Board, Affiliations & Organizational Structure

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Executive Officers:

Rob Blair, President, Ph.D. Geology, Colorado School of Mines, is professor emeritus at Fort Lewis College. His focus is geomorphology and geologic processes especially as they relate to mountain environments. He is editor of the popular guide book “Western San Juan Mountains: their geology, ecology and human history.” He is a Durango, CO resident and was instrumental in the concept and formation of MSI from its beginning.

Ali Sabeti, Vice President, M.B.A., is a retired senior advisor for World Bank and is presently a consultant to governments and corporations. He lives in Durango, CO and is a tireless worker for achieving economic wellbeing for local organizations and the Four Corners region especially the San Juan Mountains.

Bob Delves, Treasurer, B.S. Accountancy, Miami University is presently mayor of Mountain Village near Telluride. Bob is a former senior executive in a large, global corporation specializing in information technology consulting, outsourcing, and software development. He is an avid hiker and skier and serves on five nonprofit boards.

Members:

Bill Dodge, M.S. Civil Engineering, Cornell University, is a Silverton, CO resident who is a nationally recognized facilitator and regional planner. Bill is author of “Regional Excellence: Governing Together to Compete Globally and Flourish Locally.” He and his wife Cynthia are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for their fellow citizens in Silverton and the San Juan Mountain region as a whole.

Matt Janowiak, M.S. Geology, U. of Wisconsin-Madison, is acting Columbine District Ranger for the San Juan Public Lands Center, a Service First office that combines management of Forest Service and BLM lands across Southwest Colorado. His expertise focuses on groundwater flow, geochemistry and oil & gas reservoirs.

Julie Korb, Ph.D. Forest Science, Ecosystem Science and Management, Northern Arizona University is an Associate Professor of Environmental Biology at Fort Lewis College. Julie's expertise is in plant, restoration, and fire ecology. She conducts research with her undergraduate students about the effects of management practices on forest health. She teaches Ecology of the Southwest, Global Fire, Field Ecology, and other courses.

Erin Lehmer, Ph.D. Zoology, Colorado State University is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Fort Lewis College. Erin's research involves undergraduates the study the ecology and immunology of small mammals with particular emphasis on deer mice and Sin Nombre hanta virus. She teaches courses on physiology, ecology, and infectious disease.

Joan May, San Miguel County Commissioner, M.S. Health, U. of New Mexico was previously Executive Director of the Sheep Mountain Alliance, an environmental activist group in Telluride, CO. She also served on the Telluride Hospital District Board of Directors and on the Telluride Foundation Board of Directors.

Jonathan Overpeck, Ph.D. Brown University, is the Director of Institute for the study of Planet Earth at the University of Arizona. Jonathan is a world-renowned paleoclimatologist who shared the IPCC 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore. He has been featured on PBS science documentaries concerning his global climate change research.

Pat Swonger, B.S. Telecommunications, U. of Florida, is owner of Vidion Communications, Inc. in Silverton, CO. His business caters to organizations in need of network interconnectivity especially related to national and international public relations. Pat presently serves as a trustee for the Town of Silverton.

Wally White, La Plata County Commissioner, BA Colorado State University, has a background in finance, foreign trade and international affairs. Wally raises llamas and is a founding member of the Rocky Mountain Llama and Alpaca Association.

Mark Williams, Ph.D. Biology from University of California Santa Barbara is a Fellow at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research and a Professor of Geography, University of Colorado, Boulder. His research interests are in the hydrology, ecology, and biogeochemical cycling of mountain areas including the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada of California, Tien Shan of China, Cordillera Blanca of Peru, and the Himalayas.

STAFF

Koren Nydick, PhD, Executive Director & Chief Scientist (Water Resources, Wetlands, Air Quality, Climate Change, and Education) (more about Koren)
Fort Lewis College, Chem 238, Durango, CO; Tel. 970-247-7071; Email Koren.  

Debbie Childers, Finance Director
Fort Lewis College, Chem 238, Durango, CO; Tel. 970-779-8243; Email Debbie.

Marcie Demmy Bidwell, MS, Project Manager, (Wetlands, Climate Change Preparation Planning, and other projects) (more about Marcie),
Fort Lewis College, Reed 130A, Durango, CO; Tel. 970-382-6908;.

Katy Rende - Operations Manager (Field Station Manager, Membership, Newsletters, and Capacity Building), 1315 Snowden St. #305, Silverton, CO; 970-387-5161; Email Katy.

