Lia Cristadoro, Kris Holstrom join local nonprofit in new roles
The Telluride Institute is welcoming back some familiar faces this year. The nonprofit recently announced Lia Cristadoro is the new director of the watershed education program, while Kris Holstrom is now the community liaison for the cohort of Western Colorado University’s environmental management master’s program.
Last year, Cristadoro was a fellow for the Telluride Institute through the Western master’s cohort. Her new role will be a part of her 600-hour master’s project.
Telluride Institute Executive Director Tucker Szymkowicz is excited to bring her on board and hopes she stays with the organization after her master’s program. Cristadoro replaces Dr. Garrett Smith, who recently accepted a position at the University of Arizona.
“She was helping us with some of our indigenous programs for Telluride Institute. Then, when Garrett was resigning, we talked to Lia because she had a strong background in outdoor education and had expressed that she was really interested in working more with the watershed education program. It was just a good fit,” Szymkowicz said.
Lia Cristadoro was recently hired as the Telluride Institute’s director of the watershed education program. Kris Holstrom will also join the team in a more involved role as the community liaison for the cohort of Western Colorado University’s environmental management master’s program.
For her undergraduate, Cristadoro studied ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. During her time at Boulder, she worked with the Boulder Open Space Commission and assisted in teaching biology courses for the school’s underclassmen. She moved to Telluride to work with Telluride Academy as a field instructor and coach at Telluride Gymnastics.
“All of these experiences collectively have led me to identify my passions for youth engagement, hands-on service work and environmental resilience,” Cristadoro said.
According to Cristadoro, in this new role, she wants to focus on issues that “concern progressive science, sustainability, environmental justice and unity.” She aims to achieve this goal in fresh and innovative ways.
Holstrom has been a community staple for years. As well as being a board member for the Telluride Institute, she is currently a San Miguel County commissioner.
Holstrom said she has known and appreciated the Telluride Institute for decades. In the early 2000s, she worked as the sustainability director. Last year, she housed a student participating in the Western master’s program, working with EcoAction Partners. She also worked with Szymkowicz to help house some of the other fellows.
“Since then, we have formed lasting friendships and look to continue our partnership with the master’s students,” Holstrom said.
An article from the Telluride Daily Planet
Eva Thomas, May 4, 2022
