Board & Staff

Now known as the Eagle River Coalition, but previously Eagle River Watershed Council, our organization was incorporated in 2004. This occurred following the recommendations of the Eagle River Watershed Plan, which Eagle County had adopted after a three-year public process with over 100 local citizens working with municipal and county staff. It recommended that a citizen’s group be formally established to implement and monitor the plan. A number of groups and individuals committed to the health of the Eagle River formed the basic starting committee system from which the organization emerged.

 

Today, the Eagle River Coalition is an organization committed to its mission through staff work, which is overseen by an engaged board of directors. If you wish to learn more about what membership on the board of directors means, or to attend a meeting, please contact info@eagleriverco.org.

Board of Directors

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Pete Wadden

Pete Wadden

President

Pete is the Watershed Education Coordinator for Town of Vail. Previously, he was Stewardship Coordinator at Walking Mountains Science Center and an Environmental Science instructor at Colorado Mountain College. Pete is a graduate of Prescott College (MA) and Bowdoin College (BA). He’s an avid rafter, kayaker, angler, hunter, backcountry skier, dog dad and lover of water in all its forms.

Gary Brooks

Gary Brooks

Vice President

Gary Brooks is the owner of Cutthroat Consulting, LLC working on a variety of community housing projects in the Eagle River Valley. He is a past president of the Eagle River Watershed Council, a current board member of the ECO Trails Committee and sits on the Eagle County Housing and Development Authority Advisory Committee. When he’s not sitting through board meetings, you can find him flyfishing the local waters, heading off to go bird hunting with his two Springer Spaniels or working in his backyard vegetable garden with his wife Linn.

Jessica DiToro

Jessica DiToro

Secretary

Born and raised in Vermont, Jessica moved to Colorado in 2013 to pursue her graduate degree in environmental engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. After graduating she began working at LRE Water. At LRE, Jessica manages projects that encompass a broad range of topics related to environmental compliance and permitting including Colorado Water Quality Control Commission rulemaking hearings, wastewater treatment discharge permits, National Environmental Policy Act, CERCLA (superfund), 303(d) Listings, water quality sampling and data analysis, and water supply resource planning. Jessica and her partner moved to the Town of Eagle in 2020, where she works remotely when not commuting to the LRE office in Glenwood Springs. Jessica is an avid hiker, backcountry and alpine skier, biker, CrossFitter, reader, and dog mom.

Rose Delles

Rose Delles

Treasurer

Rose Delles is a Senior Manager at Walking Mountains Science Center. She has worked for a variety of nonprofits, foundations and outdoor education centers throughout Washington and Montana. Happy to be settled in her home state of Colorado you can find her fly fishing, hiking in the high alpine, skiing with friends or adventuring with her pup.

Michael Browning

Michael Browning

Director

Mike Browning is a retired Colorado water attorney who now lives in Vail. A mountain lover, he has climbed all the Colorado 14’ers, the Seven Summits, and over 500 other peaks around the world. He also serves on the Boards of the Eagle Summit Wilderness Alliance and Wilderness Watch and remains an avid hiker, skier, rafter, and adventure traveler.

Staunton Golding

Staunton Golding

Director

Staunton is co-founder and CEO of MBHE Holdings LLC, a diversified holding company. Prior to creating MBHE, Staunton led all acquisitions, development, capital formation, and growth initiatives as EVP and a Director of Sage Hospitality Resources, a national hotel investment, management and development company. Staunton has significant experience in building asset based operating companies, real estate related service companies, and hospitality focused platforms. Staunton has served on numerous corporate and non-profit boards over the past 25 years. He spends his free time mostly outdoors enjoying fly fishing, hunting, skiing, hiking, snow shoeing and chopping wood.

Robyn Janssen

Robyn Janssen

Director

Robyn Janssen is a Communications Specialist with Eagle River Water & Sanitation District. She spent 10 years directing a successful river advocacy non-profit in Oregon and has been a guide on the Colorado River through Grand Canyon (and on other western rivers), for 26 years. On and around rivers is where she’s happiest and working to protect them is her calling. As an Oregon native, she is happy to be settled in the Rockies near her sister, niece, and river family of friends.

