Leadership
Our People
We take the time to listen to you and to consider your wants and needs. We believe in our mission and values, and we care about your experience. We make things happen with a positive attitude toward action. We sweat the details, but also consider the big picture of our environmental impact. We define customer service as a relentless pursuit of excellence in communication, follow-through, and in exceeding expectations.
Martie Jones
Martie is the Director of The Nature Place. Martie grew up in the rolling farmlands of Pennsylvania. She has worked in the Outdoor Education industry since 2009, and been with the Colorado Outdoor Education Center since 2014.
In her time here, Martie has played a variety of roles. These have been leading horse-pack trips, developed and implemented programs at Big Spring Ranch for Boys (COEC’s summer camp), facilitated team building, led hikes at The Nature Place and filled many other roles.
Decidedly outdoorsy, she loves playing and teaching sports, cycling, and rock climbing. With a passion for experiential education. She enjoys taking students of all ages through team-building and leadership development experiences. Martie particularly enjoys helping teams maximize a sense of ownership and encouraging transformation through innovation and creativity.
Mike Rodriguez
Mike is the Assistant Director of The Nature Place. Originally from Hartford, CT, Mike attended Williams College where he studied Geosciences and Psychology. He joined The Nature Place team in 2022.
Prior to his current role, he worked in Alumni Relations for Williams and with High Trails Outdoor Education Center as a Field Instructor.
Mike loves sports, photography, sharing the outdoors with others, and helping create spaces for individuals and groups to develop. He looks forward to working with our groups to create meaningful experiences that are challenging,
fun, and welcoming for all.
Shelley Churchill
Shelley, a Colorado native, joined The Nature Place in 2001 as the office manager. She has more than 20 years of experience in accounting and guest services. She studied business and accounting at the Community College of Aurora. Shelley’s friendliness, organizational skills, and enthusiasm contribute greatly to those around her. Outside of work, Shelley loves spending time with her family and dogs, staying healthy through daily exercise, spending time outdoors gardening and just enjoying life.
Kristy Farrington
Born and raised in the Iowa farming community, Kristy’s dream of living out west in the mountains came true in 1992. She started with TNP in 2015. She has an associates degree in travel and tourism which also included hotel/motel management. Her passions include woodworking, traveling, and spending time with her grandchildren.
Chef Chelsea
Chelsea joined The Nature Place in 2016. She was born in Brunswick, Georgia, United States Navy kid, has lived all over the United States and experienced a wide array of cultures and cuisines throughout her life. At the age of 18, Chelsea set her aim on a culinary education and attended Paragon Culinary School, an elite culinary academy, in Colorado Springs. There she studied under Master Chef, Victor Mathews, PhD, WMC, CBM, MAGL. Chelsea graduated with her Bachelors in Culinary Arts in 2013.
Chelsea is well versed in many different cuisines but her favorite dishes to serve up are Asian and Southern cuisines. She creates her own recipes and has a strong influence on the menu at The Nature Place.
Janet Davis
Janet is the head of housekeeping at The Nature Place. She joined our team in 2016. Janet has lived in both the midwest and the west coast before eventually settling down in central Colorado. She is detail oriented and cares deeply about the shared spaces that The Nature Place has to offer. In her free time she loves to travel, enjoys visiting historical sites and spending time outdoors with her family.
Kitchen staff
Our experienced kitchen staff works hard to accommodate special dietary requests, and they take pride in their cooking. Guests regularly comment on how delicious the meals are, and joke about how they’ll will be taking to the trails the next day after enjoying our desserts!
Housekeeping
Our housekeeping staff ensures that our guests are comfortable by accommodating and anticipating needs in a prompt and courteous manner. They perform daily touch-ups in addition to cleaning, making beds, and caring for the rooms and other facilities.
Maintenance
Our maintenance staff is passionate about caring for our buildings and related systems. The team works hard to maintain our conference spaces up-to-date and our retreat center accessible to all guests.
Facilitator Certifications
- Association Challenge Course Technology: Level 1, 2, challenge course
- Wilderness First Aid
- Wilderness First Responder
- CPR
- American Climbing Institute - Top Rope
- American Mountain Guides Association Single Pitch Instructor
