Turn-About Ranch employees are guided by the following principles: Youth and Family, Growth, Teamwork, and Service.
Our residential treatment program has been providing help for troubled teens and their families for more than 20 years. We have Master’s level and Bachelor’s level counselors along with non-professional staff who are screened and have a desire to work with troubled boys and girls.
Chris Christensen — Executive Director
Chris started at Turn-About Ranch in 1997 as a Primary Counselor, and worked in that capacity until 2004, when Turn-About started our school program. Chris developed the school program and worked arduously to ensure it became accredited. The school at Turn-About has a reputation for producing excellent results as we assist students in meeting the requirements for high school graduation. Chris has also served Program Director at Turn-About; in that role he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the ranch while simultaneously performing his other duties.
Chris recently rejoined the Turn-About team after a four-year sabbatical, during which he served as interim principal at Escalante High School. Chris is happy to be back at Turn-About as the Executive Director, and looks forward to positively impacting the student’s and their families’ lives.
Chris is a licensed school counselor earning his Masters degree at Utah State University. He also has an Administrative Endorsement from Southern Utah University.
Myron Carter — Barn Program Director
Myron adds so much to the Turn-About program. There is no one better at working with adolescents in this industry than Myron. He forms relationships with the kids that work therapeutically. He knows how to get adolescents to look at their lives and want to be better. Myron also runs the horsemanship program that makes Turn-About so successful.
Myron is a true cowboy and a true horseman. No one works harder and gets work done better than he does. Myron has been with Turn-About since our beginning and the program and students benefit from his experience in the industry.
Michelle Lindsay, M.S., LPC — Clinical Director
Michelle Lindsay is the clinical director for Turn-About Ranch. She completed her graduate degree in Social Work at Brigham Young University. After 5 years and 3 children she returned to school and received her master’s degree from Utah State University. She is passionate about working with teens and families and has experience in both the wilderness and residential treatment setting. She has also worked as a transition specialist helping families to succeed in bringing their teen’s home from treatment.
Michelle has been married to her supportive husband for 20 years and they love spending time together with their 3 children water-skiing, snowboarding, fishing, camping and riding horses; preferably rounding up cattle out in the middle of a blue skied desert. She also enjoys reading, looking for Indian artifacts, sports, and feeding the neighborhood teenagers!
Marty Ormond — Lodge Program Director
Marty oversees all operations at the Lodge. Marty adds a lot to the program through his loyalty and patience. He is very patient with the employees that work under him and takes a caring approach towards the kids in the program. Marty is very talented with fixing anything and does a lot more than he gets credit for. Marty is always willing to take charge of a situation and help out where he is needed.
Heidi Noyes — Academic Director
Heidi graduated from Utah State University in May 1994 with a bachelor’s of Science Degree. After graduation, she helped her husband run a cow-calf operation in Escalante for over 10 years. Then they sold the cattle operation and bought the True Value store, which they have been running for 11 years.
Heidi has been working at the local elementary school for the past 10 years as a paraprofessional and as a substitute teacher at the local high school. She has spent the last two years working one-on-one with special education students. She has written lessons and taught them to students who struggled with main streaming education.
Heidi loves teaching and working with students, which led her to go back to school and earn her Masters in Education Degree. Her goal is to teach students to find a love for learning. “School is hard work. However, it can also be fun. Sometimes students find themselves lost and struggling not knowing how to get back on track. Through hard work and with dedication to learn, we can create goals to help students get back on track with their schooling.”
Heidi is excited to use her knowledge at Turn-About Ranch to build within each student a love for learning and teach the student how useful this learning will be in his or her life.