EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

TRISH KRAJNIAK

trish@wildbear.org | she/her
Trish joins Wild Bear as a mission-driven leader and expert problem-solver with experience across the nonprofit, government, and private sectors. A lawyer by background, she has dedicated her career to ensuring access to opportunity for all —a mission she advanced as Senior Vice President of Legal & Policy at HopSkipDrive. Her tenure at HopSkipDrive showcased her talent for assembling teams and driving growth while maintaining a focus on community impact. Combining legal rigor with a passion for nature education, Trish will ensure Wild Bear’s new facility becomes a lasting regional resource for all families.
Trish's personal roots are firmly planted in Nederland. Trish and her husband are raising their two boys in Nederland, instilling in them a love for mountain life. As a family that actively enjoys Wild Bear’s programs, Trish is deeply connected to the organization’s mission and is honored to apply her governance experience to help foster a lifelong connection to nature for her community.

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL OPERATIONS

FRANKIE BEARD

(she/her) | AKA Honeysuckle
Frankie@wildbear.org
Originally from the very flat state of Florida, I found my love for the outdoors, especially mountains, when I moved to upstate New York to pursue a degree in environmental studies at Skidmore College. I worked at several summer camps, including a conservation camp in the Adirondack Mountains, taking kids on outdoor pursuits in the largest park in the contiguous US. I especially love exploring the outdoors with folks who haven’t had the opportunity before, turning apprehension and fear into intrigue and wonder. I moved to Colorado in 2023 after 7 years in New York and Vermont to work at Wild Bear and explore a new landscape and taller mountains. Outside of work I also bake for my friends and neighbors, listen to audiobooks and podcasts with my cat Phoenix, and find quiet spots to swim and hike.

CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGER

LIZ MCGUFFEE

(she/her)
Liz@wildbear.org
Four generations of my family have found solace, joy, and wonder in Eldora, Colorado. We have been lucky enough to spend summers in these mountains, playing in the creek, hiking local trails and learning the names of all the wildflowers. My Wild Bear nature name is Gentian, my grandmother’s favorite flower.
As a child, my cousins and siblings were allowed to spend hours in nature: unsupervised, exploring and learning. Each of my children attended Wild Bear when we would return for the summer in Eldora, and it provided them with a contrast to their urban life, and a sense of belonging in nature.
For more than ten years, I have been working on the project to find a permanent home for Wild Bear, and I am thrilled to see that project come to fruition. Go Wild!

DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT

MATTHEW CELESTA

(he/him) | AKA Bristlecone
Matthew@wildbear.org
As a Colorado native, I grew up in East Denver with a horticulturalist as a mother. My summers growing up were spent outdoors at various camps or a family cabin outside of Leadville. After graduating from UC, Santa Cruz with a degree in sustainable agriculture, I spent three years working for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) as a marketing representative. I have since worked at several other non-profits including Community Food Share and Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center based out of Boulder County. While I am not helping raise money for Wild Bear, I enjoy skiing, hiking, cooking, and spending time with my wife, two dogs and three cats!

ACCOUNTING MANAGER

AMY DeBENEDICTIS

EDUCATION COORDINATOR

BRITT HUBER

(she/her) | AKA Pinedrop
education@wildbear.org
I moved to Colorado in 2008 after growing up in Louisville, Kentucky where I loved exploring limestone ledges, staircased creeks, and deciduous forests. When I arrived, I found a zeal for learning about new landscapes, birding, rock climbing, and identifying plants. I attended Metropolitan State University of Denver, acquiring a bachelor's in Biology and a minor in Elementary Education and spent my summers adventuring with kids to the Denver Art Museum, Botanical Gardens, and the Zoo as an art camp instructor. I joined the Wild Bear team in March of 2022, and am so lucky to share moments in nature with our wonderful community. When not exploring forests with kiddos, I might be found practicing yoga, hiking with my dog, or admiring moss and lichen next to a stream.

EDUCATIONAL OPERATIONS MANAGER

JORDAN CAMP

(she/her) | AKA Pintail
Originally from Centennial, CO, my love for the outdoors began with exploring the ample green space and creek in my neighborhood. From a young age, my parents instilled in me an appreciation for nature through their commitment to keeping my brother and me outside through activities like camping, skiing, fishing, gardening, and other recreational pursuits throughout the Rocky Mountains and beyond. I completed two bachelor's at CU Boulder in Leadership & Community Engagement and Ethnic Studies, with minors in Education and Geography. As an undergraduate, I researched the intersections of outdoor recreation and racial & ethnic identity, developing my belief that everyone deserves a fulfilling relationship with the outdoors, regardless of identity, age, ability, and other barriers. My passions for outdoor accessibility, environmental justice, sustainability, and conservation overlap with my commitment to community-based work, which brought me to Wild Bear in 2022, where I have held numerous positions within the organization since. Outside of work, I can be found enjoying a cup of coffee, walking my cat, developing my birding skills, climbing, and dancing.

OUR STAFF