From the Great Lakes to the Rocky Mountains: An Interview with Liona Lutes
Introducing Liona Lutes, a newly Colorado resident who traded Michigan's Great Lakes for our Rocky Mountains to study within CMC's Integrated Sustainability program.
Since arriving last fall, Liona has jumped headfirst into the world of sustainability earning her Permaculture certification, taking the lead on the Sustainable Libraries Initiative at the Spring Valley campus, and collaborating with the AASHE-STARS team. All in just a few months. Total rockstar energy.
Liona nestled in-between old growth trees during her university-seeking road trip in Olympia National Park, Washington, 2026.
Her vision? To weave together all campus libraries into a more collaborative sustainability effort through our "third spaces", those beloved community hubs where learning, connection, and resources intersect.
One of the first initiatives she launched this summer is adding more green spaces attached to the library. Think calming, grounding experiences surrounded by books, plants, and community. And that's just the beginning.
The larger program she's spearheading at the Spring Valley Campus is the Sustainable Libraries Initiative: a national accreditation aimed at deepening libraries' role in sustainability efforts across U.S. universities. Thanks to Maureen, Tracy, and the dedicated staff rallying behind Liona, CMC is focused on participating in SLI by 2027.
We spoke with Liona
To ask what this journey has looked like balancing classes, two jobs, and a mountain of ambition...and here's what she shared.
Liona is all smiles at the Steamboat Lake State Park this summer, 2026.
Kasi: You traveled across the country visiting sustainability programs before landing at CMC. What made this one stand out?
Liona: "I actually lived out of a van with my boyfriend for three months and visited five different schools," Liona laughs. "I wanted to meet professors, see the towns, feel the culture." Her aunt lives in Gypsum, so she was able to spend time in the area. Then she met Tina Evans. "She's just such a light of a human being." During their conversation, a student walked over and handed Tina a fresh fig to eat as a snack. Such a small moment...but it said everything.
"My dad is a farmer. My mom's family were cherry farmers in Michigan," Liona explains. "CMC's sustainability didn't feel theoretical. It felt like they were actually living sustainability and teaching it in a very hands-on way."
Kasi: You jumped right into the Permaculture intensive this summer. What was that experience like?
Liona: "It felt like I just got my brain taken over with permaculture for two months straight," she says with a smile. The first class had only four students and two professors, intimate, immersive, and connection-rich. "I'm going to have dinner at my friend's place in Snowmass next week. Those connections don't end when the class does."
Kasi: Now you're leading the Sustainable Libraries Initiative at Spring Valley. How did that come about?
Liona: "Right time, right place," she says. She'd interviewed for a different role with Kevin Hillmer-Pegram, Professor and Chair of the Integrated Sustainability Program. But ended up being hired by the Library Commons Coordinator at Spring Valley, Maureen. "She said, 'I need sustainability help. I want to do what Tracy Hughes (Steamboat Learning Commons Coordinator, who piloted the Sustainable Libraries Initiative) is doing in Steamboat.'" And just like that, Liona was in!
Liona's been creating a "garden of care" using donated pots, free plants from the greenhouse, and rearranged furniture. The only thing they bought new? Grow lights. "If you have an idea and just need one little piece to get there, there's somebody out there near you that has that piece. It's all an interconnected system."
Kasi: Moving from Michigan to Colorado, how has that shifted your perspective on sustainability?
Liona: "I traded the lakes for the mountains," she reflects. Experiencing wildfires firsthand made everything feel immediate. "It doesn't feel like a theory. It doesn't feel like we're watching it through our phones, because we're not. We're living it."
That urgency fuels her. "When I get angry, I want to do things." And at CMC, she's found a community that transforms that energy into action.
Liona engulfed by red rocks in Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 2026.Kasi: What's next?
Liona: Juggling two jobs, full-time classes, and leading SLI initiatives keeps her busy, "I don't really have a day off right now," she admits, but she's never been happier. "It's tough, but it's all through connections. Everybody's got your back."
For Liona, sustainability isn't something to put off until retirement. It's about showing up right now, right where you are, with whatever you have, and trusting that community will meet you there.