Meet Our Team
Our Staff
Executive Director
Favorite place in CO: North Routt
Michelle Stewart grew up in the foothills north of Fort Collins. Michelle has been involved in sustainability-related teaching, research, mentoring, program development and leadership for over 20 years.
Prior to joining YVSC in 2020, Michelle was the Academic Director for the School for International Training’s Iceland Program on Renewable Energy, Technology and Resource Economics, where she designed and led an experiential learning study-abroad program for university students. She and her Iceland colleagues co-developed one of the first carbon-neutral study abroad programs in the world in 2019 by offsetting transportation-generated emissions through reforestation in one of Iceland’s flight forests. Michelle has served as distance faculty in University of Denver’s M.A. Program on Environmental Policy and Management and the University of Colorado-Boulder’s Geography Department and was the Pick Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Amherst College from 2013-2016. From 2016-2017, she was a rangeland social scientist with Colorado State University in the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, where she worked with CSU researchers, USDA, local ranchers and conservation organizations to identify how best to collaboratively manage Colorado rangelands for production, wildlife and floral biodiversity outcomes. She served as a doctoral fellow examining the politics of knowledge and environmental management at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government from 2011-2012.
Michelle holds her 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 North Routt with her husband, Nathan (Professor of Sustainability Studies at CMC), and their two sons, Michael and Leif. Michelle is an avid outdoorswoman who enjoys all varieties of skiing, hiking, camping, biking, running, and horse-back riding. Having known this area since she was a child, Michelle could not be happier to live and work in the Yampa Valley.
Email: Michelle.stewart@yvsc.org
Tim Sullivan, M. Sc.
Senior Director of Climate Resilience
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 YVSC, 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 leading YVSC’s Natural Climate Solutions Program 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.
Email: Tim@yvsc.org
Paul Bony, MBA
Energy & Transportation Director
Favorite place in CO: The Grand Mesa
Paul brings over 25 years of diversified experience in planning, implementing, marketing and evaluating energy efficiency, demand side management, renewable energy and consumer product programs and services. Paul has extensive electric, gas and water utility experience and he has also worked in 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, RSES Journal, Solar Today, The Fuel Cell Industry Report, and African Heating and Cooling. 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.
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. He is excited to have a home in Steamboat and plans to spend his spare time exploring all of the outdoor opportunities in the area with his wife Susan, their two large dogs, and his adult daughters, Katherine and Lauren.
Email: Paul@yvsc.org
Jayla Poppleton
Resilient Water & Watersheds Director
Favorite place in CO: The Yampa River
Jayla Poppleton is a nonprofit leader with over 18 years 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 YVSC, 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.
After nearly 20 years in Denver, Jayla and her family will be relocating to Steamboat this summer 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.
Email: Jpoppleton@yvsc.org
Kate Brocato
Donor Engagement Manager
Favorite place in CO: Mica Lake
Kate Brocato joined YVSC in 2019 as a Communications and Administrative Assistant while she was completing her B.A. in Sustainability Studies at Colorado Mountain College (CMC). Upon graduating in 2020, Kate joined YVSC in a full-time capacity as the Communications and Program Manager.
With a passion for food systems, Kate has volunteered and worked with several organizations that increase public understanding and community action relating to permaculture, soil health and green design. Her volunteer experiences include leading CMC’s Beekeeping Club in hive maintenance and honey extraction; providing garden beds at no cost to Missoula residents at University of Montana’s 1,000 New Gardens; and aiding the horticulture team in plant care and providing educational information on the importance of macro invertebrates in various ecosystems to visitors at Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, Colorado. As a 2018 intern at Elkstone Farm, she learned about and supported the farm’s food production and sales activities, such as – harvesting and preparing produce for sale, using integrated pest management techniques, and planting new crops.
Since 2018, Kate has worked closely with CMC’s Bear Park Permaculture Center both as a Bear Park Intern and as the Assistant Site Manager and holds her Permaculture Design Certificate. In these capacities, she has supported and led in the design, implementation, and management of the Park, equipping her with a grounded understanding of permaculture principles and related sustainable agriculture techniques (e.g. drought-ready production, companion planting, no-till farming, and cover cropping). Kate has also supported and led site tours, educational programming and park stewardship activities for visitors, including CMC students and staff and community youth groups like Rocky Mountain Youth Corps. Through her role in designing and building some of the most prominent features at Bear Park (e.g. the grow dome), Kate’s work at Bear Park will be visible for many years to come.
