Meet The Leadership Team

A full time permanent staff of 30 educators and support personnel work year round to improve and update programs, facilities, and equipment. They provide mature guidance for every camp program and trip.


JANE SANBORN -- Executive Director and COEC Officer and Board Member
Jane has worked with the camps since graduating from Colorado College with a degree in English and Education. She was the Director/Program Director at High Trails from 1970 to 1999. She is active in the American Camp Association and has served twice as President of the Rocky Mountain Section. She is currently a member of three National ACA committees: Public Policy, Children and Nature, and the National Conference Committee. She wears many hats at Sanborn, but she is extra experienced with the balloon variety.

JERRY McLAIN -- Director of Development and COEC Officer
Jerry has been with Sanborn Camps since 1958, including many years as Program Director and Associate Director at Big Spring. He also directed the High Trails Outdoor Education Center program for many years and served as COEC Executive Director during the early 2000's. He currently sits on the board of the Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds. Jerry is a former teacher and school board member; his degree is in Social Sciences and Education from the University of Colorado.

JULIE RICHARDSON -- Director, High Trails
Julie attended High Trails as a camper in 1962 and has been associated with the camps in many roles since then. Most recently, she served as the Assistant Director at High Trails from 2000 to 2002 and has been the Director since 2003. She has a strong background in education and youth development and has more than 20 years of teaching experience in Kansas City. Julie graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Education.

MIKE MACDONALD -- Director, Big Spring
Mike came to Big Spring in 1991, and after working in a variety of roles from counselor to Program Director became Director in 1999. Mike currently serves as the President of the American Camp Association, Rocky Mountain Section. He has a BS from Centre College and a Master's Degree in Whole Systems Design from Antioch University Seattle and provides enthusiastic, nurturing leadership at Big Spring.  Mike and his wife Maren have 3 children and are camp marriage #53.

CARLOTTA AVERY -- Associate Director, High Trails
Carlotta has worked at camp since 1978, after graduating from Olivet College with a BA in Instrumental Music Education. She directs the camps' trip program, organizing everything from Forest Service permits to Trip Leader training, and leads rock climbing programs at High Trails. She is co-director of the High Trails Outdoor Education Center program and is our Resident Naturalist, always willing to help identify flowers, birds, and other plants and animals on the ranch.

RYAN McGOWAN -- Associate Director, Big Spring
Ryan worked at camp as a counselor and Ridge Leader 2000-2002.After a year spent teaching kindergarten for Americorps in Washington State, Ryan returned to Sanborn as Program Director. Since 2007, he has been the Associate Director. Ryan is a Top Rope Certified AMGA rock climbing guide and has been instrumental in the expansion of the camps' rock climbing program. Ryan graduated from Central College, in Pella, IA, with an Elementary Education Degree. Ryan is married to the lovely Ashley McGowan.

ARIELLA ROGGE -- Program Director/Associate Director, High Trails
Ariella started her career at Sanborn when she was twelve. After five years of camper and five years of Sanborn staff experience, she continued her work with kids in the high school classroom. Ariella and her family returned to Sanborn in 2001 to take on the Program Director role and to discover her inner IT and marketing guru. She lists mountain golf, Gymkhana, climbing mountains and making Pad Thai in the backcountry as some of her favorite activities at camp. Ariella received a B.A. in English from Colorado College and is a certified secondary English educator and WEMT.

ELIZABETH (Izzy) RUNDLE -- Junior Camp Program Director
Elizabeth first worked as a cabin counselor in 2002.  After staying for a series of HTOEC seasons, she was hired as a ridge leader/program director for Sanborn Junior. She continues to enjoy marshmallow roasting competitions, role playing in large groups and singing silly songs for the entire lodge to enjoy. Elizabeth graduated from Benedictine College in Atchison, KS with a B.A. in Spanish and a minor in Business.

SCOT ANDERSON -- Ranch Manager and Riding Program Director
Scot first came to camp in 1988 as a counselor and worked as a wrangler from 1989 through 1992. He was on the year-round staff for a year and a half as the assistant to the ranch manager and as a teacher in the outdoor education program for three seasons. Scot returned to camp in 2010 with his family as the ranch manager. Scot received his B.S. degree in Geology from Lake Superior State University and has run a number of his own businesses since then. He enjoys riding with his two horse-crazed girls in his spare time.

MAREN MACDONALD -- Riding Program Director and Medical Liason
Maren has a long history with Sanborn which dates back to her first year as a camper in 1986.  Since then she has had many roles: counselor (1994), wrangler (1995-1999), certified Physician Assistant (2001-present), and Riding Director (2007-present).  Maren received her BA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, her Physician Assistant degree at Rochester Institute of Technology, and her CHA Riding Instructor certification in Lexington, KY.  She still claims her 3 beautiful children: Taggert, Finley, and Lleyton (with husband Mike MacDonald) as her greatest life achievement.

ASHLEY MCGOWAN -- Junior Camp Riding Director
Ashley graduated from Denison University in Granville, OH,in May, 2005, with majors in psychology and communications. Ashley was a camper at High Trails for five years and served as a counselor in 2004 and a wrangler in 05-06. She joined the year-round staff in 06 and works with the riding program, the camp stores, fundraising, marketing, and publications. Ashley is married to Big Spring Associate Director, Ryan McGowan.

CHRIS THOLL -- Director, High Trails Outdoor Education Center
Chris came to Sanborn in 1994 as a counselor and then as Program Director at Big Spring. He spent multiple seasons on staff in the HTOEC program. Chris continued to work in the outdoor education industry in California and Utah before teaching Social Studies and History at Fort Collins High School.  In 2006 Chris, along with his wife Rosemary (who he met and married here at camp!) and their two kids, Will and Amelia, headed back to Sanborn to coordinate and enhance the Outdoor Education program. Chris graduated from Boston College with a B.A. in Psychology and received a Master’s Degree in Education from Colorado State University.

ROSEMARY THOLL -- Riding Program Liaison and Barn Manager
Rosemary began at Sanborn as a cabin counselor in 1995. She continued on as a wrangler for the next five summers with several HTOEC sessions mixed in.  After marrying HTOEC director Chris Tholl right here at High Trails, Rosie moved to Fort Collins where she taught kindergarten and 2nd grade.  Rosemary moved back to Sanborn in 2006 where she is involved with the horse program as well as some work with HTOEC. Rosemary graduated from Drake University with a B.S. in Elementary Education and then received her Master’s Degree in Education from Lesley University.