Jeremy Yanko, Trails Project Coordinator, (more about Jeremy)
1315 Snowden St. #305, Silverton, CO; Tel. 970-387-5161; Email Jeremy.

Anne Izard, MS, Project Manager (Citizen Science Monitoring Program/PikaNET, Climate Change Education), 1315 Snowden St. #305, Silverton, CO; Tel. 970-387-5161.

Chris Peltz, MS, Project Manager (Biochar Re-vegetation and other projects), , 1315 Snowden St. #305, Silverton, CO; Tel. 970-387-5161.

Mike Costello - VISTA Volunteer (Citizen Science Monitoring Program Development), Fort Lewis College, Reed 130A, Durango, CO; Tel. 970-382-6908, Email Mike.

Jordan VanSickle - Project Assistant, Durango, CO (more about Jordan)

Betsy Goodrich - Project Assistant, Fort Collins, CO

Jennifer Klutsch - Project Assistant, Fort Collins, CO

 

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

As MSI has matured as an organization, its use of advisors has shifted. Currently, the roles and responsibilities of the advisory board are being re-defined. Thanks for your patience.

Jeffrey W. Brame
Owner, Chief Geoscientist, Brame Geoscience, Durango, CO
Alton Byers, Ph.D.
Director of Research and Education, The Mountain Institute, Washington, DC
Tom Casadevall, Ph.D
Central Regional Director, US Geological Survey, Denver, CO
 Professor of Geography, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Lee Dexter, Ph.D. 
Board of Directors, Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies; Associate Professor of Geography, Northern University, Flagstaff, AZ
Daniel B. Fagre, Ph.D.
Ecologist/Global Change Research Coordinator, USGS-NRMSC, West Glacier, MT
Brian K. Fowler
Engineering Geologist and President, North American Reserve; Past President, Mt. Washington Observatory, Laconia, NH
Ken Francis
Director, Office of Community Services, Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO
Donald Friend, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Minnesota State University, Department of Geography; Director, Earth Sciences Program, Mankato, MN
Andy Gleason,
Ph.D Candidate (U of WY),  INSTAAR, U of CO
Andy Gulliford, Ph.D.
Department of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO
Jack Ives, Ph.D.
Honorary Research Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada; Professor emeritus, UC-Davis; Senior Advisor, Mountain Ecology and Sustainable Development, United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan
David McGinnis, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor of Environmental Studies and Montana State Univ., Adjunct Faculty at Univ. of Iowa (Geography), Idaho State Univ. (Geosciences)
John Ninnemann, Ph.D.
Dean of Arts and Sciences, Professor of Biology, Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO

Pete McKay
Artist and San Juan County CO Commissioner and former MSI board member, Silverton, CO
Mark Williams, Ph.D.
Fellow of INSTAAR; Associate Professor of Geography, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO
Thurman Wilson
Assistant Center Manager, Planning and Public Services, San Juan Public Lands; USFS/BLM,
MSI founding Board Member, emeritus, Durango, CO
Mike Wireman, Ph.D.
Hydrologist, San Juan Initiative Lead, U.S. EPA Region VIII, Denver, CO

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

San Juan Collaboratory (MSI, CU Boulder, Fort Lewis College, and San Juan Public Land Center)

Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies, Silverton, CO
San Juan Mountains Center (USFS-BLM), Silverton, CO
Fort Lewis College, Durango CO

University of Colorado, Boulder CO

Animas River Stakeholders Group, Durango, CO

San Juan County Historic Society, Silverton, CO

Town of Silverton

San Juan County

San Juan Fen Partnership

FORMER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jen Ader (2002-03), Susan Avery (2007-08), Jill Baron (2004-06), George Bracksieck (2006-07), Charlie Burnham (2003-09), Gary Gianniny (2003-2009), David Erickson (2003-04), Art Goodtimes (2004-05), Sheri Johnston (2002-03), Bruce Kowalski (2009-10); David Kozak (2002-03), Pete McKay (2003-2010), Sue Morris (2003-05), John Ninneman (2002), Catherine Ortega (2004), Janet Potter (2004-07), Bev Rich (2002-03), Chris Smith (2002), and David Vackar (2004-06)

FOUNDING STEERING COMMITTEE 2000-2002

Jen Ader, Alton Beyers, Rob Blair, B.J. Boucher, Alison Burchell, Ken Francis, Chris George, Andy Gleason, Andrew Gulliford, Bev Rich, Chris Smith, and Thurman Wilson

FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 2002-2006: Ellen Stein (about Ellen)