Lizzy Owens

Lizzy Owens

Director

Lizzy Owens moved to Eagle County from the Washington, DC area with her husband, two daughters, and dog in 2018. She has been in fundraising and development for about fifteen years; locally, she worked at Mountain Recreation Metropolitan District and Walking Mountains Science Center. Lizzy serves on the Town of Eagle Open Space and Recreation Advisory Committee, the Town of Eagle Marketing & Events Committee, and is a board member for The Literacy Project. Lizzy is a graduate of Smith College (BA) and the University of Manchester, England (MA). Hiking, skiing, and walking along our local rivers and creeks are among her favorite activities (but reading is her absolute favorite thing to do).

Matt Ratner

Matt Ratner

Director

Matt is an independent film producer and director.  He most recently produced HEIGHTENED and WE BROKE UP, and directed STANDING UP, FALLING DOWN starring Billy Crystal and Ben Schwartz. He currently serves as a board member of both the Jewish Democratic Council of America and Conservancy Guardians USA. Prior to his work in the film industry he worked in politics and government, most recently at the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He graduated from Northwestern University and is a long-suffering Cleveland sports fan. He loves rivers.

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    Staff

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    James Dilzell

    James Dilzell

    Executive Director

    James grew up in Cleveland, OH. He spent much of his time exploring the local parks, and took a Field Ecology class his freshman year of high school that impacted the course of his life more than he thought. Fast forward a few years, he received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from The University of Alabama and spent summers working in Montana. Rather than attending graduation, he packed up his station wagon and drove west to Colorado. He began his career in water as the education and outreach coordinator, connecting the local community to the Eagle River Watershed and important water topics. Now as the Executive Director of the Eagle River Coalition, he strategically leads a staff of four to implement our Stream Management Plan and ultimately, protect our local rivers. He lives in West Vail, and while not talking about water, he can be found cooking, biking, skiing, camping and drinking as much coffee as he can.

    Seth Mason

    Seth Mason

    Contractor for Water Resource Programs

    Hydrologist; Environmental Data Manager; Principal, Lotic Hydrological, LLC; M.S. in Land Resources & Environmental Sciences. Expertise in physical hydrology, hydrologic modeling, solute transport, GIS, environmental data management, remote environmental data collection system deployment and maintenance.

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    Anna Nakae

    Anna Nakae

    Watershed Restoration Manager

    Anna moved to Colorado in 2017 from her home state of Washington. Growing up, she found a love for the outdoors, and while at Western Washington University she channeled that love into a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science and a certificate in GIS. After graduating, Anna has held a variety of natural resource jobs, including working for the US Forest Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the City of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks department. Outside of work, Anna enjoys biking, climbing, skiing, birding, stand up paddle boarding and exploring all the Eagle Valley has to offer.

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    Melanie Smith

    Melanie Smith

    Development Manager, Eagle River Fund Manager

    Melanie was raised on a lake in Minnesota, and after graduating from Luther College in Decorah, IA, with a degree in political science and environmental studies, she moved to the Eagle Valley, a dream of hers since the age of four. Though she grew up in the land of lakes, she’s enjoyed learning about rivers and streams from her fishing guide husband, as the Eagle River Coalition’s Director of Development, and as Operations Manager of the Eagle River Fund. Melanie obtained the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) status in 2023, rents a house in Minturn with her husband and cat Marvin and loves to garden, read, write and explore the trails of this valley

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    Rose Sandell

    Rose Sandell

    Education & Outreach Coordinator

    Rose grew up in Eagle, CO, with fond memories of exploring the mountains and waters through rafting, hiking, running and skiing. She attended St Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota where she majored in Environmental Studies and Political Science. During her years at St Olaf she solidified her passion for preserving natural landscapes and during an experiential study abroad trip in New Zealand/Australia she found a love for education through outdoor exploration and education. Shortly after graduation, she became a Lead Instructor for Montana Outdoor Science School, before deciding that Colorado was where she was meant to be. She is excited to continue to work with the local community to educate and advocate for the Eagle River Watershed.

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      Emeritus Board Members

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      Thomas Allender
      Cliff Simonton
      Larissa Read
      Pete Denise
      Kathy Chandler-Henry
      Arlene S. Quenon
      Josiah “Joe” Macy
      Susan G. Pollack
      In memory and appreciation of Dr. Thomas “Tom” Steinberg (1924-2017)

       

      Advisory Board

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      Keith Kepler
      Dr. Joseph “Joe” E. LeBeau
      Melissa Macdonald
      Greg Espegren
      Timm Paxson
      Carlos Garcia