Heather Shook, BA

Medical Team Assistant

Heather was born in Memphis, TN and moved south after several years in the city to graduate high school in the hills of North Georgia. She then moved back to her hometown to attend the University of Memphis, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Earth Sciences, focusing on Water Resources and GIS. This led her to work with the US Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, where she got to spend half of her time wading through some of the same rivers that she grew up playing in, and the other half tromping through wetlands and swamp in the sub-tropic climate of the Delta. Heather worked with the USGS for 4 years before the mountains in the West could wait no more and she ventured up to southwestern Montana.

Big Sky country was a nice escape from the city, mosquitoes, kudzu and humidity, but shorter winters took Heather south to Durango. The dynamic beauty of the high desert and mountains immediately captured her heart and this seemed like the place to settle in. Furniture was purchased, friends were made, new territory was explored, stars were slept under, and a pretty cool dog found her while she was at the animal shelter during her first year in town. After living here for 3 years now, Heather still loves the Durango area and is proud to call this her home. The variation in landscape and people of the region have been a welcome addition to her journey and she feels as at home here as anywhere she's been in her travels so far.

Heather began working at Open Sky as Office Assistant and is excited to continue her contribution as part of the Wellness and Medical Team. Having grown up spending most of her free time exploring the riparian landscapes that make up the Delta, she is a firm believer in the healing powers of nature and is honored to be part of an organization that provides an alternative perspective for youth growing up in a technology-driven culture. In her free time, Heather enjoys biking, camping, hiking with her dog, spending time with friends, swimming in the river, writing, music and fiction.