Staff

Since 2014, Rebecca Jewett has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Palmer Land Conservancy. She leads a dedicated and passionate staff in the conservation of southern Colorado’s most iconic landscapes including working farms and ranches, waterways, and outdoor recreation spaces. 

Merging business savvy with nonprofit leadership, Rebecca brings a social impact lens to her work in both the nonprofit and private sectors. With over fifteen years of experience in the conservation and outdoor fields, she has guided and overseen significant regional planning initiatives and the strategic implementation of complex water and land conservation initiatives. Rebecca is also the co-founder of the tech startup, BoardSpot, which provides SaaS tools to improve the effectiveness of nonprofit boards. 

Rebecca’s broad range of experience includes growing the capacity and impact of community-focused nonprofits, strategic planning, and business and operational development. She has extensive leadership experience holding executive and board member positions at numerous organizations, including founding or restructuring multiple companies and nonprofits. She received her Master of Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy (MRLS) from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Colorado College.

Rebecca serves as the founding chairman of the board for Keep it Colorado, as well as serves on the Land Trust Alliance's National Land Trust Leadership Council. She is the recipient of the 2022 City of Colorado Springs Mayor's Young Leader Award and has been recognized by the Colorado Springs Business Journal as a Woman of Influence and Girl Scouts of Colorado Woman of Distinction. She also serves as a mentor to students and young professionals interested in the conservation field. Rebecca is deeply passionate about strengthening the impact of the nonprofit sector. As a 5th generation Coloradan, she is also personally committed to protecting Colorado’s magnificent landscape and natural heritage. She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and two daughters.

Amanda brings a unique technical skillset to Palmer by providing the staff and office with systems, processes, and administrative support to allow the office to run smoothly and more efficiently. After working for a land trust in California for a few years, Amanda joined Palmer to support the staff, the conservation priorities, and the mission to protect land and water for the wellbeing of nature and people.

Jolene’s love of water, nature, and playing outside began as a kid in Southern California at Camp Pendleton. Growing up on a military base was a safe haven where she spent countless hours exploring canyons, climbing trees, and playing in the ocean.

Jolene’s entrepreneurial spirit brought her to Pueblo in 2016 when she moved her wild fermented sriracha business, Jojo’s Sriracha, to Boone to start working directly with Pueblo chile farmers. Drawing on her background as a communication studies professor, Jolene has fostered opportunities for her community through education, curriculum development, and mentorship.

A throughline in Jolene’s work is the love of people. Now, working at the intersection of water, agriculture, and outdoor recreation, Jolene’s role centers around expanding Palmer’s community engagement in Pueblo and southeastern Colorado, including communities traditionally lacking representation in conservation and outdoor recreation spaces.

Amy Filipiak has resided in southern Colorado for more than 45 years and is a University of Colorado graduate, earning a Master of Geography and a Master of Public Administration. She began her environmental career mapping artillery ranges and wildlife conflicts for the U.S. Army. She then transitioned into sustainability outreach programs for Fort Carson, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and the National Partnership for Safe Routes to School. Twelve years ago, Amy began teaching as a geography instructor for American Military University and soon moved into a full-time Faculty position at Pikes Peak State College. She recently left the college as an Associate Professor, Department Chair of Geography, and a Colorado Community College System (CCCS) State Discipline Chair.

Amy cherishes her early years in Black Forest, where open spaces provided tremendous freedom and enduring lessons. She considers local engagement a duty and a calling and remains active in community issues and neighborhood projects. She finds joy in spending time with her family, cycling, renovating old homes, repurposing discarded materials, and learning new skills and perspectives.

Steve discovered his passion for protecting land, water, and wildlife while attending the Wake Forest University School of Law. During law school, he helped found the Environmental Law Society and won the prestigious James A. Webster Faculty Award for Property Law. After graduation, Steve moved to Colorado, intent on using his legal skills to benefit the environment. For nearly thirty years, he successfully represented conservation advocates, environmental organizations, and other concerned citizens seeking to leave the world a better place for future generations. Steve has also had the honor of teaching hundreds of Colorado College students about environmental policy, public lands, water law, and food and agriculture policy as visiting faculty.

In addition to his work as an attorney, Steve has served on nonprofit and governmental boards and commissions, including the Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Advisory Board and the Trails Open Space and Parks Working Committee, and the boards of directors of Palmer Land Trust and Organic Seed Alliance. As Palmer’s Land Stewardship Director, Steve works with landowners to ensure their vision for their property and the terms of their conservation agreements are realized, forever. In his spare time, he enjoys attending and organizing concerts and music festivals, and hiking and birding with his wife and dog.

