C Lazy U Team

David Craig- General Manager

David brings more than 25 years of hospitality experience to C Lazy U. His diverse background includes resort, luxury hotel and membership club experience. His career began on Cape Cod, Massachusetts where he engaged in a variety of resort property management positions including both back of house (housekeeping and engineering leadership) as well as front of house (front desk leadership). David spent 11 years in Aspen and Snowmass Village with roles at the Hotel Jerome and Stonebridge Inn where he was the General Manager. He has worked at the Inverness Hotel Resort & Conference Center in south Denver and honed his 5 Star luxury product and service skills while spending 9 years at Denver’s boutique Hotel Teatro, ultimately as General Manager. During his tenure there he briefly oversaw C Lazy U ranch while the ranch consulted with DiNapoli Capital Partners. Most recently, David was Senior VP at the luxury membership travel club Inspirato, which has since grown to more than 10,000 members – many of whom have had the pleasure of enjoying C Lazy U.

David is the former Chairman of the Board of the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association (CHLA). In 2015, he won the CHLA Hotelier of the Year Award, an honorable distinction reserved for people who dedicate their careers to the Colorado lodging industry. Then in 2019 he was inducted into the CHLA Hall of Fame. David is married to Kristin and has two stepdaughters. He joined C Lazy U as general manager in 2013.

Paul Klees- Assistant General Manager and Hunting Manager

Paul likes to stay busy, which he certainly does as both Assistant General Manager and Hunting Manager for our Luxury Hunt business in the fall and spring. Paul isn’t all business though; you will most likely see (and hear- he’s quite enthusiastic about this part of the job) him on a horse helping out in the barn, in the dining room making sure your dinner is 5-Star perfect, or branding by the campfire late at night. The poster child of a well-rounded cowboy, Paul often appears in photos of magazines writing about the C Lazy U, and as such has fondly been nicknamed the “face of the ranch” by his friends.

Ami Cullen- Director of Equestrian Operations

Ami began her ranch story as a long-time guest of the Ranch. Prior to joining the ranch and beginning her career, Ami was an accomplished equestrian who competed in Hunter-Jumper horse shows along the East Coast. She also spent several years practicing law as an attorney in Washington D.C. (Read her story about why she quit law to begin working at the Ranch) Her love of the ranch, the Colorado mountains and horses attracted Ami to C Lazy U in 2012. She is an integral piece of the ranch and oversees all equestrian operations, including our guest riding program, children’s program, member riding program and our herd of approximately 200 horses. Ami is often seen riding young horses and helping to prepare them for our guests, teaching horsemanship clinics and giving riding lessons.

Brady Johnson- Director of Sales and Marketing

Brady is responsible for all marketing and advertising efforts at the C Lazy U along with booking group events and retreats. But don’t be fooled by this job description because on top of these efforts you can always count on seeing him taking guests on guided mountain bike rides, or leading a ropes course session in the summer, and leading cross-country skiing tours as our guests’ mountain host in the winter. The C Lazy U is the perfect home for this avid outdoorsman because he gets to show guests the experience of a lifetime from the moment they find us online or through friends, to the day of their departure.

Scott Klees- Rooms Division Manager and Director of Member Services

Scott grew up riding horses and working at his parent’s hotel in small town Wabasha, Minnesota. This led him to C Lazy U ranch where he started as a wrangler in the summer of 2011 and has been hooked ever since. Following graduation from Hamline University Business School, Scott returned to the ranch in a full-time role. He has held many posts at the ranch including Concierge, Front Office Manager, Groups Coordinator and Rooms Division Manager. Most recently, Scott has become the Director of Member Services. His vast knowledge, love of the ranch, and professional background helps make Scott a great asset to all our members, guests, and groups on ranch.

Mike Cullen- Operations Manager

Mike is a graduate of the University of Colorado and has had various professional management and sales positions throughout his career. He is a true outdoorsman and passionate mountain biker so he naturally gravitated to C Lazy U Ranch. As Activity Director, Mike was integral in enhancing C Lazy U’s activities program outside of horseback riding, and he has also overseen the entire ranch hand and landscaping team, which is the central nervous system of the ranch. Currently as Operations Manager for C Lazy U, the ranch is lucky to have Mike on the team and his infectious smile, love for the outdoors, amazing customer service and hard work ethic can be seen in everything he does.

