Meet the Team

Sara is a Wyoming Black Hills native, University of Wyoming graduate, and lover of all things Laradise. On a given weekend, you will find her shopping in downtown Laramie, fly fishing in Jelm on the Big Laramie River, or hiking in the Snowy Range snapping photos with her family of four. She once spent an unintentional overnight on the mountain after summiting Medicine Bow Peak in November, and does not recommend this idea to visitors.

Kera is from a small town nestled in the Northern California hills but Wyoming is forever her home. She loves spending time with her animals, watching motocross, snowmobiling, fishing, and riding horses. If she isn't roaming amongst the trees in Medicine Bow National Forest, you could find her curled up in a chair with a good book or spending time in one of the awesome, local antique shops. You may want to bring Kera to the mountains with you - she has a tendency to be lucky when it comes to moose sightings!

Emily grew up in the Southern Adirondack region of upstate NY and found her way to Laramie to attend graduate school at the University of Wyoming. In the years since then, Emily has found a true sense of community in the Laramie area and has a passion for introducing people to the places that make her love it. When she’s not helping visitors at the Centennial Visitor Center, you can find her exploring the Medicine Bow National Forest with her dogs (she loves trail running and cross-country skiing), riding her horse in the Centennial Valley, learning how to watercolor paint, or picking out new books at the Albany County Public Library. You can always ask her about the best places to eat in the area or for her favorite soup recipe!

Aly is a Maine native and lover of the wildness of Wyoming. After working as a middle school ELA teacher, she came to Laramie for graduate school and never looked back. During downtime, you can find her in the Medicine Bow National Forest, playing trivia at Bond’s, exploring downtown shops in search of her next favorite book, and trying not to spend her whole paycheck on Chacho’s Tacos. She once wore her Chacos to hike Medicine Bow Peak and does not recommend this, but be sure to ask her favorite Chaco-friendly hikes in the area!

Matt Blakeman is a Wyoming native who grew up in Dubois and met his wife, Tracy, while attending the University of Wyoming. Both he and Tracy are UW alums and returned to Laramie in 2021 after having lived many years on the rural Oregon Coast. It was in Lincoln City, OR that the couple raised their son, Harry, who now lives in Vancouver, WA with his wife, Nicole. The Blakemans are delighted to be back in Laramie where spending time with family and friends (old and new) is a high priority. Matt enjoys sharing his love of Albany County and Wyoming with all the visitors he encounters in our office. As a 5th generation Wyomingite he has great regard for the state and its citizens. He finds working with the Visit Laramie team to be a varied & rewarding experience. He loves both telling our story and assisting folks in having an authentic Laramie Adventure.

Arden is a Wyoming native who grew up in Cheyenne and is currently a student at the University of Wyoming majoring in Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management. She loves hiking in Vedauwoo and the Snowy Range, visiting museums, and spending time in downtown Laramie. In the colder months she skis and hunts in Medicine Bow National Forest. Hiking has truly been a lifelong passion of hers - she summited Medicine Bow Peak for the first time at one year old (with lots of help from her parents, of course)!

Nid Collins is an independent film producer, director, and writer. As well as producing independent films, Nid is a Director of the 307 International Film festival in Laramie, Wyoming, a real estate photographer, sports fan and collector of Laserdiscs.