Our Team

Who We Are

As an early leader in outdoor education, we've been crafting unique expeditions in the Southwest since 1926. Nestled in Albuquerque, NM, our non-profit, 501c3 organization boasts a 550-acre Basecamp in Thoreau, NM, providing a gateway to unparalleled outdoor experiences. To us, adventure is more than conquering peaks; it's about understanding the story behind each summit. Knowledge is the foundation of excitement, and we believe in fully experiencing the wonder of the Southwest by seeking to understand and appreciate it. This passion is the driving force behind what we do and why we love doing it.

Meet the Dedicated Team at Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions

Embark on a journey of exploration and education with the passionate and diverse team at Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions. Get to know the individuals who contribute their skills, experiences, and love for the outdoors to make every Gulch adventure unforgettable.

Click on the team member name to read their bio.

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Abby Polakoff

Program & Operations Coordinator

(she/her)

Abby was born and raised in the farm country of northern Maryland, where she spent lots of time catching critters, climbing trees, and getting very muddy in streams. She knew from a very young age that she was passionate about pursuing a career in the outdoors, partially from how much she loved her Gulch trips as a trekker. In 2019, she graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Outdoor Experiential Education and a minor in Leadership Studies. Since then, Abby has worked with kiddos in many different regions of the country facilitating programs focused around community building, wilderness skills, and adventure education. She first worked at the Gulch in 2019 as trek staff and on the operations team, and has popped in and out of the Gulch community ever since. Now working for the Gulch full time, she is excited to call Albuquerque home. You will rarely find Abby without her pup Oakley, who accompanies her on all sorts of adventures. This dynamic duo enjoys exploring the city, playing frisbee, and spending lots of time with their new Gulch family.

 

Abby Polakoff

Program & Operations Coordinator

abby.polakoff@cottonwoodgulch.org

Brad Jeffrey

Brad Jeffrey

Development Coordinator

(he/him)

Brad came to the Gulch as a field educator during the fall 2019 season after completing a Ph.D. in Geology at the University of New Mexico. He spent much of his youth exploring the forests, rivers, and lakes of his home state of Wisconsin. Brad notes that he is fascinated and humbled by the endless wilderness, rich culture, and history of New Mexico – and the rocks are great too! His favorite parts of a trek are breakfast, summiting a peak, bonfire, and fitting in an exciting geology lesson or jam session when the opportunity presents itself. Brad is a passionate educator and appreciates the rewarding moments when one of the trekkers realizes that they love something they learned about a place, or about themselves. As Development Coordinator, he enjoys getting to know the extended Gulch family and community and to help support the outstanding and historic programs through fundraising.

 

Brad Jeffrey

Development Coordinator

development@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Carrie Dalrymple

Development Director

(she/her)

Carrie has fond memories of visiting her grandparents each summer during her childhood and hiking in the Absaroka Wilderness in Montana and Wyoming. A desire to move west was instilled early and was finally realized when she moved to New Mexico in 2001 with her husband and two young children. Raising her children in a place where they could still experience the wild places of the world has been so important to Carrie. She believes that time spent immersed in nature can be transformative: physically, mentally and spiritually.  She has a BA in psychology and a Master of Social Work from the University of Houston where she specialized in nonprofit administration. She has since put her talents to use for a variety of nonprofit organizations in the areas of education, community development, community foundations and advocacy for children in foster care. Her love of the New Mexico landscape and of working with children and youth is what drew her to Cottonwood Gulch, where she has the privilege of spreading the word about their wonderful and life-changing programming for children and youth.

Carrie Dalrymple

Development Director

carrie.dalrymple@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Cass Landrum

Summer Programs Director

(she/her)

Cass hails from Round Rock, Texas where she grew up romping through wildflowers and asking everyone she encountered to play a game with her. Growing up in Texas has made her appreciate the abundance and diversity of public lands in the Southwest. She received a degree in Environmental Studies from SUNY Purchase, then held outdoor education jobs in New York, North Carolina, California and Texas before taking a job with Cottonwood Gulch and settling down in New Mexico. She spent her first summer with Outfit and the following six as the resident Naturalist, during which time she became the Bachechi caretaker and Associate Director managing school group programs until 2018. After taking a year off (partially to go on tour with former Gulch Director Mike Sullivan’s band Powersolo), she continued coordinating with schools to facilitate field trips in northern New Mexico, before returning to Cottonwood Gulch in 2023 as the Summer Programs Director. Through more than 10 years of guiding students and families in the outdoors, Cass estimates that she has belayed over 1000 children, taken down over 500 tents, and participated in over 100 treks. When not leading educational outdoor experiences, she can be found walking her dog Duck, dusting off carboniferous plant fossils, or leading group fitness classes.

