About
MEET OUR TEAM
Renata Lafler, Executive Director
Renata Lafler is a gemologist, mineral enthusiast, and mom who has served as the Executive Director of Mines Museum of Earth Science since 2018. Prior to her time at the museum, Renata was the Director of Gemstone Advancement and Education at Jewelry Television (JTV) in Knoxville, TN. As a Fellow of the Gemological Association of Great Britain (FGA), she acted as the Executive Producer of, the Sisk Gemology Reference, a three-volume book series about gems, now in its third printing. Renata achieved her Master’s degree in Geosciences in 2009 at the University of Arizona, analyzing the Raman spectra of gemstones.
rlafler@mines.edu
Ed Raines, Curator
Ed Raines is a geologist, mining historian, Colorado mineral expert, and Curator at Mines Museum of Earth Science. He has worked with Mines Museum’s collections for more than fifteen years. He is actively involved in a variety of mineral and mining clubs and frequently shares his expertise through talks, classes, and field trips. Prior to his tenure at Mines, Ed advised and consulted at a wide variety of museums including the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum (Leadville, CO), the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Western Museum of Mining History (CO Springs, CO), and the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
eraines@mines.edu
Samara Rhett Tebo, Operations Manager
Samara joined Mines Museum in 2021 and brings extensive business and retail experience to her role. Samara studied European history and art history at Boston University, and attended graduate school at Rutgers University for Library Science, with a focus in archiving. She has a deep appreciation for art, history, and museums. Her professional background centers on franchising, customer relations, sales, retail management, and museums. She’s passionate about education, developing productive teams, creating an incredible workplace culture, and building community.
srhett@mines.edu