Nell Larson Executive Director

Nell.Larson@usu.edu | 435-797-8941

Nell became the Executive Director in December 2013.  She works closely with Swaner staff, Advisory and Advancement Board members, and Utah State University administration to develop Swaner's strategic direction and the financial and material resources needed to operate the organization.  Prior to her role as director, Nell acted as Conservation Director, where she focused on the restoration and management of the 1,200 acre nature preserve, implementing projects geared toward stream restoration, water quality, wildlife habitat, and trails.  Nell grew up in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York.  She completed her undergraduate degree at Yale as well as her Master of Environmental Management with a focus in ecology at the Yale School of Forestry.  Outside of work, Nell loves to ski - both nordic and alpine, sail, hike, travel, play kickball, and generally take advantage of Utah's great outdoors!

Katherine Veeder Director of Education

Katherine.Veeder@usu.edu | 435-797-8942 

Katherine joined the Swaner team in January 2012 as an Education intern during her last semester at the University of Utah.  After earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies and Political Science, and a brief break to gain valuable experience at other nonprofits, she rejoined the Swaner staff in 2013 and assumed her role as Education Director in May 2014.  Katherine said “my job is always an adventure, but my very favorite part is working with youth one-on-one in the field to guide them to make their own scientific discoveries and connections with the natural world.  There’s nothing better than seeing a child leave the Preserve with a new passion to explore our planet,” when asked about her favorite experiences with the organization.  When she’s not at work, Katherine can typically be found hiking, climbing, playing ultimate frisbee, and taking advantage of all Utah has to offer.

Brianna Cencak Youth Programs Coordinator

Brianna.Cencak@usu.edu | 435-797-8938

Brianna joined the Swaner team as Youth Programs Coordinator in June of 2019. After completing her BS in Environmental Studies at Westminster College in 2014, she dove right into the nonprofit world. With five years of school programs experience, Brianna loves to ignite curiosity of the natural landscape in students of all ages.  Recently, she has completed a Master Recyclers program and enjoys sharing her passion for sustainability with others.  As a Southern Utah native, Brianna spends her time in the sunny weather hiking, searching for bugs with her nephews, and cruising mountain roads on her Dad’s Harley.   

Rhea Cone Conservation Coordinator

Rhea.Cone@usu.edu | 435-797-8956

Rhea joined the Swaner team in 2017. As a born and raised Parkite, Rhea loves being involved in conservation projects in her hometown and working with both locals and visitors alike. Rhea finished her BS in Ecology at the University of Utah in 2016. You can find her on the Preserve leading volunteers, working on restoration projects, and watching for native bees. Outside of work, Rhea enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and gardening.

Hunter Klingensmith Visitor Experience and Exhibit Manager

Hunter.Klingensmith@usu.edu | 435-797-8943

Hunter joined the Swaner team in Fall 2014 as a Conservation Intern during her junior year at the University of Utah. After her internship she joined the Swaner staff as an EcoHost, while also completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies and Business. You can find her leading nature walks on the Preserve, greeting guests at the EcoCenter, assisting with the Swaner EcoClub, and working on the Geocaching course. She loves the variety and continuous influx of new knowledge that comes with being part of the Swaner team. Prior to coming to Utah, Hunter grew up in Pennsylvania and attended the University of Cincinnati for Architecture. In her free time she enjoys hiking, mountain biking, skiing, snowshoeing, and adventuring whenever possible.  

Janna Coulter Community Engagement Manager

Janna.Coulter@usu.edu | 435-797-8939

Janna joined the Swaner team in March 2021. She enjoys creating opportunities for everyone to enjoy nature and believes in the transformative power of the outdoors. Janna grew up in the Carolinas where she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before heading to Colorado State University for her MS in Conservation Leadership. She has seized opportunities to travel and work around the United States, study ecology in the Galapagos Islands, and complete graduate research in central Kenya. Outside of the office, you might find her mountain biking or running with her husband and hound dog, playing ultimate frisbee, riding horses, skiing, paddle boarding, and eating delicious food.

Emma Lowe Staff Assistant/Office Manager

Emma.Lowe@usu.edu | 435-797-8940

Emma joined the Swaner team in July 2021. She graduated with Bachelor’s Degrees in Environmental and Sustainability Studies and International Studies from the University of Utah in May 2021. Since she was young, Emma has had a passion for both the outdoors and visual media, and she loves any opportunity to combine the two. At work, you can find her filming and photographing various events and activities, while outside the office you might see her cooking, gardening, crafting, or out exploring the natural world. 

