Although Trina Ortega’s title with RFOV is Program and Administrative Assistant, her belief in the mission of RFOV goes much further than answering phones, handling the marketing efforts and organizing volunteers.
Born and raised in the tame urban jungle of Denver, Trina spent a lot of time in the mountains, summer car camping with her family. "Because of those camping trips, I learned to appreciate public lands and the wildness of the outdoors," she says.
Her love for the Rocky Mountains led her to pursue work as an outdoor educator (teaching rock climbing to her peers in college and working with teenagers as an instructor for Colorado Outward Bound School), before settling into a journalism career that involved working in media relations for the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources.
On the volunteer front, Trina began her "career" early (in middle school) with the Denver Tourism Bureau. As a teenager, she regularly volunteered weekends greeting travelers at the Denver bus station and the old Stapleton airport.
An avid hiker and mountain biker, Trina first volunteered on public lands in the Denver area, where she helped improve trails with Jefferson County Open Space and Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado.
After moving to the Roaring Fork Valley in 1999, she learned about RFOV and volunteered the following summer on the Scout Trail in Glenwood Springs. "I use the trails for my own well-being and happiness and feel that helping to maintain trails is the best way to ‘give back.’ "
Prior to becoming a staff member, Trina volunteered in many capacities for RFOV: taking photos during the Town to Town Tour, participating on trail work days, and serving on the Marketing and Publications Committee.
Whether it involves installing signs at RFOV work sites, organizing projects and committees, or answering phones and signing up volunteers, Trina enjoys her work with RFOV because "…all of the tasks are rooted in a mission that I believe in. I feel that conservation and trail work are so important, and I love working with people in the community."
RFOV Executive Director David Hamilton says that Trina has been a "wonderful addition" to the team. "Her contributions are many, but in addition to taking care of the admin basics, Trina’s writing and computer graphic skills have enabled RFOV to dramatically increase our output of marketing and recruiting materials. And what I find most refreshing about working with Trina is she truly enjoys the work due to her belief in RFOV’s mission and our value to our community."
Those values don’t end with Trina, either. Her husband, Marty Treadway, also volunteers for RFOV and became a crew leader last season, and their 9-year-old has been on trail projects with his parents. "He knows how to hold a tool; he knows what it’s all about," Trina says.
Aside from being a part-time employee with RFOV, Trina is a freelance journalist and serves as the managing editor of Mountain Flyer Magazine. She volunteers with other nonprofits in the valley, including The Sopris Sun, Carbondale Council on Arts & Humanities, and Crystal River Elementary School.
