Meet Our Team

Vivian Russell

  • A fourth generation Coloradan and Denver native, Vivian graduated with honors from Colorado College in 2001 with a BA in English. She then lived in San Francisco for four years and worked and volunteered with several nonprofits including: Project Open Hand, San Francisco School Volunteers, James S. Brady Therapeutic Riding Program, Junior League, and Arts in Action. In 2005, Vivian was hired as the Development Associate for Save Our Youth Mentoring Project in Denver, an agency serving over 500 urban youth per year. After moving to Telluride in 2007, Vivian served for five years as the Executive Director of One to One San Miguel Mentoring Program, where she created the annual Top Chef fundraiser, multi-day summer camping trip, and grew the organization to serve more youth than ever before. In 2009 she was awarded a scholarship from the El Pomar Foundation and Telluride Foundation to participate in the Colorado Community Resource Center's Nonprofit Leadership and Management Program, of which she is a graduate. In 2014, after recognizing a need in the region for a teen-specific mentoring program, Vivian co-founded True North along with Lanier Nelson and Betsy Walker. The three all worked as unpaid staff for four years to build the organization on a grass-roots model. Vivian is passionate about education and loves helping students find a pathway to college. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking for family and friends as well as exploring and photographing river canyons and other wilderness places.

Ray Dahlstrom

  • Ray has been working with youth since 2018, when he started as a middle school science mentor in the Bay Area. Ray was introduced to the True North community through working with students at the Telluride Nordic Center and as an instructor at Telluride Academy. He is in his second year living in the region and is excited to be more involved with the True North community. Ray comes from the Pacific Northwest and went to school in California. He also spent the first half of 2023 studying and working as a researcher at the Navdanya Institute in Uttarakhand, India. Ray holds a B.s. in Society and Environment from the University of California, Berkeley, and he is excited to learn from the experience of the True North team.

  • Taylor grew up in Nashville, Tennessee before moving to Memphis to pursue her undergraduate degree in Educational Studies and Psychology at Rhodes College. After graduating Summa Cum Laude with an Elementary teaching license and spending significant time teaching and conducting research in the large urban public school systems of both Memphis and Nashville, she took a leap in search of change. She arrived in Telluride in 2022 to work as an Early Childhood Specialist for Telluride Academy. After just one summer though, she found community, adventure, and belonging in the region, and has since made it her home. Over the last few years, she has split her time between teaching first and second grade at the Telluride Mountain School, providing independent childcare to a local family, serving as both a Field Instructor and Art Director at Telluride Academy, and exploring all the beauty, adventures, and opportunities the area has to offer. Taylor is passionate about education, schools, child development, and learning– particularly through lenses and philosophies of Whole Child Development. She believes that relationships are at the heart of all learning and is excited to be a part of the impactful work True North does. 

Taylor Duncan

Destiny Reed

  • Destiny is a Colorado native with deep family roots in Nucla going back to the Colorado Cooperative Company origination. She has been loving her move from the Denver Metro area and is experiencing all that small-town life has to offer with her two children. She is currently studying for a Bachelor's in Elementary Education, with an end goal of being a middle school English Language Arts teacher. Destiny was recently elected Secretary of the Tabeguache Trail Riders and works as a Paraprofessional at Nucla High School. She is extremely excited to be involved in such an enriching program here at True North!

Olivia Bobbitt

  • Olivia is a Colorado Native, born and raised in Denver, Colorado. As a first-generation student, Olivia earned a bachelor's degree in Sociology with minor in Psychology and Africana Studies at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, CO, as well as a master's degree in Child Development at Erikson Institute in Chicago, IL. Olivia is driven by her passion for everyone, especially the youngest members of society, to be comfortable in their own skin and to be confidently able to speak up for themselves. Her youthful spirit and dedication to positive child development fosters an encouraging learning environment where children feel safe and comfortable to be themselves. Olivia initially started as a volunteer for True North's West End Friday Hangouts and joined the team shortly after. She is thrilled to be a part of the True North team and looks forward to the many adventures that come with it! 

Meet Our Board

Rose Gutfeld

  • Retired Journalist

    Rose specializes as a True North College & Career Readiness volunteer. She works with True North staff regularly to assist with Telluride in-school programming, and volunteers regularly as a tutor for After School Base Camp.

David Ziegler

  • Rentals Manager, Telluride Sports

    Dave specializes in True North's outdoor programs and has lent his time and talent as a chaperone and yoga instructor for our group activities.

Suse Connelly

  • Real Estate Lawyer

    Suse is a real-estate lawyer and specializes in editing internal documents, sourcing new scholarship opportunities for students, as well as editing student essays and applications for jobs, scholarships, and college.

Mckay belk

  • McKay and his wife Nina raised five children in Colorado and have opened up their home and farm in Norwood for True North activities and programs. True North participants have enjoyed many fond memories at the Valentine Farm and Jubilee Stables including equine activities, the annual Valentine Has Heart Valentines Day celebration, the summer retreat for the Rising Stars, and helping out at the fireman's fundraiser. McKay also lends his longtime business expertise to our organization.

