Ben Martin and his wife Holly have four kids ranging from seven to 19 years old: Amanda, Chelsea, Annie and Jack.  Originally from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Ben's career path has taken him from playing professional soccer, to being the head wrangler, and then foreman at another Colorado ranch, to working with high school kids in Denver.  With that diverse background, Ben is just the guy to chase down, wrangle and guide the management team. 

Email Ben at ben@vistaverde.com

Dace Starkweather is our singing cowboy.  A brief look at his timeline takes him from a family farm in Illinois to the University of Colorado at Boulder, on to another ranch as head wrangler and staff manager for seven years, then to Biola University for a quick master's degree and now to VVR.  Dace shares the general manager job with Ben, and his focus is recruiting, hiring and managing our wonderful staff.

Email Dace at jobs@vistaverde.com

Bill Backer (pronounced 'Baker') is our properties manager and is responsible for the facilities and equipment of the ranch.  (In other words, for everything that squeaks, leaks or breaks.)  He is a graduate of Southwest State University and holds a degree in biology.  Bill gained his practical hands-on experience at Schwan's Foods in Minnesota and YMCA Camp Eberhart in Michigan.  As our resident artisan, he builds a lot of our furniture, and with his well-equipped woodshop at the ranch, he's into authentic reproductions (or is that an oxymoron?).

Stephanie Wilson is another year-round member of our staff and is responsible for reservations (among other things).  She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and early on developed a passion for the outdoors, which led to a degree in agricultural and managerial economics from the University of California at Davis.  Like so many of our staff, Steph has had a variety of work experiences ranging from training horses for Ventura Farms to running our dining room and our teen program, not to mention raising her daughters Maggie and Ella. Email Steph at reservations@vistaverde.com

Charlie Cammer is our agriculture manager.  That means he's responsible for preserving and enhancing this beautiful place--meadows, pastures, forest and such.  Charlie is originally from the Catskill Mountains in New York and grew up in the resort business.  After obtaining a degree in hotel management and working for several large motel chains, he fled to Colorado and fell in love.  After twelve years of managing a ranch down the road, Charlie joined us eleven years ago to apply his talents up our way, and we are still delighted.

Jess Decker grew up in the rural South just outside of Tiger, Georgia. He graduated from North Georgia Technical College in 2007 with a certificate in Heavy Diesel Mechanics. Jess is our "handyman" and enjoys fixing things. He's been around farm animals and machinery his entire life. Jess was a wrangler for us this last summer, but now will return his machining skills, easygoing personality and Southern smile to the ranch hand crew. He has fallen in love with ranching as this is his 6th season at Vista Verde. Jess hopes to become a professional machine operator after his time with VVR.

Javin Stoltzfus is no stranger to ranch work and is a "Jack of all trades." He comes to us from the rural town of Narvon, Pennsylvania, but is becoming more of a Coloradan since this is his 5th season with us. A diesel mechanic and owner of a '67 Ford Mustang, Javin knows his way around a shop. He's also accustomed to splitting wood, working machinery and driving tow-trucks. Along with his tremendous skill set, Javin's love of people and personable demeanor makes him the perfect ranch hand.

Christi Cline has found a new love in the world of guest ranching. She has found her nook working in the lodge as Front Desk Manager and working as Steph's marketing assistant. Prescott Arizona, home of the world's oldest rodeo is the place she calls home. She brings enthusiasm and creativity to VVR from her three years of teaching kindergarten. She is an Arizona alum and a fan of the Wildcats!  She will be your first smile, ready to help you plan your summer adventures, or just chat with you during our daily après in the lodge! Email Christi at info@vistaverde.com

Daniel Knapp coming all the way from Cicero, IN enjoys any and all outdoor activities, especially hiking, fishing and camping. After spending a few years in the Navy Daniel decided it was time for a change and is now excited to be joining us for his second season here at the ranch. His laid back demeanor and hard work attitude make him the perfect addition to our ranch hand crew.

Jonathan Thiel recently graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in business administration and marketing. As he finishes up a semester abroad in Italy, his sense of adventure draws him to a dude ranch job with us this summer. We are also excited to hear about his trip to Cairo as a coach and ropes course leader, as well as, his medical mission trip to Guatemala. We're glad to have him on our rock star crew of ranch hands.

Brent Boyd joins us from Chapel Hill, North Carolina where he currently is attending the University of North Carolina as a communications major. Last summer Brent worked with Reach Workcamps and led students on construction-based mission trips to impoverished communities across the United States. His dedication to hard work and his outgoing spirit will endear him to both staff and guests at VVR.