Staff

Kara Heide, Executive Director
Kara arrived in Colorado driving a 1968 Ford Mustang pulling a one horse trailer. She is proud of her long history of community involvement in Eagle County. In the early 1980's, Kara founded the Vail Handicapped Ski School, the first program of its kind in the county. She brings to the Land Trust 32 years of experience in philanthropy and public affairs. As a result of her long history of involvement with non-profits, in 1994 she was awarded the coveted Citizen of the year Award by the Vail Valley Foundation for her accomplishments in serving the special needs community. She served as a liaison for Vail Resorts to federal, state and local government officials. In 2006 she ran for public office and served as an Eagle County Home Rule Commissioner. She received an executive order appointment by Colorado Governor Bill Ritter to serve on the Governor's Forest Health Advisory Council as well as an appointment by Governor Bill Owens to serve as a Commissioner for the Colorado Early Childhood and School Readiness Commission. She continues to serve on multiple non-profits Boards in both Eagle and Summit County. Quality of life, protection of our environment and providing for our citizens prompts her favorite quote; "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."

Jason W. Denhart, Director of Communications & Development
Jason Denhart, and his wife, Fara, have been residents of the Town of Avon since 1995. Denhart oversees fundraising initiatives, as well as marketing and public relations efforts for your local Land Trust. Jason is a well-known figure in the Vail Valley non-profit community with a 14+ year career in local non-profit management and development. Prior to joining the Eagle Valley Land Trust, Denhart served for 6 years as a Development and Special Events officer at The Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis ; for 5 ½ years as the Associate Director of Development at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival; and for 3 years at the Vail Valley Foundation, most recently serving as Senior Director of Development for the Vilar Performing Arts Center and the Vail International Dance Festival. Denhart is a member of American Fundraising Professionals and Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable.

Scott Conklin, Development, Marketing and Projects Coordinator

Scott is a more recent transplant to Eagle Valley. Originally from Southern California, Scott moved to the valley in early 2010 for an AmeriCorps VISTA year of service with the Eagle River Watershed Council. During his time with the Watershed Council he improved their community outreach and volunteerism efforts generating 4,000 additional volunteer hours a year towards the council’s projects. In August of 2011 he was awarded the Colorado Riparian Association “Excellence in Riparian Management” award for “creatively and tirelessly protecting and restoring riparian floodplains throughout the Eagle River Watershed.” Scott joined the Land Trust in late 2011 and brings with him the skills to increase the Land Trust’s outreach on new technologies like Google Earth as well as his program management experience.

Staff