Resource Central

Ali Colbert, (she/her) Senior Water Programs Coordinator

303.999.3820 x222 • acolbert@resourcecentral.org

Ali is originally from the East Coast and received a B.S. in Environmental Studies and Geography from the University of Vermont. In 2016 she picked up and moved to Fort Collins where she was excited to explore a new environment and pursue an interest in community driven conservation. In the process of figuring out her professional interests she held a marketing and outreach position with a local nonprofit focused on increasing EV ownership along the Front Range, an environmental education position with AmeriCorps in Weld County, and joined the City of Fort Collins horticulture department. These (and others!) led her to join Resource Central in 2019 on the Garden In A Box program. She is thrilled to be part of Resource Central’s team and the commitment to driving environmental change on an individual and community-wide level, and for the opportunity to explore her love of gardening! In addition to cultivating her own waterwise garden, Ali loves exploring new camping spots across the state, biking, and spending time along the Poudre River.

Ava Martz, (she/her) Training Coordinator

303-999-3820 x 108 • amartz@resourcecentral.org

Baldr

Baldr joined Resource Central in February of 2023. He loves gardening and really enjoys showing off his own garden in a box layout ideas. He is also an avid supporter of creating habitat for local wildlife by donating pounds of floof every year for bird and squirrel nests.

Brennan McGinn, (he/him) Materials Reuse Specialist

303-419-5418 • bmcginn@resourcecentral.org

Courtney Smith, (she/her) Employee Success Manager

303.999.3820 x216 • csmith@resourcecentral.org

Courtney’s roots stem from Bourbonnais, Illinois, a small town an hour south of Chicago. She graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2013 with her Bachelor’s in Environmental Communications and minors in Environmental systems, Animal Sciences and Food Sciences. Her ecological journey led to Costa Rica, where she worked in habitat conservation and helped raise numerous species of butterflies.  Upon her return, the voyage through F&B management ultimately reconvened with her environmental roots, leading her to the Resource Central team.  In her free time, you can find her camping in the beautiful mountains, enjoying live music, or spending time with her family.

Deborah Cusa, (she/her) Finance Administration Coordinator

303-999-3820 x 246 • dcusa@resourcecentral.org

Deb is originally from NY but has called Colorado home for the last 20 years. Deb attended the
University of Maryland at College Park where she received her BA in Journalism. After starting
her career in magazine publishing in NYC Deb found herself working in a wide variety of large
and small companies always seeking to apply her skill set and learn something new. Deb found
her groove in start-ups and small organizations wearing multiple hats and building a strong
office and operations background. Most recently Deb came from a non-profit organization in
Lafayette, CO (which she calls home) where she learned non-profit accounting. Deb is
passionate about conservation and sustainability, doing her part wherever she can to help
create a viable future. Deb has a 10-year-old daughter that she loves watching learn and grow
into an awesome human. When not at work you will find Deb at a farmer’s market, in the
garden, listening to live music, or doing yoga.

Elisabeth Bowman, (she/her) Conservation Engagement Manager

303.999.3820 x210 • ebowman@resourcecentral.org

Elisabeth happily joined Resource Central in September 2020. After 15 years of freelance writing and editing, she embarked on a short, but exciting time working for the City of Boulder. There, she discovered her passion for contributing to her community and customer service. She has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and German from the University of Denver and a master’s from UMass Amherst. Elisabeth’s dedication to conservation is rooted in her Colorado childhood spent camping, hiking , x-country skiing, and exploring —activities she continues to pursue with her husband and dog.

Emily Drost, (she/her) Program Manager: Renew Our Schools

303-999-3820 x226 • edrost@resourecentral.org

Emily joined Resource Central in May 2022. An award winning marketer, Emily has extensive experience in brand expansion and business operations.  Through her work with the Renew Our Schools program, she is excited to bring Energy Conservation to life for kids in the classroom. Emily holds a Master Gardener certificate from the Colorado State Extension, and enjoys spending her free time outdoors. Currently she is working on converting her entire yard to Xeric and practices energy conservation planting (i.e. how plants can help a home conserve energy).

Hunter deKieffer, (he/him) Materials Reuse Specialist

303-419-5418 • hdekieffer@resourcecentral.org

Iggy

Hi, my name is Iggy and I’m 9 1/2 months old! I help my Mama by waking her up at 5am and showing her where the sprinklers are watering the sidewalk. She tells maintenance to get those geysers fixed. I loooovvvveeee the watah so I try to help conserve it!

Joe Pitts, (he/him) Program Director: Materials Reuse

303-419-5418 • jpitts@resourcecentral.org

Joe joined in March 2023 to help scale our Reuse programs and double the amount of waste diverted through Reuse over the next five years. Joe is an experienced team leader and has a passion for customer service, sustainability, and streamlining operations. Originally from Georgia, Joe has southern roots and spent several years living in and exploring the Pacific Northwest before settling in Colorado. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, camping, kayaking, and introducing his kids to the joys of outdoor adventure.