Given her education and training in both sustainability and food systems, Kate looks forward to supporting YVSC’s growth towards permaculture-promoting programs. She aims to foster a sustainable future that is accessible to all by creating strong foundations for education, action and sustainable lifestyles. In her spare time, Kate can be found in a garden, cooking, fly fishing, or knitting.
Email: Kate@yvsc.org
Senior Manager for collaborative Initiatives
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.
Email: Ashley@yvsc.org
Natural Climate Solutions Project Manager
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 YVSC on the Yampa River Forest Restoration Project, where he hopes to broaden natural climate solution efforts through tree planting and ecosystem restoration.
Email: Ryan@yvsc.org
Forest Resilience Projects Manager
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 5 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 2 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 3 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 YVSC’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.
Email: Dakota@yvsc.org
Energy and Transportation Projects Manager
Favorite place in CO: Telluride
Conner was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. By the time he was a teenager, he had summited multiple 14’ers, white-water rafted and kayaked the upper Colorado River, the Yampa River, the San Juan River, the Arkansas River, and the Green River, and camped in the mountains too many times to count. Making the move to Steamboat Springs in 2014 for college was a natural progression to living in the area he loves.
Conner earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sustainability Studies from Colorado Mountain College. His passion for the environment and sustainability started at a young age.
Conner joined YVSC as the Sustainability Coordinator. He has worked and coordinated many events with volunteers including, Zero Waste Events, EV Ride and Drives, and has hosted multiple workshops including Colorado Green Business Network Business Leadership for Climate, Navigating EVSE charging installation for HOA’s, Businesses, and Workplace, and Heat Pump 101 for Contractors. Conner managed the Yampa Valley Recycles Depot, which has diverted over 90,000 lbs of electronics from the landfill.
Conner is an energy efficiency contractor with a focus on building science. He holds multiple certifications including BPI Building Analyst, LEED Green Associate, IREC Heat Pump Design, Installation, Service and Maintenance, and ICC Mechanical Code. He is on the Xcel preferred contractor list, and does energy assessments and heat pump installs in Xcel, Holy Cross Energy,
and YVEA territories.
Conner hopes to bring focus to the great work of the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council’s Energy and Transportation priority areas as the
Energy and Transportation Manager. When he’s not at work, Conner can be found snowboarding, rafting, playing hockey, biking, and enjoying the beauty of the Yampa Valley.
Email: Conner@yvsc.org
Communications Manager & Strategist
Favorite place in CO: A tree run in the middle of a blizzard.
Abby earned a Bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary liberal arts with minors in Spanish and anthropology from Colorado State University in 2021. In college, she worked in student media as a managing editor and opinion columnist. She also spent a semester abroad in Cusco, Peru, where she solidified her Spanish language skills and studied Latin American culture and history.
After graduating, Abby worked as an intern at Environment America, where she helped spread awareness about the impacts the paper products industry has on the deforestation of Canada’s boreal forest.
She later went on to work as a journalist in Laramie, Wyoming, covering the local government and community. There she was inspired by neighbors working together to solve local problems.
At YVSC, she is excited to be a part of the solution for a change, rather than reporting on it from the outside looking in.
When she’s not at work, Abby likes to travel, camp, ski and spend time with her crazy blue heeler, Obi.
Email: abby@yvsc.org
resilient water program manager
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 YVSC on projects, Sally jumped at the opportunity to merge her love of science with the community that YVSC 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.
Email: sally@yvsc.org
Natural Climate Solutions Technician
Megan grew up in Steamboat Springs, Colorado then moved away to get her Bachelor’s Degree in Organismal Biology from Fort Lewis College in Durango. She initially started with a Graphic Design major but switched to Biology after an inspiring Conservation Biology course. For Megan’s independent study, she researched the impacts of oxeye daisies on insect pollinators in southern Colorado, where she developed a passion for entomology and wildlife conservation.
After graduating, Megan interned at Colorado Parks & Wildlife as a Black Bear Management Coordinator. She spent her time educating the community on black bear safety, enforced wildlife laws, and inspected harvests for mandatory hunt reporting. Megan is working at YVSC as a Natural Climate Solutions Technician. She is excited to be part of such a passionate team, and to help restore natural ecosystems through wetland restoration projects.
Outside of work, Megan likes to mountain bike, paint, search for bumblebees and spend time with her dog, Koa.
George O’Brien
Waste Diversion Technician
George O’Brien was born in Denver, and first moved to the Yampa Valley almost 20 years ago. He graduated from Soroco High School in Oak Creek Colorado. George has lived in Steamboat Springs for about three years now and is calling the Yampa Valley home for many years to come.
