Our Board of Directors
The Society is governed by a volunteer board of directors, who are dedicated to the mission of the organization. We are grateful for our board members' service and their commitment to preserving the history of Ouray County and the surrounding area.
KEVIN J. CHISMIRE
Kevin currently serves as President of the Board of Directors. He is a physician who retired in 2002 to Ridgway with his family after serving 30 years in the United States Army. He specialized in Ophthalmology and is a recognized sub-specialist in the field of Glaucoma having conducted extensive research on this ocular disorder.
Dr. Chismire earned his B.S. from the University of Notre Dame (1972), attended the University of Kansas Medical Center, interned in San Antonio, Texas at Brooke Army Medical Center and did his residency in Ophthalmology at Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Chismire served as a Special Forces Battalion Surgeon with the 5th Special Forces Group stationed at Bad Tolz, West Germany; served on the Staff of Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Washington; and taught at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
He and his wife, Joan, both grew up in Denver, Colorado and moved to Ridgway, Colorado permanently in February 2002 along with their two sons Neill and Bryce.
Kevin's interests include running, biking, climbing, backpacking and collecting western books and memorabilia, especially items relating to the early exploration and mapping of the American West by the Army Corps of Engineers.
CARL COCKLE
Carl Cockle is a native of Ouray. He was born in the Miners hospital before it was the Ouray Museum. His mother (Margaret) and father (Bob) came to Ouray after World War II. He was a mining engineer for the Idarado Mining Co on Red Mountain working on the Treasury Tunnel living in one of the Idarado Houses on Red Mountain Pass for the Idarado Mining Staff.
Carl completed his schooling at the Ouray Schools and then attended Fort Lewis College in Durango completing a degree in Business Administration. Carl has an extensive background in the Mining Administration throughout the U.S. and Worldwide. He moved back to Ouray in 1980 and has been involved as a Planning Commission Board Member for five years and a City Council Member for two years. Carl has been in the Real Estate Business for 20+ years. His wife Mary is also a Native of Ouray and her parents (Don and Barbara Spencer) and grandparents are 3rd generation Residents in Ouray.
JENNY HART
Jenny Hart taught for 27 years, most of them at Ouray School where she taught Ouray History to all fourth graders. She is now retired from teaching and works with new teachers all over the region. Jenny loves the history of Ouray and is passionate about sharing her knowledge with others. Her mother was born in the hospital and her grandfather was the general manager of the Idarado Mine from 1942-1962. She is a wife and mother to two wonderful kids. She also does trail work with Ouray Trail Group and has been a member of Ouray Mountain Rescue for 25 years.
GLENDA MOORE
Glenda graduated from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, with a Bachelor of Arts in English. At the University of Mississippi, she received a Master of Arts in English, specializing in Victorian literature.
​
After teaching high school English for several years, she completed a Master of Library Science degree. Glenda's career has involved work as a technical writer in the aerospace industry, teacher, librarian, and computer tech.
Glenda completed certification for a Master Gardener and has served as president of garden clubs and flower show judge. She belongs to the Woman's Club of Ouray County, Women in Support of Education, and the United Church of the San Juans.
DON PAULSON
Don currently serves as the Curator of the Museum. He received his B.S. degree in chemistry from Monmouth College in Monmouth, IL and his Ph.D. in chemistry from Indiana University. He recently retired from California State University, Los Angeles where he was Professor of Chemistry for 36 years.
He and his wife Beth have been coming to Ouray on vacations for more than 20 years. They built their house five miles north of Ouray in 1999. Don has a passion for mining and railroad history and in his basement is a 30 x 40-foot model railroad based on the D&RGW and RGS Railroads. In his spare-time he enjoys hiking and jeeping in search of yet another mine or railroad right-of-way.
He is the Editor of the Ouray County Historical Society Magazine and author of Mines, Miners, and Much More, a history of mining in Ouray, Silverton and Telluride.
GAIL SAUNDERS
Gail Zanett Saunders is descendant of an Italian immigrant mining family who came to Ouray in 1918. She has served on the OCHS Board for over twenty years. Currently, Gail is the Board’s treasurer and photo archivist. She received her B.A. in history at the University of Colorado with additional graduate level classes in Southwest US history. In addition to teaching Colorado history and adult literacy, Gail was a small businesswoman, now retired. She is the co-author of Images of American Ouray, has written many articles on local history, and is a contributor to the journal “Filó,” a magazine for Tyrolean Americans. She is a member of Women Writing the West. Gail lives near Colona with her husband Joe, 25 miles from the place where she was born, the Miner’s Hospital, now the home of the Ouray County Museum.
ROBERT STOUFER
Robert Stoufer is a noted authority on minerals and mining in the San Juan Mountains. He is also the former proprietor of Buckskin Booksellers in Ouray.
ALAN TODD
Alan moved to Ouray County in 2010, having returned to the Western Slope as quickly as he could. He is the former owner/publisher of the Ouray County Plaindealer and The Ridgway Sun. Prior to purchasing the Plaindealer, he spent 26 years in the newspaper business in management and executive positions related to marketing and advertising.
Alan is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Advertising. He has served on numerous non-profit boards including locally the Ouray Chamber Resort Association and the Ridgway Area Chamber of Commerce, of which he served as president.
Alan currently owns The Sock Mine, a novelty store on Main Street in Ouray. He also writes a weekly history column in the Montrose Daily Press.
Alan is a native of Gunnison, Colorado. When not working at his store or around the house, he can be spotted knee-deep in a river with a fly rod in his hand.