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

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. 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.

Ken Wyble

Sous Chef
Hometown: Santa Barbara, CA

We are welcoming Ken to the ranch for his first season! Before coming to VVR, Ken was working in a kitchen in Aurora, CO. Although Ken has worked in a kitchen most of his career, he is especially excited to join us at the ranch and work alongside Chef Chol and Jonathon. In his free time, Ken hosts the staff for game nights, watches anime, and he is a talented artist. His favorite mediums are drawing and painting.

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.

Lindsey Vargo

Line Cook
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!

Libba Lovell

Line Cook
Hometown: Birmingham, AL

We are so happy to have Libba on the team for her first season at VVR! Before coming to the ranch, Libba attended the University of Alabama. Libba is passionate about animals, and has her own Quarter Horse named Theo! She also has a golden retriever named Penny and describes her as the “love of her life”. In her free time, she does animal assisted therapy with Penny for a non-profit organization.

Alex Dallas

Line Cook
Hometown: Houston, TX

We are so excited to have Alex back for their 4th season here at the ranch! Originally from Texas, Alex enjoys all that the west has to offer. When not helping craft delicious meals in the kitchen, you can find them playing the popular game Dungeons and Dragons, listening to plays or doing other “nerd things” as Alex says. Alex loves trying new things and has enjoyed spending the last two years at the ranch learning everything from how to prepare new dishes, to how to backcountry ski!

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.

Mary Scott Patton

Server
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!

Sarah Mendelsohn

Server
Hometown: Washington, DC

We are so thrilled to welcome Sarah to the ranch for her first season! Before VVR, Sarah was studying at Georgetown University and she is excited to see what all Colorado has to offer! Sarah grew up riding horses and loves to write and listen to music. She has even worked in the music industry and aspires to continue pursuing that path in the future. Sarah has studied abroad in Jordan and knows quite a bit of Arabic.

Gigi Jones

Server
CPR & First Aid Certified
Hometown: Wheaton, IL

This summer is Gigi’s second season as part of the VVR crew. She just completed her freshman year at Wheaton College, where she runs cross country and track. When not accompanying the kids and teens on fun adventures, you can find Gigi running or working out. Fun Fact: Gigi says the best way to make scrambled eggs is to microwave them (but we think our chefs might disagree!)

Sean Grey-Tunkl

Server
Hometown: Santa Monica, CA

VVR welcomes Sean for his first season at the ranch! Sean is an avid outdoorsmen and especially enjoys hiking, running, and biking, so the ranch was a natural fit for him! Sean loves kids and wants to share his passion for fitness to the younger generation by studying to become a PE teacher.

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