Staff Members
Gretchen Reuning
Executive Director
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Gretchen is the original forester of LCD’s Healthy Forest Initiative. Hired as the Forestry Program Director in 2017, Gretchen grew the roots for what our forestry program is today. Since starting, she has implemented and overseen over 4,000 acres of forest restoration treatments in Larimer County.
Growing up in a musical family in Ithaca, NY, Gretchen quickly learned that music is great, but not what she wanted to spend her life doing. She has always been a nature lover and wanted to be outside as much as possible, which led her to pursue a B.S. in Environmental Biology from Principia College. The program focused on job-relevant skills and hands-on experiences which taught her a lot about forest management from silvicultural prescriptions to chainsaw safety. She also holds an M.S. in Plant Ecophysiology from Colorado State University and has worked in natural resource management and forestry in Colorado, Illinois, California, and New Zealand. All of these experiences have helped broaden her knowledge of forestry, ecology, and natural resource management.
Aside from being a wealth of knowledge on front-range ecology and a great collaborator, Gretchen can ride a mountain bike faster than you and bake the best loaf of sourdough you’ve ever had.
Ryan Savaikie
Forestry Program Manager
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Ryan joined our team in 2026! Originally from California, he earned his B.S. from the University of Montana in Environmental Science and following his undergrad, worked as a graduate research assistant at Colorado State University. He then moved to Washington for a job with a conservation district, quickly becoming the Forestry and Wildfire Program lead. However, Ryan always wanted to move back to the Front Range and was lucky enough to land here! In his free time, you can find him fly fishing, hiking, running, lifting, and occasionally climbing.
Anna Cloud
Riverscapes Program Manager
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Anna is super pumped to build and grow our riverscape restoration program here at LCD! She comes from an engineering background and transitioned into this role with LCD in 2023 to follow her passions. She's looking forward to working in the river alongside nature's engineers: beavers!
Anna was born in Greeley and has lived in Northern Colorado her whole life. She moved to Fort Collins in 2014 to attend Colorado State University, and graduated in 2018 with her B.S. in Environmental Engineering. After graduating, she worked for 5 years as an environmental engineering consultant, providing engineering expertise and project management services for soil and groundwater clean up projects.
Out of the office Anna loves hiking, biking, gardening and baking.
Debi Deremer
District Manager
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Debi is every bit the team mom we all need. She even brings us snacks! Born and raised in Colorado, she is well-connected in the agricultural community in Larimer and Weld Counties and seems to know EVERYONE.
Debi brings a strong background in management, marketing and bookkeeping to LCD, which makes her a clutch member of the team. Although her job doesn’t get her into the forest much (sadly), she keeps the gears turning at the district and is always open to lending a helping hand.
When she’s not at the office, Debi is taking care of two teenage daughters. Debi enjoys reading about history, trying new wine, doing puzzles, and refinishing antique furniture.
Matt Mueller
Forestry Project Manager
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Matt Mueller joined LCD in October of 2022. At the time, we already had a Matt M., so we started affectionately calling him Mueller. He’s now the only Matt in our office, however old habits die hard. If you hear one of us talking about Mueller, you now know who we’re talking about!
Matt has always had a passion for forest health. After graduating from Illinois State University with a degree in Geography and a minor in Environmental Sciences, Matt worked in various parts of land management with numerous agencies. Before Matt got brought on to LCD, he worked as a Senior Brewer at New Belgium.
When Matt isn't in the office, you can find him exploring Colorado in his camper with his wife and dogs.
Courtney Garrity
Forestry Project Manager
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Courtney loves being out in the field— rain, snow, or shine. With experience in habitat management, wildlife monitoring, and recreation planning, she came to us from the U.S. Forest Service Pawnee National Grassland where she helped balance land use, wildfire mitigation, and community engagement. Before that, Courtney supported forest inventory research with the Rocky Mountain Research Station and earned dual Master’s degrees in Environment & Natural Resources and Zoology from the University of Wyoming, where her research explored how dispersed recreation affects wildlife habitat. A Columbia University grad and 2019 Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker, she is passionate about connecting people, science, and the landscapes that bring them together.
When not working, Courtney can usually be found rock climbing, gravel biking, or backpacking— but will happily say yes to just about any outdoor adventure you invite her on.
Laura Webb
Forestry Project Manager
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Laura started with LCD in the winter of 2022 as an intern through Front Range Community College. After her internship was completed, she joined us part time until her classes were over and she was finished with her Associates in Forestry. Laura moved into her full time position with us in January of 2024!