 

Cass Landrum

Summer Programs Director

cass.landrum@cottonwoodgulch.org

Clara-Bewley

Clara Bewley

Community Education Coordinator

(she/they)

Clara was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She spent much of her early life in her family’s gardens and at their aerobatic aircraft engine shop where she developed a strong foundation in systems thinking and an intense interest in understanding the interconnectedness of all things. Clara graduated from Colorado School of Mines in 2020 with a degree in geological engineering. Throughout her college years, she tutored middle and high school students in math and science, worked as a peer mentor for first year students, and spent two summers at the Gulch as naturalist and program staff. During this time she fell in love with the Southwest and the resilience of its people, plants, and animals. She spent two years working as an engineer in remediation, geologic hazard mitigation, and infrastructure before coming back to the Gulch full time. Clara is passionate about equitable access to the outdoors, community resilience, and environmental literacy, and hopes to share her curiosity about the world, its people, and its systems with her SIWI students and summer trekkers. In her free time, Clara enjoys roller skating, fiber arts, reading, and eating soul food.

Clara Bewley

Community Education Coordinator

clara.bewley@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Donna White

Food Coordinator

(she/her)

Donna White joined the Gulch in 2020. She has been working in outdoor education since 2002 with various organizations. Before the Gulch, Donna was a field instructor with Outward Bound Costa Rica. While she has experience in rafting, white water kayaking, sea kayaking, and scuba diving, her passion lies in the mountains and hiking. Donna is excited to explore the mountains of the Southwest and already has a love for them! Donna notes that she has always been an outdoor girl and is thankful to be able to incorporate her love of nature into her profession. A close second to her love of hiking is her love of food–another reason she is excited to be working with the Gulch. Donna is the new Food Coordinator as well as a field educator. She worked in the food industry for many years, was a pastry chef for several restaurants, owned a catering company for 25 years, and most recently worked as head chef for a sorority house at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Although food is also a hobby for her , she also enjoys painting and making jewelry.

 

Donna White

Food Coordinator

food@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Iris Flechsenhaar

Bachechi Open Space Caretaker

(she/her)

Iris is the caretaker of this beautiful, inspiring 27 acres of open space in Albuquerque that is managed by Cottonwood Gulch. She cares for the cottonwoods, the grape vines, the pecan grove, wetlands, woodlands, pollinator and rose gardens, the Little Free Library and the wildlife who call this space, home. She  educates visitors on how to walk with respect and teaching stewardship with conservation and preservation in mind. Iris coordinates free Sunday Family Funday and Speaker Series events for the public to enjoy as they learn about our local environment - the Rio Grande floodplain, known as "El Bosque." Iris manages reservations at the Environmental Education Building, engages the community in volunteer work on the open space, and works closely coordinating with the Gulch on school programming at Bachechi.  Iris notes that she loves what she does working on the land and working with the people, interacting with donkeys, a parrot, plentiful dogs, and other pets. She loves playing frisbee and having wild and crazy “dance parties”, creating deep, spiritual experiences on the land. Living and working at Bachechi gives Iris the perfect opportunity to enrich her life and grow expansively in the areas of deepening healing practices, herbalism, gardening, composting, self-sustainability, natural-coexisting practices, building and designing cob cottages, and learning about art and technique. 

Iris Flechsenhaar

Bachechi Open Space Caretaker

bachechi@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Jordan Stone

Executive Director

(he/him)

Jordan first came to Cottonwood Gulch In 2007, as a road cook for the Prairie Trek. He quickly recognized Cottonwood Gulch as an organization full of intelligent, curious, and quirky people, and since then his love for the Gulch has only grown. Jordan has held multiple roles within the organization and was honored to step into the role of Executive Director in 2020. Outside of the Gulch, he has served as the Conservation Program Manager for Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Albuquerque, worked on an urban organic farm in Wisconsin, and trained in outdoor skills at the National Outdoor Leadership School. He keeps bees, tends a garden, loves to write, and spends plenty of time exploring New Mexico’s abundant public lands. Jordan holds a BA from Pomona College, and a Masters degree in Geography and Environmental Studies (if you’d like to have a conversation about how different people and communities think about “nature”–quite relevant to the Gulch experience–Jordan is a willing participant) from the University of New Mexico. He lives in Albuquerque with his wife, Ellen, who teaches third grade and takes her students outside whenever possible, and their two children, Josephine and Rowan.

