Our Team

John tells many of my friends from outside of the state that the OLES helps to “teach Colorado kids to be Coloradan”. By that he means that our state and county have many amazing opportunities for outdoor experiences and the OLES allows kids to be exposed to them in a safe way that can allow them to develop a lifelong love of nature and the outdoors. Being able to support this mission and further its reach is what is drawing me to the opportunity to serve on the OLF board.

John is an infrastructure leader who delivers innovative, efficient technology for private equity portfolio companies. He guides FCM clients in customer experience improvement, data center virtualization, end user computing, voice and data networks, cloud services, right-shoring and global system integration. Before joining FCM, John was the Chief Information Officer at Teletech, where he enhanced processes, technology and supplier leverage to generate $45M+ in savings. Previously, he was Teletech’s Vice President of Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure and led the integration of six acquisitions to drive $200M in external growth. John also held multiple Senior Vice President roles at Citi, including Chief of Staff to Collections and Global Engineering Leader for Voice. In these roles, he grew IT service adoption and improved the customer experience, including leading a team to redesign the company’s global voice infrastructure. Before joining Citi, John was Telecommunications Leader at GE, where he developed the companywide voice vendor strategy and negotiated $100M+ contracts.

Ben Dorland was born and raised in Beautiful Jefferson County, Colorado.  He was lucky enough to attend Windy Peak as a sixth-grader many years ago.  The experience of attending outdoor lab left a large impression on him.  More recently, Ben's two children were able to experience Outdoor Lab as well as attend summer camps at the campuses.  The outdoor lab experience is very unique to Jefferson County School students and Ben hopes to help with the continuation of the program for many more generations of Jeffco students.  

Ben is an outdoor enthusiast and you can find him enjoying all that the Colorado outdoors has to offer in his free time.  He has a beautiful wife of over twenty years and two teenage children.  Ben is a full-time Realtor serving Jeffco and the surrounding areas.  For over a decade he has been recognized as a top 5% Realtor on the front range and is proud to serve his clients with dedication and an excellent customer experience.  Ben is the founder of the Black Diamond Team at Compass Real Estate.  He also owns a property management group located in Jeffco.  He hopes to bring his commitment to the community, passion for the outdoor lab program, and small business experience to further the Outdoor Lab Foundation.  

Kristen Meier is a Jeffco native and Golden HS alum.  Aside from a 5-year stint in the Pacific Northwest, she has lived her entire life in the Golden area. She was lucky enough to attend both Outdoor Lab sites, Windy Peak with her sixth-grade class and Mount Blue Sky with a summer enrichment program. As an adult, Kristen stays connected to the schools in a different way. Her late mother was the nurse at Mount Blue Sky for many years and Kristen is involved in an endowment to the schools in her mother’s honor; that legacy is providing every sixth-grade Jeffco student, regardless of ability, the opportunity to go to Outdoor Lab. Kristen is thrilled to join the OLF Board and putting her energy toward ensuring the financial health and continuation of the program for generations to come.

Kristen is married to a Columbine alumni and has two children at Jeffco schools who will attend Outdoor Lab in the next few years. Her family enjoys outdoor activities and the arts. Family favorites include hiking, mountain biking, skiing, fly fishing, live music and theater. On the professional side, she enjoys helping organizations create and sustain best in class cultures and business results as an HR Executive. Kristen has spent most of her career in the hospitality and education sectors, with her current position being the Head of Human Resources for a sports and entertainment company.

While not born in Colorado, Doug has lived most of his life here.  He grew up and currently lives in Evergreen, where he attended Marshdale Elementary, West Jefferson Middle School, and Evergreen High School.  Doug attended the Windy Peak school as a sixth-grader, and then again as a high school counselor.  In addition, three out of four of Doug’s siblings also attended Outdoor Lab as sixth-graders and/or counselors.  His mother is a retired Jeffco Public Schools educator, she too attended Outdoor Lab while a teacher.  Last, Doug’s oldest daughter was able to attend in 2020, and youngest daughter will attend in the 2022-2023 school year.

Doug received a B.S.B.A from Northern Arizona University, and began his banking career in 2003.  He has held many roles, working for a handful of banks, but today is focused on expanding existing relationships and developing new client opportunities.  Doug and his wife Cori met while in college and have two beautiful daughters, Avery and Bergen.  As a family they enjoy camping, kayaking, mountain biking, skiing, fishing…pretty much anything outdoors.  Doug joined the Outdoor Lab Foundation because he wanted to be involved in advancing the mission of the Foundation and to ensure the continuity of the program for future generations of sixth graders.

