I moved to Colorado in October 2000 and quickly fell in love with the mountains, wide‑open skies, and outdoor life. Colorado became home in every sense: I raised my three children here, built my career, and eventually planted deeper roots at Allis Ranch Conservancy (ARC) in Sedalia, CO. After three years of family vacations to Cherokee Park Ranch, we were fortunate to buy a horse property within Allis Ranch in the summer of 2017. Bringing horses into our lives and embracing ranch management and stewardship became an important counterbalance to the intensity of running SSP Innovations.
Family is the heart of the ranch. My children—Joshua (2003), Hannah (2005), and Saturn (2008)—were all born in Colorado and have grown into thoughtful, capable adults: Joshua is an EMT working in Denver; Hannah studies psychology at CSU while teaching and performing dance; and Saturn works as a barista and climbs whenever she can. In 2019 I met Jessica Hammond, who grew up on a large Montana cattle ranch (she’s the real cowboy in the family); we married in June 2022 and she and her sons, Keenan (2007) and Van (2010), joined our household.
Today our blended family splits time between Allis Ranch and an apartment we own in Zona Romantica, Puerto Vallarta—two very different places that together give us the balance of ranch life and vibrant downtown/beach living.
Allis Ranch is a working, community‑driven landscape: nine homes across roughly 835 acres, much of it protected by a conservation easement with Colorado Open Lands. We keep horses and chickens, and we manage seasonal cattle grazing as a stewardship practice that supports the land’s ecology. Since joining the grazing committee in 2019, I helped the committee implement fencing projects, install a solar‑powered well and stock tank, and in 2024 took over as chair. In 2025 I led the marketing and contracting for a five‑year grazing lease with Weston Valley Ranch and now oversee grazing operations, fencing, and the tenant relationship.
In 2025 I also took on the role of Allis Ranch Conservancy treasurer and manage the community finances, including grazing revenue and stewardship budgets. Beyond infrastructure and operations, life on the ranch is about quiet mornings on the porch, trail rides, fixing fence lines, and welcoming friends and family. We share the land with abundant wildlife—West Plum Creek runs through the property and brings elk, deer, and many other species—and Jessica tends a large vegetable garden and manages the chickens with care.
If you’re curious about ranch stewardship, grazing management, or the western way of life, I’d welcome a conversation. Allis Ranch is where family, stewardship, and community meet—slow mornings, honest work, and a deep appreciation for the landscape that sustains us.
