Administrative Staff

Ford Church, M.A. – Founder & Executive Director

Ford (he/him) oversees the success of Cottonwood Institute, bringing 26 years of experience in environmental education, outdoor programs, and public schools in Colorado. He holds a B.S.B.A. in Marketing from the University of Denver and an M.A. in Adventure Education Program Management from Prescott College, where he developed the Community Adventure Program, which is Cottonwood’s core educational program.

Chelsea Tossing – Associate Director

Chelsea (she/her) combines her passion for immersive learning, leadership development, and the outdoors to create engaging, student-centered curricula. With over a decade in public education, she believes in the transformative power of relationship-driven learning to inspire wonder and connection.

Teagan Papke – Director of Strategic Partnerships

Teagan (she/her) brings expertise in bilingual education and international program management, combined with her love of outdoor activities like trail running and backpacking. Her experiences fuel her passion for building community partnerships that connect students to Cottonwood’s impactful programs.

Maeve O’Meara – Operations Manager 

Maeve (she/her) believes challenge fosters growth and connection, a philosophy that drives her work managing Cottonwood’s gear, travel, and logistics. From guiding Arctic expeditions to planning environmental programs, Maeve is passionate about supporting meaningful outdoor experiences.

Instructor Team

Erin Angel, M.S. – Senior Instructor, Changemakers & Alumni Coordinator

Erin’s (she/her) adventurous spirit and environmental education background have led her to guide and teach across the U.S. and abroad. With a master’s in Recreation Administration and a passion for pushing students to embrace life’s opportunities, Erin thrives teaching CAP classes for Cottonwood Institute.

Harmony Esqueda – AXL Academy CAP Instructor & Social Media Coordinator

Harmony’s (she/her/ella) passions for food justice and environmental equity inform the lessons she creates for her CAP classes at AXL Academy. She loves connecting youth to the beautiful Colorado outdoors through transformative trips – as well as cultivating student’s relationships to each other and their community through change making action projects. She enjoys getting to share meaningful Cottonwood stories with the public on our social media.

Lori Powell – New Vista High School CAP Instructor & Communications Coordinator

Lori (she/her) brings years of experience working in innovative and outdoor education with students of all ages. She holds a B.A. in Recreation and an M.A. in Education, and enjoys the combination of teaching and supporting CI with communication about student experiences. She loves that CAP class involves teaching both indoors and out, which provides a unique school-based opportunity for transformative learning.

Sara Grillo, M.S. – Angevine Middle School CAP Instructor & Events Coordinator

Sara is passionate about helping people feel more connected to the outdoors, whether that’s deep in the mountains or just outside their own back door. She has a background in environmental science and ecology (B.S. and M.S.) and brings experience in conservation through teaching, field work, and running international programs. She loves the magic that happens when students feel confident and curious in nature, and she’s equally at home leading a group outside or pulling together all the moving parts behind the scenes to make an experience memorable and meaningful.

Governing Board Members

• Whitney Bell Haggard, (she/her) M.Ed., Board Chair, Vice President of Strategy at US Engineering.
• Fay Hartman, (she/her), B.S., Board Member, Conservation Director, Colorado River Basin Program at American Rivers.
• Kevin Lambert, (he/him) B.S.B.A., Board Member, Consultant with the National Park Service. 
• Robert Marquez, (he/him), Board Member, CI Alum, Colorado Mesa University Engineering Student.
• Candace Richter, (she/her) M.Ed., Board Secretary, Corporate Social Responsibility Specialist at Strat Labs. 
• Elisha Roberts, (she/her) M.Ed., Board Member, Assistant Director of Implementation and Partnership at The Colorado Education Initiative.  
• Steve Schnepel, (he/him), CPA, Board Treasurer, Partner – International Tax Service at Plante Moran. 
• Andrea Schwartz-Dulaney, (she/her), B.A., Past Board Chair, Founder at Connected Roots Collective.
• John Wharton, (he/him) J.D., Board Member, Attorney at Greenberg Traurig, LLP. 
• Sarah Whitson, (they/them), M.B.A., Board Member, Principal at Whitson Strategies. 
• Phil Wofford, (he/him), B.A., Board Member, Regional Vice President at Trader Joe’s. 

Advisory Board Members

• Jeni Arbuckle, (she/her) Founder and Career Coach at Jeni Arbuckle Coaching
• Allie Cohen (she/her) B.A., Senior Philanthropy Officer, Southwest Region at The Wilderness Society. 
• Andrew Ekberg, (he/him) Investment Specialist at Garrison Financial Group
• Matt Holzmann, (he/him) Americas Channel Director at Leapwork
• Whitney Thompson (she/her), Youth Mental Health Advisor, and Owner and Psychotherapist at Anchor Counseling Centers
• Tim Trauth (he/him) Vice Presidents of Investments at AutoCamp