MEM Sponsor/Partner Testimonials

Matt Feier

Director of Planning at Crested Butte Mountain Resort

“I had the opportunity to work with a group of Western MEM, developing a sustainability proposal for Crested Butte Mountain Resort. Every student I was able to work with was engaged, professional, thoughtful and hard-working. As well, their professor was flexible in coordinating the Western/CBMR endeavor, supportive of her students’ needs and demanding with their results. The ideas the students ultimately presented were innovative and practical, and the document they co-authored was impressive. As a result, Crested Butte Mountain Resort has adopted several of their short range recommendations and continues to consider long range recommendations within the budgeting process.”

Brittany Duffy

Land Management Planner, GMUG Forest, USFS

The GMUG National Forests are starting to work on our forest-wide management plan revision. We partnered with the NEPA class of MEM students to answer some of our most pressing questions regarding public engagement in land management planning. Students from the course worked on exploring potential stakeholders, novel and innovative scoping strategies, and ideas about how to better engage diverse populations and youth in the forest planning process. Using a variety of innovative research methods, from interviews to GIS mapping, the students compiled and presented their findings. As the Assistant Forest Planner for the GMUG National Forests, the resources the class developed are invaluable and will help inform our public outreach as we move forwards with the planning process. We look forward to coordinating with the students of the MEM program in the future on this and other planning efforts.

Sandra Snell-Dobert

Chief of Interpretation, Education and Technology, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, NPS

Our MEM student succeeded in helping us to reach out to Latino community members and in realizing where our challenges were in serving that community. This insight, and the contacts that were made, have potential to build our constituency. The National Park Service welcomes MEM students!

Nathan Seward

Wildlife Conservation Biologist, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW)

The MEM student we worked with provided a much needed service to Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s ongoing research of Gunnison sage-grouse use of wet meadow restoration treatments. Her involvement was a huge cost-savings to the project and brought a new level of professionalism. I thoroughly enjoyed working with her and having an opportunity to mold the next generation of wildlife conservationists.

Jennifer Visitacion

Executive Director, Guidestone Colorado

The MEM student that Guidestone worked with completed the coordination of the Colorado Land Link Forum. The student coordinated logistics and outreach with presenters and participants as well as presented and facilitated some aspects of the forum. Her support with the forum was incredibly helpful as it brought new partners to the table and increased the capacity of our organization to deliver the land link forum.

Rebecca Rice

Community Health Program Manager, Chaffee County Public Health

Educators and employers have identified a broad set of knowledge, skills, work habits and character traits that are believed to be critical for success in today’s world, a few of which are: critical thinking and problem-solving; creativity; perseverance; oral and written communication; economic, health and environmental literacy; and leadership. Throughout our brief time of working with our MEM student, she demonstrated capacity for at least all of the traits listed, if not more. We have thoroughly enjoyed supporting our MEM student on her project and reaping the contributions and passion that has and will hopefully be sustained from her work in our community.

Brian St. George

Deputy State Director for Resources and Fire, Bureau of Land Management

The MEM student we worked with helped us to understand the social vulnerability of rural communities to climate change. He provided some subtle and important insights to how individuals view vulnerability and how BLM land managers can be more adaptive in their approach to climate response strategies. His interviews revealed BLM staff is most concerned with drought and its impacts to natural resources. The interview responses will assist staff in understanding the impacts their decisions have on livelihoods. BLM’s engagement with the MEM program is both personally and professionally rewarding as we are exposed to new, diverse thinkers! The MEM program places a value on blending critical thought, innovation and practical application that is critical to the work of natural resource conservation and management.