Yampa Valley Sustainability Council partnered with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Horizons, and True North to coordinate a position for George to excel in the work place. Through this partnership, George was hired as the newest Waste Diversion Technician for YVSC. George’s quick learning abilities paired with his attention to detail allows him to thrive in this position when it comes to sorting recyclable materials at the Yampa Valley Recycles Depot.
Some of George’s favorite parts of working at the YVR Depot would be meeting new friends. George enjoys helping people out especially when it comes to being a steward of the environment. Working with YVSC has brought more awareness and motivation to his personal life in making sustainable choices and lessening his overall impact on the planet. George’s humor radiates through the depot with his witty commentary. This passion comes from George’s big heart and desire to help others. He’s looking forward to being part of the team for many years to come.
When George is not at the recycling depot he enjoys working out, cooking, and is an avid fan of WWE. He likes to collect the action figures of his favorite wrestlers and the belts of the winners. George is proficient at sign language and takes art classes at the College. He likes to go bowling with his friends and family and spending quality time with his loved ones.
Marketing and Communications Associate
Favorite place in CO: Ice Lakes (outside of Durango) & The Strawberry Park Hot Springs
Julia Hebard is a graduate of the Global, Social and Sustainable Enterprise (GSSE) MBA program (now called the Impact MBA) at Colorado State University. She chose the GSSE MBA because of its unique perspective on the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit.
Julia specializes in sustainable business development, is an accomplished graphic designer and has over 18 years of experience in marketing and branding. “I am passionate about social and sustainable enterprise, animals, the environment and working with businesses to create a positive change in the communities that they operate in,” says Julia. As a life long Routt County resident Julia understands the unique needs of our county and enjoys working in the community she calls home with organizations who share her values.
Creative Climate Communications Associate
Jill Bergman’s linocut relief prints use linework, movement, and contrast to create dynamic and playful images. Her love of wildlife, the western landscape, and decorative illustration combine to create her unique style. Jill is originally from Wyoming, and now lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She enjoys working with environmental organizations to help protect the land, water, and wildlife of Northwest Colorado. Her fine artwork is represented by Pine Moon Fine Art in Steamboat Springs pinemoonfineart.com. You can see more of her work at jillbergman.com.
Climate Equity Associate
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.
Our Board
Sarah Loughran
Board Chair
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.
Paul Hebert
Board Vice-Chair
For more than 35 years, Dr. Paul Hebert has worked to promote and support sustainable development and humanitarian action in less developed countries. He graduated from Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in 1968 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering, earned an M.S. in Environmental Sciences and Engineering from UNC/Chapel Hill in 1970 and returned there to earn a Ph.D. in 1985. Paul has been a resident of Steamboat Springs since 1985 with various international work abroad including with the Near East Foundation in Iran, helping the government to improve water supplies and sanitation, for the World Bank training water engineers in developing countries in Asia and Africa, and for the UN coordinating humanitarian relief work in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and East Africa. Most recently Paul taught and developed curricula for an environmental studies program at VMI. Paul is an avid skier and loves sailing and biking. He is married to Dr. Mayling Simpson and has two grown children and three grandchildren.
Jay Lambert
Board Treasurer
Favorite place in CO: Flat Tops Wilderness Area
Jay grew up in Aurora, Colorado. He moved to Portland, Oregon for college, where he received a degree in Business & Economic Studies. Jay spent four years as an investment banker in Portland before moving to Whitefish, Montana where he worked in Glacier National Park as a general park ranger and on the Glacier Green Team, focused on trail maintenance and clean-up, visitor education, recycling, and global warming initiatives. Jay moved to Steamboat Springs 11 years ago where he has worked for Steamboat Ski Resort on the seasonal finance staff and most recently for Smartwool in supply chain management, as well as co-leading the Smartwool Sustainability Team. Jay enjoys spending time outdoors with family biking, skiing, camping, dog walking, and all things Yampa Valley.
Sarah Jones
Board Secretary
Favorite place in CO: Yampa Valley
Sarah B. Jones, Director of Sustainability and Community Engagement, has more than 25 years of experience investigating, evaluating and presenting information about environmental issues. At Steamboat Ski and Resort Corporation (SSRC), she oversees operational sustainability, works with local municipalities to advance climate action, and partners with local government agencies and nonprofits on the preservation of local natural resources. Before joining the team at SSRC, Jones was Executive Director of Yampa Valley Sustainability Council for 7 years. She has also worked as an environmental consultant, managing both the technical and administrative aspects of multi-site environmental clean-up programs. She received her B.A. in Biology, Environmental Studies from Colby College, and her M.S. in Geology, Environmental Geochemistry from University of Colorado, Boulder.
