Management Team
Headquarters Staff
Executive Director – Lisa Mattis
Lisa joins BCM from New York, where she started most days sea kayaking on the Hudson before trotting to work fundraising and running scholarship programs for Outward Bound. She’s excited to get back to Colorado, to work with BCM’s under-resourced urban youth, and to scale mountains with a big smile. And, this winter, as her Columbia grad school diploma hangs collecting dust, you’ll find Lisa ripping up Vail’s double-black diamonds on shiny new K2s.
Director of Operations & Safety – Mitsu Iwasaki
Mitsu joined BCM with 15 years of experience in the Outdoor Programming industry in multiple capacities as an instructor and program manger. Having earned degrees in Environmental Engineering and in Non-Profit Management, he feels he has been exceptionally fortunate to have had opportunities to combine his studies, passions, and values and beliefs into roles that he sees as doing “good” and affecting real and useful change. His last 4 years have been spent dedicated to urban youth working in both public and private schools in Boston, Massachusetts. Outside of his career, he has traveled around the globe, coupling his curiosity of the world and its cultures and climbing big mountains. Some of his greatest adventures to date include eating monkeys with an indigenous group deep in the Amazon jungle, passing out in an alley in Chamonix after an excruciatingly long climb in the French Alps, and feeling sorry for himself at the moment he realized getting on a grade V 5.11 A2+ after three years away from climbing was a really bad idea.
Director of Marketing and Communications – Heather Metivier
Heather joined BCM in June of 2011 and brings a wealth of experience in tactical and strategic planning, systems analysis, and resource development to her new role. Prior to joining BCM Heather led Alumni Relations and Annual Giving at Outward Bound where she launched the organization’s first alumni expedition and benefits program, along with developing strategic communications to increase annual giving by 20% in her first year. Previous to her Alumni and Annual Giving role, Heather ran Advancement Operations for Outward Bound where she streamlined fundraising systems and managed a team of fundraising professionals to raise $10m annually.
While Heather’s not raising awareness and funding for her favorite causes, Heather continues her quest to find the best taco in Denver, spends time perfecting her homemade Kimchi recipe and enjoys her time exploring Colorado’s mountains with her fiancé Tim.
Summit for Someone Manager – Darin Fearday
Darin has been a team leader for BCM since 2008, leading trips in both California and Colorado. He joined BCM full time as the Summit for Someone Manager in January of 2011 after four years working as the Lead Admissions Advisor for Outward Bound. Originally from Effingham, Illinois, he began climbing and backpacking in college before working as a crew leader in New Hampshire for the Student Conservation Association and as a lead instructor for Second Nature Wilderness Therapy in Southern Utah. He is passionate about working with teens and helping them realize their potential through wilderness experiences. He is also passionate about breakfast burritos and live music, having spent thousands of dollars on each in the past couple years.
Accountant/HR – Joy Walsh
Originally from New Hampshire (Go Red Sox!), Joy joined BCM in February 2010 with over 10 years experience working with Denver area non-profit organizations. During her first 10 years “in the business” she successfully ran the fundraising operations for Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, Up with People and Leaders Challenge, but eventually realized that she is a numbers geek at heart! Gleefully throwing herself into spreadsheets, Joy now does the books for several local organizations – BCM being her favorite, of course! Joy holds a Master’s in Non-Profit Management and is currently working on an Accounting/Finance degree. Joy is thrilled to be a part of the BCM team.
CPA – Dana Miller
Dana Miller, CPA, is our newest addition as our outsourced CFO. She has 10 years experience in non-profit financial management as both interim CFO and as treasurer for several state and local organizations. She works at both the board and staff level focusing on incorporating best business practices to help organizations improve their margins to successfully meet their missions. When not whipping finances into shape Dana can be found playing drums, listening to heavy metal music, running, biking, hiking and ice climbing.
Staffing and Volunteer Manager- Amy Blum
After living most her life in the Mitten State and graduating from The University of Michigan, Amy grabbed her copy of On The Road and headed west for a her own big adventure; in the Bay Area, she has worked tirelessly developing programs for under-resourced youth across the region. Amy first hopped on the BCM train in 2007 serving BCM as a youth agency leader on summer expeditions. Since then, she has worn many colorful hats within the organization as the manager for a 2009 pilot program that took Bay Area teens and families on local outdoor adventures, as well as the CA Regional Director. She feels incredibly privileged to combine her love for the outdoors with her skills in youth development and management. When she’s not working, she enjoys writing and people watching in San Francisco, climbing rocks, sleeping in tents, and dreaming of becoming a huge rock star/model/actress (she has quite an imagination).
