2026 CWMA Winter Training
Speakers Line-up
Get to know the line-up of speakers for the upcoming 2026 CWMA Winter Training. Join industry professionals from across the region on December 9-10 in Fort Collins, CO for two days of engaging sessions, expert speakers, and valuable networking opportunities. Secure your spot today!
Day 1 – December 9
Keynote
Jim Tolstrup
High Plains Environmental CenterJim Tolstrup is the Executive Director of the High Plains Environmental Center in Loveland, CO, a unique model for preserving native biodiversity in the midst of development. His past work experience includes serving as Land Stewardship Director of Shambhala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, CO and running his own landscape design business in Kennebunkport, Maine where he installed gardens at George and Barbara Bush’s “Summer White House.”
Jim holds a Certificate in Gardening Arts from the Landscape Institute of Harvard University and the Arnold Arboretum, he has written numerous articles on gardening and environmental stewardship for various publications, and is a past recipient of Denver Water’s Xeriscape Award, ALCC’s Excellence in Landscaping Merit Award, ASLA Land Stewardship Award and the Sustainable Living Association’s Sustainable Contribution Award. Growing up in an urban environment near Boston, MA, Jim had to “look hard to find nature.” This background has led to a strong sense of empathy for people, and children in particular, who don’t have access to the restorative qualities of nature in their daily lives. Jim is personally committed to bringing together people with diverse points of view (environmentalists, business people, and other community members) in an inclusive dialogue about preserving the natural world for future generations. As a founder and former president of Cankatola Tiospaye, a non-profit that provides material assistance to Native American Elders, Jim has gained a perspective through life-long friendships with Native Americans living on reservations in South Dakota and elsewhere, that the land we live on is much more than a commodity, it is a community of which mankind is an integral part.
Patty York
Colorado Department of AgriculturePatty York is the State Noxious Weed Coordinator and manages the Noxious Weed Program at the Colorado Department of Agriculture. She has been in this role for 4 years, following 11 years as the program's Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) Specialist. Patty holds a Master of Science in Ecology from Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. With over 20 years of experience in noxious weed management, she remains deeply passionate about protecting Colorado's natural ecosystems.
Joe Swanson
Boulder County Parks & Open SpaceJoe Swanson is the Noxious Weeds Supervisor/County Weed Coordinator for Boulder County Parks and Open Space located in Longmont Colorado. Joe has served 12 years with Boulder County having worked the various roles within the county weed management program. Joe oversees invasive plant and noxious weed management on over 50k acres of open space property and approximately 700 miles of county road rights of way in his current role.
Joe started his noxious weed career at the age of 7, hoeing weeds out of row crops in north central Kansas for $2.00/hour. At that time, he had no idea his life and career would end up being centered around the control of invasive plants.
Joe is a 1991 graduate of Kansas State University’s Natural Resources Management program. His professional career began at Fort Riley Military Reservation, where he managed a range research program in the heart of Flint Hill’s Tall Grass Prairie. He also served as the Natural Resource Manager for 3 Department of Defense Ammunition Plants, and then on to his current role at Boulder County.
Mira McBroome
Colorado Department of Agriculture
Mira McBroome has been with the Colorado Department of Agriculture for over 10 years, serving initially as an inspector, and has spent the last three years in her current role as the pesticide applicator coordinator. Prior to her work with the Department, Mira worked as a commercial pesticide applicator and maintains her certifications as a Qualified Supervisor.
Andre Lucas Simões Araujo
Weed Science at Colorado State UniversityAndre Lucas Simões Araujo is a Ph.D. student in Weed Science at Colorado State University. His research focuses on understanding the evolution, distribution, and mechanisms of herbicide resistance in economically important weeds, including kochia, Palmer amaranth, and horseweed. During his master's research, he led a large-scale herbicide resistance survey across Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming, evaluating resistance to glyphosate, dicamba, and glufosinate in major weed species. Andre's research integrates field surveys, greenhouse experiments, molecular biology, and metabolomics to better understand resistance and develop science-based management strategies that support sustainable weed control.
Dr. Chrissy Alba
Denver Botanic Gardens - Research and Conservation DeptDr. Christina Alba is an Associate Research Scientist in the Research & Conservation Department at Denver Botanic Gardens. She studies how disturbances such as drought, biological invasions, and wildfire shape plant communities, as well as how plants perform in an urban context.
