Team Management & Leaders

Gail Sharp
TallGrass Owner

For Gail, a balanced lifestyle is built around running a successful spa business, becoming involved in community projects, and enjoying friends and family. Some of her best times are spent at her Lucky Penny Ranch with three dogs, a couple of cats, four Nigerian dwarf goats and three horses. She enjoys the picture-perfect Rocky Mountain landscape on horseback and hiking trails while espousing a personal philosophy that asserts there are reasons to celebrate life in big and small ways every, single day.

Melissa Rackliff
Spa Director

You can contact Melissa directly at 303-679-4477 or Mel@TallGrassSpa.com

Melissa is a TallGrass veteran, so her feel for what our guests want and need is innate. All told, she has been working here for more than 13 years, with a few breaks in between. Over that time, she's picked up on the inner workings of the spa, inside and out, upside and down. That makes her the resident problem-solver. She's our go-to expert, beloved by our staff and the leader of the pack!

Nicole Algien
Team Leader, Laundry Department

Towels. Robes. Sheets. Bath Mats. Slippers. There’s something very satisfying about pulling them out of the dryer, all warm and soft and fluffy. “That’s what we love about being in the Laundry Room,” says Nicole. “Folding towels is very therapeutic.”

Though the team keeps a low profile in a quiet corner behind-the-scenes, Nicole’s goal is to make sure everyone feels a part of the inner workings of the spa. Making regular trips upstairs to check hampers and re-stock supplies, she says: “The spa is not well run without the Laundry Department.”

Michele Alton
Lead Manager

Michele's move to Colorado and choice to join the TallGrass team was purely a quality of life decision. "Colorado is where I belong," she says. "And, the people at TallGrass feel like a family." Her leadership role is a perfect fit because, having grown up in a military family, she is well acquainted with the challenges of responsibility, duty and integrity. Michele gladly shares her secret to taking care of oneself: "Who knows better than you where you need to be?"

Christy Clark
Team Leader, Massage Department

Christy manages a staff of 15, bringing what she calls a balanced dynamic to the Massage Department. Her buzzwords are synchronicity, natural grace and harmony. Her goal is to ensure all TallGrass therapists feel valued, supported and part of a team that delivers inspiring service to every spirit they are privileged to touch.

Jane Faulkner
Team Leader, Retail Department
Boutique Buyer

An eye for detail gives Jane an edge when it comes to creating a pleasurable buying experience for TallGrass guests. Always on the lookout for what she calls “retail detail,” Jane finds great ideas for setting up attractive displays everyplace she goes – even the grocery store! An organized, eye-catching selection of personal care and gift items, along with the ability to offer well-informed recommendations, makes Jane and her team the go-to folks for TallGrass shoppers.

Alesia Forrest
Team Leader, Accounting

Alesia is convinced the stars were perfectly aligned on the day she came to work at TallGrass. With 29 years of accounting on her resume, she'd be a great addition to any staff. But, when she walked into the TallGrass universe, she found the right fit at a place with an impeccable reputation that lights up people's lives. Even though accounting is a black and white business, Alesia is not your typical accountant. She's a colorful people person who loves to cook, entertain and take good care of people.

Heather Glenn
Team Leader, Esthetics Department

Nurturing her guests and educating them about natural skin care are Heather's passions at TallGrass. An esthetician since graduation from the Aveda Marquis Institute in 1998, Heather continues her professional education by seeking out new skin care techniques and advanced aromatherapy protocols. In her free time, she works as a makeup artist whose work has been featured in national publications.

Jody Heaney
Team Leader, Nail Department

Yeah! She’s baaaack! This is Jody’s third tour as team leader of the nail department.

Is this a case of third time’s a charm? Nope. Jody is a champ every time she steps up to take the reins. She is clearly so well-suited to the role. "I like to have my team around me," she says, "when we’re all going in the same direction, doing great things."

This time around, Jody’s direction is back to basics, steering away from industry fads that can sometimes be a bit off-center. She’s emphasizing organic ingredients, natural aromas, and quality of services. "That’s what people so love about TallGrass," she says. "Everyone wants to feel good and be healthy."

Judy Jeute
Team Leader, Laundry Department

Judy is no stranger to multi-tasking. She's held lots of job titles in a varied career. Currently, you'll find her wearing two hats at TallGrass - leading the team in our laundry room and applying the magic of 25 years in the mani-pedi profession in our nail room. Judy is also the operator of a llama rescue program for abandoned animals and once was the manager of a building maintenance service warehouse. That last job title puts her in the right humor to run the TallGrass laundry where she admitted to her teenage crew on the first day of work: "My 18-year-old daughter has been telling me for years that I'm a dork and I just want you to know it's true." She and her crew got off on the right foot and have been seeing eye-to-eye ever since.

Shannon Marinos
Team Leader, Guest Relations Department

She calls herself "Mama Bear" and not just because she's the parent of three youngsters. Shannon is a Mama Bear at work, too. Super-protective of her Guest Relations team, she's always there for them. "No judgment," she says, "just a positive direction, setting goals together and moving forward."

Because she knows people will be more confident, stay in the job longer and the team will be happier together, she puts emphasis on training. Her strategy aims to make the Guest Relations team a happy crew, all together, all the time. "It's my big thing," she says, "I always want to give people the tools to be great."

Jen Schapiro
Team Leader, Hair Salon Department

Jen always wanted to be a hair stylist and started design school while still in high school. A couple of decades later, she still has a passion for her career, especially when it comes to the continuing education that keeps her salon team fresh and excited. Jen's passion extends to her production of the TallGrass hair and fashion show, the style event of the Evergreen season for six successful years.