Laurie Benson

Laurie has focused primarily on marketing over the past fifteen years. In addition to marketing for New Earth Records and Body, Mind, Spirit, she has worked extensively with different guest ranch/resorts throughout Colorado to help them realize their unique attributes, and how to market themselves appropriately. Three things that are of great value to Laurie are hiking, backpacking and introducing her daughter to the wonders of the great outdoors. Laurie also works with the Savory Institute and organizes the annual Collegiate Peaks Music Festival.

Joel Benson

Over the years, Joel has worked as an educator, facilitator and consultant. He co-founded a company in Kentucky, helping former  tobacco farmers diversify. Previously, he consulted with several non-profits and taught at St. Mary’s School and the Rogue Community College in Medford, Oregon. He is a Certified Educator in Holistic Management and has consulted with Horizon Organic Dairy and with the Savory Institute. He has spent several years in and out of heavy coffee-growing regions of Latin America, traveling and serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the Town of Buena Vista and teaches a course in agriculture at the Link School. He also kayaks and does some artwork with wood and stone as the primary mediums.

Bill Mehaffey

In 1994, after years in a career as a biochemist, Bill and his wife Cheryl moved to Buena Vista, Colorado and founded Bongo Billy’s High Country Coffees. He has worked to perfect roasting at high elevation using a development matrix and his background as a scientist. In addition to his work at the roastery, Bill is an avid bike rider and artist. He regularly has pieces displayed in Mother’s Bistro. He also helps locally with the Walden Chamber Music Society.

Brad Trathen

Brad, a Michigan native,  moved back to Beuna Vista from Portland, Oregon. Ironically enough, he moved here to get into the coffee industry. He enjoys running and traveling, and trying to perfect the latte. You can usually find him riding around town on his bicycle pondering how to make even better foam and play with latte art. Brad is our head roaster at the Buena Vista Roastery.

Amy McMillan

Amy grew up on the front range of Colorado and spent five years learning sustainable grass-based farming in Vermont. She has been back in Colorado for a few years now, and runs a very successful raw milk dairy as part of a diversified farming project in Buena Vista - the Cottonwood Creek Dairy. While not weighing beans and bagging beans at the roastery, you can find her out grazing her cows and promoting local food production around the valley.

Shawnelle Daniels

Shawnelle is a single mother living and working in Buena Vista. She has worked in the coffee industry on and off over the past seven years. She started as a barista at Starbucks in Littleton, Colorado and shortly afterward became a shift supervisor. She joined the BV Roastery relatively recently, after working as a barista and waitress at Mother’s Bistro, here in Buena Vista.

Chris Donohoe

Chris recently moved to Buena Vista with her husband Tim, a native Australian. She's been a barista for the last 5 years, primarily in Sydney Australia, where she studied theology and fell in love with all things coffee related. Chris loves reading, roller derby, travel, people, and coffee coffee coffee! She is currently helping to manage the cafe here at the Roastery.