Please read through the candidate statement below and cast your vote.

The following candidate is running for President Elect.

Please tell us why you are interested in serving on the CWMA Board of Directors:

I am interested in serving on the CWMA Board of Directors because I feel like I have a lot to offer the organization. The last 10+ years I have spent managing invasive species for Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS) has provided me with valuable experience and insight into the challenges invasive species managers face across Colorado. JCOS’ busy park system has provided me with ample opportunities to interact with members of the public and spread awareness to the value of invasive species management. During those interactions I have learned strategies that work for engaging the public and several others that do not, and those experiences will allow me to help advance that piece of CWMA’s mission. I am constantly looking for innovative ways to grow our program at JCOS and if I am lucky enough to be selected to serve on the CWMA Board of Directors, I plan on doing the same.

Please describe your relevant education and/or career background:

I graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a minor in Environmental Science. I started my career in Natural Resources Management as a seasonal Restoration Technician with the McHenry County Conservation District in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, IL. My main responsibility in that role was invasive species management (ISM) on the various county-owned properties, and that involved both mechanical and chemical methods as a means for treatment. Most of our management focused on invasive brush species, but I spent many hot days spraying species common to Colorado, including Canada thistle and both species of teasel. I worked with them for two field seasons before moving out to Colorado in the fall of 2012. The following spring, I was hired by Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS) in Golden, CO as a seasonal Natural Resource Technician and my main responsibilities in that role were conducting baseline inventories and implementing forest management projects. I was then promoted to a full-time Natural Resources Specialist position with JCOS in September of 2013 and my focus shifted almost entirely to ISM. In that position I oversaw all field-based ISM activities across the 56,000-acre JCOS system, including training and supervision of our seasonal staff on a variety of integrated pest management practices. During my time as a Natural Resources Specialist, I obtained my Qualified Supervisors license in the following categories: Agricultural Weed Control (103), Rangeland Pest Control (107), Aquatic Pest Control (108), Industrial & Right of Way Weed Control (109), and Outdoor Vertebrate Control (302). I held that position for four years before being promoted again in November of 2017 to my current position which is Natural Resources Team Lead where I oversee all of the Vegetation Management activities, including ISM, at JCOS. During my time in my current role, I have helped update our invasive species mapping protocols which have evolved from collecting point data on handheld GPS units and drawing polygons on paper maps to collecting all of our spatial data on tablet computers equipped with ArcCollector. In 2019, I obtained my Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP) certification through the Society of Ecological Restoration.

Please tell us a little about yourself or any other important information:

I grew up in one of the northwest suburbs of Chicago, IL and have always loved spending time outdoors. That love for the outdoors is what drew me to Colorado in the fall of 2012 and I continue to spend as much of my time as possible skiing, backpacking, and hiking. Originally in college I wanted to go into physical therapy because I have a passion for helping others and thought that getting into the medical field would be the best way for me to do that. As I moved through school, I began to realize more and more that the medical field just was not for me so I started looking for other ways that I could have a positive impact on people’s lives. After my junior year of college, I took a seasonal job with the conservation district near where I grew up and that was a choice that changed the trajectory of my life completely. I immediately knew that Natural Resource Management was a career that would allow me to have a positive impact on others by protecting the outdoor spaces that provide an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I truly love what I do for a living, and I feel very fortunate that I have found a career that is so fulfilling.

The following candidates are running for the Board of Directors.

Lucy Bauer – Fireweed Ecological Services LLC
Lee Blair – City of Lakewood
Shannon Clark – Envu

Please read through the candidate statements below and cast your vote. You may vote for two candidates.

Please tell us why you are interested in serving on the CWMA Board of Directors:

I have been an active member of CWMA for two years, and currently serve on the Training Committee. I believe that, as the owner of a small business focused on ecological restoration of modest private acreages in our mountain communities, I can bring a unique perspective on noxious weed management to the Board of Directors. I see my training, experiences and perspectives in this field as aligning well with CWMA’s mission “to help strengthen the field of science-based invasive species management”, especially in the realm of private landowner education and stewardship.

Please describe your relevant education and/or career background:

Since 2020, when I started Fireweed Ecological Services LLC, I have been working with and for mountain landowners on noxious weed and land restoration issues. My goal is to help them understand and steward their own properties regarding noxious weed control, and implement some management practices for them (mainly herbicide applications) when requested.

I have an undergraduate degree and PhD in Ecology from Durham University in England, to which I have added certificates in Park Ranger Technology and Natural Resource Management from Red Rocks Community College. I am a certified commercial pesticide applicator with qualified supervisor status in rangeland, industry and right of way, turf and ornamental.

I have also sub-contracted with Ark Ecological Services LLC since 2019, working on larger open space properties owned by cities, HOAs and other entities along the Front Range, which has exposed me to a broader range of habitats, noxious weeds, management techniques and governing authorities than soley with my own mountain clients.

Please tell us a little about yourself or any other important information:

Besides loving my daily duties out in the field working with native and introduced plant species to restore natural ecosystems, I am passionate about the importance of landowner education and cross-boundary collaboration. I view my mission as a vital part of the big picture in keeping our landscapes healthy and functioning. I use my training as a former Certified Interpretive Guide in outreach activities such as community presentations on noxious weeds on behalf of my business and Teller-Park Conservation District. I am also a long-time advocate on forest health and wildfire preparedness issues, honed on managing my own 43 acres of forested land, and act as a volunteer educator with local and state-wide forest health and wildfire preparedness organizations such as The Colorado Tree Farm Program and Colorado State Forest Service, Rotary Wildfire Ready, Fire Adapted Bailey and Firewise USA.

I would be honored to work alongside (and learn from) others on the board whose backgrounds and areas of expertise are similar to, or very different from mine, in our common goal of promoting the mission and vision of CWMA.

Please tell us why you are interested in serving on the CWMA Board of Directors:

To be able to represent a larger city in the front range. I want to make sure our needs, information, data and ideas are being communicated to a larger audience. Also to be able to learn from other agencies/ board members and take that information back to my agency. I would also like to provide assistance to any projects the board is interested in pursuing.

Please describe your relevant education and/or career background:

I have a degree in Biology and minor in Chemistry. I have been working in the Natural Resources field for the last 10 years. I have worked with JCOS and now I am the Open Space Supervisor for the City of Lakewood. I have a QS in Rangeland, INDROW, Aquatic, and Agricultural Weed.

Please tell us a little about yourself or any other important information:

I like to hike, camp, fish, and hunt all through Colorado.

Please tell us why you are interested in serving on the CWMA Board of Directors:

I want to support CWMA members with their fight on invasive species including assisting CWMA to provide the most up-to-date information on management tools and legislative issues.

Please describe your relevant education and/or career background:

I’m currently a Stewardship and Development Manager with Envu covering Range and Pasture and VM. I received my PhD in Weed Science from Colorado State University in 2019 and then worked as a postdoctoral researcher until starting a career in industry in 2020. I have supported CWMA and it’s members over the years by giving talks and webinars for many CWMA meetings and also for several county training programs.

Please tell us a little about yourself or any other important information:

I just recently moved back to Colorado and am excited to support CWMA members in my role as a Stewardship and Development Manager. I love that Colorado weed managers are open to supporting research of new tools and technology.

Voting closes on November 25th.