Whitney LaPointe Marketing Assistant

Whitney.LaPointe@usu.edu | 435-797-8937

Whitney joined the Swaner team in 2022. A graduate of Vanderbilt University with a degree in Political Science, her professional experience includes corporate event planning as a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), marketing and social media management. 

A lifelong southerner, Whitney fell in love with Utah's mountain summers after briefly moving to Salt Lake City with her family in 2013 and eventually made Park City her permanent home. When she's not at the EcoCenter, you can find her shuttling her two kids around town, planning her next camping trip, taking scenic hikes or hitting the ski slopes

Jess Oveson Lead Naturalist

Jess.Oveson@usu.edu | 435-797-8952

Jess joined the Swaner team in 2021. Spending ten years as a guide across the mountain west, Jess developed her love of wild spaces, environmental education, and conservation. After learning to ski, she decided Utah was the place for her and made it her permanent home in 2015. She graduated from Utah Valley University in 2018 with a degree in Political Science. When she isn't at Swaner or buried in a book, you can find her trail running, volunteering, skiing, or out on a road trip with her family.  

Denice Heidorn Naturalist

Denice.Heidorn@usu.edu | 435-797-8955

Denice joined the Swaner team in June 2021. Originally from Michigan, she moved to Utah in 1995. With a love for the beauty of the Wasatch Mountains and Greater Park City area, she has found her latest adventure a perfect fit. In 2002, Denice earned her Bachelor's degree in Marketing Management. She devoted her skills to the hotel and event industry. In her spare time, Denice exhibits her artistic skills working with stained glass. She also enjoys dancing, hiking, entertaining, cooking and traveling. In her new role, she is excited to learn more about the surrounding environment and wildlife of Utah.   

Lexie Chamberlain Naturalist

Lexie.Chamberlain@usu.edu | 435-797-8955

Lexie joined the Swaner team in 2021. She loved growing up in Austin, Texas but her annual summer trip to the Sawtooth Mountains every summer helped her fall in love with the West. She graduated from BYU with her Bachelor’s degree in Biodiversity and Conservation in 2021. Lexie is passionate about taking care of the ecosystem and inspiring others to do the same. At the EcoCenter you can find her leading nature walks and snowshoe tours, teaching naturalist courses and organizing Sunday craft! Her hobbies include rocking climbing, birding, fly fishing, backpacking and making kombucha. 

David Kizer, Board Chair

David grew up in Park City along the outskirts of the Swaner Preserve. David and his wife Allison frequent Swaner’s many exhibits with their two daughters. He is passionate about the outdoors and enjoys helping local organizations as well as larger national level groups. David is also involved in preservation and education efforts with SUWA, Utah Rivers Council, Mountain Trails Foundation and American Rivers. He currently works at Owlet Baby Care where he is the COO. David received a B.S. in Finance from the University of Colorado and an MBA from the University of Utah.

Andy Fletcher, Vice Chair

Andy Fletcher leads Strategic Planning at Patagonia, where he works to ensure the business’s long and short term goals align to the company’s mission to Save Our Home Planet. Prior to Patagonia he held several general manager and strategy roles at retail and apparel companies including Backcountry.com, VF Corporation, and Nordstrom. He also spent a number of years working in private equity and management consulting. Andy earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia, and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Stephanie Dolmat, Secretary

Stephanie Dolmat is a corporate sustainability leader and currently serves as Senior Director, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) at Robert Half, a global talent solutions and consulting firm, where she collaborates across the company to effectuate positive change. Stephanie is a graduate of Yale University, where she earned a B.A. in political science, and the Bren School at University of California Santa Barbara, where she earned a master’s degree in Environmental Science & Management. Her mom taught Stephanie the names of birds and flowers when she was young, which turned into a life-long love for nature and our outdoors. Stephanie is aligned to Swaner's mission because she believes our local ecosystem is incredible and all the people and critters benefit from nature stewardship and education.

Julie Hopkins 

Originally from Aspen, Colorado, Julie Hopkins now makes Park City her home. She is a Top 10 Real Estate Agent for the broader Park City area. She spent 25 years of her career as the head of marketing for companies like Mrs. Fields Cookies, The Sharper Image, and Park City Mountain Resort.  She currently serves on the Park City Institute Advisory Board and Ballet West Community Leadership Board and was an adjunct professor at the University of Utah MBA program for eight years.

