Challenge Aspen Staff

Anne has been a Colorado girl since 1980, when she moved from Connecticut to live in the Rocky Mountains and pursue her love of skiing. Anne first landed in Telluride, where she stayed for 21 years, before moving to Aspen in 2001. Anne is a true outdoor fanatic, with an extensive background in the ski industry. Anne has worked in everything from retail sales management, ski instruction, advanced ticket sales, private lesson ski school coordination and managed a high level adaptive race program. All of these experiences give Anne a strong foundation of what it takes to run a successful organization. Anne starts her day with a hike or bike ride to work and ends it with her headlamp on, running, hiking, cycling or skiing home! Anne also enjoys spending time with friends and family, heliskiing or rafting with her son, and traveling to one of her favorite vacation spots, Maui, Hawaii.

Deb moved to the Roaring Fork Valley almost 4 years ago, from her hometown of Boulder. She received her teaching certification from Western Washington University and a master’s degree in sports administration from Seattle Pacific University. As a middle school PE teacher she was challenged when she first encountered individuals with cognitive disabilities. Learning about cognitive disabilities has opened her eyes to how much individuals can do, when their teachers/instructors are creative and prepared with open minds.

In addition to serving as the Executive Director for Extreme Sports Camp, Deb has also taught skiing, guided local adventures and instructed spin classes at several local gyms.  While growing up on skis she also managed to find her way to the water and sailing more than 30 years ago. She has been a member of the US SAILING team and is now an instructor trainer, certifying instructors for Levels 1-3, and this past year she became a master instructor trainer for adaptive sailing. She also teaches skiing for Snowmass kids and is Level 1 PSIA certified. Deb loves living in the valley with her husband, Bill and their two dogs, Isabelle and Sofia and is very excited to be a part of the Challenge Aspen Team!

John volunteered with CA in 2006 as an on-hill ski assistant. After a winter of witnessing the incredible effect skiing and snowboarding had on Challenge Aspen’s program participants, especially injured service men and women, John decided to pursue his adaptive ski and snowboard certifications. Changing careers in mid-life – from private chef, chef instructor and contract culinary producer for Food and Wine magazine – to a ski instructor may seem a bit odd, but the rewards have been unmeasurable! John’s passion for sharing the beauty and serenity of the mountains through recreational therapy to injured military personnel translated into directing the Challenge Aspen Military Opportunities program. In the first year under John’s direction, the CAMO program served over 150 injured service men and women from all branches of the United States military. With an eye on the future, John’s goal is to build community partnerships through CAMO participant; a greater awareness of the issues our injured service men and women face upon their return to civilian life; and, future partnerships with local and national business partners.

Jenni grew up in the “burbs” of the windy city of Chicago, IL. She attended DePauw University in Indiana, earning her B.A. degree in Psychology. Jenni jumped on the opportunity to study abroad in Vienna and Budapest, for she has had the “travel bug” since a young age. After college, the real world exposed her to hotel management, sales, bookkeeping and working for a software company that supports property management and their accounting systems. Little did she know that these work experiences would guide her career path, leading her to Chief Financial Officer. Jenni not only works hard, but also plays hard. Jenni is an enthusiastic runner/plodder, completing 11 marathons and a handful of half-marathons, most of these alongside the annual Challenge Aspen marathon teams. When she’s not on the go, she loves to read, bake, ski and enjoys graphic design. Jenni continues to enjoy traveling and hopes to make it to Sweden in the near future. Jenni also volunteers within the Aspen community, serves on a local board of directors,  and loves cheering for her two children in all of their various endeavors, from swimming and ballet to robotics and music. She currently lives in Snowmass Village with her husband Chris, son Cole, daughter Grace and dog Lucy.