Kate Larson, (she/her) Program Director, Water & Energy Programs

303.999.3820 x214 • klarson@resourcecentral.org

Kate joined Resource Central in June of 2009. Kate has a Marketing Degree from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder. Kate has a strong customer service and nonprofit management background. Through her experience she has gained an understanding of how education can empower a community to make sustainable choices. Kate’s passion for water conservation issues has led her to become a Colorado Master Gardener Certificate holder and develop expertise in irrigation auditing. In her spare time she enjoys running, biking, being outside, and spending time with her family.

Krista Krisl, (she/her) Program Coordinator: Renew Our Schools

303-999-3820 • kkrisl@resourcecentral.org

Krista is a proud Castle Rock resident with a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Calgary, and a master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Colorado, Denver.  She taught in the Douglas and Littleton Public School Districts for 13 years before starting this adventure.  Over the past year, Krista has become a licensed financial coach, certified User Experience professional, and a social media marketing guru. She is overjoyed and grateful for the opportunity to work for the Renew Our Schools program, and get to put all of her many certifications to use!  In her free time, Krista loves to spend time with her husband, 2 elementary aged boys, and giant drooly dog.

Kuma Larson

Kuma joined the Resource Central team in 2014 as a 9-week-old puppy. His primary duties include eating his coworker’s lunches, barking at delivery people, and sleeping through meetings. Kuma is passionate about Colorado water and is often found swimming in mountain lakes, rivers, and muddy ponds. He brings the team his exuberance, dedication to the mission, and lots and lots of hair.

Kyle Latoski, (he/him) Assistant Manager

303-999-3820 x 107 • klatoski@resourcecentral.org

Kyle is a born and raised Colorado native. (Go Broncos!)  He began working in construction at the age of 16 and brings 13 years of hands-on expertise and knowledge to ReSource customers. Kyle has extensive experience in a range of trades–including framing, installing doors and windows, full house remodels, roofing, small engine repair, and deconstruction.  He is an expert with all major power tools and stays busy with woodworking jobs and side projects when not working at ReSource.  In his free time, Kyle enjoys hanging out with his wife, fishing, and camping.

Leslie Butler, (they/them) Zero Waste Associate

303-999-3820 x 102 • lbutler@resourcecentral.org

Neal Lurie, (he/him) President & CEO

303.999.3820 x202 • nlurie@resourcecentral.org

Neal Lurie is the President and CEO of Resource Central, an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to helping people save water, conserve energy, and reduce waste. He brings three decades of leadership experience helping to tackle climate change and water scarcity. Previously, he played a lead role in growing Colorado into one of the top solar states in the nation. As an avid bicyclist he developed the vision and generated the support to successfully build the US 36 Bikeway, the popular bicycle commuter highway that serves as the backbone of the region’s network of bike paths and trails. Neal received his MBA from CU’s Leeds School of Business and enjoys hiking, biking, and playing guitar.

Neka Sunlin, (she/her) Water Programs Manager

303.999.3820 X212 • nsunlin@resourcecentral.org

Neka joined Resource Central in 2016, bringing her professionalism and expertise to the Slow the Flow program from several different, unique fields. After receiving her BS in Marine Sciences from Texas A&M University, she worked as a biologist at a large aquarium, caring for many species of marine animals including fish, penguins and seals.  Her technical background includes work at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory where she trained astronauts to assemble the International Space Station. In addition to her passion for wildlife and the environment, she is a self-proclaimed Dallas Cowboys fan. And while Texas is her home state, Neka has enthusiastically embraced Colorado, for it’s breathtaking scenery and culture that encourages an active lifestyle.  In her spare time, she enjoys biking, snowshoeing, and hiking with her dog.

Nick Law, (he,him) Zero Waste Coordinator

303-999-3820 x 102 • nlaw@resourcecentral.org

Phebe Taylor, (she/her) Water Programs Manager

303.999.3820 x236 • ptaylor@resourcecentral.org

Phebe is an east coast transplant with a Bachelors in Psychology and Art from Bucknell University. She then went on to pursue her massage therapist certification from Boulder College of Massage Therapy. Phebe most recently worked on local organic farms but also brings operations and project management experience from her 5+ years working for a local insurance company. You can find Phebe hiking, climbing, practicing martial arts, learning about plants and sewing. She is excited to work at Resource Central to collaborate with other passionate do-ers, partner with the local community and steward our valuable resources.

Shea Douglas, Customer Service Supervisor, Materials Reuse

303-999-3820 x 104 • sdouglas@resourcecentral.org

Tara B. Wenger, (she/her) Business Manager

303.999.3820 x219 • twenger@resourcecentral.org

After graduating with her B.S. in Theatre Arts and a minor in Art from the University of Oregon, Tara went on to utilize her management skills at the John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts in Eugene, Oregon as the Venue Coordinator for their concert hall and music school facility. She then moved to Seattle and managed the office at Artech Fine Art Services. Tara is a Colorado native, and missed her family, so in 2011 moved back to her home state where she went from a project manager for a graphic design boutique in the RiNo District, to business managing for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.  She loves camping and cars that scare rocks, is passionate about conserving our natural resources and loves dogs and music! It is an honor for her to be a part of, and support, such a dynamic and creative team here at Resource Central.

Tori Petersen, (she/her), Senior Water Programs Manager

303-999-3820 x213 • tpetersen@resourcecentral.org

Victoria Wunsch, (she/her) Development Manager

303-999-3820 x 106 • vwunsch@resourcecentral.org