Tanya Morlang

  • Tanya Morlang was born and raised in the Norwood area. After high school, she left the area for a short time to attend college. Her love for this area drew her back to start her business, Total Image Salon, in 2001. Her and her husband Mike, knew that this was where they wanted to raise their children. Tanya’s true passion is her family. She has three kids, her oldest Saige attends CSU, Brenna attends Norwood High School, and Cooper attends Norwood Elementary School. In her free-time, Tanya enjoys outdoor activities with her family and can be found exploring off-road trails, snowmobiling, and boating.

Lanier Nelson

  • While growing up in the south, Lanier was exposed to volunteer work early on with his mother who would bring him and his brother along to deliver meals to the elderly. In high school Lanier was involved in sports to keep him occupied and out of trouble, which proved to be effective. His volunteer spirit was again fed in college by becoming a volunteer tutor with Western Youth Network. In the summers he was a camp counselor at a camp for adopted children. To this day Lanier still speaks to one of his campers twice a month.In his time as an adult Lanier wasted little time at pouring himself into mentoring. He started mentoring shortly after his arrival in Telluride, CO. He is still in contact with his original mentee. Lanier taught him how to drive a manual transmission, be respectful of others, give a firm handshake and to give more than he takes. Lanier coached Telluride High School soccer, was a One-to-One Mentor, and a Young Life leader in Telluride, before co-founding True North Youth Program in 2014. He now lives in Texas with his wife Denee and their son, Benjamin True Nelson. He graduated with his Master's in Social Work In October of 2019 to broaden his impact on the world. Lanier is currently working at a mental health authority on the crisis outreach team. He and his family often make the trip to Telluride for graduation.

Jodie Miller

  • Jody is passionate about her three kids and dog, education and learning, personal growth, self-awareness and authenticity, neurodiversity, reading, writing, music, truth, honesty, spending time outdoors, exercising, eating healthy food (especially all kinds of vegetables), and getting to know quirky and curious people of all ages. She is the founder of 2e Blossom Through Strengths, a strengths based assessment program to help students and parents in educational discoveries.

Sarah lavender smith

  • Sarah Lavender Smith of Telluride is a writer with nonprofit board experience for service organizations and schools. A mom of two adult-aged kids, she works part time as a substitute teacher for Telluride schools because she enjoys working with youth and values community involvement. She has twice served as president of Telluride Rotary Club and continues as a board member there, and during her five-year leadership, she boosted membership and launched a successful community-wide fundraiser—the Telluride Rotary Hikeathon—that benefited numerous nonprofits. Sarah previously served on the board of trustees for an independent secondary school, Thacher School in Ojai, where she co-chaired a major capital campaign, and she also served on the board of a fledgling nonprofit called Running for a Better Oakland. An avid trail runner and former running coach, Sarah has authored a book on trail running, writes a column for Ultrarunning Magazine, and publishes a weekly newsletter called Mountain Running & Living (sarahrunning.substack.com). She also writes for Telluride Magazine.

True North’s Advisory Board

Because of our belief in the power of community feedback and positive youth development, True North actively consults our Advisory Board, a group of former True North participants and community members. This Board is invaluable as they have each been involved in True North programming and provide incredible direction through their expertise and know-how. Thank you to all who have given of their talents to True North.

Betsy Walker, (Sawpit, CO) - Co-Founder of True North Youth Program. Betsy served on the board for 8 years. Betsy helped develop the five core programs and served as a tutor and college preparedness Navigator. Betsy has volunteered with youth programs for more than twenty years.

Alex Jones, (Sawpit, CO) - Telluride High School Guidance Counselor.

Bianca Schillaci, (Telluride, CO) - Telluride High School Student Ambassador, previously a summer 2022 intern.

​​Ashley Williamson, (Ophir, CO) - Telluride Intermediate School Teacher, English Language Learner specialist, Director of 2018 Rising Stars Summer Bridge Program, True North Founding Board Member.​

Cheryl Carstens Miller, (Telluride, CO) - Former School Board Director, AVID sponsor, Just for Kids Board Member.​

Erik Fallenius, (Telluride, CO) - Just for Kids Foundation founder, Director of Mountains to Desert ride, owner of Nevasca Realty.​​​

Don Mitchell, (San Bernardo) - Founding True North Board Member, Educator, former One Telluride Executive Director.

Nancy Hild, (Telluride, CO) - Founding True North Board of Directors, business owner, raised three children in Telluride who have graduated from Telluride High School. 

David Almaraz, (Boulder, CO) - True North alumni who graduated from the Leeds School of Business in 2023.

Brenda Gutierrez, (Durango, CO) - True North alumni currently studying Education at Fort Lewis College. 

In Memoriam

John Mansfield, dec. (Norwood, CO) - Founder of One to One San Miguel Mentoring Program, former director of San Miguel County Juvenile Diversion and professor of fine art. John was also a former True North Board member and founder of the Tom Hale Memorial Scholarship. Upon his passing, True North started a scholarship in his name, The John Mansfield Memorial Scholarship.

Ross Williams, (Ridgway, CO) - Former Co-Executive Director, Founder of Ouray Ice Festival and Ice Climbing adventure.​