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Geno worked in supply chains and logistics for nearly 20 years. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Geno began this career path with the Wynn corporation for nearly a decade working in warehousing and vendor relations. Geno moved to Colorado in 2014 and started working for the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in their Central Supply, and most recently worked as the Sales Manager for a local craft brewery.

Geno lives with his girlfriend Andrea and their 2 dogs, Charlotte (Great Pyrenees mix), and Wayne Beau Trout (Golden Retriever), and their cat, Juan. He has been fishing all his life, primarily on the western side of the country, and picked up fly fishing when he moved to Colorado. They are slowly traveling around the country to national parks for camping, hiking, fishing, etc. adventures.

Surrounded by military family and close friends, Geno has always strove to provide any kind of service he could to give back to that community. He is immensely excited to help the healing journey through fly fishing with Project Healing Waters.

Cate comes to us with almost a decade of nonprofit experience. Most recently working with the disability population, she has a passion for serving diverse groups and making a difference. Her dedication to serving others shines through her various hobbies, including volunteering for local organizations, coaching youth softball, and rescuing animals. Cate is grateful for the opportunity to join Project Healing Waters and impact active-duty military service personnel and Veterans in need.

She and her wife Emily reside outside Nashville, Tennessee with their pack of dogs. Avid sports fans, you can often find them in the stands cheering for St. Louis teams. Additionally, they enjoy the outdoors, including fishing, hiking, and golfing, and creating opportunities to enjoy nature with their dogs.

I am a Colorado native and a Veteran of the United States Air Force, having proudly served for 15 years. During my military career, I served as a medical logistician with the Colorado Air National Guard Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosives Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) medical team, where I coordinated local, national, and international medical events, including humanitarian missions in Colorado, Texas, and Washington. My final assignment was as the Unit Training Manager for Colorado’s F-16 Maintenance Group, where I developed training programs that enhanced operational readiness.

Before joining the Air Force, I worked in early childhood education, which gave me a strong foundation in teaching and leadership that I carried throughout my military career. I chose to transition out of the military to be more present with my family and raise our son.

My husband, Adam, who is also a veteran, and I live on the Western Slope of Colorado with our son, Jack. As a family, we enjoy fly fishing, camping, hiking, and cooking around a campfire. Together, we are active members of the Grand Junction PHW program, and I am excited to contribute to our mission to support our nation’s Veterans. I look forward to bringing my experience and passion to PHW as we serve those who have served. 

Becca brings an array of skills and experience to the team with her coordinator background. With a heart fueled by service, she knew at a young age that those purpose-filled missions were what got her excited. Leaning into that shaped the trajectory of her life and has been fortunate enough to merge these passions into her career.

In the professional realm, Becca has spent years as a coordinator for an outdoor education non-profit, using nature as a classroom to teach youth environmental science and integrating community to foster learning. She has worked closely with schools and communities to create robust and meaningful programs, gaining close partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service and local Trout Unlimited chapters along the way to make real-world educational experiences possible for children across the region. 

Becca found joy through volunteerism, as she coached running and soccer, helped in the clinic of nursing homes, and donated time to the historic park where she grew up. While attending West Virginia University, she worked closely with veterans through the Hearts of Gold program, a school program which trains service dogs, ultimately donating them to veterans in need of mobility assistance. With a family filled with veterans, she was thrilled to be a part of this work and fell in love with the program. As the program grew, it led her to working within the confines of a local psychiatric hospital, where she engaged with adolescents in the facility in a mentorship program, teaching them how to train and bond with the service dogs, and integrating this all on their healing journey.

This experience opened her eyes to underserved youth across the mountain state. The number of children in foster care was astonishing, with limited resources available. Knowing the immense benefits new hobbies, community, and nature connection provided, she created a local Mayfly Project, the perfect fit for a state that offers pristine, headwater streams and endless outdoor opportunities. By using fly fishing as a tool for mentorship through this incredible program, she has been able to connect kids with the outdoors and provide them the tools and support to continue fishing throughout the tides of life. She resides as lead mentor for their chapter and continues to provide youth with meaningful outdoor opportunities. 

