Meet Our Team
Our Staff
Executive Director
Favorite place in CO: North Routt
Michelle Stewart is a Colorado native who 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 15 years.
Prior to joining YVSC, 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 since 2017. 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 implement collaborative adaptive rangeland management in the Pawnee grasslands. She was the Pick Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Amherst College from 2013-2016, and a doctoral fellow 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 (faculty 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.
ResilienT LAND & WATER DirECTOR
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
Winn Cowman
WASTE DIVERSION DirECTOR
Favorite place in CO: Emerald Mountain
Winn most recently served seven years as a Senior Environmental Scientist at Souder, Miller & Associates (SMA), an environmental engineering firm serving the Mountain West. At SMA, Winn assisted primarily rural Colorado local governments with management of their waste materials, with an emphasis on reduction, reuse, and recycling. She was a project manager for solid waste campuses in Eagle, Rio Blanco, Mesa, and Gunnison counties, providing environmental regulatory management, design, and technical assistance for landfills, compost facilities, materials recovery facilities (MRFs), and waste impoundments.
During her tenure at SMA, Winn was Project Lead for four regional waste diversion studies encompassing thirteen rural Colorado counties. These studies were grant-funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment’s (CDPHE’s) Recycling Resources & Economic Opportunity (RREO) program. Winn also assisted clients with special wastes, including beneficial uses for wastes, such as biochar.
Prior to working at SMA, Winn worked for several years with Twin Enviro Services in Steamboat Springs as their Compliance and Quality Control Officer, overseeing two landfills, two waste solidification facilities, a compost facility, and a transfer station.
Prior to working for Twin Enviro, Winn worked for ten years with Xcel Energy. She served five years as the Environmental Manager at their Hayden Station, a coal-fired electric generating station in Hayden, CO, and five years as an Environmental Specialist in the Air & Water Division of Xcel’s Environmental Services Department. Winn was recently appointed (2021) to CDPHE’s Pollution Prevention Advisory Board Assistance Committee (PPABAC) as a waste subject matter expert. Winn served on YVSC’s Board of directors for six years and volunteers her time to Water Engineers for the Americas & Africa (WEFTA), travelling to Ethiopia in 2018 to review several spring protection projects bringing much needed water to remote communities. Winn holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and a Master of Environmental Policy & Management from the University of Denver.
Email: Winn@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
Madison Muxworthy
Soil Moisture, Water & Snow Program Manager
Favorite place in CO: Any high alpine lake!
Madison moved from New York to Steamboat Springs in 2015. She graduated in 2019 from Colorado Mountain College with a B.A. in Sustainability Studies. While attending CMC, she competed as a Division 1 alpine ski racing athlete. During her studies at CMC, Madison worked with YVSC in a multitude of ways, as a volunteer, intern, and sustainability studies program assistant. She also worked with the Routt County Department of Environmental Health, co-curated an exhibition focused on the science of managing the Yampa River, and worked for Aspen Center for Environmental Studies as a summer naturalist.
Upon graduation, Madison joined YVSC as the Waste Diversion Director. In this role, she led the implementation of the Routt County-adopted Waste Diversion Strategic Plan; facilitated sector-focused task force groups spanning organics recycling to construction and deconstruction; organized and ran two Community Recycle Drop-off events; delivered community recycling education and regularly participated in local government planning and waste diversion-related decision-making.
In 2020, Madison participated in the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes’ (CW3E) Summer Research Internship program as a Research Intern and conducted independent research on streamflow variability in the Upper Yampa River Basin. This research experience fueled Madison’s interests in understanding water variability and change in the west, leading her to transition her role at YVSC to become its new and first-ever Soil Moisture, Water and Snow Program Manager in 2021. Madison serves as a member of the Yampa Basin Rendezvous Steering Committee and looks forward to working with partners and community members to build linkages between science, decision-making and community action to promote water conservation and resilience.
When not working, she can be found skiing, hiking, paddle boarding, wake surfing, and enjoying the amazing natural resources and landscapes of the west.
Email: Madison@yvsc.org
Kate Brocato
Communications & Program 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
Nicole Pepper
Geospatial Analyst & Internship Program Manager
Favorite place in CO: Flat Tops Wilderness Area
Nicole grew up in southern California and moved to Colorado in 2018 after graduating from the University of California Los Angeles. She holds her B.S. in Environmental Studies and Geography and minored in Geographic Information Systems & Technology. During her time at UCLA she was greatly involved with campus-wide sustainability initiatives through the Sustainability Action Research program, where she helped permanently protect the last remaining native California habitat on the campus. During her final year she also interned with the Santa Monica Resource Recovery and Recycling Division.
In 2018, she moved to Fort Collins for a position with NASA DEVELOP, a research program under the applied science branch of NASA. During her time with the program she lead 3 research projects, the first worked with the USDA to detect wild cranberries using satellites in Wisconsin, the second partnered with the USGS to create habitat suitability models for an invasive grass, medusahead, in northern Utah, and the final collaborated with the Nature Conservancy to better understand a rusting pathogen that is infecting the dominant forest cover in Moloka’i, Hawai’i. Following the program, she moved to the Yampa Valley and, has since, been working as a teaching assistant for the GIS program at Colorado Mountain College.
Like many, she was drawn to the Yampa Valley for its many recreation opportunities. Nicole enjoys just about anything in the outdoors including hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, fly fishing, mountain biking, and snowboarding. She feels really grateful to live in such a wonderful area and looks forward to getting involved with sustainability and conservation initiatives throughout the community.
