Jenna Cordesius, Founder & CEO

Jenna (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Northern California, but it wasn’t long before she found a true sense of home in Colorado.

Her journey began in 2011 when she moved to Fort Collins to intern at a preschool for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, volunteer with Special Olympics Colorado, and work for the Colorado State University Student Disability Center. Jenna earned degrees in Human Development & Family Studies and International Relations from CSU, then headed to Winter Park, Colorado, where she worked on and off the ski mountain for the National Sports Center for the Disabled.

Jenna’s passion for inclusive programming deepened as she specialized in working with youth and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She took on roles as an After-School Program Coordinator, Unified Basketball Coach, and Inclusive Travel Planner.

In 2017, Jenna planned her first Traveling Gnomes trip to Winter Park, Colorado, and it became clear: travel was essential for everyone. After the success of that trip, Jenna was motivated to create more opportunities for people of all abilities to explore the world. With a nomadic spirit, a passion for inclusion, and years of experience working with diverse populations, The Traveling Gnomes was born!

Mallory Gustin, Community Impact Director

Mallory (she/her/hers) was born and raised here in Colorado. She loves exploring new places, connecting with humans, and finding opportunities to create a more inclusive community.

She graduated from Colorado State University in 2020 with degrees in Human Development and Family Studies and Business Administration. While studying at CSU, Mallory stumbled upon an opportunity that changed her college career path instantly. With the unique chance to help build and develop the Special Olympics College at CSU alongside some incredible students, she quickly found her professional passion for working to create more inclusive spaces.

Her passion grew throughout college and continues on at Traveling Gnomes where she leads community engagement efforts and supervises a team of amazing Trailblazers. Mallory is excited to continue traveling the world with her Gnomies, creating lifelong friendships, and keep cruising to the next adventure.

LinsiAn Loadman-Copeland, ctrs, Program Director

LinsiAn (she/her/hers) is a Colorado native who ventured out to the Midwest for college, but was not fond of the corn fields and lack of skiing Iowa offered. LinsiAn returned to Colorado post-grad and settled down in Littleton, CO.

LinsiAn graduated from the University of Iowa with her B.S in Therapeutic Recreation. In July of 2019 she sat for the NCTRC examination where she successfully attained her certification as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. LinsiAn is passionate about working with individuals of all abilities and helping them gain new experiences while reaching set goals. 

LinsiAn began working with individuals with disabilities in high school at a local therapeutic riding center and with Special Olympics Colorado as a gymnastics coach. In college LinsiAn got the opportunity to assist with the planning and running of multiple programs for Special Olympics Iowa, including their Youth Games. LinsiAn grew her leadership skills and gained extensive experience from her time with Easterseals Wisconsin & Colorado, Camp Courageous of Iowa, a year round camp for individuals with disabilities, Courageous Travels, and Challenge Aspen.

LinsiAn is so excited for the opportunity to join this amazing team and to spread the importance of inclusion!

Calli Huskisson, Program Coordinator

Meet Calli (she/her/hers), the newest member of The Traveling Gnomes team! Originally from Wisconsin, Calli has just moved to Colorado and is eager to begin this new adventure. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a double degree in Developmental Economics and Communications. She has a passion for meeting new people, exploring new destinations, and spending time outdoors. Calli also enjoys attending live music events, watching sports, and has recently taken up baking.

What fuels her love for travel is a deep belief that the world is filled with beauty and incredible people. She sees every new place as an opportunity to learn and grow. Along with her love for adventure, Calli was involved with Best Buddies in high school and has dedicated hundreds of hours to volunteering in Milwaukee. She is outgoing, kind-hearted, and believes that everyone deserves to be loved and accepted for who they are.

Calli is excited to join The Traveling Gnomes team and looks forward to the experiences and connections that lie ahead!

Evan Weirich, equipment specialist

Evan (he/him/his) was born and raised in Littleton, Colorado with a sense of adventure and willingness to explore new places. He has a passion for the outdoors with some of his favorite hobbies being fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, and recently fly fishing. 

He graduated from Heritage High School in 2014 in Littleton and currently also works at Garden, Inc. as a behavior therapist. He has been involved in Special Olympics Basketball as a partner and assistant coach for 10+ years and evolved into working with people with disabilities as a profession.

He also loves to travel (road trips are his jam) and is looking forward to the opportunity for it to be inclusive for all. 

Cathleen Mellor, OT Capstone Student

Cathleen (she/her/hers) is an occupational therapy doctorate student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Originally from Roswell, Georgia, she holds a Bachelor of Science from Furman University with a double degree in Health Science and Spanish.

Cathleen has a passion for empowering individuals to reach their full potential, and her OT interests include mental health promotion and inpatient rehabilitation. As an occupational therapy student, she has worked with people of all ages in helping them achieve independence in meaningful, everyday things to support health, well being, and quality of life. As a volunteer, she has spent time working with individuals with disabilities through adaptive sports, inclusive pageants and proms, and respite programs.

This spring Cathleen joins the Gnomes team to contribute to program development for her capstone project. Stay tuned for more information about this Sunday series in March!

When not traveling with the Gnomes, you can find Cathleen in the mountains, hiking or skiing a new trail, or at a coffee shop planning for her upcoming wedding. She is happy to be a new Colorado resident and looks forward to all the adventures to come!