A West Virginia native, Becca grew up on the banks of trout streams, and continues to call Appalachia home in her hometown outside of Morgantown. You can catch her spending time outdoors, venturing trails with her dogs, fly fishing, biking, and dabbling on her guitar.

Becca is stoked to begin this journey with Project Healing Waters and looks forward to jumping right into the amazing work being done here. 

Nathaly is a recent graduate from the University of Colorado Denver, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Economics. During her academic career, she focused her research on at-risk populations, highlighting her dedication to addressing and understanding the challenges faced by these communities. Her commitment to service was further demonstrated through her work with DIECE Athletics, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) positions within college and professional sports. In her role there, she contributed to program development, community engagement, and resource allocation.

A significant influence in Nathaly’s life is her brother, who has served over 12 years in active duty with the Army. This personal connection has given her a profound understanding of the challenges faced by Veterans and their families, fueling her passion for supporting military communities.

Her enthusiasm for sports is matched by her dedication to staying active as an avid gym-goer and sports fan. Originally from Colorado, Nathaly enjoys exploring the state’s outdoor activities and embracing its vibrant culture.

Nathaly is thrilled to bring her expertise and passion to Project Healing Waters and is excited to contribute to the organization’s mission of supporting veterans through healing and empowerment.

Alyson comes to us with over a decade of nonprofit and public education experience. Her career has been focused on fostering relationships and serving through gratitude and humility. She has worked with youth in various aspects of education and nonprofit, while focusing on improving operations, writing curriculum and improving processes.

Growing up in a military household, Alyson developed a deep respect for our military men and women and is grateful for the opportunity to give back through Project Healing Waters.
Alyson is a Colorado native who enjoys fly fishing, hunting, skiing, hiking and all things outdoors. She is the mother of two wonderful children and loves spending time with them and their dog Buck.

Daisy brings a rich and diverse background to our organization. She began her career as a middle school math and science teacher, dedicating herself to educating young minds in both Jacksonville, Florida, and Carbondale, Colorado. Her passion for service led her to the nonprofit sector, where she worked with Challenge Aspen. She also worked for an organization which played a crucial role in helping Veterans secure their VA benefits.

Coming from a military family, Daisy understands the importance of resilience and mental toughness. Her father, a commanding officer Navy SEAL, was in charge of BUDS phase 2 training, instilling in Daisy the values of perseverance and strength from an early age.

An athlete, Daisy was a collegiate All-American and Academic All-American in Women’s Track and Field at the University of Florida, where she also received the University Athletic Association’s Award for Character. Her adventurous spirit has taken her on the incredible journey of becoming a Triple Crown hiker, having completed over 12,000 miles of long-distance hiking across the United States.

Daisy currently resides in Missoula, Montana, with her beloved husband Shaun, their one-year-old daughter Emma, and their German Shorthair Pointer, Georgie. She is excited to dive into her new role at Project Healing Waters, embracing our culture, working hard, and having lots of fun along the way.

A.J. Gottschalk grew up fishing every moment he could in Florida, primarily with his father, a U.S. Army Veteran.

After relocating to Buffalo, NY for graduate school, he also dove head-first into the fly fishing industry, first as a sales associate at Orvis and then deeper into product design, product testing, global manufacturing, and content creation for a number of brands for nearly fifteen years. It was during this period that A.J. first became a donor to Project Healing Waters, getting to experience first-hand how impactful the camaraderie and time spent outdoors and on the water, both of which are at the heart of PHW, could be.

A.J. joined Project Healing Waters in Febuary of 2023 to assist with Marketing and Development. He is deeply connected to the importance of the organization’s mission to build connections between not only Veterans, but volunteers and donors as well, and to raise further awareness for just how critical time in the outdoors with one’s peers can be for healing any and all wounds.

A.J. finds himself at home in the northeast highlands of Tennessee, near the South Holston and Watauga Rivers. He strives to find and hike to a new waterfall each weekend with his wife, a VA doctor, and young son.