Katie Durrwachter-Erno
Board Member
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 YVSC’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.
Gail Garey
Board Member
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.
Terry Huffington
Board Member
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 YVSC, 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.
Jennifer Holloway
Board Member
Favorite place in CO: Echo Park, Dinosaur National Monument
As a Colorado native, Jennifer embraces the opportunity to create a more diverse, educated and engaged community while preserving our cultural heritage and environmental wonders.
Jennifer is a proud community college alum with an associate of arts degree in political science, a bachelor’s degree in public management and a master’s degree in leadership with a concentration in organizational communication.
In addition to her work with the Craig Chamber, Jennifer served as the 2021 Board President for Moffat County United Way and is elected to the Yampa River Basin Round Table and Moffat County Affiliated Junior College District Board of Control. She is also a member of the Strategic Council for the Denver Museum’s Institute of Science & Policy.
Jennifer and her family are blessed to call the Yampa Valley home where they enjoy the beautiful open spaces and abundant outdoor opportunities.
Taylor Drexler
Board Member
Favorite place in CO: The San Juan Mountains
Taylor is a Colorado native who spent the last decade in sustainable agriculture and land conservation. She has worked alongside nonprofit and for-profit leaders to grow organizational capacity and lead communication and development strategies, including directing communications for municipal and county land conservation measures.
After completing a BS in Business Administration, Marketing and Social Enterprise at CU Boulder, Taylor realized her interest in resource conservation upon moving to South America where she lived and worked in 2013-2014. Through witnessing extreme examples of both environmental stewardship and degradation in some of the most remote areas of the world, Taylor decided to dedicate her career to stewarding the places we love and the food systems that sustain us.
Most recently, she was the Communications Director for Routt County’s Purchase of Development Rights reauthorization campaign, where she worked with the community to successfully reauthorize an important land, water and habitat conservation program in the Yampa Valley. She also runs a communication and project management consultancy.
Taylor believes in the power of productive partnerships between the public, private and NGO sectors to combat climate change and create environmentally sustainable systems. To this end, she is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Environmental Policy at CU Denver.
Outside of work you can find Taylor and her family building a sustainable homestead in South Routt, gardening, backpacking and cooking.
Andrea Forster
Board Member
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 YVSC 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.
Alston Williamson
Board Member
Favorite place in CO: San Juans
Alston Williamson grew up in the Lowcountry of Georgia and South Carolina where she spent hours sea kayaking and exploring the beautiful saltwater rivers, maritime forests. She spent many summers in mountains of western North Carolina where her love and dedication to nature and the outdoors grew. Alston went to college at a small, liberal arts college on top of Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau called The University of the South: Sewanee.
Alston graduated with a degree in American Studies from Sewanee and spent several years leading wilderness trips for young adults throughout the western US. After a few years gaining experience and skills in the nonprofit development space, Alston landed a position with The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Colorado Chapter on the development team and now serves as TNC’s Associate Director of Philanthropy. Over 13 years later, she works with TNC supporters, trustees, and partners to inspire investment in conservation efforts worldwide.
Alston’s passion and drive for conservation work and environmental advocacy is deeply rooted in a connection with the natural world. She is happiest out with her husband, two kids, and dog, Tallulah, hiking, backpacking, skiing, mountain biking… or cooking!
Lee White
Board Member
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.
Our Interns
Favorite place in CO: The San Juan Mountains
Bri Hicks
Intern
Bri Hicks grew up in Arlington, Texas, before moving to Fort Collins, Colorado, in high school. Exploring the Poudre River is where she fell in love with the natural world which ignited a passion for conservation within her. She has hands-on fieldwork experience from working with conservation crews in the Routt National Forest. She is excited to deepen her scientific skills while engaging with the community through the YVSC Internship.
Bri spends her winters as a ski instructor and her summers working on trial crews throughout Colorado, where she has gained valuable experience in environmental stewardship and outdoor leadership. She is passionate about protecting natural spaces for future generations and looks forward to contributing to sustainability efforts in the Yampa Valley.
When she’s not working, Bri enjoys skiing, hiking, roller skating, slack-lining and exploring Colorado’s mountains. She loves summiting new peaks, identifying plants and animals, and challenging herself in the outdoors. Her time spent outside fuels her passion to inspire others to live a more sustainable life.