Pauline Sargetakis

Pauline Sargetakis was born and raised here in Salt Lake City. She grew up enjoying all the beautiful outdoor experiences this state has to offer. She spent 3 years in Los Angeles pursuing a degree in Fashion Marketing. She then spent several years working in Utah’s fashion industry before moving into the wine industry. She now works at Vine Lore as a wine broker for Utah. She loves her job as it marries my passion for wine and spreadsheets! Pauline also loves to hike with her dog and travel as much as possible. Through Vine Lore, she serves on the committee for the Natural History Museum Gala and plans a food and wine festival that benefits 3 local nonprofits every year. The Swaner EcoCenter has been a part of her childhood, and she feels honored to continue to support the Swaner EcoCenter and continue to grow the legacy of conservation for future generations.

Diana Swaner, Founding Board Member

Diana Swaner has considerable expertise in education and social science. Diana earned her M.S. in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Intercultural and International Education with a specialty in Curriculum Writing from the University of Southern California. She has spent many years doing Teacher Training in Europe and worked in the area of gifted education, teaching students to problem solve and become divergent thinkers. Diana's mantra was always, "Not, how do I get my students to think about my curriculum, but how do I use my curriculum to teach students to think".

Meg Steele

Meg studied Natural Resources Management at Michigan State University and continues to love the outdoors. Meg served on the RAP Tax Recreation Committee and organized the Running of the Balls event for the Park City Rotary Club. She helps the Park City Community Foundation organize Live PC Give PC and direct funds for the Women's Giving Fund Grant. Meg is also a member and volunteer of Camber Outdoors. At her job as an IT Business Analyst for Park City Mountain - Vail Resorts, she participates in the Epic Promise Day volunteer projects and serves on the Epic Promise Grants Committee and the Park City Mountain Green Team. Meg has served on the Summit Land Conservancy Board, acting as Treasurer for part of her tenure.

Dave Gebert

Dave Gebert grew up in Eastern Pennsylvania where he frequently spent time outside in the local mountains, streams, and lakes.  When he graduated from high school he used the opportunity to move to 

Utah where he attended the University of Utah receiving a BS in Mathematics.  Dave loves being on the trails whether it be skiing, mountain biking, hiking, trail running or cross country skiing.  Dave has a history in business operations, business systems and data analytics.  He recently left his day job to pursue his dreams as an entrepreneur/investor.

Abbi Antablin

Abbi grew up in Wayne, PA and was a member of the US National Figure Skating Team from 1997-2000 before attending the University of Pennsylvania where she majored in Political Science and ran cross country and track. After college she moved to Manhattan where she worked in publishing for Gourmet Magazine; for The Evening News at CBS; and finally in sales and product at Fila USA. After moving to Houston in 2010, Abbi worked for Opportunity International in fundraising and development. She has served on the boards of The Veritas Forum, Houston reVision, and Citizen Schools Houston. She is currently the President of the Family Association at Park City Day School. Abbi and her husband Rob have four young children, Banks, Tate, Bond, and Penn. Their first exposure to Swaner was summer camp in 2019 and they have been frequent visitors ever since!

Larry Brownstein

Larry owned a children’s clothing business that sold private label and licensed apparel to mass market retailers, department stores, and specialty chains. His experience included oversight of all areas of design, sales, and manufacturing. He pioneered the transition from a small domestic company to an international manufacturer with operational bases in both the United States and Southeast Asia. Desiring to spend more time with his family and enjoy life in the mountains, Larry sold his business and moved from his home in Connecticut to Park City as a full-time resident in 2011. While no longer pursuing mountaineering adventures with his son, he enjoys skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and is attempting to learn golf. Larry earned a BA degree with honors in economics from Stanford University and an MBA from The Wharton School. In addition to his interest in nature and the outdoors, Larry appreciates and enjoys the outstanding arts and culture offerings in the Park City/Salt Lake area. He serves on the Board of Park City Film and the Advisory Board of the Deer Valley Music Festival.

David Moore

David has served as President of the Alumni Association, Chair of the Foundation Board, member of the National Advisory Board for Aggie Athletics, and member of the Board of Trustees. In addition, the Moores have financially supported a number of scholarships and programs at Utah State and frequently make time interact with students.

Susan Poulter, Honorary Board Member

Susan brings a background in both science and law to her service on the board. With a PhD in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley, and a law degree from the University of Utah, she practiced environmental law and general corporate law, she then taught environmental law at the S. J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah where she is currently Professor Emerita. She has written and lectured on topics within the fields of both science and law and has served on various professional boards and committees of the American Bar Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She currently lives with her husband in Park City where her activities have included coordinating the docent program for the Swaner EcoCenter and more recently, serving on the advisory board.