Email: Nicole@yvsc.org
Collaborative Initiatives Manager
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
Zero waste coordinator
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. Prior to moving across the country, 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 living and working on a sustainable farm and taking 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 has 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, falling off her paddleboard on the Yampa River, or backpacking in our vast surrounding public lands.
Email: Dakota@yvsc.org
Sustainability Coordinator
Favorite place in CO: Telluride
Conner was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. By the time he was a teenager, he had summited a 14’er, white water-rafted and kayaked the upper Colorado River, the Yampa 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 – his maternal grandfather was an Environmental Engineer, who designed wastewater treatment plants for many municipalities in Nebraska and Iowa.
Over the years – before moving to Steamboat and during his time as a resident – Conner had worked with a focus on building relationships and planning and implementing events. He enjoys working with people, and sharing his passion for sustainability and waste reduction.
With a certificate in permaculture, this knowledge helped Conner in various positions he’s held within the hemp industry, always with a focus on sustainability and zero waste. While acting as the lab director in a hemp processing facility in Hayden, Colorado, Conner helped to implement a system to compost extracted biomass with Twin Enviro, diverting what would otherwise be waste sent to the landfill.
Conner hopes to bring focus to the great work of the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council’s Zero Waste program as the Waste Diversion Technician. 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
Yampa Valley Climate Crew Coordinator & Natural Climate Solutions Technician
Favorite place in CO: Flash of Gold trail in late September when all the aspens have turned yellow
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
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.
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.
Margaux Shea
Youth Board Member
Favorite place in CO: Maroon Bells, Aspen
Margaux is one of YVSC’s Youth Board of Directors Member. She is a sophomore at Steamboat Springs High School and a member of the Steamboat Springs High School Eco Club.
She was born in Gig Harbor, Washington, and moved to the Yampa Valley when she was around two years old. She loves all things that can get her outside, mainly hiking, photography and fishing. She is also a hockey player and has been in skates longer than shoes. Her family is a vital factor in her life and she is very close with her younger sister.
Following high school, she aspires to work in the medical field or anything else where she knows she is making positive changes. Margaux is delighted to be one of YVSC’s first Youth Members of its Board of Directors and looks forward to helping the organization connect sustainability issues with the rising youth of our community.
Our Interns
Favorite place in CO: The San Juan Mountains
Marguerite Pilon
Intern
Marguerite Pilon was born and raised in Fort Collins, CO — and was lucky to grow up in a family that taught her the beauty of solitude in nature and got her skiing, camping, kayaking, and swimming from a young age. In 2017, she moved to Seattle for school and graduated from Seattle University in 2021 with a BA in Design and minor in Environmental Studies.
During her undergrad, she focused on using art and design as a way to explore topics of ecology, conservation, sustainability, and environmental justice. In 2021, she was commissioned by the University for a series of art installations exploring the patterns, communication, and interconnection of mushroom mycelium. As a part of her capstone work, she designed an eco-literacy app providing accessible environmental resources to communities, and presented it at various sustainability conferences on the west coast. In 2019, she had the opportunity to study in Costa Rica, where she focused on sustainable agriculture and marine conservation, working on various permaculture farms and with shark and ray populations off the northern pacific coast.
Marguerite is passionate about the power of art and design to educate and inspire change and sees it as a way to foster a deeper connection to both the human and non-human worlds. She hopes to help others in her community develop a relationship with the earth that sparks transformative action, and is more than excited for the opportunity to explore this as a YVSC intern this fall!
McKenna Deeble
Intern
Favorite place in CO: The Boulder Flatirons
McKenna is currently a sustainability major at Colorado Mountain College. Her studies are especially focused on systems thinking, systemic oppression in environmental contexts, and equitable access to climate solutions. Originally from the suburbs of Aurora, CO, she is constantly blown away by the Steamboat Springs Community’s welcoming spirit and love of nature. McKenna also enjoys distance running, rock climbing, and her work at Off The Beaten Path Bookstore and Cafe. At YVSC she is working in waste diversion initiatives, learning about zero-waste events and composting opportunities.
Alex Verachtert
Intern
Favorite place in CO: Buffalo Pass
Alex was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago where he was not given as much access to the outdoors doors as he would have liked. But when given the opportunity to go biking, hiking, or camping he took them. It was these small opportunities to escape city life that developed his love for the outdoors and wanting to protect them as best he could. After graduating from high school he moved to Fort Collins, CO to pursue his love for adventure. After a few years of exploring Colorado he then made the decision to move from Fort Collins to Steamboat Springs. Since coming to Steamboat in 2019 he has achieved his Associates in Outdoor Education from Colorado Mountain College (CMC). It was with this degree that he learned he wants as many people as possible to have the access and ability to explore these beautiful mountains we call home. With the help of the sustainability program at CMC he has found a way of following his passion of helping to make the world we live in more sustainable. While working through the sustainability program he was able to earn a certificate in Permaculture Design by working closely with Bear Park Permaculture Center on Campus. He will be finishing his Bachelors of Arts in Sustainability Studies from CMC this coming spring of 2023. Once graduated from CMC he is hoping to combine his love of the outdoors and his passion for sustainability by becoming a raft guide on Clear Creek in Idaho Springs, CO. He is working towards guiding more classes for CMC in their Outdoor Education program where he can connect students with lasting memories in the backcountry. While teaching them first hand about the sustainability issues we are facing right here in the Yampa Valley and across the West. When he is not studying for his classes at CMC or working with YVSC you can find him out skiing all winter long. Then in the warmer months he loves to go mountain biking, climbing, hiking, and on overnight raft trips down many of the great rivers we have across the West. All around he is grateful to call the mountains of Colorado home and hopes to help connect more people with these beautiful places for generations to come.
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.
Jill Bergman
Artist
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 – www.