Our People

We take the time to listen to you and to consider your wants and needs. We believe in our mission and values, and we care about your experience. We make things happen with a positive attitude toward action. We sweat the details, but also consider the big picture of our environmental impact. We define customer service as a relentless pursuit of excellence in communication, follow-through, and in exceeding expectations.

Martie Jones is the Director of The Nature Place. Martie grew up in the rolling farmlands of Pennsylvania. She has been in the Outdoor Education industry for over 10 years with 6 of those spent at Colorado Outdoor Education Center. In her time here she has played a variety of roles. These have been leading horse-pack trips, developed and implemented programs at Big Spring Ranch for Boys (COEC’s summer camp), facilitated team building, led hikes at The Nature Place and filled many other roles.

Decidedly outdoorsy, she loves playing and teaching sports, cycling, and rock climbing. With a passion for experiential education. She enjoys taking students of all ages through team-building and leadership development experiences. Martie particularly enjoys helping teams maximize a sense of ownership and encouraging transformation through innovation and creativity.  CLICK HERE to contact Martie.

Mike Rodriguez is the Program Director of The Nature Place. 

Originally from Hartford, CT, Mike attended Williams College where he studied Geosciences and Psychology. Prior to his current role, he worked in Alumni Relations for Williams and with High Trails Outdoor Education Center as a Field Instructor. Mike loves sports, photography, sharing the outdoors with others, and helping create spaces for individuals and groups to develop. He looks forward to working with our groups to create meaningful experiences that are challenging, fun, and welcoming for all. 

Drew Schulte is the Marketing Director at The Nature Place. 

He is a graduate of Marietta College with a double major concentrated in International Leadership Studies & Spanish with a minor in Management. Working with The Nature Place from 2013-2015 as a program guide and assistant he moved into the business world of customer service, sales, and digital marketing. Drew is a class of 2020 graduate of the first cohort of the Outdoor Industry MBA program from Western Colorado University. Taking time to recollect and refocus on the outdoors, Drew joined our team to aid in marketing efforts and engage in facilitating the programming that makes experiences at The Nature Place memorable for our clients, camp families, and regular patrons. SEND A NOTE to Drew to connect.

Shelley Churchill joined The Nature Place in 2001 as the office manager. She has more than 20 years of experience in accounting and guest services. She studied business and accounting at the Community College of Aurora. Shelley’s friendliness, organizational skills, and enthusiasm contribute greatly to those around her. She loves spending time with her family, and animals, and enjoys hiking, camping, and fishing.

Kitchen staff. Our experienced kitchen staff works hard to accommodate special dietary requests, and they take pride in their cooking. Guests regularly comment on how delicious the meals are, and joke about how they’ll will be taking to the trails the next day after enjoying our desserts!

Housekeeping. Our housekeeping staff ensures that our guests are comfortable by accommodating and anticipating needs in a prompt and courteous manner. They perform daily touch-ups in addition to cleaning, making beds, and caring for the rooms and other facilities.

Maintenance. Our maintenance staff is passionate about caring for our buildings and related systems. The team works hard to maintain our conference spaces up-to-date and our retreat center accessible to all guests.

Staff naturalist biography:

Bud Wobus (PhD, Stanford; MA, Harvard; BA Williams College).