Maura grew up just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She spent her entire childhood in the woods that surrounded her family’s home… swinging on the vines, playing in the creek, and building little shelters out of the fallen trees with her brothers. She vividly remembers white water kayaking and mountain biking with her dad. Summers were spent camping in the Appalachian mountains with childhood friends, climbing everything she could see and jumping in any body of water she found! Learning about plants and animals was Maura’s first passion, and all of this put her on the path to loving the wilderness and appreciating the healing power of nature. 

Maura eventually made her way out West, where she started working in Mental Health and Substance Abuse. She quickly gained over 6 years of experience working in a variety of different settings – from managing a sober living in Southern California to being a Case Manager at an Intensive Outpatient center in Colorado. She has been an advocate for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. She found her own experience as a woman in recovery made her work that much more meaningful. 

In 2018 Maura started working at Legacy and Juniper Canyon. She likes to say she’s had almost every job at the programs – she began as a client transporter, worked in logistics, became a field guide, and eventually started her current role as Operations Director in 2021. Maura is passionate about the work that she does at Juniper Canyon. Her favorite part of her job is the human-to-human connections that make Juniper Canyon such a powerful place. She enjoys watching the guides she mentors grow personally and professionally through their work as well. Maura is a certified Wilderness First Responder and an EMT. 

When she’s not at work, Maura can still be found out of doors and adventuring. She loves climbing, canyoneering, backpacking, doing yoga, and traveling in her time off with her partner and their dogs.