Staff
Lisa Caruana
Project Coordinator
As Project Coordinator for our budding nonprofit, Lisa wears a number of different hats for the organization. From website updates and email campaign coordination, to researching grant opportunities and preparing and submitting applications, Lisa tackles whatever is needed to keep UCRWG moving. A longtime resident of Grand County, she is motivated by her love of the watershed and passion for helping to conserve and restore our natural resources. She holds an M.S. in Environmental Studies from CU Boulder with a certificate in Permaculture Design, and a dual B.A. in English and Political Science from SUNY Geneseo. During her free time, she enjoys exploring the endless network of trails around Grand County with her dog, curling up with a good book, and learning to play the fiddle.
Affiliates
Samantha Bruegger
A member of UCRWG’s Communications Team and Grants Committee, Samantha is a California native who fell in love with Grand Lake, relocating to the area to work for the Chamber of Commerce. She possesses a BA in Women’s Studies from University of California Riverside and a Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University, with an emphasis on Environmental Policy & Local Government. Samantha’s past work experience includes work in local government & business relations and environmental policy. She is currently the Vice President of Grand County Pet Pals and happily lives in Grand Lake with her husband Shawn, their son Sawyer, and their three dogs and cat. Her local favorite activities include horseback riding, canoeing, Nordic skiing, hiking and rafting.
Krystal Constenius
A member of UCRWG’s Communications Team and Technical Team, Krystal relocated to Grand Lake from Minnesota in 2015. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing from Bemidji State University. She recently spent a year with Americorps Partnership to End Homelessness in Greensboro North Carolina serving as the Volunteer Coordinator the Interactive Resource Center for individuals experiencing homelessness. Krystal is experienced in social media and online marketing, volunteer management, event coordination, and community engagement.
Krystal lives in Grand Lake with her partner, Colin, and her feline friend, Chloe. Her favorite hobbies include hiking, camping, nordic skiing, snowshoeing and reading.
Geoff Elliott
Technical Project Manager. Geoff has over 30 years’ experience in natural resource management including hands-on field experience in over 200 projects in Grand County, mostly related to water. Projects range from planning, permitting, and construction oversight for utility projects, including water crossings and municipal water intakes, also docks and boathouses, trails and ski runs, and facilitating property transfers and conservation of land and water resources. He is particularly interested in restoring balance between streams and riparian ecosystems, including irrigated hay fields, with fish-friendly diversions and agriculture-friendly bank stabilization. With broad experience in hydrogeology, forestry, and the nuts and bolts of exercising Colorado Water Rights, he’s advising the UCRWG team on resource assessment and the feasibility of watershed projects including permitting and funding.
Geoff and his wife Kate raised two boys in Grand Lake, both graduating from Middle Park High School. He is past President of the Grand Lake Rotary Club and now chairs the Education/WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Committee, has a BSc. in Earth Science and MSc. in Geology, and is a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column]
Tiffany Gatesman
Tiffany Gatesman is the Vice President of UCRWG and an environmental scientist with an M.S. in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a B.S. in Water and Soil Resource Management from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. She has spent her professional years working for the USFS, USFWS, USACE, county governments, and secondary science education. Gatesman’s work concentrates on hydrogeochemistry and water resource management that includes research projects conducted in Wisconsin, Alaska, and Guatemala. Tiffany’s passions for the environment lead her to become involved with Grand County’s water resource issues. With her teaching, scientific, and agriculture background, Gatesman seeks to further the development of the environmental and agricultural education in Grand County. She sits on the Board for the Upper Colorado River Watershed Group and is the current President. Gatesman originally moved to Grand County to take photographs for the rafting companies. After moving away to earn her graduate degree in Alaska, Gatesman, her husband, and two Alaskan sled dogs moved back to Grand County for the love of the abundant recreation in the county such as skiing, biking, hiking, boating, rock climbing, and horseback riding.
Tyler Lampard
A member of the UCRWG Technical Team, Tyler is originally from Colorado and completed his undergraduate studies at Colorado State University in Watershed Science as well as Ecosystem Science and Sustainability. He began research with the U.S. Geological Survey Lochvale team where he completed year-round field collection of precipitation gauge data, ammonium capsules and water quality samples. The collection specialized in nitrogen deposition and eutrophication in high alpine lakes. Furthermore, Tyler progressed his laboratory techniques in the Natural Resource Ecology Lab where he analyzed the chemistry of water, air and soil samples from privately contracted clients. He finished his undergraduate research by exploring the biogeochemical processes of beaver-influenced mountain meadows in Rocky Mountain National Park. Tyler looks forward to a career related to high alpine mountain water restoration and sustainability.
Ryan Lokteff
After a career as a music teacher, Ryan earned his Masters degree in Watershed Science from Utah State University in 2014. He has used that knowledge in Grand County as a GIS specialist, Director of GCWIN, and in partnerships with UCRWG, Grand Environmental Services, and Gatesman Environmental. He is currently the Trails Manager for the Grand Lake Metropolitan Recreation District. He is fueled by his passion for the outdoors. He enjoys hiking, camping, mountain biking, fly fishing, rock climbing, and snowboarding with his family.
Hillary Mizia
Former Program Manager and Lead Facilitator. Hillary is the Executive Director at Shadowcliff, a non-profit educational lodge and retreat center that’s been in Grand Lake since 1956. Hillary has a background in environmental education, group facilitation, and change management. She has been involved in many burgeoning movements over the years as a key founding member, from the Sustainable Living Association to the Community Sustainability Advisory Board for the City of Golden to Mountain Sage Community School, and many more in between. She brings years of facilitation experience and a deep passion for true stakeholder engagement. You can learn more about Hillary at Shadowcliff.org and PriZmSustainability.com.
The Organizations
Grand Environmental Services is a local Environmental Consultant Firm located in Grand Lake. They help clients manage land and water in the Colorado Highcountry offering services that include environmental and wetland permitting, construction oversight and monitoring, agricultural related services like headgate and ditch management, erosion control and bank stabilization to name a few. Grand Environmental Service’s primary duties within the interim UCRWG are to support the effort through the technical expertise offered by founder and owner, Geoff Elliott, and Business Manager, Joy Phelan.
Shadowcliff is a not-for-profit lodge and retreat center in Grand Lake, CO with a mission of An eco-friendly mountain sanctuary where together we are creating a climate for a restorative world. As a part of the Grand Lake community for sixty years, Shadowcliff is naturally invested in Upper Colorado watershed resiliency and supporting community-driven efforts to uphold that. Shadowcliff is supporting UCRWG as the primary recipient of the WaterSMART grant used to fund this project and by the program management expertise of its executive director, Hillary Mizia.