Madeline Perigaut
Intern
Seven years ago, Madeline took a job teaching Outdoor Education in the Yampa Valley—and never looked back. Originally from Massachusetts and enamored with oceans and hardwood forests, she quickly fell in love with Colorado’s dramatic landscapes and diverse flora. In the summers, she can usually be found by rivers, alpine lakes, or wildflower meadows.
She earned her undergraduate degree in Biological Anthropology at Colorado College and recently completed a GIS certification at Colorado Mountain College in Steamboat. Passionate about plant conservation, she is particularly interested in applying GIS technology to support environmental projects and conservation efforts.
For the past two years, Madeline has worked as the Assistant Horticulturist at the Yampa River Botanic Park, where she led volunteer crews and educated the public on water-wise gardening and the benefits of native plants. This year, she will spearhead the Park’s Plant Collections initiative, integrating GIS technology to create a shareable database of its living collections.
Through this internship, she hopes to empower her community and deepen her understanding of how grassroots efforts can drive meaningful change. She is eager to make an impact in the place she now calls home.
Willa Owens
Intern
Willa has been calling Steamboat home for a few years now, working to create resilience within her small mountain town community. One of Willa’s biggest passions in life is the all-encompassing world of sustainability, particularly in fields such as permaculture and ecofeminism. She believes wholeheartedly in the teachings of our earth and animism, finding reciprocal ways to interact with the wilderness.
Willa works at Bear Park Permaculture Center on the CMC campus, where she learns every day how to garden and how to put forth permaculture principles. She works as a leader in training new staff and in making sure anyone who steps foot on the site feels included and welcomed. When she is not busy working or studying, Willa likes to crochet, read, sit by the river, hike, and camp.
One of her biggest goals in life is to build a fully self-sustaining home nestled in the mountains. Through her work with YVSC she hopes to reach more of our strong mountain towns and develop skills in leadership and communication that will help her continue putting forth sustainability practices. She understands the importance of caring for our future generations to come. She has been most inspired by incredible women like Robin Kimmerer, Bell Hooks, and Wangari Maathai. Willa hopes to grow into a strong contributor toward her own community here in her Steamboat home.
Contributing Photographers, Designers and Artists
Chris Hylen
Photographer
Chris Hylen is a Sustainability Studies graduate of Colorado Mountain College (CMC) Steamboat Campus. Living and working out around Steamboat Lake encouraged him to get outside each and every day, exploring endless terrain without another soul in sight. For Chris, moments like those open his eyes, allow for decompression, and keep him longing for more. Chris has had a camera in his hands for as long as he can remember and he strives to use the visual art form of photography as a basis to promote conservation and sustainable behaviors. He hopes his images serve as a reminder to help preserve the beauty of this area and others, as well as encourage people to get involved with organizations like YVSC that create a path for productive action.
Tatum Heath
Photographer
Tatum grew up on a small ranch along the Lower Elk and graduated from SSHS in 1993. After graduating from Carleton College with a major in English and a minor in Archaeology, he moved to Nicaragua where he joined an archaeological excavation funded by a joint venture between UCLA and the Nicaraguan National Government. Since then, he has worked on an organic farm on the border of Canada, taught Spanish, and coached basketball. In an effort to reestablish roots in his hometown of Steamboat, he accepted the position of Rout County Case Manager with Horizons in 2002. He became the Executive Director at Horizons in January 2020 and can be found pedaling the backcountry on his bike and snapping photos.
Tai Juneau
Photographer
Tai Juneau was born on skis in the Eastern Sierras in Mammoth Lakes CA. He grew up splitting his time between New Zealand and the Western United States representing New Zealand in Alpine Ski Racing. Tai was a member of Colorado Mountain Colleges NCAA Ski team where he got a Bachelors of Business Administration emphasizing in Marketing. Growing up with his mother as a professional photographer Tai was exposed to the world of photos at a young age and found his own passion in sports photography. Throughout his growing career, Tai has spent a lot of time shooting events, products, real estate, and lifestyle images mostly in the Western slopes of the Rockies.
Stand Creative
Web Design and Graphic Design Services
We’re a design firm with a loaded skillset.
Stand Creative works with businesses, organizations and people – locally and nationwide. We’ve helped clients bring awareness to their causes, outstretch the success of their competitors, grow their reach, or, on occasion, morph their project or venture into something above and beyond what they originally imagined.