Grateful to be born and raised in beautiful colorful Colorado, Emily Cranford, is honored to be a part of the Outdoor Lab Foundation Board.  A parent of two Jeffco students, Emily was so moved by the experience of her daughter and niece's sixth-grade adventure at Outdoor Lab that she wanted to learn how she could get involved with this amazing asset.

Emily has an extensive background in sales and client management for both large Fortune 500 Companies and small organizations.  Emily’s experience includes complex national customer relationship and contract management, marketing, planning, and collaborative team leadership.  Emily is excited to leverage her professional life skills to help further the Outdoor Lab mission to ensure all children in Jeffco get to experience the “magic” of this wonderful state we call home.

In her personal time, Emily and her family love the outdoors, camping, hiking, and skiing of course!

Kim grew up in Lakewood and is an Outdoor Lab alumna, attending Mount Blue Sky as a sixth-grader at Devinny Elementary and as a camp counselor at Mount Blue Sky when she attended Green Mountain High School. After attending The University of Denver and earning a Business degree, she went on to start her career in Marketing and Sales. After discovering that her true passion lies in helping women and couples pursue their financial goals, Kim switched careers and earned her licenses & registrations as well as her Certified Financial Planner® Designation. She is a founding partner at Valorem Financial in Olde Town Arvada, and lives in Southwest Littleton with her husband, Greg and their two children, both of whom attend Jeffco Schools. The family loves to ski, camp, boat, hike, bike, travel and root for the Broncos, Nuggets & Avs. Kim is also a Girl Scout leader and enjoys supporting causes she is passionate about including the outdoors, financial literacy and family. She joined the OLF Board to help ensure the program continues for years to come so that every child can have the opportunity to participate in an outdoor experience despite cost, family commitment or lack of options to do so.

Brandon Guernsey has lived in Jefferson County for the majority of his life and grew up in Arvada. He is an Outdoor Lab alum, having attended the Windy Peak site when he was in sixth-grade at Fremont Elementary School. Outdoor Lab sparked a meaningful connection with Brandon that set off a love for the outdoors- it is this spark and connection to Outdoor Lab that drew him to the Foundation, and Brandon hopes to be able to pass this along the children of Jefferson County moving forward.

Brandon graduated from Metro State University with a B.S.B.A. in 2015 and has held a career in the banking industry since graduating. He specializes in residential and commercial construction, with a large focus on customer development and retention. Outside of work, Brandon also has a son with whom he spends the majority of his free time with as they explore the outdoors. Baseball, hockey, hiking, fishing, and traveling all throughout the state are all part of their favorite activities.

Jonathan was born and raised in Golden, Colorado, attending Maple Grove Elementary, Everitt Middle School and Wheat Ridge High School. He was lucky enough to go to the Mount Evans/Mount Bly Sky Outdoor Lab school as a sixth-grader and still has fond memories of that experience. Now, as a board member, he hopes to continue giving the children of Jeffco the opportunity to experience everything that the Outdoor Lab Schools have to offer for years to come. 

Jonathan is the founder and owner of Highlands Sport and Spine in the West Highlands neighborhood of Denver. He is lucky to interact with Jeffco parents and students on a regular basis both inside and outside of the clinic. When he isn’t spending time in the clinic you can usually find him spending time outdoors hiking, golfing, skiing, traveling, or volunteering! 

Both Jonathan and his wife, Emily May, have volunteered with OLF in various capacities since 2015 and he was thrilled to join the board in 2023. He hopes to bring his passion for the outdoors and small business owner mindset to the Outdoor Lab Foundation.

Adrienne is a Denver-based experienced corporate attorney with a focus on growing companies. She earned her undergraduate degree from New York University and a law degree from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. She practiced in Los Angeles, focusing on business and employment law, before founding Basecamp Legal after her move to Lakewood in 2016. Since then, Adrienne has successfully represented numerous small businesses, facilitated venture deals, and safeguarded her clients’ brands.

As a passionate advocate for startups and emerging growth companies, she has become a recurring speaker at Denver Startup Week. Additionally, Adrienne mentors emerging entrepreneurs through programs such as Founded Outdoors' Embark Program.

Licensed in California, Colorado, and Idaho, Adrienne is a versatile and dedicated legal partner. She is committed to helping her clients reach their peak. Adrienne spends her free time skiing, paddle boarding, hiking with her two dogs, and working on her book. Adrienne fell in love with the outdoors during law school on her first "real" hike  — Half Dome in Yosemite. She hopes to bring her experience in the legal realm and her enthusiasm for the outdoors to further the Outdoor Lab Foundation's mission.

