Staff

Andrea Earley Coen
Executive Director

For over 30 years, Andrea’s professional background has been in the experiential education nonprofit sector, working with schools, nonprofits, outdoor and agriculture education centers, farms and wilderness programs in Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, and Colorado.

Since joining Guidestone’s team in 2008, she has worn many hats, and is thrilled to have stepped into the role of Executive Director. She is passionate about agriculture education, traditional homesteading arts, growing healthy local foods, a thriving local food system and forwarding Guidestone’s mission to grow a vibrant agricultural future.  Andrea is also a musician, a mom, and an active member of her local community.

Attila Agoston
Farm & Food Systems Director

Attila is passionate about growing food for the community and all things farm-related. Before joining Guidestone as the Farm and Food Systems Director, he operated a Certified Organic vegetable operation in Virginia near the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers for 15 years. In some intervening years he also had a fun side career doing science support in Antarctica and Greenland. When he’s not on the farm you may run into him out in the high mountains above town skiing and scrambling around off-trail.

Emma Lietz Bilecky
Colorado Land Link Director

Emma Lietz Bilecky joined the Guidestone team in 2022 as the Farm to School Director and transitioned to her current role as the Colorado Land Link Director in 2024. During and after earning degrees in religion and environmental management, Emma spent eight years learning from, teaching on, and managing farms in the Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, and Mountain West. As the Colorado Land Link Director, Emma works to address the crisis of land access and affordability while increasing equity, supporting agricultural communities, and building climate resilience.

Tracy Green
Education and Homestead Director

Tracy moved here a year and half ago to help manage a local ranch. She is passionate about the community, the outdoors, nature, animals, gardening, teaching and learning. Tracy has a background in Montessori and early childhood development, and has experience working with both children and adults. She has raised and cared for horses, donkeys, llamas, goats, chickens, guineas, dogs and cats. You might have seen her driving the tractor last year at the Pumpkin Patch! You may see her out hiking with her dog Max most weekends – if you do, please say hello!

Carrie Robertson
Operations Director

Carrie Robertson has extensive experience with six different non profits over the past few decades. She has acted as a director in the following areas: operations, events, education, volunteerism, grant management, marketing, and social media management. She has enjoyed working with under-served students, adults, and various groups. Previously, the focus of the past non-profits Carrie has worked for has centered around education in conservation biology, as well as wildlife study and protection.  She is passionate about encouraging a love of health and life, and the connection between the two. She has previously worked with farm animals  for the Humane Society, and is very excited to dive deeper into contributing to the world of farm and ranch vibrancy.

Board of Directors

Elizabeth Little, President

Elizabeth relocated to Louisiana from Illinois as a RN volunteer and found a second home with her husband, Patrick, where they raised three children in the rural south.  In 2010, Salida became their second home where they can actively pursue hiking, biking, running less 98% humidity!  Elizabeth has maintained an interest in the importance of agriculture and nutrition through the co-founding of a school garden in New Iberia, Louisiana in 2008.   Elizabeth is also an active supporter of the New Iberia Community Garden and a board member of the Iberia Parish Foundation. Her interests spread into textile arts, cooking, and travel.

Dr. Harry Payton

Dr. Payton spent moved to Salida in January 2011 after living in the Portland, Maine area for 30 years and is a recognized leader of Salida’s Community. Dr. Payton was the senior partner of the largest ear, nose and throat practice in Maine and dealt with significant financial and personnel decisions. He was also the Chief of Surgery at University of New England and Brighton Medical Center,
and the Division chief of Otolaryngology at Maine Medical Center. In Salida, he has served on several hospital committees, and on the HRRMC Hospital Board for eight years. Currently he is on the Foundation Board of HRRMC. His love of the Salida Community and Family are welcomed and appreciated.

Brianne Allen

Brianne Allen is a North Carolina native with an agricultural upbringing who re-rooted herself to Colorado over a decade ago. She spends her working days as a strategic HR leader at a global marketing technology company, and maximizes the rest of her time exploring and enjoying the great state of Colorado on bikes, skis, and rafts with her husband and dog. Brianne became a Salida community member in 2020, and with an eagerness to contribute, she quickly found Guidestone. She is delighted to continuously learn, connect, and contribute alongside Guidestone as a way to honor our community’s remarkable history, preserve our unique values, and thoughtfully grow our vibrant agriculture future. 

Steve O’Neill

Arriving in Chaffee County in 2001, Steve soon opened The Pilates Studio to continue the help that Pilates gave to him in rehabbing a back injury.  As the business grew he helped many of his clients in their physical wellbeing, overcoming injuries, allowing clients to enjoy physical activities that were enjoyable to them.  Prior to coming to Salida Steve was involved in Non-profit organizations covering areas of Environmental Education for kids to Mentoring programs to support childhood development.  In Salida he joined a local Rotary club to enhance community support though volunteer hours and club financial involvement to help non profit organizations through difficult times.  Along with 45 years of corporate business and life experience, Steve wants to support the growing of local food education and community ranch activity with his work with Guidestone.

Becky Cassel

Becky hails from rural Pennsylvania and a career in the aerospace industry with a focus in operations, program management, and systems engineering.  After living in Conifer for 13 years, she and her husband, Andy, now call Chaffee County home and enjoy exploring the mountains on foot, bikes, and skis.  Becky currently works for Kiss the Ground, a regenerative agriculture non-profit, and on a ranch in Nathrop.  Her enthusiasm for regenerative agriculture principles and practices blossomed from her interests in functional medicine and systems thinking.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a master’s degree in systems engineering from Penn State University.

Barb Tidd

Having enjoyed the mountains and rivers of Colorado since the early 1970s, except for a 15-
year stay in Tucson, Barb made Salida her home in 2020, following 17 years in the San Luis
Valley living off-grid, drinking mountain spring water, and growing most of her own produce
year around. Barb’s career as a certified paralegal spans 30+ years, and she continues to find
it challenging and fun. Over the years, she has been involved with and served on non-profit
organization and other community boards in various capacities, including Chair and Secretary
of a neighboring land trust. Knowing our food’s source, growing it, participating in the local
food chain, and educating others about it is of prominent importance to Barb. Being part of the
local community that provides food to our schools and hospital, educates our youth as to
where our food comes from and gives them the opportunity to participate in that is hugely
impactful and empowering for them and for our entire community. While children are our
future, our past like the 1870s Hutchinson Homestead managed by Guidestone, connects all
of us to our community’s roots. Furthering Guidestone’s mission in present time as a bridge
from the past to the future is Barb’s goal.

Founders and Advisors

David Lynch
Judie Anders
Jennifer Visitacion
Jane Fredman
Matt Heimerich
Paul Alexander
Katy Grether