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About Our Organization
RiGHT is made up dedicated staff, Board of Directors and consultants
who put hundreds of hours into the land trust each year.
Click
here for RiGHT Background Information

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At our 5th Anniversary Party L to R: Michelle LeBlanc,
Ralph Curtis, Christine Canaly, Cathy McNeil, Pete Magee, Nancy Butler,
Linda Schoonhoven, Roger Perry, Susan Pierce (holding daughter Lhasa). |
Staff
Nancy Butler, Director
Nancy has been with RiGHT for four and a half years and has successfully
completed numerous conservation easements for RiGHT including the Upper Wrights
Ranch in 2003, the Dunn Ranch in 2005 as well as the King Ranch Phase I in 2005.
Nancy came from ten years of
experience in other non profits including Earthlaw, the Diana Price Fish Cancer
Foundation and the Peace Corps. She is responsible for all operations of the land
trust, including project development, fundraising, office and board management.
Aaron Welch,
Assistant Project Manager
Aaron Welch is a recent graduate of Yale University’s School of Forestry and
Environmental Studies where he earned a master’s degree in environmental science.
He is excited to be back in Colorado after two years on the East Coast and
another couple of years in the Dominican Republic where he served as an agroforestry extentionist with the Peace Corps. As a Colorado Conservation Trust
Fellow he will be working part time with RiGHT. Aaron can imagine no better place to
work for conservation and is thrilled to call the Valley home.
Aaron Derwingson,
Stewardship Director
Aaron joins RiGHT after
recently completing a Master of Community and Regional Planning degree from the
University of Oregon where he worked extensively on issues related to
community-based collaboration, local food systems, and sustainable development.
Aaron is returning to Colorado, having attended the University of Colorado as an
undergraduate, where he developed a passion for the outdoors, open space, and
for conservation biology. As a Colorado Conservation Trust Fellow, Aaron will
spend his time with RiGHT working on a variety of projects including land
protection and stewardship, the Rio Grande Initiative, education, development,
and outreach.