Wes Paxton has worked in public education as a classroom teacher, assistant principal and principal for over 33 years. Prior to his current role, he was the principal at Conifer High School for nine years. Wes brings a wealth of school leadership experience to his current role from working in the Greeley-Evans School District, Adams 14 School District and Denver Public Schools. Earning his bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado-Boulder in economics and a master's degree from the University of Phoenix in school leadership, Wes has continued his pursuit of providing students with exceptional learning experiences by working in partnership with educators and garnering the support of the greater school community. He advocates for school leaders as president of the Colorado Association of Secondary School Principals, president-elect of the Colorado Association of School Executives and leadership liaison for the Jefferson County Administrator Association.

Wes works directly with the elementary, middle and high schools in the Conifer and Evergreen articulation areas, as well as D’Evelyn Jr./Sr. High School, Dennison Elementary and Mt. Blue Sky/Windy Peak Outdoor Education Lab Schools.

Allison has been a passionate advocate for the outdoors her entire life. She grew up camping and hiking in upstate New York, transitioned to backpacking and trail running in the Pacific Northwest as an adult, and now enjoys the tranquility of Colorado’s wilderness from her home in unincorporated Jefferson County.

For nearly 20 years, Allison has worked in growth-focused roles across business and people strategy, project and program leadership, and change management. Her experience spans organizations of all sizes and industries, including consumer products and retail, renewables and utilities, and the public sector.

As the Denver Managing Director, Allison oversees all of Propeller Consulting’s Denver office operations by driving new business development, client acquisition, account management, recruiting, and talent development and management activities in the market. She excels at aligning divergent stakeholder groups to a shared vision and driving teams forward to consistently exceed expectations while ensuring an exceptional client and employee experience.

Allison is eager to bring her passion for the outdoors and her strategic business skillset to help shape the future and growth of the Outdoor Lab Foundation.

Leslie Olsson is a third generation Coloradan having grown up in south Jeffco. She attended Windy Peak as a sixth grader, which was one of her first outdoor exposures. Her time at Outdoor Lab sparked a love for the outdoors and led to a desire to help other children and young adults spend time in the Colorado wilderness.

Leslie has over 15 years of experience as a Human Resources professional in the non profit sector. She hopes to use her experience in the human serves and cultural facilities areas to advance the Outdoor Lab Foundation to assist in providing wonderful Outdoor Lab experiences to future generations of Jefferson County students.

Whenever possible, Leslie and her family head outside for big and small adventures. Her favorite things to do include camping, hiking, skiing and finding a peaceful spot to read a book outdoors.

Nicole grew up exploring the outdoors in northern Wisconsin, she gained even more passion for outdoor adventure as an adult while living in Alberta, Canada for 18 years before moving with her family to Colorado in 2019. She was a sergeant in the United States Army Reserves before moving to Canada where she started a family and owned a small Safety Management company in Alberta for many years before deciding to change gears. In 2017, she graduated with a Registered Nursing degree from the University of Alberta and is currently tackling her Family Nurse Practitioner with the goal of providing holistic family primary care in the future. Since moving to Colorado, she has worked for Jeffco Public Schools with 3 years as the day nurse for Outdoor Lab at the Windy Peak location, currently working as a Direct Care Nurse for Jeffco and at a Pediatric Primary Care Practice. 

Nicole is grateful for her time at Windy Peak, an experience that unleashed a desire to expand outdoor learning experiences to children in Jeffco and beyond. She hopes to bring forward skills learned in previous coordination & fundraising roles with the Alberta Summer Games, Canada Winter Games, and her role as secretary with the Conifer Senior High PTA, to help serve the foundation. "The Outdoor Lab experience is so powerful for the students, HSLs, interns, teachers, families and the entire community, I had to find a way to participate in the growth of this program after leaving my position at Windy." In her personal time Nicole loves time with family & friends, trail running, biking, backpacking, playing/attending sports events of many kinds, and forever eager for the next quest traveling the world learning about people and cultures. 

Keith is a Colorado native who attended Outdoor Lab as a sixth grader at Windy Peak and was a high school leader from Golden HS also at Windy Peak.  He has two children who are Jeffco students who have and will attend Outdoor Lab.  Keith’s Outdoor Lab experience provided a foundational appreciation for all that Colorado has to offer.  Keith’s family spends time skiing, both water and snow, hiking, biking and camping.

Keith has an undergraduate degree from Colorado State University and an MBA and MS from the University of Colorado at Denver.  He spent the first decade of his career in commercial banking and has since worked in the oil and gas industry.  He is a licensed CPA in the state of Colorado.  Keith joined the OLF board to ensure that this experience is available for all Jeffco students so they too get an appreciation for the wondrousness of the outdoors.