Jim Tolstrup
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Experience
2007 to Present – Executive Director – High Plains Environmental Center, Loveland CO.
• Responsible for management and over-all leadership of a 275 acre, non-profit environmental center.
• Provide inspiration, guidance and vision for the organization.
• Work with developers and the public to promote environmental stewardship and sustainability.
• Recruit, hire, train and manage full-time and part-time staff. Set goals, conduct annual reviews, create annual work plans. Create and implement HR policies.
• Engage the public in 3000 hours of volunteer time to accomplish environmental stewardship projects.
• Publicly disseminate the vision and mission of HPEC and promote sustainable living through writing, teaching and public speaking.
• Develop and maintain relationships with individuals and organizations in related fields.
• Develop public eco-literacy programs.
• Create and track annual budget of $475,000, including monthly financial reports to HPEC Board of Directors.
• Fundraise through grants, monetary and in-kind donations from corporations, government agencies and individuals, and create new revenue streams to accomplish organizational mission.
• Work with Board of Directors to accomplish goals outlined in strategic plan and ongoing board development.
• Create and execute capital development plan to build long term facility.
2001-2006 – Land Stewardship Director
Shambhala Mountain Center, Red Feather Lakes, CO
• Responsible for all aspects of land management, landscape construction, related contracted services and physical maintenance of 700-acre property of Shambhala Mountain Center, a retreat center that hosts thirty-thousand overnight visits per year.
• Fundraised to meet five-million dollar capital development goal.
• Participated as a member of development team to create long-term strategic plan reflecting values of ecological stewardship at all levels of the organization.
• Created and developed the Shambhala Botanic Gardens and Preserve; a public garden promoting a water-wise and regionally appropriate style of horticulture for Colorado and the West.
• Responsible for maintaining gardens and property.
• Created annual operations and capital expenditures budget, managed expenditures.
• Acted as spokesperson for the gardens, gave public talks and fundraised to accomplish landscape and environmental stewardship goals.
• Created, facilitated and taught public education programs focusing on horticulture, sustainability and environmental stewardship.
• Recruited, hired, trained and supervised full-time and volunteer staff.
• Developed horticulture and ecology internship program accredited by Naropa University.
• Developed land use and conservation policies in support of the long-term development plan.
• Developed and maintained cooperative relationships with related organizations.
Prior Experience – Owned and operated landscape design business.
• Landscape design, installation and management for distinguished clients including First Lady Barbara Bush in Kennebunkport, Maine and Alex and Gabrielle Sheshunoff in Austin, Texas.
• Promoted sustainable landscape practices, as well as the conservation and use of native plants.
Education
• Landscape Institute of the Arnold Arboretum and Harvard University, Boston MA Certificate in Gardening Arts
Awards
• ASLA Land Stewardship Award
• Denver Water Xeriscape Award, 2000
• ALCC Excellence in Landscaping, Merit Award 2000
• ALCC Excellence in Landscaping, Merit Award 1998
Published Articles
• Sustainable Site Development – Colorado Green Magazine March (2010)
• Inner Sustainability – Healing Path Magazine September 2009
• Christmas Ride to Wounded Knee – The Elephant Journal Winter 2007
• Natural Stewardship – The Elephant Journal – Summer 2006
• Spirituality and Ecology – The Dot – Summer 2005
• One Grain of Salt – The Elephant Journal – Winter 2004
• Gardens of the New American West – Colorado Gardener – Spring 2001
Professional Affiliations
• Colorado Native Plant Society – State Education and Outreach Chair
• Audubon Society
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (Affiliate Organization)
Jim,
Jason here from the garden at the Lake Vista apartments. We meet Tuesday, Aug. 9th. I am the one building the minature greenhouse and we talked the panes of Lexan for covering the greenhouse this winter. Once again let me say thank you for your offer. You had asked me to email you to set up a potential meeting time and place for the panes.
I am still interested but have a little snag that has arisen. Shortly after you left I was approach by a District manager for the Mcwhinney properties and was informed that the greenhouse that I am constructing might not fit within the HOA guidelines. He said that he was not sure but he was going to need to have his boss look into the matter and get back to me on it.
My frustration comes from thinking that I had this issue addressed at the apartment complex office but am finding out that this might not be the case.
I hate to have to possibly tear down the greenhouse and relocate somewhere else because I have invested quite a lot of time and money into the completion of the project.
I did not want to burden you with this matter but only want to inform you of the issue.
Anyway, I woudl still like to set up a meeting time to look at the lexan panels. I am still going to complete my greenhouse project, I am just not sure exactly where.
Good to talk to you in the garden center and good to meet you.
Jason Bishop
Jim, I was given your name by one of our teachers at Windsor Middle School and would love to talk to you. I am a 2nd grade teacher at Skyview School of STEM in Windsor and am part of a service learning project through the Roots and Shoots organization founded by Jane Goodall. Our campaign here at Skyview is to rehabilitate the wetlands that are on our school grounds. My second grade class and a first grade class have joined together to take on this project. If you could contact me at kendra.jacoby@weldre4.k12.co.us I would love to tell you more about our long range goal and speak with you more about the what you know concerning wetlands and possibly coming here to evaluate the health of our wetlands and what our next steps are. Thank you so much!
Kendra Jacoby