Ryan Campbell, President

Ryan Campbell is a native of Colorado and has been involved with Climbing for Life for the past six years in various capacities. He has worked on the Auraria Campus in Denver, CO for the past six years instructing, guiding, and developing programs for the Outdoor Adventure Program. He was also instrumental in getting the first ever technical skills based outdoor education courses offered at Metropolitan State College of Denver. He is currently employed there as an adjunct faculty for the Recreation Professions Department teaching rock climbing, ice climbing, canyoneering, and outdoor leadership. He also works as a seasonal rock climbing guide for Acadia Mountain Guides based out of Bar Harbor, ME. Ryan is enthusiastic about giving back to the community and providing meaningful and lasting experiences to the individuals involved with this program. Ryan can be reached at campbrya@gmail.com

Gary Price, Treasurer

Gary began volunteering for CFL in 1995 when the organization was in its first year of operation. Since then he has served as equipment manager, program facilitator, board treasurer, chairman and executive director. Gary also has volunteered for the Colorado Mountain Club as a trip leader and Mountaineering School Instructor. Gary currently owns and operates Sunnyside Solar Colorado, a renewable energy and solar electric company. Gary has earned masters degrees in engineering and business at CU Boulder and Denver University

Tori Labs, Secretary

With more than 10 years experience working in the nonprofit sector, Tori Labs is able to combine her personal and professional passion at Climbing for Life. During the week, she is the Marketing & Communications Director at The Wildlife Experience and on the weekends is a novice rock and ice climber that also enjoys many other activities in Colorado’s great outdoors. Tori holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado and a graduate degree in nonprofit management from Regis University. Her skill set and love for climbing is proving to be a great addition to the Climbing for Life board of directors team, ultimately benefitting the reason we are all here…the youth. Tori can be reached at tori.labs@hotmail.com

Tony Babb

Tony has been an active volunteer and board member with Climbing for Life since 2005. Tony received Bachelors and Masters degrees in Mechanical Biomedical engineering from Colorado School of Mines. He later went back to school to receive his Bachelors of Nursing and is currently employed as a Registered Nurse at Denver Health in an Intensive Care Unit. Tony’s true passions are serving others, whether young or old. He is involved with several other non-profit organizations and has spent time serving those in need internationally. Tony is an avid rock and ice climber, mountain biker, hunter, fly-fisher and also enjoys dirt roads, campfires and long walks on the beach.

David Riggs

Dave is a past president of the CFL Board of Directors. He has instructed outdoor programs in Colorado and the Northwest teaching climbing and other outdoor skills. Dave holds a BA degree in Recreation and Outdoor Education from Western State College and a Masters in Nonprofit Management from Regis University. Contact Dave at: dave.riggs@gmail.com

Laura Valdez

Laura was born and raised in Colorado and has a deep love and respect for the outdoors and our relationship with it. Laura currently works in financial management for Boulder Housing Partners and brings 12 plus years of professional accounting experience to CFL. Laura enjoys her board service and program volunteer work for CFL, especially meeting the great kids that participate in CFL events.

Tom Willard

Tom began rock climbing in 1994 and since then has been fortunate enough to climb throughout the country and at many foreign destinations including Canada, Italy, Ireland and Thailand. He began by guiding friends and then started volunteering with Climbing for Life. Since becoming a board member in 2008 he continues to enjoy meeting new young adults and introducing them to the vertical world. He also works as a part-time climbing guide with APEX-EX and as a full-time fire fighter and instructor with the Thornton Fire Department’s technical rescue team. In his free time you’ll find him climbing the desert towers in Utah or scaling the frozen waterfalls in Vail. He is a Colorado certified Basic Emergency Medical Technician and an American Mountain Guides Association certified Rock Instructor. He graduated from Oregon State University with Bachelor of Science degrees in Construction Engineering Management and Business Administration.

Inspired by the positive effect rock climbing has had in their own lives, a small group of friends founded CFL in February of 1994. They were determined to create an outdoor rock climbing program that taught youth how to face fears and challenges in their lives. Together, they successfully orchestrated CFL's first weekend climbing programs during the summer of 1995. Since then, CFL operations have been run through the efforts of a core group of volunteers and the board of directors.

History

Climbing for Life, Inc. is a non-profit corporation committed to providing an experience that will deeply impact the self-image of young persons at risk, and to providing them with the building blocks to carry that image into creating a positive future for themselves and their community.

Over the years, CFL has served hundreds of youth and inspired over 100 volunteers to give back to their community. Our volunteers contribute a variety of professional skills, including: experiential education, accounting, law, business, computer science and emergency medicine. CFL is committed to benefiting the community through positive impact on youth and by providing an opportunity for volunteers to give their best.

CFL is not just a recreational program designed to teach basic rock climbing skills. Rather, the intent of the program is to combine the exposure to a new set of skills with a physical metaphor for handling challenges in other areas of life. This program provides an opportunity to apply the experience of overcoming fears, building trust and developing leadership qualities in order to achieve what seems impossible when rock climbing and in daily life.

Today, CFL presents programs centered on a conversation relating rock climbing and the challenges of the daily lives of the participants. CFL has participated with strong community organizations including Goodwill, Make a Wish Foundation and Third Way Center.

Newsletters

January 2012