College (CMC) Steamboat Springs, where he leads initiatives that strengthen academic quality, student success, and community engagement. His tenure includes expanding academic pathways, and guiding major projects such as new apartment housing, the nursing simulation lab, the ski business prototype lab, the Bear Park Permaculture Center, and the student success center. With over 20 years in higher education, he is known for fostering collaborative teams, supporting innovation, and ensuring strong fiscal stewardship.
Since joining CMC in 2012, Norling has held multiple leadership roles, including associate dean of academic affairs, associate dean of academic and student services, director of campus operations, and instructional chair. His teaching background includes full-time faculty work in Mountain Recreation Management in the Vermont State College system and appointments at Utah State University, the University of Utah, Southern Illinois University, and CMC, preceded by an early career in outdoor leadership & recreation management. His efforts have advanced concurrent enrollment, workforce partnerships, and the development of new academic programs. Norling holds a Ph.D. in parks, recreation, and tourism from the University of Utah; a master’s in recreation management; and a bachelor’s degree in history. An avid gravel cyclist and multi-discipline skier, he also enjoys riffing on the guitar, and following college and professional sports.
Liz Schnackenberg
Board Member
About Liz
Favorite place in CO: Above timberline
Liz was born and raised in Denver Colorado. Growing up her family spent time hiking and skiing in the Colorado Rockies where she developed a passion for the outdoors. After earning her bachelor’s degree in geology, she moved to Steamboat Springs and worked on the Steamboat Ski Patrol during the winter, and as an Outward Bound River Instructor in the summer. In 1992 she started working for the Forest Service which prompted her to earn her Master’s degree in Watershed Science from Colorado State University. She spent 30 years working for the Forest Service as a hydrologist focused on watershed hydrology, riparian/wetland management, and post fire watershed effects. During this time, she also was a member of the Colorado Riparian Training Cadre teaching riparian assessment methods to land managers and local citizens around the state. A partnership with the International Crane Foundation gave her the opportunity to work on wetland conservation for cranes in Mongolia and China. Other highlights included working in post wildfire emergency response planning across the west, and internationally in Australia and Portugal. In 2019 she travelled to Portugal as a Fullbright Specialist to help develop a post-fire emergency response program.
As a Colorado local, she values not only the natural beauty of the state, but also sustaining the natural resources so that future generations can enjoy the Colorado that she grew up in. During her free time, she enjoys being outdoors whether on two feet, two wheels, or two skis.
Anders Halverson
Board Member
About Anders
Favorite place in CO: Echo Park
After more than 50 years of exploring Northwest Colorado with his parents, his wife, his children and his dogs, Anders is still finding new places, new people, and new reasons to love this place. Redrock canyons, bluebird days, chantarelles, and the only population of wood frogs for five hundred miles—how can one place, he asks, have so much?
In fact it was his experiences in and around the Yampa Valley that ultimately led Anders to pursue a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and later to write his environmental history book, An Entirely Synthetic Fish.
Anders has taught at Yale University, the University of Colorado, and Colorado Mountain College. In recent years he has been entirely focused on climate change; he is currently the co-director of the Climate Solutions and Strategies program for Skill-up for Earth, a nonprofit organization that works all over the world to empower citizens with the skills they need to take effective climate action.
As this region continues to change—new climate, new buildings, new people discovering their own love for the area—Anders hopes he has something to contribute to a place that has shaped him in so many ways.
Interns
Harrison Boeddeker
Intern
About Harrison
Harrison Boeddeker grew up in Santa Barbara, California, while maintaining strong ties to his family’s third-generation ranching operation, Cross Mountain Ranch/Lily Park Land and Cattle, in Northwest Colorado. Raised with a deep appreciation for agriculture, land stewardship, and the values of rural life, Harrison developed an early passion for preserving working lands and supporting the agricultural communities that depend on them. His experiences on the ranch helped shape his commitment to the future of agriculture and natural resource management.
Harrison is currently a junior at the University of Idaho, pursuing a degree in Agricultural Economics with an emphasis in agribusiness, along with a minor in water management, and is expected to graduate in the spring of 2027. His academic focus reflects his strong interest in the intersection of agriculture, business, and sustainable water use.
Looking ahead, Harrison is passionate about building a career centered on water management in agriculture, with the goal of helping producers strengthen long-term resilience through responsible resource stewardship. He is also dedicated to carrying on his grandfather’s legacy alongside his three brothers as future stewards of their family’s land. With strong interests in agriculture, water, hunting, fishing, and the outdoors, Harrison is committed to making a meaningful impact in the future of agricultural sustainability.
Samantha Campbell
Intern
About Samantha
Samantha is originally from Washington State but moved to Steamboat Springs in middle school, and her diverse interests in conservation and climate resilience stem from her experiences living on an island in the Pacific Northwest, in the mountains of Colorado, and attending college in Southern California. Having lived in vastly different locations, she is passionate about ensuring that climate solutions are tailored to their unique ecosystems and inhabitants.
Samantha graduated from Scripps College in Claremont, California in May of 2026 with a bachelor’s of Environmental Science and a minor in Spanish, where her undergraduate coursework and research deepened her interests in environmental monitoring and the effects of climate change on aquatic ecosystems. She is extremely excited to continue her climate focus as a summer 2026 intern at Western Resilience Center, and will be completing a project in the Resilient Land & Water program.
In the future, she hopes to attend graduate school and pursue work that links environmental monitoring to policymaking on all scales.
Avery Wisehart
Intern
About Avery
Avery grew up in the Green Mountains of Vermont and attended the University of Vermont, where she earned a degree in Entrepreneurship and Community & International Development.
After graduation, she relocated to Colorado following her family’s move to Steamboat Springs and spent a year enjoying everything the Yampa Valley has to offer before transitioning into a marketing role in Denver.
Over the past year, Avery has been pursuing a master’s degree in Global Environmental Sustainability, along with a certificate in Global Business & Corporate Social Responsibility, at the University of Denver. She is passionate about using business as a tool to drive sustainable growth and positive social impact.
Drawing on her background in entrepreneurship and marketing, Avery’s interests focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy, sustainable development, and tourism, particularly within the outdoor recreation industry. She is focused on advancing climate resilience, responsible land use, and equitable access to the natural spaces that communities and economies depend on, especially in mountain communities like Steamboat Springs.
Outside of her professional and academic pursuits, Avery enjoys hiking, skiing, and spending time on the water – whether in the Rockies or on Lake Champlain back in Vermont. An avid traveler, she believes in the power of travel to broaden perspectives, foster connection, and inspire stronger, more thoughtful communities.
Margaret Young
Intern
About Margaret
Margaret is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, but has spent much of her life visiting the Steamboat area. She recently completed her sophomore year at Vanderbilt University, where she is double majoring in Earth & Environmental Science and Human & Organizational Development.
This past year, she served as a fellow with the Rachel Carson Council, leading an independent project in the greater Nashville community focused on near-capacity landfills, local policy solutions, PFAS water contamination, and related ecological and public health concerns. She also worked as a research assistant in a terrestrial paleoclimate lab, using isotopic analysis and mass spectrometry to study stalagmite samples from caves in Curaçao.
In addition, Margaret enjoys serving as an instructor for Vanderbilt WilSkills, where she leads weekend backpacking, paddling, and caving trips for fellow students.
Outside of academics, she loves spending time outdoors, reading, running, and hiking, and is excited to spend the summer as an intern with Western Resilience Center.