Cory Untch – Executive Chef

Cory and the C Lazy U share many similar operating philosophies including celebrating farm to table offerings, using local purveyors, developing health-minded menu selections and exploring the possibility of creating in-house food provisions.  Cory comes to the C Lazy U Ranch with an impressive resume that shows an extensive 5-star culinary history including 10 Years with Ritz-Carlton and the following 7 years with other 5-Star hotel properties including Little Nell, (Aspen) and The Hermitage (Nashville).  Cory is coming to us most recently from Vermejo, a Ted Turner privately owned ranch in Raton, New Mexico.

Cory has an innovative approach that will celebrate the foods of the Great American West, will put unique twists on some recognized favorite staples and will involve all senses in the culinary experience.  He is a collaborative leader who believes in inspiring the team and working closely with the front of house to ensure a fabulous service experience that supports his culinary creations.

Elise Blann- Sommelier

Sommelier Elise Blann has worked in the restaurant industry for over ten years now. She discovered a passion for wine when she first began working in the fine dining industry around five years ago and obtained her Level 1 certification from the Court of Master Sommelier’s in October 2015. In April 2016, she passed the Level 2 requirements becoming a Certified Sommelier. For the past two years she has worked as a corporate trainer for PB&J Restaurants, Inc., alternating between bartending, training, working caterings and events, and opening new concepts in multiple states. She is excited for the opportunity to delve back into the wine industry and couldn’t ask for a better establishment or team to do so with than C Lazy U.

Shane Bossom- Dining Manager

Shane was born and raised on his family’s ranch in California.  After serving in the United States Air Force and developing his professional skills he spent some time traveling internationally until he found C Lazy U Ranch. Shane started as a seasonal employee in the housekeeping department and fell in love with the ranch and the Rocky Mountains.  After working as a year-round employee in various departments including Food and Beverage and Operations, C Lazy U Ranch recognized Shane’s great personality and strong work ethic and promoted him to Dining Manager.  Shane enjoys spending time with guests and is a fixture during your evenings on the ranch at cocktail hour, dinner and evening entertainment.  We encourage you to get to know him on your next trip to C Lazy U Ranch.

Rollins Wallace- Children’s Program Manager

Rollins graduated from University of South Carolina in 2017 with a degree in Early Childhood Education. Rollins was a long time wrangler at C Lazy U and is now utilizing her extensive horse background and education degree to provide a fun and safe stay for your children at the ranch. Rollins has been riding since she was 5 years old and was a competitive hunter jumper and equitation rider on the east coast.  Rollins’ favorite part of her job is matching kids to the perfect horse for their stay at the ranch. 

Kennedy Bailey- Children’s Program Assistant Manager

Kennedy was a Counselor on the ranch for 3 summers before stepping into her role as Assistant Manager of the Children’s Program. She has been an integral part of the children’s riding Program since 2017. Kennedy has taken special interest in elaborating the activities for the Mustang and Teen program. She looks forward to meeting you and your children on your next stay at the ranch! 

Heather Peters- Reservations Supervisor and Wedding Sales Manager

Heather’s voice will likely be the first friendly voice you hear when you call to find out more about the C Lazy U Ranch experience. She also works hand-in-hand with couples who want to create the perfect ranch wedding experience for their nuptials. Feel free to give her a call for information about rates and availability, or to start planning your special day, at 970-887-3344.

Xandy Keough- Front Office Manager and Group Coordinator

Like many others, Xandy immediately fell in love with the Ranch and has made it her home. She found a passion in being able to be a part of making a vacation of a lifetime come to fruition. Alongside a team of top-tier service professionals, Xandy’s main role is delivering your dream vacation and being your steward so you can experience all that this Premier Colorado Dude Ranch has to offer.

Lexus Limmer- Concierge

Lexus is a Colorado native, living most of her life in the Denver Metro Area. In July she took the leap to live in the beautiful rocky mountains! She is learning the ways of this smaller mountain town, and loving every minute. Lexus enjoys photography, has 2 adorable dogs, and a giant Italian family with really young siblings. She’ll be one of the friendly faces checking you in for your awesome stay at C Lazy U!