Meet the Country Stampede On-Site Managers

Doris Arnold

Doris is in her eighth year with the Country Stampede. She started out managing the ticket gates with her husband and after 3 years moved over to managing the Campground Check-In. Doris moved into the main office as the Human Resource and Volunteer Coordinator last year.

Doris is married with 3 children and a young grandmother of 5. When not enjoying her time at the Stampede, Doris and her husband spend weekend time in their new 5th wheel and spoiling those grand kids.

Her favorite thing about being involved with the Country Stampede is seeing patrons who return year after year and they always stop to say hi.

Jim Badders

Jim has been with Country Stampede since 1997. He is Country Stampede's finance manager. When not working for Country Stampede he is the Assistant Controller at Kansas State. He loves to travel in his free time.

Lori Barteau

Lori Barteau is Food and Beverage Manager for this awesome event and regularly serves as Branch Chief of the Hiring Cell for Evans Army Community Hospital, Ft. Carson, Colorado recruiting Medical and Professional staff for the hospital.

Raised in St. Louis, Missouri but traveler of the world because of the Army life, Lori now lives with her husband Ken of 20 years, two children, Ken & Tim (Stampeder's since birth) and our bull mastiff, Gus.

Lori has been working for the Stampede since the get go. She has held numerous positions from volunteer, Gate Manager, Backstage Catering, Vehicle Manager, Payroll and Ken's right hand "women" running Food and Beverage, site set-up and tear-down. This year will fill in for Ken while he is deployed supporting the war in Iraq.

Pat Collins

Patrick R Collins, “Pat” has worked at Riley County since January 1977. His spare time was spent as husband, father and as a volunteer in the community.  He served as Kansas First Responder for EMS, Police Reserve officer for Riley County Police Department and Volunteer firefighter for both Riley County Dist. #1 and Ogden. He served as Ogden Fire Chief from 1983 until 1989. In 1991 he was appointed the Emergency Management Coordinator/ Assistant Fire Chief. The Board of County Commissioners changed that appointment to include Riley County Fire Chief, Riley County Emergency Management Director and Emergency Communications Coordinator in 1995.

He has assisted in the Country Stampede Communications every year except 2007. Pat is an amateur radio operator and has operated and maintained several 911 systems for Riley County. Pat’s hobbies include hunting, fishing, camping and being a grandfather.

Jena Davoren

Jena Davoren began working at the Country Stampede in 1997 as a custodial supervisor. In 2003, she was promoted to a Manager in the Custodial Maintenance Department. 

Jena was born and raised in Meriden, Ks, and moved to Manhattan in 1994 to attend Kansas State University. She married Brian Davoren in 1999 who is also an employee at the Country Stampede. She works full-time as an accountant at Carson Home Sales in Manhattan. She also works part-time at Sweet Dreams Catering, a catering business she co-owns with her mom on the weekends. Jena and Brian have two children. What Jena enjoys most about working at the Country Stampede is getting together with the people that she works with and only gets to see once a year during the festival.

Deb Delzeit

Deb is in her 9th year with the Country Stampede. She’s held supervisor positions in both Parking and Traffic and Merchandising until the 2008 season when she took the Merchandising manager position.

When not working for the stampede, Deb is a Retail Operations Manager for Kaw Valley Greenhouses, managing operations for 22 retail garden centers in 3 states. In the off gardening season, she spends time with her husband, Ed, on their little farm in Bennington, Kansas raising chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and quail.

Mark French

Mark French has worked security since the first Country Stampede. In 1998 he was promoted to front of stage and back stage security supervisor.

Steve French

Steve French began working for the Country Stampede in 1996 as the Parking/Traffic Division Manager. In 1997, he was reassigned as the Festival Security Manager. With his vast knowledge and community contacts Steve French became the County Stampede Consultant in 1998, a position which he continues in today. Steve has made many friends during his years working at the Stampede and enjoys “re-connecting” with staff and patrons each year

Steve has been married to Kathy French for 39 years and they have three children. Steve is twice retired from the Riley County Police as he returned in 2007 as “Interim Director”. He started his law enforcement career with the Riley County Sheriff’s Department as a Deputy Sheriff in December 1971. Steve now enjoys being retired and working on his farm and playing with his grandchildren.

