Three Rivers Resort Staff

The Schumacher Family

While our summer staff reaches in excess of 130 employees, our core staff of managers and owners prepare for the busy summer all year long. Meet our year round staff here and if you need anything, please contact us!
The Schumacher family has owned and operated Three Rivers Resort since 1983. Mark moved from Chicago in 1971 to attend Western State College (its name then!). His Bachelor’s degree and subsequent years of construction work helped prepare him for the demands and challenges of resort ownership. Over the years numerous cabins have been built and/or renovated, a restaurant and Outfitting business have been added, the General Store has been expanded and a myriad of other improvements and growth have been implemented. Mark has always been very community-involved, serving as President of both the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District and Chamber of Commerce and on the boards of the Planning Commission, Tourism Association and local Hockey Association. He is a golf and fishing enthusiast, bird hunter and occasional mountain biker and skier as well!
Mark and Mary Jo are an owner-operator team. She oversees the management and operations of the Housekeeping department. Guidelines for the cleaning and presentation of each cabin are strict, the goal being to prepare each one as if a guest were visiting her own home. She loves the outdoor mountain activities like running, hiking, biking and skiing. Mary Jo has also served on local boards, including the Chamber of Commerce, Kids Kount, Mentors, Friends of the Library and Hockey Moms.
The Schumacher children grew up on-site and from young ages worked at the resort in many capacities. Presently Sarah has moved onto a career in Nursing, while Dirk and Luke have joined the year-round staff of Three Rivers Resort as Resort Managers.

Jen Bickford

Jen Bickford has been the General Manager of the resort since 2005. She works with the owners to oversee the day to day resort operations and is specifically responsible for marketing, hiring/HR, gift & souvenir buying and supervising the operations of every department besides Maintenance and Housekeeping. Jen has been actively involved in the Gunnison Chamber of Commerce and the Gunnison Crested Butte Tourism Association boards. For free time, she enjoys hiking, mountain biking, some kayaking, rock climbing, XC skiing and snowboarding. She can offer guests detailed trail information for hiking, biking and off-roading. Originally from Michigan she now lives in Almont. She is a graduate and huge fan of the University of Michigan and all of the university’s sports teams.

You may contact Jen at: [email protected]

Nate Gibson

Nate Gibson is our year round Maintenance Manager. He joined our family in the summer of 2018. The Maintenance job is huge and he has a lot on his plate with the maintenance of 52 cabins, 3 vacation homes, our large office, an auto shop, 30+ vehicles, 20 trailers, a mobile home park, sewer system, water system and so much more! Nate has lived in the valley for quite awhile and is no stranger to maintaining large properties. He previously worked with Crested Butte Mountain Resort taking care of many of their condos. Nate is an avid outdoorsman and Denver Broncos fan. He lives in Almont with his wife, Des, and their 2 dogs.

Luke Schumacher

Luke Schumacher is a Resort Manager who rejoined the Three Rivers team in January 2021. He helps oversee the day to day resort operations including overseeing all IT and insurance and helping out in any other area of the resort in need. Luke previously worked as a civil engineer for 6 years after graduating from Purdue University. Luke and his wife Michelle live in Almont with their two dogs and four cats. In his free time Luke enjoys mountain biking, rafting, fly fishing, hiking, golfing, playing hockey, and skiing. Luke can be contacted at [email protected]

Michelle Clark

After graduating from Western Colorado University in 2021, Michelle Clark joined the year-round management team as the Front Desk Manager where she oversees lodging and the convenience store. Michelle moved from the Inland Northwest to the Gunnison Valley in 2014 to fulfill her childhood dream of being a ski bum in a mountain town. After several seasons of ski instructing at Crested Butte Mountain Resort in the winter and working at Three Rivers in the summer, she earned a degree from Western’s School of Business. Michelle’s 6 summers of seasonal work at the resort, including river guiding, housekeeping, activities desk, front desk and accounting, prepared her for the Front Desk Manager position. In her free time, Michelle enjoys Alpine & Nordic skiing, mountain & road biking, whitewater rafting, art, and going to concerts at the I Bar Ranch. She lives in Gunnison with her partner, Trey, and their [mean] cat.

You may contact Michelle at: [email protected]

Dirk Schumacher

Dirk Schumacher joined the Three Rivers Resort team permanently after graduating from Montana State University in 2017. He is now a Resort Manager in charge of Outfitting, overseeing all rafting and fishing operations which include the fly shop, fishing guides, raft guide training, rafting operations, activities desk, photography, and shuttles. Dirk also assists the maintenance department with construction, repairs and grounds work. In his free time, Dirk enjoys playing hockey, skiing and spends most of his summer free time fly fishing many of the streams in the area.

You may contact Dirk at: [email protected]

Patrick Blackdale

Patrick is the Assistant Outfitting Manager, primarily in charge of overseeing the fly shop and Willowfly Anglers guide service. He also assists Dirk Schumacher in managing the entire outfitting operation which includes rafting, kayaking, rentals, photography and shuttles. Patrick is a Colorado Native who grew up fishing the waters of the Colorado high country. He attended Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, CO where he discovered his love for rivers and fishing. Patrick guided on the Arkansas River in Buena Vista, CO for four years before coming to the western slope. When not guiding clients or working in the fly shop he loves to float and fish rivers, hike with his dog, and tie flies.

You may reach Patrick at: [email protected]

Kim Spencer

Kim Spencer is our Accounting Office Manager, overseeing bookkeeping for our 7+ companies including payroll and accounts receivable/payable. Additionally, you will see her wherever needed – front desk, activities, housekeeping, restaurant, fly shop, etc. Kim is new to the area from Wisconsin and moved here to be closer to her daughter and her family who live in the Gunnison area.

You may reach Kim at: [email protected]

Jammie Antonarez

Jammie (pronounced like Jamie) Antonarez is our Housekeeping Manager, overseeing a large staff in the summer who are responsible for our sparkling clean cabins, homes and lodge rooms. Her department is also responsible for cleaning all of our public facilities, including restrooms, Dance Hall, Pavilion, and laundry rooms. During the winter months, she and one other housekeeper take care of cleaning for all of our winter guests and tenants. With years of experience in housekeeping and laundry management, Jammie joined us ready to take on this busy department. Jammie grew up in Gunnison and lives there with one daughter, while the other is attending the Naval Academy.