Dan joined the GOCO team in October 2021 as the parks and wildlife partnership manager.

What did you do before you came to GOCO?

Prior to joining the GOCO team, I served as the statewide partnership coordinator for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). In this role, I was fortunate enough to coordinate CPW's annual Partners in the Outdoors Conference and the Colorado Outdoor Partnership. Both are key platforms for organizations across the spectrum of the outdoor and natural resource management industries to gather, collaborate, and discuss how to advance and balance outdoor recreation and conservation in Colorado. While in this role, I was fortunate enough to serve on the team that helped launch the Regional Partnerships Initiative, a statewide effort to ensure that Colorado’s land, water, and wildlife thrive, while also providing for equitable access to quality outdoor recreation experiences.

What brought you to GOCO?

The opportunity to join the leadership team of such a well-respected organization like GOCO was an irresistible draw for me and an exciting next step for my career.

What are you most excited to tackle at GOCO?

I am excited about having the opportunity to continue to work with CPW, GOCO’s largest partner, to support the tremendous work the agency does on behalf of Colorado’s outdoors. I love the mission of CPW and have the utmost respect for the agency’s staff across the state who tirelessly work to protect and care for our state’s wildlife and recreational resources. In particular, I’m passionate about the opportunity to represent GOCO and support CPW projects, programs and initiatives through strategy and investments that address the challenges of balancing conservation and recreation.

What is your typical day like?

Being new in my role, I haven’t really determined what a typical day is like just yet, but I anticipate it will be varied and include travel throughout the state to meet with CPW staff to learn about challenges and opportunities the agency is facing. Through these meetings I hope to identify ways GOCO can help advance solutions through strategy and investments. Last week, I travelled to Lamar to represent GOCO at CPW’s commission meetings and had the opportunity to participate in a release of endangered black-footed ferrets. Attending and presenting at commission meetings will be a typical duty but releasing black-footed ferrets (unfortunately) will not!

What are some of your favorite things to do outdoors?

Standing in one of the many beautiful rivers in Colorado while attempting to fool a wise trout is about as good as it gets. However, if I’m in the mood for a more active and energetic pursuit, I love exploring the many great climbing routes in Clear Creek Canyon.

Where is your favorite place to get outdoors in Colorado?

I love visiting alpine lakes in the summer both for the incredible views and the opportunity to catch cutthroat trout. There is one particular lake in State Forest State Park that I go to every summer with my son, but I won’t get any more specific than that.

What is your most memorable outdoors mishap?

A few years ago, I was testing out a rod that I was considering buying from a friend. During the course of the day fishing, I found a bench near the river and thought that this would be a great place to sit down and retie my wading boots. Before doing so, I leaned the rod against the side of the bench and as I turned to sit down, the rod slid down behind me and I sat on the rod and broke the tip. So bottom line is I ended up buying a broken rod!

What is the coolest wildlife you have spotted while outdoors in Colorado?

This is a tough one as there are so many cool wildlife species in Colorado. One sighting that comes to mind occurred a few years ago while I was skiing in Crested Butte, I was fortunate enough to stop and observe a pine marten scurrying about in a stand of trees – what a cool critter!