Michelle grew up in Springfield, Illinois. She moved west to Spokane after her teenage years. She then moved to Boise in 1989. She immediately fell in love with Idaho’s outdoors and scenery. Vast mountains, rivers, deserts and foothill spaces! She graduated from BSU in Nursing School in 1998. Over her years of practice, sheI clearly could see the strong connection between physical and mental well-being to nature. For her personally, being outside was always helpful to reenergize her after a hard day! She always felt that she could never give back more to the outdoors, than it could give back to her! Michelle has many outdoor activities that she enjoys. Hiking, skiing, gardening, and camping are just a few of them. Her introduction to work with CVI started by being on the board of the Land Trust to get the second foothills levy passed. She says it was a great experience working with the CVI staff! And eventually led to her becoming a CVI board member. She loves so many things about CVI – the importance of environment and inclusion being just a few of them.