Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory

Our vision is to unleash the power of place to transform how we understand the world and provide the scientific knowledge needed to maintain the environmental processes that support food security, air and water quality and human health. We can not do this with out the generous support of our donors!

Testimonials

RMBL Board Member Testimonial:

What inspired you to join the Board of Trustees?
RMBL is an iconic part of the Gunnison Valley community. Long before there was tourism, RMBL flourished in the upper valley in the old mining town of Gothic. I retired from law practice in Washington, D.C. and began to spend more and more time in Colorado. The more time I spend in Colorado the more I loved Crested Butte. I began exploring ways that I might contribute to the life of the community that was connected to the spectacular beauty and culture of Colorado. At about the same time I got to know Ian. He and I spent a couple of days with a group of friends on a backcountry ski adventure. He talked about his work at RMBL and I talked about my experience running a major international law firm. The following summer, he invited me to have lunch at the RMBL campus. After he gave me a tour of the lab, we had lunch in the dining hall with a the scientists and students who were there for the summer. The energy and enthusiasm of the scientists is palpable and left a lasting impression of passion of those who did their re-search at RMBL. Afterwards, Ian and I met in his office and talked about the mission of RMBL and the challenges the organization faced and the opportunity for RMBL build on its incredible legacy of excellence. I was hooked. The next day, he asked me if I had any interest in joining the Board of Trustees and I jumped at it.
What is most meaningful about your involvement in RMBL?
I have always had an interest in science and scientists. In my profes-sional life I rarely interacted with scientists. In my law practice I dealt with economists, engineers and a mathematician or two but scientists, not so much. Getting to interact with the RMBL scientists on the board and beginning to understand how sci-entists think and how they approach problems has been an amazing aspect of my RMBL experience. Perhaps the most meaningful aspect of my in-volvement in with RMBL is my work on the strategic plan. I worked my way up a steep learning curve to be able to make a contribution to a durable, ambitious and achievable plan that will reshape the role of field science and contribute to human knowledge and well being. I have worked with really fabulous people like Ian, Board President Kailen Mooney and Board Chairman Kurt Giesselman in crafting a plan that has been adopted by the board and will chart the course of RMBL for the future.
In your role as a Trustee, you helped shape RMBL's vision and new strategic plan. What excites you most about the future?
Maybe the most important thing I have learned in the past year is that the knowledge gained and discoveries made at RMBL apply to the entire world. RMBL was established 90 years ago. The work of generations of RMBL scientists is well documented and the Gothic site is perhaps the most well researched ecosystem on Earth. A core part of the strategic plan is to make that research easily accessible by creating a searchable data base that will foster collaboration not only among RMBL scientists but scientists all over the world. The insights into our world that will be powered by that data base will help scientists understand the impact of a changing environment to the benefit of mankind with applications to human health and the food supply. Responding to our changing environment is perhaps the greatest challenge of the next 50 years and RMBL can play a major role in meeting that challenge.
What do you think will be the keys for RMBL's continued success?
Somewhat immodestly, I think the key to RMBL's continued success is execution of the strategic plan. One of the central goals of the plan is to support the scientists and to continue to attract the very best a brightest among them. At the end of the day, RMBL is now and has always been about the scientists and their work. Critical to this objective is building the Mt. Crested Butte campus which will greatly expand lab capabilities, housing and relocation of the Visitors Center. We need to appeal to the next generation of great scientists to continue the long line of excellence that is the hallmark of RMBL. To do this we have to provide inspiration and assurance that associating with RMBL will facilitate the opportunity to make a significant contribution to science and to society.