Office Staff
Maureen Muller - Office Manager
Jill Pidcock – Director of Development & Community Relations. Jill is a parent of a son with autism, an ordained minister, and an autism advocate. She is a PEAK Parent mentor, serves on the Colorado Autism Commission, and works for the Roaring Fork School District. Jill brings a wealth of insight into the autism and larger communities, enabling ESC to find the resources needed for sustainability and growth.
Fred Bernard – Marketing & Communication Coordinator. Fred is a graduate of Oberlin College, where he majored in philosophy. Fred is an autism and ESC veteran, having grown up with a sibling with autism and having worked summers and winters with ESC since 2004.
Allison Davis - Program Director
We are pleased to welcome Allison Davis to our staff as Program Director. Allison brings extensive experience in autism education and programming, as well as expertise in climbing and cycling. She has worked in the autism field for over 10 years as an ABA therapist, program manager, and consultant. She has worked for SARRC in their adult community/employment program, for private home teams, for the Aspen School District, and for the Early Autism Project in Georgia and South Carolina. Allison has a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and has completed graduate studies in this area as well. She is an associate member of the Association of Behavior Analysis International. Allison has been a wilderness guide/instructor for 4 years, leading clients to the back country for climbing, alpine hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, and snowshoeing. She was the Assistant Race Director for the Aspen Cycling Club for several years, and has her Wilderness First Responder certification.
Winter Program Staff
Chase Bowlby- Aspen Skiing Company Professional Instructor and ESC Senior Program Staff
Chase started with ESC in the summer of 2006 and has been an integral part of the team, serving as a head instructor and trainer for each of the adventure sports we offer. Being born and raised in the Roaring Fork Valley could only mean one thing…. Chase would master Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding, Rafting, Water Skiing, Wakeboarding, and many other sports that this great Valley has to offer. Chase is a certified lifeguard, is certified in White Water Rescue, and has worked at the Hot Springs Pool & Club where he taught swimming to children. He has also worked for the Aspen Skiing Company as a Snowboard instructor, at Blazing Adventures as a Raft Guide, and at Challenge Aspen as a Ski/Snowboard instructor teaching sports to people with a variety of disabilities. Chase has worked with children with autism for 7 years.
Mathew McCabe – Aspen Skiing Company Professional Instructor and ESC Program Developer
Matt started with ESC in the winter of 2010-11 and continued as a river specialist and counselor in the summer of 2011. He is now one of our ski instructors and works on program development in the office on a full time basis. Sharing his passions with children on the spectrum has become his main focus. Matt has a degree in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration from Western Illinois University with a minor in Outdoor Leadership and Business Administration. Alpine skiing and whitewater sports are his favorite outdoor pursuits, but he actively participates in many other adventurous activities. Matt proudly admits that his greatest passion is sharing these experiences with other people, and that is exactly why he has chosen a career in adaptive/therapeutic recreation. Matt is an adaptive ski instructor, is PSIA-certified, a Wilderness First Responder, Swift Water Rescue Technician, and all-around humanitarian. Matt has worked for Challenge Aspen, Aspen Whitewater Rafting, Smoky Mountain Outdoors, and various other outdoor recreation providers.
Joseph Breiling- Senior Ski Buddy & Program Developer
This will be Joseph’s fourth season with ESC, having served as both a summer and winter counselor. He also works in the ESC offices helping to develop our programs. Joseph has been working with people with disabilities for the last 7 years. This includes experiences such as: coaching three Special Olympic teams to state titles, coaching multiple team and individual sports, and working for the Opportunity House. Joseph has focused specifically on autism for the last 2 years and is part of a home team for which he has received intensive training on positive autism supports and teaching strategies. He is currently working on a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Certificate, and has made the field of autism his passion and career choice. With an extremely positive attitude, natural teaching talent and enduring patience, Joseph works very well with people on all levels of the ASD spectrum.