Originally from Seattle, Laura made her way to Colorado in 2020 to pursue her education in Forestry. She is one of the nicest people you will ever meet, and it’s evident that she loves the work she does and is very connected to the landscape of our district.
When Laura isn’t at work she enjoys hiking, backpacking, and going on road trips with her dog Aspen and her partner Crawford.
Casey Coe
Conservation Forester
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Casey was a work-study with LCD in early 2025 and was instantly hooked on the district’s mission and culture. Naturally, he was excited to join the crew on a permanent basis later that fall! His love of the outdoors grew from a childhood of camping, fishing and hunting in rural Northern California. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Casey’s career has been an eclectic journey including insurance, photography and coffee.
His passion for conservation was realized while taking classes in natural resources at Front Range Community College where he earned multiple certificates in forestry, wildlife, and GIS. He also worked two seasons with Larimer County’s Department of Natural Resources Weed District before coming back to LCD.
When he’s not in the field, Casey loves to fly fish, camp and backpack. He can also be easily convinced to watch a movie or geek-out on history or space.
Elle DeWaard
Conservation Forester
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My love for the environment came to life at Front Range Community College where I completed my AAS in Forest Technology in 2023. I then transferred to Colorado State University to obtain a BS in Forest and Rangeland Stewardship with a concentration in Forest Management in 2025. Since beginning my career in forestry, I've gotten a wide range of experience working in the forests and rangelands of Colorado, Idaho, Washington, and New Mexico. Aside from hugging trees, my favorite thing about being a Forester is making lasting connections with the people I work with. I am very passionate about being a lifelong learner and sharing wisdom with others. In my free time I like to climb, craft with friends, and be outside with my dog, Milo.
Alyssa Graziano
Riverscapes Ecologist / Project Manager
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Alyssa joined LCD in September of 2024 while also going to school at CSU to complete her Masters in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology researching post-fire stream ecology. LCD knew of Alyssa before she was hired through restoration work done at the Drala Mountain Center, and were thrilled when she decided she needed a change and applied for our riverscapes position! She's worked in research, management, and conservation of Colorado's aquatic species and habitats for over 10 years, so we consider her quite the wealth of knowledge around the office.
When Alyssa isn't at work or school, she's going to live music with her husband or exploring wetlands. She is also growing a collection of orchids and carnivorous plants.
Justin Yow
Riverscapes Coordinator
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Justin received a Bachelor's Degree in Forestry and Wildlife Management from Mississippi State University in 2019. In addition, he obtained a Master's Degree in Biological Sciences focused on restoration ecology from the University of Northern Colorado. His thesis research evaluated Front Range forest fuel load over time relative to the local microclimate and topographic variability.
Justin has seven years of experience conducting forestry research. Since 2017, Justin has worked in ecosystems across Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, Michigan, Utah, Montana, and Colorado. Projects have covered topics such as: quantifying granivore effects on longleaf pine regeneration, evaluation of cattle impacts on biocrusts within Capitol Reef National Park, and monitoring for invasive Russian olive along the Powder River in Montana. Most recently he served as crew lead for the Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station where he measured lodgepole pine response following the East Troublesome fire.
In his free time Justin enjoys playing volleyball, disc golfing, exploring the outdoors and cooking different types of food.
Amy O’Connor
Outreach & Operations Coordinator
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Growing up outside of Denver, the front range has always held a special place Amy’s heart. Amy made a move to Florida for a marketing intern position, but after a summer spent across the United States, she was drawn back to Colorado to finish her degree and start her professional career. She earned her bachelors in Business Marketing and started as an HR assistant at Coors Field. Eventually, she made it all the way to Director of Community Partnerships where she organized all the nonprofit organizations that operated within the Coors Field, Empower Field, Pepsi Center, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, First Bank Center, and the Fiddlers Green.
After moving to Fort Collins, Amy started working for the USDA Farm Service Agency, which happens to be in the very same office at LCD. We saw how awesome she is, and just HAD to steal her!
Amy brings a consistent smile and can-do mentality to any task that is put in front of her. With a background in marketing, project management, volunteer organization, administration, and landowner outreach, Amy continues to prove herself to be a crucial member of the team.
Board Members
Zach Thode
Board President
James White
Board Vice President
Owen Unangst
Board Supervisor
Travis Rollins
Board Supervisor
Katie Donahue
Board Treasurer
Allyx Graves
Board Supervisor
Stacy Lischka
Board Supervisor