Development Coordinator – Alex Kaney
Alex joined the BCM team in Denver as an AmeriCorps VISTA in August 2010. Following a one year term of service focusing on resource development, she was hired full time to continue researching foundations and writing grant proposals. Originally from Minneapolis, Alex spent summers life-guarding and teaching swimming lessons to kids at local beaches. Trading the 10,000 lakes for wheat fields to study communications at the University of Kansas, she developed an interest in serving under-resourced youth through her coursework focus on inter-cultural communication and on-campus involvement. When she’s not sending thank you letters to BCM supporters, Alex enjoys throwing pottery on the wheel, snowboarding, watching Jayhawk basketball, and trying to read 100 Years of Solitude in Spanish.
Executive Assistant – Ciel Lawrence
Ciel joined BCM in early 2012. She and her husband have been supporting BCM for a number of years. When they moved from Virginia to Colorado a few years ago, they decided to become more involved. Ciel is excited to be working in the office now supporting Lisa and Heather with communications and marketing efforts. She looks forward to going on her first Summit for Someone climb and becoming a volunteer mentor as soon as she can fit it into her schedule with work and raising 3 teenage boys!
Regional Program Staff
CA Program Director – Anders Fristedt
Anders joined the BCM team in February of 2012 to serve as the California Program Director. He started his career in Outdoor Education in 2003 and has worked for numerous organizations. He spent several summers hiking and sea kayaking above the Arctic Circle in Norway working for The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). You might run into Anders next time you take a Wilderness First Aid course, as he is still a current Instructor for the Wilderness Medicine Institute (WMI). Daydreams take him either to making bottom turns at one of the seven sisters in Baja Mexico or dropping some mad vert. on ripened sierra corn.
Midwest Program Director – Bernie Rupe
Bernie started with BCM as a volunteer in 2002. Having more than 10 years experience taking at-risk youth on outdoor adventures and professional work with a whitewater river outfitter, BCM was a natural fit for him — combining his love of the outdoors with his commitment to building youth. Bernie recently left the corporate world and got his Master’s in Community Counseling to focus on youth work. He joined BCM part time as the Chicago Regional Program Manager in 2007 and holds down the Midwest fort and BCM’s paddling program. When not working for BCM, Bernie runs an experiential education program for a local youth agency and counsels kids. In his free time he explores the great outdoors by boat and foot.
Minneapolis Program Manager – Nicole Blaser
Nicole Blaser personally and professionally spends time touring the world, guiding wilderness expeditions, instructing dance, yoga, snowboarding, mountaineering, leadership and a myriad of other outdoor ed skills. She has enjoyed over 15 years of experience with NOLS, the Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte, and other organizations. She started with BCM fundraising for the Summit for Someone event in 2007 and was quickly inspired to bring her skills to urban youth as an instructor. Experiencing first hand how urban teens light up so fully during these expeditions, Nicole is now really grateful to be supporting the BCM mission in a program management and development position. When finding still moments in her active life, Nicole is likely sitting in meditation still wondering “world peace?” or “why did I get on a 30ft sailboat crossing the Pacific Ocean?” or “take my amazing dog Leo to the park or for a ski?”
PNW Program Director – Chris Lowry
After receiving a degree in Outdoor Recreation with a concentration in Experiential Education, Chris left North Carolina for the wild west. Being a big wall climber, he was drawn to the walls of Yosemite, so he worked two seasons with Yosemite Search and Rescue. The following nine years he worked with Outward Bound from leading wilderness expeditions to administrative management. Craving a change, Chris moved to White Salmon, WA and worked as the Field Team Coordinator for Northwest Service Academy, an Americorp funded program. When the opportunity presented for working with BCM, Chris jumped at it. With his personal beliefs and values aligned with BCM’s mission, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity. When he’s not working hard for BCM, he is either mountain biking on the hills around White Salmon or found in his wood shop building furniture.
Rocky Mountain Program Director – Elizabeth Williams
Elizabeth joined the BCM team in October of 2008 as a marketing and development intern. After receiving the “Intern of the Month” award for six months straight, she realized that fundraising wasn’t for her and took over the Regional Program Director position. Prior to BCM, Elizabeth worked with the adventure program at a small camp in Colorado and spent time exploring and teaching English in India and Nepal. She is convinced that Colorado will always be home and she spends as much time as possible skiing, snowboarding, climbing, and finding new adventures. Elizabeth loves working at BCM, especially when they eat ice cream for lunch and when she gets to be the first to hear the teens’ and volunteers’ stories when the get home from their expeditions.
Colorado Youth Program (CYP) Manager – Mike Curry
Mike joined the BCM team in October 2011 from Colorado Youth Program. Originally from the Bluegrass State, he began canoeing, backpacking, and climbing in college and realized his passion for introducing youth to the outdoors. After completing his degree, he went to work at a camp and retreat center in KY, programming summer camps and managing a ropes course. Eventually Mike made it to CO where he has had the opportunity to work for some amazing non-profit organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs and of course BCM. Whether it’s hiking, skiing, or concerts he thinks time away from work is best spent outdoors!
