Staff

Broads staff is passionate about and dedicated to the cause of protecting and preserving wilderness for all time. We also make sure to keep a “Broad” sense of humor every step of the way!

Veronica (Ronni) Egan, Executive Director – Ronni joined Broads staff in the fall of 2002, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge of wilderness and the history of Broads. She had been a Great Old Broad for 18 years (almost as long as we’ve been around) and was a Board member for 2 years before taking on the role of Executive Director. Ronni attended Michigan State University, studying art, animal husbandry, and philosophy. She has been a guide and outfitter both on her family’s guest ranch outside of Santa Fe, NM, and for Colorado Outward Bound and Pack Creek Ranch in Moab, “using my saddle as a soapbox from which to educate folks about wild places,”  she says.  She has been a staff member for the Santa Fe Mountain Center, an experiential education program, and has served on the Boards of the Backcountry Horsemen of New Mexico, Rio Arriba County Fair, Española Animal Shelter, and Life Education Network of the Southwest. Ronni has worked for years in environmental advocacy, volunteering for the New Mexico Sierra Club, the Central Clearing House in Santa Fe, and the Santa Fe Trails Coalition. Her passion for wilderness and her tireless work are helping us to make “Broad” strides for wilderness protection. Check out the Great Old Blog for a glimpse of Ronni’s passion.  ronni@greatoldbroads.org

Rose Chilcoat, Associate Director – Rose came to Broads in the summer of 2001 with 13 years of experience working for the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service.  She worked as a park ranger at Mesa Verde NP, Bryce Canyon NP, Rocky Mountain NP and Coulee Dam NRA and ultimately ended up in the Alaska Regional Office of the Park Service where she worked as a Concessions Analyst – managing over 350 commercial service providers in the Alaska parks. She was also an Outdoor Recreation Planner with the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program in Alaska before returning to Durango in 1993 to raise her family.  Her prior experience with not-for-profit organizations was as a volunteer, board member, and board president (Durango Nature Studies). She received a B.S. in horticulture summa cum laude from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. With her knowledge of the issues, public lands agency background, and her immense enthusiasm for wilderness, Rose makes sure that Broads are out on-the-ground in places that our voices can be heard and make a difference. rose@greatoldbroads.org>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Anne Benson, Communications Coordinator – Anne joined Broads with nearly 20 years of experience in the communication industry with stints in journalism as the editor of a small-town Northern Colorado newspaper and in corporate marketing for a large, national civil engineering firm.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in literature and a master’s degree in communication, both from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She was raised in the farm country of Upstate New York and spent many family vacations camping, swimming, and hiking in and around the Adirondack Mountains.  She was drawn to the open sky of the western states as a young woman after completing a course with the Lander, WY based National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). In 1980, she and her husband moved their young family from northern New Hampshire to Colorado, where the Broad, blue sky is met by snow-capped mountains.  She is responsible for Broads newsletter, Broadsides, our e-newsletter, Broadly Speaking, as well as the web site content, press relations, and miscellaneous other tasks. anne@greatoldbroads.org

Joyce Thomsen, Membership Maven – Joyce took a break from a 23-year stint at chiropractic in Durango to participate actively in the preservation of the “back country,” which incidentally is also the name of her practice where she enjoyed hiking, biking and skiing in her spare time for most of those 23 years.  Ya, ya betcha she grew up on a farm in Minnesota, and credits her parents with showing her the beauty and value of open country on their many family vacations, especially to the American west.  She earned bachelor degrees in physical education and distributive science at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, then continued her education with a bachelor of science in human biology and a doctor of chiropractic degree from National College of Chiropractic, Lombard, IL. Joyce loves  interacting with other Broads and helping to make a difference! membership@greatoldbroads.org

Elsa Jagniecki, Broadband Coordinator  – Elsa brings experience in organizational development, visioning, and strategic sustainable development.  She earned a master’s degree in Sustainable Development from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden where she studied and researched sustainable community renewable energy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology and environmental affairs from Colorado State University and has worked in many different fields on the local, state and federal levels – maintaining backcountry wilderness trails, doing field archaeology, guiding wilderness therapy and substitute teaching in grades K-12. She loves being outside, gardening and exploring new places. Elsa is charged with keeping the lines of communication open between Broadband Leaders, the home office, and each other. She provides ideas, resources and tools, and acts as a sounding board and a facilitator. elsa@greatoldbroads.org

Laurie Parkinson, Administrative Associate – Laurie has the skills to get Broads on the road to office efficiency. For 20 years, she managed the family veterinary practice in Durango, CO. Laurie grew up in Upstate New York where she spent many weekends camping and hiking with her family in the Adirondacks, Catskills, and other wild New York hot spots. “Even before they had kids,” she said, “my parents talked about their hope of instilling a love of the outdoors in their children. They certainly succeeded in that!” Laurie and two of her siblings live in Colorado. “We all appreciate and value the beauty of our country’s wild lands.” Laurie graduated from Colorado State University in 1979 with a degree in Park History and she was “thrilled to raise our kids with wide open, quiet spaces to explore and appreciate.” laurie@greatoldbroads.org

Missy Gosney, Grants Coordinator – Missy came to Broads after 18 years working for Colorado Outward Bound School, a couple of years as a science teacher in Utah, and a few years as a community outreach coordinator and grant writer in Southwest Colorado. She has an environmental education degree and a teacher’s certificate from Prescott College. She has hiked, skied, kayaked, run, and played in the wild lands from Mexico to Alaska. Mostly, Missy loves to run on the mountain trails around Silverton, CO and spend time with her son fishing and hiking. grants@greatoldbroads.org