Profession: G.I.S Engineer and Data Manager. 

Current Home: Fort Collins, Colorado, near Horsetooth Reservoir. 

Degrees:Colorado Mountain College, Timberline Campus, Associate of Applied Science, Environmental Technology, May, 2000. - Emphasis on Land Management and Mine Reclamation. Magna Cum Laude

Colorado State University, B.S. Natural Resource Management, minor:Geographic Information Systems (GIS) - Emphasis in Watershed Science, Cum Laude, December, 2003.

My experience includes the application of Geospatial Science skills emphasizing the ability to acquire, archive, manipulate,analyze, utilize, work with spatially explicit data, write AML scripts, on screen digitizing, semi and complete data conversion, manage and editing metadata, annotation and attribution, update attributes, data development, scan and formatting aerial photos and satellite imagery, with the combination and use of GIS (Geographic Information Systems), remote sensing, GPS (Global Positioning Systems) and spatial statistics.

Extensive knowledge and varied experience with the creation of site reclamation plans including: Sample collection, design of environmental sampling protocols, contaminant delineation, data collection, soils and vegetation management, inventory of site characteristics, creation of a detailed remediation plan, and the production of accompanying topographical CAD drawings.

Frontier Environmental Services, Inc.. Frontier was incorporated in September 1996 to provide specialized design, engineering, construction, remedial and management services for industry and the environmental and safety regulated community. Frontier provides design-build and management advisory services specifically formatted for facility sensitive infrastructure projects, as well as other sensitive scopes of work involving hazardous material processing, handling, and management.

Frontier's staff and ownership has an individual average of more than 20 years experience in the engineering, design, industrial processing, construction, management consulting and hazardous materials management business. Frontier entered the market with a strong reputation and name recognition of its principals. Frontier has the ability to bring together technical, engineering and management expertise to establish a project-specific team through long-standing relationships with other small businesses and specialty companies.

Why do you do the work that you do? I have chosen this profession to become an active member in reclaiming disturbed areas and increasing our understanding of the environment. I partake in many outdoor activities including hiking, biking, ice/rock climbing and enjoy working/playing in the outdoors, for the outdoors.

Describe the type of work you do on a day to day basis: The work I'm involved with at Frontier Environmental Services Inc. is very diverse as you can see from the above company information. The majority of my tasks involve: database management and production of Geographic Information systems products; however due to Frontier's' diversity of both projects and staff, I'm also involved in multiple facets of field work (evegetation, design and implementation of sampling protocol, carpentry, heavy equipment operation).

How did your degree prepare you for your present position? The degree I received from CSU provided me with the technical skills to obtain employment in the environmental field immediately after graduation. Colorado State University and the classes I took were representative of Colorado issues allowing me to find work within my discipline and within the Rocky Mountain Region.

Who was an early inspiration for you? My inspiration came from just wanting to succeed and increase my capabilities beyond the construction industry. School became the means to achieving this goal and since I was responsible for paying for my education, I needed to work hard and keep my grades up. I had received many scholarships including the Griffin Scholarship to CSU and, therefore, felt I owed it to the people and organizations that were helping to fund me to succeed.

What faculty member had the greatest impact on you? Dr. Redente had the greatest professional impact on me at CSU and before I was an enrolled as a student. Dr. Redente and I met after I graduated from Colorado Mountain College while I was employed by the Natural Resource Management Institute, which provides support services for the Environmental Protection Agency on the California Gulch Superfund Site. Dr. Redente was also working on this site and was recommended as a contact from an EPA remedial program manager. Having this contact allowed me to feel comfortable transferring to CSU. Dr. Redente and I became friends, he gave me advice on how to proceed through CSU and my degree based on my past experience.

What was your proudest moment at CSU? I would have to say it was receiving the Griffin Foundation Scholarship, since it allowed me to even attend CSU. As you may know Pat Griffin has provided CSU with many benifits and this is a very prestigious award.

What was your most memorable moment at CSU? The most memorable moments during my time at CSU included the moment I realized I could attend CSU and then, of course, graduation.

What was your favorite class at Warner CNR? I had many courses I really enjoyed, however, Rangeland Science and Dendrology have always been some of my favorites. I believe it's due to the extremely applicable nature of these courses.

What advice would you give to students? My advice to prospective students would be to continually try and think of real world applications of the knowledge they're learning and to enroll in classes which accompany previous credits taken and which apply concepts learned. I feel this technique allows the student to understand potentially what they may be doing when they finish school and it also permits a real world comprehension of all the nuts and bolts they have been absorbing over the last four years.

What words do you live by? You don't have to be the most intelligent, the smartest, or the fastest as long as you work hard and go for gold, as opposed to silver or bronze.