Cydele Duquette-Reich
Marketing Assistant
Originally from Buffalo New York, Cydele Duquette-Reich graduated with a B.A. in History from the State University of New York at Albany and started her career in nonprofit marketing. She began her career supporting the Delaware Historical Society as the Read House & Gardens Marketing and Events Coordinator subsequently as the Society’s Communications Coordinator. Moving to Colorado Springs in 2023, she has fallen in love with the Pikes Peak region. As the Marketing Assistant, she supports the marketing initiatives of CSPM.
Brayan MontesDeOca
Museum Technician
Brayan MontesDeOca is the Museum Technician at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. Brayan was born and raised in the Colorado Springs area. He is currently earning his B.A. in History, with a minor in Museum Studies and Gallery Practice, at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS). Along with his formal education, Brayan has learned best practices in object handling, collections management and cataloging through internships at the Heller Center for Arts & Humanities at UCCS, and at the CSPM. Brayan is looking forward to assisting the collections team in the preservation of CSPM’s extensive artifact and archival collection.
Valerie Schmitz
Education Assistant
Valerie Schmitz is a 12th generation Northern New Mexican and has always been fascinated by the history of the Southern Rocky Mountain Region. She attended New Mexico State University and worked as a student aid at the library where she had access to archival documents and special collections. She later worked at Laughlin Air Force Base Library and gained experience with family programs. In 2019, Valerie volunteered with the National Park Service at White Sands National Park and began interpretive training. She also had the opportunity to work at the historic visitor center employed through the Western National Parks Association, a non-profit education partner of the NPS. Valerie has been part of the Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department since 2022. She has loved connecting with visitors as a seasonal park ranger at Garden of the Gods and is looking forward to continuing making meaningful connections through sharing our city’s history as a Museum Education Assistant at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum.