Emma Gerona, Executive Director

Emma was born and raised in Telluride and grew up with a passion for sustainability and a love for this incredible region. She graduated from The University of Colorado, Boulder with a B.S. in Business, specializing in Finance and Socially Responsible Enterprise. She has worked with various nonprofits including The American Solar Energy Society and Lake County Resources Initiatives focusing on promoting sustainability in rural communities through programming, outreach, and education. She has a breadth of experience with sustainability focused community outreach and creating accessible and collaborative programming.  She has worked closely with federal and state renewable and energy efficiency grant and incentive programs, including USDA’s Renewable Energy Development Assistance (REDA) and Rural Energy for America Programs (REAP). Emma joined the EcoAction Partners’ team in 2020 and hopes to increase collaboration on climate action across our community through EAP’s energy and waste related programming.

Email Emma at: emma@ecoactionpartners.org

Kim Wheels, Energy Specialist

Kim has been the Energy Specialist for EcoAction Partners since the organization’s inception in 2007.  She tracks our region’s greenhouse emissions and facilitates the Sneffels Energy Board, a regional group of elected officials, government staff, utility representatives, and community citizens of Ouray and San Miguel Counties that collaborates to accomplish goals of reducing energy use, increase renewable energy and achieve other sustainability objectives.  She facilitated the development of the region’s first Sustainability Action Plan in 2010-11 and is currently facilitating this document’s recreation and update as a regional Climate Action Plan.  She filled in as EAP’s Interim Director in 2020, assists the building departments with maintaining updated Building Energy Codes, and supports the development and operations of EAP’s many programs.

Kim holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, became an energy engineer, acquired her professional engineering license in 2002, and upon arrival to Colorado in 2005, completed courses in renewable energy and green building design with Solar Energy International.  

Passionate to engage others in treading lightly on the Earth, Kim also owns & manages a local business (Lotus Energy Solutions) that performs home energy consulting services throughout the region.  With a more personal set of energy tools, she also assists people in transforming their own lives to live in purpose and joyful play on our beautiful planet.  In her free time you can find her mountain biking, trail running, skiing, and playing with her husky in the wild and rugged outdoors.

Email Kim at: kim@ecoactionpartners.org

Jacqueline Hess, Weatherization Programs Administrator

Jacque is a creative, innovative mechanical engineer with knowledge, passion, and experience in the field of energy and sustainability. Her experience varies from performing on-site energy audits to working in the fields of oil and gas, wind energy and solar. She is passionate about improving our environment and working toward the integrity and care of our planet in all aspects, from art fused with sustainability to energy engineering.

Email Jacque at: jacqueline@ecoactionpartners.org

Paul Hora, Building Electrification Program Coordinator
Paul has lived all across the country.  Working in energy management for nearly two decades.  His expertise echoes across local, state, and federal energy realms, showcasing a rich tapestry of experience. Armed with certifications in Energy Management and Renewable Energy from AEE and North Carolina State University, he has adeptly applied these skills to benefit not just himself and his family, but also every community he's embraced as home.  His affinity for sustainability and conscientious stewardship emerged early in life, inspired by the breathtaking beauty of the natural world. Through education, personal example, and guided by his faith, he seeks to ignite change in others. At the heart of his ethos lies a thoughtful fusion of ecological responsibility and fiscal prudence, encapsulating a holistic vision for sustainability and conservation. This intentional approach defines his footprint in the work environment, where he harmonizes environmental action with astute economic decisions.

When he’s not working you would likely find him with his wife and son on a trail, running, hiking, biking, or climbing.  They also love being on the water swimming, fishing in a canoe or on top of a SUP.  Paul’s also an avid woodworker/craftsman and builds architectural elements and furniture mostly from reclaimed wood and steel.  The outdoor life is why he and his family made the choice to live in the beautiful and majestic San Juan Mountains region of Colorado. 

Email Paul at: paul@ecoactionpartners.org

Tyler Simmons, Zero Waste Coordinator

Let’s talk trash, and how to reduce it! Tyler Simmons began managing festival and event sustainability initiatives with ZeroHero in 2012 while studying Watershed Science at Colorado State University. After graduating, Tyler moved to Telluride with a career in civil engineering and surveying. Following his passions, Tyler rejoined the sustainability world as the Zero Waste Coordinator at EcoAction Partners in 2017. Since then, Tyler has been employed by Planet Bluegrass for the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and has worked through EcoAction Partners with the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival, the Telluride Jazz Festival, Telluride Mountainfilm, and the Yeti Tribe Gathering to name a few. Each year Tyler also coordinates the electronic waste recycling and manages waste reduction at the Telluride Volunteer Firefighter’s 4th of July Picnic and the TMVOA’s Sunset Concert Series. Aside from festival and event work, Tyler coordinates EcoAction Partners’ Plastic Film Upcycling Program, tracks data for the Ophir Compost Program, and communicates waste reduction resources to anybody that asks. Tyler has been consistently working to promote community composting in our region through partnership with Dirty Sturdy’s Mountain Compost and donates unused food from festivals to the Telluride Angel Baskets Food Pantry. All of this gratifying work enables Tyler to pursue being a fulltime musician, and in the winter, a ski coach for the competitive and non- competitive athletes on the Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club Freeride Team.

Email Tyler at: zerowaste@ecoactionpartners.org

Jay Saxton, Weatherization Programs Auditor

Jay Saxton has been working with Eco Action Partners since 2018. He has a business/marketing degree and is certified as a Building Analysis Professional. He currently works in the C.A.R.E. program as the Weatherization Programs Auditor. Jay enjoys helping people and being involved in the non-profit sector. In his free time, he is always looking forward to new experiences with his wife and children. His hobbies include paddle boarding, hiking with his dogs, and brainstorming ways to create and save energy.

Email Jay at: jay@ecoactionpartners.org

Sean Hart, Green Business and Energy Programs Coordinator

Sean is a retired high school science teacher from Ridgway School District, where he taught Biology, Earth Science, Outdoor Education, and STEM. He graduated from CU Boulder with a degree in Environmental Biology. Sean is the Green Business Program Coordinator, which helps local businesses save money on their energy bills, reduce their carbon footprint, and reduce waste generation. He also works on writing and coordinating renewable energy grants with San Miguel Power Association. Sean is tasked with helping local businesses and citizens access many of the new incentives for renewable energy and efficient technology development. 

Sean is passionate about education, green technologies, and activities that benefit the community. He is a member of the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team and the Black Canyon National Park Volunteer Search and Rescue Team. He also volunteers with the Ouray Trail Group and the Ridgway High School Climbing Team. He does fun outdoor stuff as well. 

Email Sean at: sean@ecoactionpartners.org

Kendra Held, Climate Action Coordinator

Kendra is passionate about local empowerment and the ways we can energize our communities to create a more healthy and equitable world through agency and hope. She joined the EcoAction team in October 2022 and supports regional partners by facilitating collaborative partnerships and developing new programming outlined in the Climate Action Plan. She also conducts the annual GHG Inventory and coordinates various outreach initiatives. Kendra graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota with a BA in Geography and Environmental Studies.

Kendra grew up among the lakes and woods of Minnesota and spent many summers visiting family in Colorado, which inspired her love of the mountains and fed her desire to explore them in hiking boots and on skis. She is soaking up the fresh air in Telluride and feels grateful to learn something new every day.

Email Kendra at: kendra@ecoactionpartners.org

Mollie Theis, Education and Outreach Coordinator

Mollie is a passionate, energetic, nature-mentor devoted to providing accessible educational opportunities that foster environmental stewardship, climate action, and a reciprocal relationship with the natural world. She received her BS in Sociology and Spanish with a minor in Environmental Studies from Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin. She has spent the past seven years working as an environmental educator in different capacities in the field and behind the scenes creating curriculum for summer camps, outdoor school field trips, after school programs, nature preschool, and in school hands-on science learning programs. She is excited to be a part of the EcoAction team serving as a bridge of information through education and outreach!

Email: mollie@ecoactionpartners.org