Ernie Jordan

Ernie Jordan has worked campground security for Country Stampede for the past six years. This will be his third year as Campground Security Manager. Originally from Rhode Island Ernie made his way to Manhattan Kansas in 1970 via a stint with the U.S. Army ending at Ft Riley Kansas.

Ernie has been a resident of Kansas for over 30 years and is married to his wife Cindy for 38 years. They have 3 children and several grandchildren.

Ernie enjoys seeing old friends return year after year and meeting new friends. He looks forward to the challenges of providing a safe and enjoyable environment for your stay with us.

Mick McCallister

Mick McCallister started with the Country Stampede organization in 1996 as a volunteer worker. For the past seven years he has performed as the Service Volunteer Manager. Responsibilities include supervision of festival set-up and tear down, camp ground clean up and the coordination of 350 beverage service volunteers each year.

As a 30-year Department of the Army civilian, he spends his two week vacation at the Country Stampede. “My primary focus is to offer the opportunity for off duty soldiers and their families a chance to reset and have a little fun and have a great experience at the Country Stampede.”

The majority of volunteers are soldiers and/or their spouses. “It has been an enormous pleasure to give support to our soldiers and their families in this small way.”

Kurt Moldrup

Kurt “Moldy” Moldrup has worked festival security since the Stampede’s first year in 1996.  He was soon promoted to Festival Security Manager. He has been supervising a team of 180 for the past 7 years. 

When not working for Country Stampede Kurt is employed with the Riley County Police department as a Lieutenant in the Support Division and is the Assistant Team Leader and tactical medic on the departments Tactical Team. Kurt is married to Sue and has 11 children, all of which are or have been home educated. As a result Kurt also has to work as a security guard for the Manhattan Town Center (20 years of service) and is employed by Kansas State Athletic Operations where he is the parking supervisor for all events that occur at Bramlage Coliseum and Bill Snyder family Stadium, home of the Wildcats! In addition Kurt is a manager for CTM managing amusement rides in the local mall. 

When Kurt is not working he enjoys spending time with his wife of 25 years, eleven children and two grand children.

Christina Pfaff-Milne

Christina lives in Kansas City. She received her bachelor's and master's degree from Kansas State. She  teaches early childhood special education and is also the teacher of the visually impaired for the Platte County R-3 School District.

She has been working the Country Stampede since the beginning. She started out working in a beverage tent, then as stagehand, then stage manager, and now she is the production manager. She loves her Country Stampede family and hopes to be doing this job for many years to come!

Lisa Theunissen

Hello to all Country Stampede participants!!

Can’t believe another year has passed, and I’m once again working at the Country Stampede. I think I started working the stampede the third year after it started but I wouldn’t swear to that.

It all just runs together after so many years. My first couple of years was spent as a parking cashier. Since then I have worked as a ticket taker then gate supervisor (west gate) and last year managed the ticket takers and fairground gates. This year I am managing the parking cashiers. Seems I have gone full circle. It’s been a lot of work but it’s been fun. In my primary life I still work full time for the USDA and still work part time as a bus driver for USD 38 (Manhattan/Ogden). Stampede still happens in my spare time. :o)

Hope to see all the happy faces again this year!

Andrea Tiede

Gary Yenzer

Gary has worked for Country Stampede for the past four years. He has been employed by Riley County for 26 years. He is currently assistant weed director/hazardous waste coordinator, regional manager for Big Lakes H.H.W. - serving 10 counties. He has also has volunteered for the St. George fire department for the past 18 years and is the current Chief of Department. He is also a volunteer scout leader for St. George Pack 123, and has been involved with the scouts for 18 years. He is the cubmaster and treasurer.

He has been married to his wife Susan for 29 years. They have four children and one grandchild.