Earlier this year we created a New Treks advisory committee for people to share their expertise, expand our network, support future growth, and help make a positive impact in the lives of Denver's youth! Here are some of the amazing folks who have joined our team and are aiding us in our growth and development as an organization!
Amos Barclay: Legal Chair
Amos is a corporate attorney with the law firm of Holland & Hart LLP. In his law practice, Amos helps businesses achieve their goals, be it through venture capital financing, acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures and sales of assets. Amos loves New Treks’ goal of providing access to the outdoors for all, especially those who might not be exposed to it on a regular basis. Amos is a North Carolina native who loves the outdoors, particularly Colorado’s many offerings for mountain biking and backcountry skiing.
Emily Collom: Education Chair
"Growing up in Los Alamos, New Mexico gave me an appreciation of the outdoors from an early age - it was this love of adventure that led me to Denver. I currently teach 6th grade social studies at Grant Beacon Middle School, and have spent the last 7 years teaching in Denver Public Schools. When I am not teaching, I enjoy adventuring with my partner/dogs, reading, and cooking. I am excited to support New Treks because it is an organization that is committed to bringing equitable access to the outdoors through education, which is something students in Denver deserve to have!"
Erin Valley: Events Chair
Erin Valley currently works as an Environment Manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers US (PwC) where she helps implement the firm’s carbon reduction strategy. She has 10 years of experience doing environmental and sustainability work and before joining PwC, worked as Sustainability Manager at the Houston Zoo. Erin received her Bachelors of Science in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Tulane University and her Masters in Sustainability from Harvard University. A native Texan, Erin grew up camping in the hot, humid forests of central and southeast Texas, where she gained her appreciation for the environment. An avid hiker, Erin is learning to appreciate the snow and gaining traction in her cross-country skiing and snowboard skills. She’s the proud mom of one dog (Frida) and two cats (Peter & Stevie) and plays cello in the Denver Pops Orchestra. Erin is thrilled to join the NewTreks advisory committee as Events Chair and support the mission of teaching diverse youth the foundations of adventure.
Bree Gonzalez: Community Chair
Growing up as an urban recreationalist around Los Angeles, CA, Bree never really fit into the stereotypical “outdoorsy” persona. As a proud Latina with deep Mexican roots, she connected to nature from a decolonial standpoint later in life through her community work in Latin America, thanks to opportunities offered to her as an Arizona State University graduate of Transborder Community Development and Health and while serving over two years in the Peace Corps in Peru. These experiences revealed the inequitable truths that exist in American outdoor spaces for Latinxs and other marginalized people of the global majority, and she sought to change that. The past decade of being involved in public health, educational, and now environmental policy have led her to working with fellow urban Latinxs to protect, preserve, and enjoy the lands here in Colorado and the ‘American West’. Her Masters work in bilingual pedagogy from CU Denver has helped her fight for equitable access of Latinx communities throughout the state and support her insights as a DEI Practitioner for NASA. When she is not advocating for the intersection of policy and environment with marginalized communities put first with her organization Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO), you can find her climbing with her amigxs from Escaladores Unidos, watching every inning the Los Angeles Dodgers play, and counting down the days until Halloween!
Are you interested in being a part of this amazing group? Reach out to andy@newtreks.com! We are currently looking to fill the following roles on our committee:
-Marketing Chair
-Policy Chair
-Executive Advisor