 

Jordan Stone

Executive Director

director@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Orlando Romero

Office Manager

(he/him)

Orlando has worn many hats and often wears more than one at a same time: father and husband, marathon running coach, USGS hydrologist, soccer coach, martial artist, University of New Mexico rock climbing instructor, substitute teacher, Department of Defense bicycle mechanic, and general purveyor of human-powered pursuits. If you talk to him long enough, you will likely discover something about him that will surprise you. After quitting his grown up job a few years back, Orlando accidently discovered the Gulch from a friend/past student and has been involved ever since. No stranger to helping people dig deeper than they thought they could, he is a profoundly passionate believer in the transformative experiences that trekkers have while participating in Cottonwood Gulch adventures. Orlando has some official-looking papers, among them a BS in Applied Mathematics, a minor in Fine Arts, and a Masters in Water Resources/Hydroscience (all from UNM). His current paper is an American Mountain Guides Association Single Pitch Instructor certification. Orlando hopes to someday figure out what he will be when he grows up.

 

Orlando Romero

Office Manager

orlando.romero@cottonwoodgulch.org

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Theresa Lewis

School & Community Program Director

(she/her)

Theresa was introduced to the magic of Cottonwood Gulch while accompanying her middle school students on an environmental restoration trek. She is passionate about restoring the relationships between humans and the Earth, and she loves having fun with kids, especially in collaboration with the natural world. Theresa comes to the Gulch with diverse experience: environmental education at the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, teaching in a variety of settings, environmental program management with the Municipal Government of Tobias Fornier in the Philippines and volunteer program support through the US Peace Corps, and administrative coordination with MIT and MVPediatrics in Massachusetts. Theresa is from Massachusetts, though still a visitor on Massachusett and Wampanoag land; and she is humbled to be a visitor on the lands of the Tiwa peoples while she has found a home in Albuquerque. Theresa is a certified Forest Therapy Guide and loves taking people on guided, sensory walks to help us all remember that we are a part of nature and not separate from this beautiful world. She is honored to work with a team of people who are passionate about engaging youth in amazing outdoor experiences.
Theresa Lewis

School & Community Program Director

theresa.lewis@cottonwoodgulch.org

 

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Hillis Vassilas

Enrollment Coordinator

(He/Him)

Hillis grew up in Athens, Greece but would visit his grandparents in Chicago every summer. His family has been a part of the Gulch community from the beginning so those visits soon began to include the Southwest and he became a trekker as early as he could at the age of 10. For 6 years running he spent his summers in the southwest, growing through our programs and being a part of the invaluable community process his family had a part in building. He went on to complete a bachelor's in Theatre and English Literature in the UK and found he loved passing his knowledge on to the next generation. For the next few years he was a theater educator at a variety of schools, youth groups, and summer camps before moving to Toronto where he found work in the Outreach field. He helped raise funds for a variety of charities including The Nature Conservancy Of Canada with whom he led a team to reach out to communities in Toronto interested in protecting land and increasing wildlife biodiversity across Canada. The Gulch has a special place in his heart and he has always wanted to give back to the expeditions; to the people and the land that played such a large part in helping him grow into the passionate human he is today. He is honored to take on the role of Enrollment Coordinator and to be a part of the process of helping bring the unique Cottonwood Gulch experience to more minds, bodies and souls.

Hillis Vassilas

Enrollment Coordinator

hillis.vassilas@cottonwoodgulch.org

 

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Neal Turnquist

Staff Experience Coordinator

(he/him)

Originally from southeastern New Hampshire, Neal fell in love with New Mexico while attending St. John’s College in Santa Fe, where he graduated from in 2004. He has worked as an elementary educator for 20 years and finds that much of the best learning takes place experientially, often outdoors, which led him to obtain an MA in Outdoor Education Leadership from Prescott College in 2024. Neal is passionate about helping children develop a strong sense of place and gain confidence through exploration of the more-than-human world. He came to know about the Gulch chaperoning trips to basecamp for many years and loved it so much that he worked as Program Staff on Outfit 1 in the summer of 2024. Neal is delighted to have the chance to be a part of the team building the Gulch’s strong programming and supporting its amazing staff. In his non-work life, Neal loves playing disc golf, hiking, reading, camping, and cooking meals for his wife and two children.
Neal Turnquist

Staff Experience Coordinator

neal.turnquist@cottonwoodgulch.org

 

Our Mission and Vision

Our Mission

Cottonwood Gulch creates outdoor learning adventures for youth from all backgrounds that foster personal growth, strengthen community, and inspire stewardship of the natural world.

Our Vision

Cottonwood Gulch envisions a global community grounded in reverence for the Southwestern U.S., and respect for the lands, waters, and human cultures of the world.