BOARD PRESIDENT

In the summer of 1971, Russ made his first trip to Durango and spent 3 weeks backpacking in the Weminuche starting at Elk Park making a long loop through the peaks and coming out at the Chicago Basin. After a motorcycle trip through Colorado in 2009, he visited Durango again and was still in awe of the natural beauty and the charm of the city. When Russ retired from his environmental career in Austin, Texas he first had to get a childhood dream of living on a boat out of his system, but after a few years in Florida, and throwing money at a hole in the water, he and his wife Nancy moved to the area, first living in Durango Hills and later moving to The Boulevard. He enjoys playing one of his many guitars, photography, gardening, and traveling with Nancy.

VICE PRESIDENT
Jenna traveled to Durango for the first time 16 years ago. Her first experience in Colorado did not disappoint and left a lasting impression on the entire family. A decision was made that very summer that she and her husband would move to CO upon retirement. Fast forward 12 years, add in COVID, and the shift to working remotely and she found herself moving to Durango a little ahead of schedule. But no worries, she and her husband had no problem shifting into full time “adventuring”!

When she's not climbing, biking, and skiing you’ll find her working in the yard or planning an event.

Jenna doesn't aspire to be a political person. Instead she strives to learn and relay the facts and do what she can to keep Durango amazing.

TREASURER

Within 5 days of a post-camping trip to Yosemite, Mike Todt and his wife, Tammy Hoier made an offer on a home on East Third Avenue. It was love at first sight with Durango and just a matter of months before the couple became members of the BNA. In his third term as a Board member, Mike has seen many changes to Old Durango, including the approval for a large hotel on bordering Second Avenue. Mike has worked to limit the number of vacation rentals on the Boulevard and has advocated for quality of life issues including ensuring that retail marijuana stores remain in the commercial district rather than in Durango’s neighborhoods. Todt volunteers in the community to address hunger, homelessness, and government ethics. Prior to enjoying Durango’s great outdoors, Todt was a hospital CEO, history professor, executive coach and management consultant. Todt has a Ph.D. in U.S. modern history from West Virginia University, and Ph.D./MA in organizational psychology from the University of Chicago. Outdoor activity is a cornerstone of Mike’s lifestyle.

SECRETARY
I am the third generation Wilson living in my home on Third Ave.  I grew up in Durango, went to all the schools that no longer are schools, and spent two years at Ft. Lewis.  My degree in physical therapy is from CU and I used that profession to work and travel around the world.  My longest stint was in Bend, OR, where my husband and I reared our two children.  I was president of the HOA there during and after a large fire. My husband died several years ago and both my children live in Portland, OR.  I came back here in 2013 to care for my mother, and, lo and behold, I am still here. Much of my life has been spent on the Boulevard, and I am keen to keep it as a distinct but not separate part of Durango. I strongly believe that understanding, compromise and cooperation are essential to communities of any size.

BOARD MEMBER
Libby moved to Durango in 1980 with her then husband and 2-year-old son. As the pastor’s family at the First Presbyterian Church, they lived next door to the church for 12 years and welcomed two more children, thoroughly enjoying the beauty of 3rd Avenue and unique opportunities to engage with church friends, neighbors and tourists who stroll The Boulevard. Several years later after her divorce and life changes, Libby moved back to this neighborhood in 1998. When she and her husband Dave married in 2000 they bought the house she had been renting on the 800 block.

Libby’s career has been in education—primarily with young children and their families in a private preschool, with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, and for 20 years in the Durango School District as a program director and school administrator. She retired in 2021 and enjoys traveling, hiking, volunteering with a wide variety of local organizations, reading, and engaging with new and old friends. She appreciates the history of our neighborhood and wants to bring lots of people together to ensure it continues to thrive as a centerpiece of the Durango community.

COMMUNICATIONS

Kristen Bushnell Phillips moved to East Third Avenue with her family as an infant in 1970. She grew up playing in the shade of median trees and trick-or-treating the length of the Boulevard. Her parents were instrumental in the push for neighborhood recognition on the National Register of Historic Places. Kristen’s father, FLC professor, Don Bushnell, was a charter member of the first BNA Board of Directors. Kristen was a member of the BNA board during her early 20’s while a student at FLC and before a career in the airline industry took her away from Durango for two decades. But her family continues ownership of their home on the Boulevard and Kristen’s interest in Durango remains strong. Returning in the time of Covid, she was again elected to the Board. Together with her husband Joe she is raising a son who loves the neighborhood and dreams of one day driving the Durango train that serenades residents each day. She currently divides her time between Durango and Brooklyn, NY.