Justin Engels- Ski Buddy
Justin grew up in Wisconsin. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2010 with degrees in Political Science and Sociology of Law, Criminology and Deviance. He enjoys all types of outdoor activity and is an avid sports fan. He first began working with kids as a basketball coach and tutor for inner city youth in Minneapolis. Justin joined the ESC team this past summer and proved to be a natural at facilitating sports and activities for people with autism. He has received extensive autism training as part of a home team, covering ABA techniques and developmental/relationship strategies. His strong skiing background, calm demeanor, and patience have made Justin a great addition to the winter staff!
Keenan Sturm- Ski Buddy
Keenan is a recent college graduate from Western Illinois University, where he studied Wilderness Leadership and Kinesiology. Having a brother with an Autism Spectrum Disorder was motivation for Keenan to find a job working with young people on the spectrum. Combining this passion with his experience in wilderness leadership and adventure recreation made ESC the perfect fit for Keenan. Previously, Keenan has worked as a Kayak Guide in Norway, a youth-camp cabin leader Malibu, California, and an Animal Caretaker at Noah’s Ark in Illinois. He also brings with him alpine skiing experience and a positive attitude that has made him a great addition to our team.
Mimi Liebman- Ski Buddy
Mimi is a true Aspen local, and that is even more rare than the fact that she can coach skiing and snowboarding! Previously, Mimi has coached snowboarding for the Aspen Valley Ski Club (AVSC), has facilitated therapeutic horse-back riding at the Sopris Therapy Center, and is a Veterinary Technician in Carbondale, Co. We are very excited to have have Mimi on the team this year!
Cole Kloster- Ski Buddy
Cole is originally from Texas, but after coming to the Colorado Rock Mountain School in Carbondale for high school, he now considers himself a local. Cole is the youngest member of the ESC team, but he brings with him a lot of experience in alpine skiing, snowboarding, and telemark skiing, as well as an intimate knowledge of Snowmass Mountain. After a season of Collegiate Lacrosse in California at Whittier College where Cole suffered a season-ending knee injury, he has returned home to the Roaring Fork Valley and is actively pursuing a career as a fire fighter for the town of Carbondale. Cole is a people person, with a very stoic temperament and great patience. We welcome having Cole on the ESC team for this year’s winter program.
Autism Expertise
Diane Osaki, OT – Consultant to Extreme Sports Camp
Deeply involved in the shaping and development of our programs, Diane has played an integral role in our success. Year to year, she has helped to continually improve our program quality which makes the experience and benefits for the kids who attend the Extreme Sports Camp the best they can be. Diane is personally involved in our training each season and provides valuable on-site direction and guidance for our entire staff. She attends periodically during the summer and winter programs to provide guidance and training throughout our programs.
Diane Osaki is the Early Start Denver Model Director of Firefly Autism. She was the founder and executive director of the center – originally known as the Aspen Center for Autism – in 2003, and served on the board from 2007 to 2010. She is a pediatric occupational therapist and has been working with people with developmental disabilities for nearly 20 years, specializing in treatment for children with autism and their families. Prior to opening what was then the Aspen Center for Autism, Diane was with JFK Partners at the University of Colorado Health Services. Diane is a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis, the Autism Society of America, and the American Occupational Therapy Association. She was also on the Board of Directors for the Colorado Chapter of the Autism Society of America. Diane provides educational and behavior consultation to families and schools in Colorado and around the world. Her intervention focuses on building positive relationships and the science of instruction to improve learning in all areas of development.
Sallie Bernard – President & Executive Director
Sallie is a co-founder of ESC and the Board President. She currently acts as Executive Director while we complete our search for a permanent executive director. Sallie has over 20 years in the autism field. Her biographical information is on the Board of Director’s section.
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Doug Gilstrap – Co-Founder
Recently, our co-founder Doug Gilstrap decided to transition out of the Extreme Sports Camp to pursue other interests. We all wish him well with whatever he decides to pursue. His guidance and input over the last several years has helped shape our programs providing our kids with proven benefits through our programs. Though he has left, he leaves behind a wealth of experience in working with kids with autism with all the staff that worked with him.
