Born in Park City, UT I grew up valuing the outdoors and its small community feel. Upon graduating Park City High School I selected Fort Lewis College. I was drawn to Durango by the size of FLC and the rugged wilderness of the southern San Juans. I graduated from Fort Lewis College in 2006 with a B.A. in History. Beginning as an outdoor guide, I led young people on backpacking trips throughout the mountain west. Working with youth in the outdoors inspired me to dig deeper and pursue a master’s degree in education. In 2011 I completed a Masters degree in Education through Regis University. After graduate school, I became an instructor at Southwest Open School (SWOS) - an alternative education campus that is focused on outdoor education, experiential education and project-based learning. During my time at SWOS took on a leadership role in advocating for aligning our organizational systems, utilizing data to guide our strategic and real time response to the challenges posed, grant writing, and advocacy. The school’s reputation and my personal record of work towards improved performance are well documented within the community and beyond.
Over the last decade, I worked my way up from classroom instructor to Academic Lead, to my current position as Executive Director (ED). Strategic planning, developing regional and state level partnerships, fundraising, grant writing, and being the face of an organization are among my regular duties. As the leader of SWOS I was responsible for the following: strategic planning and visioning; contract administration; building and facilities management and maintenance; community partnerships; monitoring compliance; and supervising and evaluating staff based on best practices as head of HR. I recently transitioned to the General Services Director for the City of Cortez. In the new position I will be focused on maintaining a growth mindset, promoting a data driven culture, supporting quality work and accountability, and supporting the overall performance and well being of the city government.
Currently, I live on a small farm with an orchard and raise Dexter cattle. I love to fish, snowboard, raft, and camp with my wife and daughter