Dr. Shireen Banerji
Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety Control
Dr. Banerji is a clinical toxicologist and pharmacist and has been with Rocky Mountain Poison Center for 25 years. She is currently the Managing Director of the Poison Center where she oversees the clinical and administrative operations of the poison center, training clinical staff, as well as public and professional education. She holds faculty appointments with several schools of pharmacy and precepts many learners each year.
Michael Hansen
Altevola LLCMichael Hansen is the owner of Altevola LLC, specializing in the application of chemicals and agricultural products using unmanned aerial systems (UAS). He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder and FAA ratings in fixed-wing, rotorcraft, and UAS operations. Michael brings extensive experience in aviation and engineering, including 12 years in the software industry and 21 years as General Manager of Century Helicopters, Inc. and Paravion Technology, Inc. His background includes helicopter maintenance, aircraft engineering, and the development and optimization of agricultural application systems. He has led Altevola LLC for the past three years.
Brian Kolokowsky
Deep Root Tree Care and Weed Control
Steve Murdock
Jefferson County Colorado Parks and Open Space
Jake Courkamp
Colorado State University
Day 2 – December 10
Mark Pickrel
Wilbur EllisMark Pickrel is an agronomist with Wilbur-Ellis Company. Mark started his career as a lawn technician in Orlando, Florida in 2005. He holds degrees from Northern Illinois University and Valencia College. In his free time, he works as a fly fishing guide in Steamboat Springs and Denver, Colorado.
Casey Cisneros
Keystone Ecology
Casey Cisneros brings over 20 years of experience in noxious weed management and ecological restoration to his role as Principal Ecologist and Founder of Keystone Ecology, a firm specializing in wildland restoration and management. His career spans every level of field operations and leadership—from seasonal technician and field supervisor to public-sector program manager.
A dedicated leader in the restoration community, Casey currently serves as Vice President of the Society for Ecological Restoration Rocky Mountain Chapter and is a past President of the Colorado Weed Management Association.
Alicia Doran
Jefferson County Colorado Parks and Open SpaceAlicia Doran has more than 40 years of experience in invasive species management, pest inspection, and agricultural regulation. Since 1998, she has served as both Pest Inspector and Invasive Species Program Manager for Jefferson County, Colorado, where she leads pest and noxious weed enforcement, education, outreach, species identification, mapping, and management across public and private lands. She provides technical expertise, trains staff and landowners on invasive species identification and pesticide application, and contributes to regional policy and collaborative initiatives. Prior to Jefferson County, Alicia held agricultural inspection and enforcement roles with San Luis Obispo County, Contra Costa County, and the California Department of Agriculture, specializing in pesticide regulation, quarantine enforcement, invasive insect monitoring, and weed management. She also holds multiple Colorado Qualified Supervisor (QS) pesticide licenses across a broad range of categories.
John Kaltenbach
Colorado Department of Agriculture - Palisade InsectaryJohn Kaltenbach is an entomologist and biological control specialist with over 35 years of experience in pest management, invasive species mitigation, and agricultural education. He currently serves as a Biological Control Specialist for the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Palisade Insectary, where he focuses on the evaluation and implementation of biological controls for high-priority targets, including leafy spurge, diffuse and spotted knapweed, emerald ash borer, Japanese beetle, and mountain pine beetle. John loves to extol the wonders of insects in both formal and informal settings and remains dedicated to sustainable ecological pest management.
Stuart Jennings
Edaphix & CO Division of Reclamation, Mining, and SafetyStuart has a Master of Science degree in Land Rehabilitation from Montana State University and over 35 years of experience in land reclamation. His core expertise is in soil remediation and the use of soil amendments to reestablish and promote growth of perennial plants on disturbed sites. Most recently he has devoted his time to development of methods for using novel micronutrient fertility strategies to improve the vigor of perennial native vegetation in weed-affected systems.
Tara Tafi
Edaphix & CO Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety
Tara is originally from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. She attended Colorado State University and graduated with a BS in Environmental Geology in 2001. She attended graduate school at Montana State University where she studied Land Rehabilitation, focusing her thesis research on mine reclamation effectiveness as a function of vegetation response to reclaimed soil chemistry. She began working for the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety, Inactive Mine Reclamation Program, managing mine reclamation projects throughout the state. In 2016 she became the senior project manager, overseeing the west slope team and the coal fire program. Outside of work, Tara is an avid skier and mountain biker, and enjoys spending time in the mountains around Crested Butte, where she lives.
PhD Student in the Forest and Rangeland Stewardship Department at Colorado State UniversityHannah Carrillo
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