About BTWC

Our Team

Our Staff

Laura Quattrini - Director

Laura brings over 20 years of experience working for conservation non-profits and  an educational background in Wildlife Biology. During this time, she has focused on applying science to natural resource management and engaging in collaborative conservation efforts with a wide range of stakeholders, partners, and landowners. Through this work, she has become deeply embedded in many conservation initiatives in Colorado and acutely familiar with the watershed and forestry issues facing western communities. She is excited to work on these issues at a more localized level in the Big Thompson watershed.

Will Davis - Communications & Outreach Manager

Will brings his background in collaborative conservation, community engagement, event planning, and an M.S. in Conservation Leadership from Colorado State University to the BTWC team. Will has worked on conservation projects around the Western U.S. and co-led an ethical research and community development project in Eastern Kenya. Throughout this work, he found a passion for involving and engaging communities to increase community connections and autonomy and to advance and raise awareness about conservation initiatives. Will began as BTWC’s Project Coordinator and became the Communications & Outreach Manager in 2022 with the goal of increasing BTWC’s outreach efforts with Big T communities and the organization’s visibility in the watershed.

Zoe Schapira - Forestry Project Manager

Zoe Schapira is BTWC’s new Forestry Project Manager! Zoe comes from a background of disturbance ecology in the context of wildfire, conservation work with nonprofit organizations, and community engagement during disaster recovery. Originally from New York, Zoe graduated with a Master of Science degree in Forest Sciences from CSU and her thesis focused on post-disturbance forest recovery in subalpine forests of the Rocky Mountains. Prior to that Zoe also served in AmeriCorps for two years leading forest conservation work in Montana and disaster recovery efforts in Texas, and also worked with one of our close partners, The Ember Alliance. Zoe’s passions in her career are assisting communities and ecosystems in post-fire restoration and promoting forest health. Outside of work, she enjoys recreating in the Colorado outdoors climbing, hiking, camping, snowboarding, in addition to yoga and baking! She is eager to help lead Cameron Peak recovery efforts and enhance community resilience to potential wildfire risk.

Our Board of Directors

Richard Alper, President of the Board

Mr. Alper is an attorney with experience in environmental law. He serves on various Larimer County boards and commissions and is an instructor at University of Northern Colorado.

Larry Rogstad, Vice-President of the Board
Gordon Gilstrap, Treasurer of the Board

Gordon Gilstrap is a retired Hewlett-Packard executive who personally organized the Little Thompson Watershed Coalition (LTWC) and during 2015 was the chairman for both the LTWC and Big Thompson Watershed Coalition. Gordon is also very active in supporting all the business functions of a children’s therapy clinic in Loveland and has helped Larimer County develop their Comprehensive Plan for the future of the county.

Lauren Hillmer, Secretary of the Board
Jerry Gibbens, Board Director

Mr. Gibbens is Director of Operations at Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (Northern Water).

Mary McInnis, Board Director
Mary serves as the Chief of Staff to Dr. Bryan Willson, Executive Director of the Colorado State University Energy Institute. Mary has spent over 20 years in lead administrative roles at several well-known climate and energy scientific institutes throughout Colorado. Prior to joining EI in 2019, she worked at Rocky Mountain Institute in a support role to the CEO, the National Center for Atmospheric Research as a Lead Administrator, and as the Assistant Director of the CSU Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere. Mary earned her Master’s degree from CSU and has a Bachelor’s from Mary Washington College.
Sharlynn Wamsley, Board Director

Ms. Wamsley is retired after many years of being a newspaper publisher and editor. She is very active in community organizations and lives on the Big Thompson River. Shar edited a book about the 1976 Big Thompson Flood.

Chris Carlson, Board Director
Stephen Decatur, Board Director
Raina Clingan, Board Director
Mark Miller, Board Director

Our Advisory Committee

Andy Fayram, Advisor

Mr. Fayram is the Monitoring Program Manager for the Big Thompson Watershed Forum, coordinating the monitoring and assessment programs, data analysis, and reporting strategies for that organization.

Mickey McGuire, Advisor
David Jessup, Advisor
Mr. Jessup is co-owner a large guest ranch along the Big Thompson River where he raises grass-fed beef. He is a board member of several Northern Colorado non-profit organizations concerned with water quality and education. He authored a prize-winning historical novel.
David Lipinski, Advisor
Tim Sendelbach, Advisor
Jane Lopez, Advisor

Ms. Lopez is a resident of Larimer County, employed as an on-call Wildfire Aviation Manager in the Rocky Mountain region, responding to wildfire incidents nationwide.

Andrew Nave, Advisor
Troy Jones, Advisor
Arnfinn Austefjord, Advisor
Adam Beh, Advisor
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