Board of Directors
President - Peggy Blenden: Peggy and her family have lived in the San Luis Valley
since 1995. Peggy's background is in wildlife biology and she has worked with
the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota and on the Izembeck National Wildlife
Refuge in Alaska. In the Valley Peggy home schooled her sons for part of their
grade and middle school educations. Peggy also serves on the Monte Vista Crane Festival
Committee.
Vice President - Ralph Curtis:
Ralph has served on the Board of Directors since 2001 and is recently
retired as the General Manager of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District and
has served as President of both the Colorado Water Congress and the Colorado
Association of Soil Conservation Districts. Raised on an irrigated livestock
ranch in Saguache, Ralph also possesses technical, hands-on experience in
managing land and water in order to keep it productive.
Secretary - Cathy McNeil:
Cathy is also one of the founders of RiGHT. She is the co-owner and
co-manager of McNeil Ranch, a working fourth generation cattle ranch in Monte
Vista, which has numerous conservation easements on it held by Ducks Unlimited,
the NRCS and American Farmland Trust. The McNeil's were named "Outstanding
Conservationists of 1999 - Ranch Division" by the Colorado Association of Soil
Conservation Districts; "Steward of the Land" National Award in 2001 from
American Farmland Trust; won the 2001 "National Wetlands Award - Landowner
Division" from the Environmental Law Institute and the 2005 "Leopold Award" for
conservation. Cathy received her Bachelor's Degree in Geology from Western State
College of Colorado and currently serves on the Rio Grande Conservation District
Board, the Rio Grande Watershed Association of Conservation Districts and is a
founding board member of the Friends of the San Luis Valley National Wildlife
Refuges.
Treasurer - Pete Atkins
A rancher for over 30 years in the SLV, Pete
and his wife Terisa own and operate the historic Rock Creek Ranch, now renamed
to the Atkin’s family’s name, Shadow
Ranch. Their cattle operation runs a
Salers-cross herd and is protected by a Conservation Easement held by the
American Farmland Trust. Pete is a graduate of University of Colorado in
Political Science, was the Past
President of SLV Cattlemen’s Association and served on the Colorado
Division
of Wildlife’s Wildlife Management Public Education Advisory Council. Both he and
Terisa were active in local 4H activities with their daughters, one of whom is
studying agriculture at CSU and aspires to a future in ranching. Pete is
currently the Vice President of the Rio Grande and Piedra Canal Company and an
important voice for agriculture on RiGHT’s Board.
Linda Schoonhoven:
Linda
is the co-owner and co-manager of Two Creek Ranches, a working ranch south of
Monte Vista. Two Creek Ranches is under conservation easement held by American
Farmland Trust. Linda has practiced Holistic Management on her 1,900 acre ranch
and was nominated for 2003 Conservationist of the Year by the Rio Grande
Conservation District and is the 2005 Lessee of the Year for stewardship of
State Trust Lands for the state of Colorado. Linda is currently an Instructor
for Colorado College in Environmental Science on Sustainable Agriculture from
Theory to Practice. Linda grew up on a ranch in Evergreen, Colorado, graduated
with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Humanities from Colorado College, worked for
United Airlines for 34 years as a flight attendant and has lived on her ranch in
the San Luis Valley since 1995.
Cathy
Morin A cook, researcher, fire fighter, pastured poultry
farmer, boater, and hunter, Cathy stays tied to the land and deeply believes
that conserving our land and water preserves our culture, heritage, and economy.
She received her PhD in Nutrition from Colorado State University. Cathy has
volunteered for Valley non-profits for over nine years and brings 15 years of
experience in program development, project management, and grant writing. She
received Volunteer of the Year from the Boys & Girls club in 1999 and from SLV
Mental Health Center in 2004. Cathy was a board member of the SLV Ecosystem
Council for five years and has worked on coalitions to provide non-motorized
backcountry skiing areas, maintain open space in Alamosa, and improve access to
healthcare. She led efforts to organize a successful, local Farm Producer tour.
She is currently on the Board of Directors for the Rio Grande Headwaters
Restoration Task Force and is a Co-Chair for SLV Rural Philanthropy Days, and chair of the
Philanthropy Day Training Committee, to help Valley non-profits effectively link
to Colorado Foundations.
Jim
Rhett Jim enjoyed 32 years with the Department of the
Interior's USGS and BLM. His public land management experience spans
hydrological and environmental fieldwork. His last, and in his opinion, best
job, was managing BLM public land in the San Luis Valley. In addition, he had a
rewarding role in managing the Rio Grande National Forest under a "Service
First" agreement between the BLM and the Forest Service. The bulk of his
career was spent analyzing environmental impacts of multiple use to public
land. He also aided the preparation of documents for the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA brought him into direct contact with the broad range of
public land issues and even more importantly, with the people who use and care
for public land. This experience widened his scope of public land resources and
values. Jim says he is very fortunate to have spent so much time on BLM public
land and National Forests experiencing its beauty and gaining its knowledge.
Steve
Russell Steve retired from the Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) in July 2005. The last 16 years of his career were spent as
district conservationist in Monte Vista serving Rio Grande, Mineral, and
Hinsdale counties. He has worked extensively with all aspects of water, from
snow sampling for river forecasts to irrigation system design in Grand Junction,
Cortez, and Monte Vista always with an emphasis on irrigation water management.
He has training in Holistic Resource Management and has had heavy involvement in
range management, grazing systems, and spring developments. Steve is
particularly interested in stream bank restoration. During his tenure, the
Monte Vista field office became very active with river projects and has
installed more river projects than any other NRCS office in the state. Steve has
been involved in several Wetland Reserve Program easements and one Grassland
Reserve Program easement. He is currently the co-chairman of the Rio Grande
Headwaters Restoration Project and vice president on the affiliated Colorado Rio
Grande Restoration Foundation. Steve has been involved with RiGHT on the
technical committee almost from the inception.

Consultants
Jeanne "Gigi" Darricades:
Gigi is an attorney in Alamosa and has been working on conservation easement
transactions since 1999. She represents both landowners (in deals not involving
RiGHT) and is RiGHT's legal counsel. Her depth of knowledge has made her a
leading conservation easement attorney in Colorado and an invaluable resource
for us.
Rio de la Vista:
Rio is assisting RiGHT in
conservation easement transactions. She has numerous years experience doing the
same for American Farmland Trust and as a realtor - working with landowners in
the Rock Creek Heritage Project, south of Monte Vista. Rio brings a wealth of
advice with her regarding water and wetlands and is also the coordinator for the
San Luis
Valley Wetlands Focus Area Committee. Rio's degree is in journalism and
she is co-author of the "eco-novel" called, "The Oglin: A Hero's
Journey Across Africa...Towards the Tomorrows".
RiGHT
RiGHT also wishes to acknowledge Rio de la Vista and Jane Bernard
for the use of their
photographs on this website.
Contact us for more info
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