Jeff’s passion for the great outdoors began as a child while camping and fishing in the Colorado mountains with his family. Born in Denver and raised in a suburb of Kansas City, Kansas, Jeff has strong roots in both states. However, there was never a doubt that he’d move back home to Colorado, which he did in 1992 to attend law school at Denver University.

After graduating, Jeff practiced real estate and business law for more than 25 years in the Denver metro area. While Jeff was fortunate to work with a wide variety of clients, he especially enjoyed developing long-term relationships with a core group of small business clients. Those relationships were founded on equal parts communication, maintaining the vision of his clients’ goals, and the ability to navigate and close complex transactions. 

As the Conservation Director, Transactions, Jeff works with landowners, and their advisors, to help landowners permanently protect the land they love with conservation tools and agreements. In his free time, Jeff is happiest when he’s outdoors. He enjoys hiking with his family and their dogs, playing tennis along with many other sports, and spending time with friends.

Julia’s love for the outdoors began in her backyard in Virginia and on hiking trips with her family. She received her undergraduate degree in Conservation Policy from the University of Michigan and then moved back home to Washington, D.C., to work on environmental policy in the Senate. Her interest in conservation has brought her west on several occasions. She completed a term with Americorps American Conservation Experience in Utah and North Dakota and spent a summer working for Audubon Alaska in Anchorage. Julia joined Palmer to support the CEO and Board of Trustees. She is excited to work on conservation in such a special place, and she’s spending her free time exploring her new home state. 

Jeanine began her love with nature in her childhood years growing up in New Jersey.  Abundant wooded areas and deep-rooted farmlands were prevalent. She received her degree at UNC Charlotte, where she subsequently honed her career and worked for an Italian woodworking equipment manufacturer for 22 years. After spending an exciting sabbatical living and working in Yellowstone National Park, her professional career in accounting and HR ultimately brought her to Colorado.  Here, she has been living her dream amongst the beautiful landscape, abundant wildlife, and forests where she enjoys hiking, sight-seeing, and cross-country skiing. Jeanine and her family make it a point to visit America’s National Parks as often as life will allow, along with Colorado’s regional parks and fascinating historic areas. She enjoys music, playing the piano, singing choral music, and enjoys being the event and PR coordinator for a favorite local band. She has always been an advocate for land, wildlife, and environmental conservancy and is excited to be on the frontlines for southern Colorado as Palmer’s Finance Director. 

Having spent her childhood on her grandparent’s farm husking corn and digging up turnips in North Carolina, Astrid has long felt connected to the land. After graduating from University of North Carolina - Charlotte with a degree in Public Health, Astrid headed west for Colorado Springs, sight unseen. For nearly a decade, she has worked in nonprofit development, helping to raise awareness and funds for the causes she cares deeply about in her community. As Palmer’s events and membership manager, Astrid is responsible for creating exceptional experiences for our members and helping them to connect with what they love most about Colorado. Out of the office, you can find Astrid biking the trails, boating on the Arkansas River, reading, or simply playing outside.

Dillon, an Alabama native, joined Palmer Land Conservancy after working for the Salazar Center for North American Conservation. As the senior conservation manager, he is responsible for helping to advance critical agricultural, water, and community-building projects that are of local, state, and national importance. Dillon is a 2023 recipient of Pueblo's Emerging Leadership award by the Pueblo Latino Chamber of Commerce and received his Masters of Business Administration from Colorado State University. Dillon is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys exploring wild places with a camera, bow, or fly rod in hand, and when he does have cell service, you can find him in the kitchen connecting his experiences from the field to his table. 

Nissa joined Palmer with a long history of conservation experience and history with Palmer. A fifth-generation Coloradan, Nissa grew up south of Denver and received her Bachelor of Arts from George Mason University. After graduating, she found her calling in the non-profit sector, and throughout her career, Nissa has worked in several community and political organizing positions. With experience working on conservation transactions and landscape planning efforts at Trust for Public Land, Nissa served as the Southwest Conservation Finance Director, where she worked across the inter-mountain West to help communities raise dedicated funds for park, trail, and land conservation priorities. Nissa also worked for the Western Conservation Foundation on a project with the Nature Conservancy to encourage state investment in wildlife habitat conservation. 

In Colorado Springs, Nissa served on the boards of the Trails and Open Space Coalition and Palmer Land Conservancy from 2015 to 2021. She is serving her second term on the Board of Education for Cheyenne Mountain District 12. Nissa enjoys raising her three children with her husband and cooking, reading, and traveling the country in her spare time.

