COLIN CARES is an analyst at Backbone Media in Carbondale. He grew up in Boulder, CO, but always dreamed of living on western slope where the rivers (and fish) tend to be bigger. After completing a bachelor’s degree in English Literature at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colin spent a year in Frisco, CO before moving to the Roaring Fork Valley. When he’s not fishing or taking his old Avon raft down the Roaring Fork, Colin is likely skiing or mountain biking. One thing Colin likes most about the Roaring Fork Valley is how passionate people are about their hobbies, and he is excited to join the River Stewards to engage these individuals in river-related efforts.
QUINN HARNETT is a Design Engineer with JVA Consulting Engineers and an endurance sports nut. Quinn grew up in northeast Ohio with the nearby Cuyahoga Valley National Park being the inspiration for his love of rivers and trails. After earning a degree in Ecological Engineering with an emphasis on stormwater design from The Ohio State University, he moved to the Roaring Fork Valley and started his career as a civil engineer. Outside of work Quinn spends his time running far on trails that follow many of the tributary streams to the Roaring Fork River and up the mountains that hold the watershed's snowpack, cycling along the Rio Grande Trail and up nearby singletrack, or skiing both up and down at Aspen and Sunlight. He is eager to share his passion for water with those around him, especially as he continues to learn more about the unique system that is water in the Western U.S.
ALEX HELLER is a river engineer with RiverRestoration in Carbondale. Alex grew up in Buena Vista, CO, where she developed a deep appreciation for the mountains through trail running, backpacking, hunting, and snowboarding. She received her B.S. in civil engineering from Colorado State University in Fort Collins and worked in Denver for several years before finally relocating back to the mountains to focus on stream restoration projects. Since moving to the Roaring Fork Valley, Alex has enjoyed being a part of a community that cares do deeply for its watershed. She is excited to bring her engineering knowledge and passion for outdoor recreation to the River Stewards team.
EMERY HOLTON, an east coast transplant, has been in the valley for over a decade. She attended Trinity College and is an avid squash player. As many of us do, she came for “one” winter to ski. That winter turned into forever as she fell in love with the beauty and quality of life in Aspen. She works as a real estate broker for Douglas Elliman and takes great pleasure in helping her clients fall in love with our valley, just as she did 10 years ago. Her passion for exploring the outdoors is what keeps her interested in protecting our natural resources and landscape. When she’s not running around the mountains with her dog Chief, you can find her in the Roaring Fork with a fly rod in hand.
JORDIE KARLINSKI grew up in Snowmass Village and is a real estate broker at Compass. Growing up in the Roaring Fork Valley allowed Jordie to experience all that the mountains have to offer at an early age. Jordie was on the professional snowboarding circuit for 16 years and was fortunate to travel all over the world with the US Snowboard Team. She narrowly missed the 2014 Olympic Team by only two points during the 2014 Winter Olympic Qualifiers. Jordie retired from professional snowboarding in 2014 and now is an avid fly angler and river enthusiast. The time Jordie has spent on the rivers, and in the mountains, has led her to develop a passion for protecting the Roaring Fork Watershed. Jordie hopes to raise awareness on the importance of protecting the wilderness and recreational areas that makes the Roaring Fork Valley so special.
NICK KILBOURN is a design engineer with Sopris Engineering. Nick is originally from Burlington, VT and obtained his B.S.in Civil Engineering from Norwich University. Nick’s appreciation for the mountains began at an early age, skiing and fishing in the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain. Since moving to the Roaring Fork Valley in 2005, Nick has had the pleasure of working closely with many of Colorado’s western municipalities, guiding their infrastructure master planning to balance the needs of future growth with prudent water quality practices. He is excited to bring his practical engineering perspective to the River Stewards, and advocate for water quality and environmental responsibility on behalf of RFC.
MEAGHAN de L'ARBRE is a Public Relations and Social Marketing Manager at the Aspen Skiing Company. Meag has a Bachelor’s degree from Colorado College and post-grad MBA/Masters in Accounting from Northeastern University. After a brief stint in the corporate world with PriceWaterhouse Coopers in New York City, the draw of the mountains was too strong to resist. Meag packed the car and made her way to the Valley and it has been home ever since. Meag can often be found exploring the west with her tiny teardrop trailer in tow. A passion for skiing, paddleboarding, trail running and fishing to name a few has fueled an urge to help protect and raise awareness for the incredible playground that surrounds us – the River Stewards board has served as a wonderful resource of which Meag is proud to be part.
LEAH MANCABELLI is a landscape designer with DHM.
Growing up in northeast Ohio on the Cuyahoga River (the infamous and fiery catalyst of the Clean Water Act and eventually the EPA) Leah learned to have quite a bit of reverence for conservation starting at a young age. That and her passion for design lead her to pursue a Bachelor of Science is Landscape Architecture from The Ohio State University with an emphasis in ecological systems. She came to this valley for an internship one summer and knew she'd be back for good! Her free time is split between seeing just how far she can get into the backcountry in her trail runners or on my split-board before Monday rolls back around, and patiently treading the rivers in this valley with her fly rod.
PJ MURRAY grew up in Flagstaff, AZ where rivers and water became a source of joy, adventure and a way to connect with others. Growing up appreciating water led her to attend Colorado State University for Civil Engineering with a concentration in water resource management. After graduating she moved to the Roaring Fork Valley to work for the City of Aspen Engineering Department as a project manager where she has worked on many water quality, quantity projects and educational programs. You’ll often find PJ out playing in the mountains or the rivers, hiking, biking, rafting and skiing. PJ looks forward to educating, protecting and connecting with others about the Roaring Fork River, its tributaries and the importance of this resource in our lives.
CHRIS VAUGHAN is the Reservations and Revenue Manager for Crestwood Condominiums in Snowmass where he "sells the dream." He has been visiting Colorado since he was a baby learning to ski at the age of 3. He grew up in Grain Valley, Missouri, and after graduating from Baker University in Kansas, where he was a kicker for the football team, he finally got to move to Colorado. Fifteen years can fly by when you're having fun! The mountains and its rivers have quite the hold on him. Chris feels he must live the dream in order to sell the dream, so he can be found knee deep chasing trout in one of the many rivers the Roaring Fork Valley offers or ripping down one of the mountains on skis or his bike. The River Stewards gives him the chance to help protect the rivers and watershed, along with helping to educate otherson its importance to us and the things we enjoy!
