Our Staff
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Julie joined as the Executive Director of the Coldharbour Institute in 2024. Originally from eastern Washington, she relocated to the Gunnison Valley in 2014 to serve as High Country Conservation Advocates’ Water Program Director. Her collaborative approach in that role involved engaging diverse stakeholders to tackle complex land management issues.
Her love for working and natural landscapes was cultivated at a young age. As a girl she was exposed to the relationship between agriculture and wetland restoration on her uncle’s farm in Wisconsin. She worked in Yellowstone National Park during summers off from the University of Washington. A position with Elephant Energy in law school allowed her to work on renewable energy policy for Namibia, creating recommendations for feed-in tariffs as Namibia explored off-grid solar opportunities. These early experiences fostered an interest in how to meet community needs while treading lightly on the land. Julie graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law in 2011. After graduation she launched her career in western land management issues through appointments with the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), Colorado Law School’s Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment, and Western Water Assessment. In these positions she found it fascinating to explore challenges and opportunities to sustain communities, cultures and ecosystems through collaborative resource solutions. Her passion for sustaining our ecosystems is matched by a dedication to supporting the agencies and non-profits that address some of our hardest questions in sustainability. She serves as the board president of Colorado Water Trust and as a board director for the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District. Joining Coldharbour is the next chapter in this progression. Outside of the office, she spends her time exploring Colorado’s mountains and rivers with her husband and hound. |
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Ella joined the Coldharbour team in the spring of 2026. She holds an M.A. in International Studies from the University of Denver where her work focused on environmental justice and global social movements. During her graduate studies, she served as a Policy Fellow with the Urban Leaders Fellowship, contributing to research on agricultural water use on the Colorado River, and as a Community Engaged Research Fellow co-leading a qualitative study on migrant workers' rights.
Prior to graduate school, Ella worked in the youth programming and civic engagement spaces as an English teacher in Sevilla, Spain, and as a Program Coordinator with the national non-profit TurnUp Activism. Born and raised in the Gunnison Valley, Ella is grateful to return to the community that shaped her. She is drawn to Coldharbour’s place-based approach to land stewardship and is eager to apply her background in civic engagement and environmental justice to expand programming throughout the Valley. She is motivated by the belief that human and environmental flourishing are deeply interconnected, and looks forward to exploring how that relationship can be deepened here in her home watershed. |
2026-2027 Team
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Eden is joining us from Portland, Oregon as a Watershed Educator and Restoration Coordinator. After graduating from Tufts with a degree in Environmental Studies and World Literature, she has worked as an environmental educator in Boston's elementary science classrooms, a wildlife rescue center in Iquitos, Peru, and school gardens in Portland. She will be leading Coldharbour’s educational programming this summer and we are so excited to have her on board.
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Ethan joins us from California to serve as a Watershed Educator and Restoration Coordinator. After earning his degree in Animal Science from Cal Poly, he worked as a research assistant with Sea Otter Savvy and the Monterey Bay Aquarium on estuarine habitat research to further conservation efforts for the southern sea otter. Currently a graduate student in Environmental Management, Ethan is dedicated to protecting ecosystems and fostering community connections to the outdoors. In his free time, he enjoys capturing local wildlife on trail cameras and exploring the Gunnison Valley.
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Cessair completed her B.S. in Environmental Science and Management with a concentration in Ecological Restoration at Humboldt State University in California. After graduating, she spent several seasons conducting field surveys for the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado. As a project coordinator at a Conservation District, she worked on community wildfire resilience projects and sustainable agriculture plans. She is currently pursuing a Master of Environmental Management and a Master of Science in Ecology from Western. Cessair is passionate about ecological restoration, plant community ecology, and in how these intersect with community resilience. As a Coldharbour fellow, she will be working in the native plant nursery.
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Originally from Michigan, Mason completed his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in clinical psychology and economic policy. Since then, he has worked in healthcare analytics focused on substance use and mental health outcomes. He is currently working towards Western Colorado University's MEM degree, joining Coldharbour to build a knowledge base in ecological restoration and lead the Cochetopa Creek stream restoration project. In his free time, Mason enjoys playing drums, basketball, and going on hikes with his dog.
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Henry joins Coldharbour to support the Native Plant Nursery as it continues to grow and expand its impact in the Gunnison Valley. Having lived in the valley for the past eight years, Henry is passionate about local conservation efforts and is eager to contribute to the nursery's development while gaining hands-on experience in restoration and native plant propagation. This fall, he will begin the Master of Environmental Management (MEM) program at Western Colorado University. Outside of work, Henry enjoys kayaking, biking, and spending time with his dog, Charlie.
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Race grew up in southern Colorado near the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, where hunting, hiking, biking, and skiing fostered a lifelong appreciation for the natural world. Through his AmeriCorps VISTA service with Coldharbour, Race is supporting educational programming, the Native Plant Nursery, and ranch stewardship projects. He is excited to learn more about regenerative practices, environmental restoration, and native plants while helping share that knowledge with the broader community. Race is thrilled to be part of the Coldharbour team this summer and looks forward to contributing to the organization's mission.
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Board of DirectorsButch Clark,
Founder & Emeritus Board Member Trace Brooks, Board Chair Chris Nutgrass, Board Vice-Chair Ellen Ross, Board Member Rachel Sabbato, Board Secretary Devin Quarles, Board Member Micah Russell, Board Member Ben Calvin, Board Treasurer Donny Davol, Board Member Stacey Baxter, Board Member |
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