A Chicago native, Carrie’s first connection to conservation and nature came from spending countless hours in the most accessible green space—the free downtown zoo. Her love of animals and wildlife led her to pursue a career in zoology with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Beloit College in Wisconsin, followed by a Master of Science in Zoo Conservation Biology from Plymouth University in the United Kingdom.

Carrie moved to Colorado Springs in 2017 for a career in the Animal Department at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, where she served for two years as the President and Events Chair for the local chapter of the American Association of Zookeepers. After more than ten years of experience working in the zoo profession, she decided she was ready for a change. Time spent living and recreating in Colorado’s landscapes sparked her passion for conservation initiatives within the community. She became a strong advocate for outdoor recreation stewardship and currently serves as the Leave No Trace State Advocate for Eastern Colorado. In addition to her wildlife conservation experience, Carrie strongly desires to connect people with Palmer’s mission through the power of shared experiences and events.

As a communications professional, Wesley has spent much of his career working at the intersection of outdoor recreation, conservation, design, and storytelling. Wesley, a third-generation Coloradan, understands the significance of protecting this awe-inspiring place for future generations.

While earning a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado, Wesley dedicated four seasons to land stewardship and trail projects with Rocky Mountain Youth Corps and developed a greater appreciation for conservation. Before joining Palmer, he managed the national communications strategy and event coordination for American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day^®. After working on a national scale for eight years, he decided to focus his attention and leverage his skills as an award-winning videographer, photographer, and designer to advance local conservation priorities. Beyond work, one of his greatest joys is time outside—close to home or in the high country—with his wife and daughter.

A Colorado native, Theron discovered his passion for the outdoors at a very early age. Raised in a diverse family with deep roots in agriculture, since childhood he has enjoyed weekends on his great aunt’s farm, playing sports, hiking, camping, and fishing all over western Colorado.

Theron received an athletic scholarship to University of Northern Colorado and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Geography and a Professional Science Master’s in Environmental Geosciences while competing in Division 1 football. Theron’s professional background includes forestry and horticulture, environmental testing, municipal planning, wildlife management, and water administration. He is interested in taking a holistic approach to stewarding land and natural resources that balances the needs of agriculture, wildlife, and outdoor recreation.

Theron lives in Pueblo with his wife and daughter, and they enjoy hiking, birding, and caring for their dog, chickens, gardens, and orchard. In addition to his passion for nature, Theron is also involved in writing, recording, and performing music in solo, collaborative, and church settings.

Nicole joined Palmer Land Conservancy with more than 20 years of experience in philanthropic leadership and fundraising strategy. A California native who has fallen in love with Colorado's natural spaces over the past decade, Nicole brings a proven track record of building and enhancing fundraising programs across diverse sectors, including the arts, sciences, education, and sports.

Her efforts for the USA Swimming Foundation achieved growth through innovative programming and data-driven decision-making; and she most recently led Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s philanthropy program, managing fundraising and funding distributions to support conservation and recreation programs across Colorado.

Nicole currently serves on the Boards for Leadership Pikes Peak and Ormao Dance Studio and is committed to deepening her impact in the local community she has grown to love. When not advancing conservation through philanthropy, Nicole enjoys traveling with friends and family, exploring Colorado's outdoor spaces with her dog, and attempting to learn how to tap dance.

Lee has always loved natural landscapes. His early years were influenced by the rich soils of the Pennsylvania Piedmont and the ancient craggy pinnacles of the Appalachians. Wanderlust and the expansiveness of the West, as well as skiing western powder, enticed Lee to complete a Bachelor of Science from the College of Forestry and Natural Resources, CSU-Fort Collins, and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Integrated Natural Sciences, Colorado College. He has spent more than thirty years in private and public science education, most recently working as a science curriculum specialist at Colorado College. He has visited conservation easements for Palmer Land Conservancy for 15 years and served on the Board of Trustees for four years. Lee vividly remembers his first Palmer property visit, sharing a property walk and stories of the land with 4th generation rancher, Robert. Currently, he is also a board member of the Rocky Mountain Field Institute.

A Colorado native, Ken has a life-long love of the outdoors. The grandson of a Cripple Creek miner, he was born and raised in Colorado Springs. Ken skied and hiked as a child and developed a passion for mountain biking as a student at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Later, he became a private pilot like his father. Ken returned to Colorado Springs to start a business—AGL Drone Services, which provides "Solutions With Altitude"—and to raise his own family.  In 2017, he began working with Palmer Land Conservancy to explore the potential of drone technology and its effectiveness for “visiting” conservation easement properties. As a licensed drone professional and technologist, Ken has pioneered “aerial solutions” that give Palmer unique and comprehensive perspectives of conserved properties.