Kitchen and Dining Room

Cholly McGlynn

Food and Beverage Director
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

Cholly started of as a Sous Chef at Vista Verde in the winter of 1998. He proceeded to stay on the ranch for approximately nine years before leaving to pursue Artisan bread baking skills. It didn’t take long for Cholly to realize that Vista Verde was his true home, and he returned as Executive Chef in 2012 with his wife, Alaya, whom he met at VVR. They have a little boy named Eamon and love spending time with him along with their little girl, Saoirse! Some of Chef Cholly’s interests include: hiking, fly fishing, camping, bow hunting and bread baking. Cholly is also a lifetime member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and a member of The Bread Baker’s Guild of America since 2004.

Jonathon Gillespie

Executive Chef
Hometown: South Burlington, VT
Previous Position: Head Chef at The Home Ranch

Originally from Vermont Jonathon, his wife, and their kids have called Clark, CO their home for the last 12 years. Jonathon is a longtime friend to the ranch and we are thrilled to have him join our team this winter. Before coming to Vista, he was the head chief at The Home Ranch. When Jonathon is not cooking in the VVR kitchen, you will find him hunting and fishing! Fun Fact: He has been perfecting his apple pie recipe for 30 years!

Melissa Margason

Pastry Chef
School: New England Culinary Institute AOS

A lifelong love of horses, food, and anything outdoors brought Melissa west in 2015. After one summer season at a ranch in Wyoming, she found Vista Verde and called it home. Working at VVR has provided a way to combine the career of a pastry chef and the desire to spend time outside hiking and riding like nowhere else could. Each season has it’s own highlights; the Christmas Day feast, skiing, snowmobiling, fall cattle drives and pumpkin pies, summer popsicles and long hikes in the Zirkels.

Prior to heading west, she worked in various pastry positions for ten years in the Northern Virginia region, including restaurants, catering and wholesale volume pastry production. She graduated from the New England Culinary Institute AOS in Montpelier, Vermont in 2004.

After her first winter season, it was quite apparent that Nathan (our safety manager) was the cowboy she had been waiting for, and they were married in October of 2016.

Ben McNair

Line Cook
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ

Ben is joining us for his second season on the ranch, but his first winter season in a snowy climate! Ben has worked in the food and service industry for several years. When he’s not in the kitchen dishing out yummy meals, you can find him nose deep in some Russian literature. Any Tolsoy or Dostoevsky fans out there? Fun Fact: Ben has mad skills on the slackline.

Chase Wonderlic

Line Cook
Wilderness First Responder
Hometown: Chicago, IL

Chase returns to VVR for a second season, after a year-long sabbatical during which he immersed himself in the culinary world and worked in kitchens across the west. When not perfecting his French omelet, you can find Chase outside, often while reading a book. In the fall, he will head to Massachusetts to teach English literature and pursue a graduate degree in teaching. Fun Fact: Chase just completed the Steamboat Marathon in June!

Damon Shaw

Head Server
Hometown: Nashville, TN

Damon is joining us for his fifth season in the dining room. He is passionate about wine, and is studying for his entry level sommelier course. When not serving in the dining room, you can find Damon at local restaurants, as he is a connoisseur of the local food and wine scene. He also loves spending quality time with friends and getting out into the backcountry on skis or snow shoes.

Cole Deal

Server

CPR/First Aid
Hometown: Nashville, TN

Cole joins us for his first season at the ranch after completing his junior year as a Management major at SMU in Dallas, TX. Originally from Nashville, TN, Cole is a country music fan and an avid outdoorsman who is always up for an adventure. When not working in the dining room, you’ll find Cole casting flies in the surrounding rivers or trying to develop his horsemanship skills. He cannot wait to take advantage of everything that Vista Verde has to offer.

Mary Scott Patton

Server
CPR & First Aid Certified
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina

This is Mary Scott’s first season at Vista Verde. A graduate of the University of Mississippi, she grew up in Raleigh, but has spent the last two years in Colorado Springs working as a Behavioral Therapist. She loves outdoor activities, meeting new people, and having new adventures. Fun Fact: Mary Scott’s senior superlative in high school was most likely to eat in class!

Sarah Patton

Server
Hometown: Charlotte, NC

Sarah is joining us for her third season at the ranch. She is an Appalachian State graduate and is currently working on her masters in Nutrition. Sarah is passionate about nutrition and exercise! Before coming to Vista she was loving working as a health coach. Fun Fact: Sarah was a tennis coach for four years!

Anna Turgeon

Server
Hometown: Indianapolis, IN

This is Anna’s third season at VVR! Anna is currently on a gap year from Miami University, where she is studying environmental and food science. Although she’s not in school at the moment, she spends her free time researching her recent interest in food systems and regenerative agriculture. Fun Fact: Anna can quote nearly the entire movie Ratatouille (and we think that is perfect for a cook!)

Lindsey Vargo

Dishwasher
Hometown: Thousand Oaks, CA

Lindsey joins us for her first season at Vista Verde after completing her sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. When she’s not keeping things cruising in the “dish pit,” you can find her spending time outdoors or baking. She’s excited to spend summer at the ranch, but will miss her pets back home–a dog named Moose, and a fish named Dog!

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