billy barr

Senior Staff Accountant
bbarr@rmbl.org

billy barr attended Rutgers University in NJ and graduated with a BS in Environmental Science. He came to RMBL in 1972 as part of a water quality study and stayed on afterwards to do an assortment of jobs including cleaning, library work, plumbing, electrical, phoneline work, and dishwashing, as as well as being on a fire fighting crew. In 1980 he became Business Manager and has worked in the RMBL accounting department ever since. He lives year-round in Gothic and collects weather data.

Ian Billick, Ph.D.

Executive Director
director@rmbl.org

Dr. Ian Billick first started attending RMBL in 1988 as a student.  He conducted his graduate work on ants in Virginia Basin, above Gothic, eventually receiving his PhD from the University of California, San Diego in 1997.  He held positions at the University of Houston and Truman State University before becoming the Executive Director of RMBL in 2000.  He mountain bikes and loves skiing with his sons.  He is also quite interested in the interface between science and policy.

Allison Butcher

Development Director
allison@rmbl.org

Allison joined the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory as the Development Director in September 2008.  Allison moved from Illinois to Crested Butte in 2005 to take on the role of Development Director with Adaptive Sports Center.  Prior to her move to CB she held several positions in the non-profit sector after graduating from Indiana University in 1998 with a B.A. in journalism and a Minor in Environmental Studies.  Her passions include traveling, camping, fishing, hiking, Nordic skiing and boating.

Amy Ellwein, Ph.D.

Director of Science Education & Communications

amy@rmbl.org

Dr. Amy Ellwein has taught science in the classroom and field since 1994. She has a PhD in Soil Geomorphology from the Univ. of New Mexico where she co-founded a teacher professional development organization (SEIS) offering science PD opportunities since 2003. Amy is developing a variety of science education projects, including Digital RMBL - a website featuring college-level curricula that highlight long-term ecological data collected at RMBL. She enjoys skiing and hiking with her 3 big dogs.

Mike Fabbre

Facilities Director
mike@rmbl.org

Mike has spent over a decade working in the Environmental Consulting field throughout Colorado and has an extensive background in facility management and water regulations. He supervised several ground water remediation projects and was project manager on a diverse set of operations and maintenance programs. He grew up in Minnesota and then received a BS from the University of Oregon. He loves spending his time hiking, biking, and skiing with his wife and son.

Robin Koval

Adult Science Tour Leader

A Colorado native and teacher of science for over 20 years, Robin has enjoyed spending time at RMBL for nearly ten summers as an assistant in the Kid’s Nature Camp, as well as assistant on the Adult Science Tours.  As a graduate of Bowdoin College in Biology and Chemistry, she spent a semester studying and performing research in marine biology at The West Indies Lab on St. Croix. She enjoys sharing her passion for exploring the natural world with her students. Robin’s sons, Graham and Brice, are alumni of the Kid’s Nature Camp and love being a part of the program now as Camp Counselors.

Meike Meissner
Marketing & Special Events Coordinator
dev@rmbl.org

Meike has more than 10 years experience working in development and marketing with a number of non-profit organizations including the Adaptive Sports Center, High Country Citizens’ Alliance, Colorado Outward Bound, and The Trailhead Children’s Discovery Museum.  She is a graduate of the George Washington University and enjoys hiking and skiing in the mountains with her family.

Gesa Michel
Director of Finance & Operations
admin@rmbl.org

Gesa has an MBA from the University of Nuremberg in Germany and a postgraduate degree in international Environmental Management from Erasmus University, The Netherlands. She has worked for several non-profits in the Gunnison Valley, most recently as Executive Director of the Office for Resource Efficiency. She enjoys summer rides on her horse in our spectacular mountains, and playing on several local ice-hockey teams in the winter.

Luciana Ranelli

Kids Nature Camp Leader

Luciana spent her first summer at RMBL in 2012 as an REU student.  She is returning in 2013 as a Kids Nature Camp teacher and to continue research with Dr. Jennifer Rudgers.  Luciana is from Duluth, Minnesota and will graduate from the University of Minnesota, Morris in 2014 with a BA in Biology and certification to teach middle school General Science and high school Life Science.  She enjoys Nordic skiing, playing clarinet, and hiking.  Her hikes often include stops to investigate cool plants.

Jennie Reithel, Ph.D.

Science Director
sd@rmbl.org

Dr. Jennie Reithel first came to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in 1993 as a student and research assistant.  She received her BA from Middlebury College in 1995 and her PhD from the University of California at Irvine in 2003.  She worked at RMBL for her graduate work and over the years she has filled a variety of roles, including winter caretaker and faculty member.  In 2007 she became the Science Director.  She enjoys gardening, Nordic skiing, and looking at bugs with her kids.

Laurel Runcie

Alumni & Operations Coordinator
laurel@rmbl.org

An enthusiastic alumna of Dartmouth College and Teach For America, Laurel is thrilled to have the opportunity to start up the RMBL Alumni Program. Her goals with the alumni program are to engage RMBL Alumni with our mission while expanding the personal and professional network of RMBL Alumni around the country. When not organizing housing and planning Alumni events, Laurel enjoys skiing, trail running, gardening, and camping in the Gunnison Valley.

Annie Starr

Environmental Education Manager
enviro-ed@rmbl.org

Annie has lived in CB since the summer of 1980. She has over 20 years experience directing early childhood education programs, and has served on many community education boards. Annie's goal at RMBL is to create science education programs and opportunities for visitors, residents and schools. She enjoys teaching and sharing nature with students of all ages. When not with kids at the nature camp or leading adult tours at Gothic, she enjoys watercolor painting and gardening.

Shannon Sprott

GIS/GPS Manager
gis@rmbl.org

Shannon has lived in the Crested Butte/Gunnison valley since 1996. She received a BS in Environmental Biology & Ecology in 1998 from Western State College. After graduating, an internship with Gunnison County in the Mapping Department eventually turned into a full time job with benefits. She completed the Master's program in GIS at Denver University in 2010. She has also been working on a contract basis for RMBL since 2007 and is very excited to now be out at Gothic full time for the summers.