Aspire Staff (from left to right): Megan Castaneda, Melissa Gerdel, Dr. Carole Nasralla, Nicole Cotts, Brittany Bedtke, Anette McInnis
Our Caring Staff
Nicole Cotts – Executive Director:
Nicole grew up in Pagosa Springs and moved back in 2010 with her husband and 3 boys. She comes to Aspire with a BS in Social Work and experience with an adoption agency doing options and birth parent counseling as well as connections, volunteer coordination, and administration at her local church. Nicole went through volunteer training at Aspire in 2010, but had to give up her volunteer position because of the conflict of interest working in adoptions. She has always known in her heart that she would end up back at Aspire and is thrilled God opened the doors to be here now. She finds incredible joy in connecting with others in a deeper way and pointing them to Jesus and His amazing love for them.
Nicole and her husband, Billy, are small business owners at ReSport and Stitches & Dimples. When not at the store, they enjoy playing pickleball, playing on their church worship team, and “doing life” with their large extended family.
Carole Nasralla, MD – Medical Director and Prenatal Care Provider:
As the daughter of missionaries, Carole spent much of her youth living in India and traveling around the world. She returned to the U.S. for college, grad school, and eventually on to medical school at the University of Illinois in Chicago. She completed her residency in family medicine at West Suburban Hospital in Oak Park, IL, with an emphasis in women’s health and obstetrics.
Carole and her family moved to Pagosa Springs in 2000. Since living here, she has worked at a variety of clinics, and currently works part-time at the Pagosa Medical Group as well as directing the prenatal clinic at Aspire. Carole has a passion for underserved communities and has traveled to Guatemala the past several years to serve the Mayan community there.
Carole and her husband Dave, along with their 4 children, stay very active in the Pagosa community. They love the great outdoors, whether it be hiking, biking, or camping, and they LOVE to travel! Their children are very involved in school, sports, theatre, and having fun in general.
Melissa Gerdel – Client Services Director: Melissa came to Aspire in May of 2024 with a heart for moms with young kids. Melissa has been married to her high school sweetheart for almost 25 years and they have 4 awesome young-adult children. After moving to Pagosa last year, she was praying for God to open a door for her to serve in a new ministry. She found out about the opening at Aspire and is honored to now be serving here! Melissa and her family love all the outdoor things living in Pagosa provides, especially hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter.
Brittany Bedtke – Clinic Manager:
Brittany oversees care for our medical clinic clients and services which include prenatal care, pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and STI/STD testing. She is certified to perform limited OB ultrasounds and is an EMT and Medical Assistant. Brittany is very passionate about OB/Prenatal care! She has worked in several departments within Pagosa Springs Medical Center since 2009. In fact, she worked for our physician Dr. Carole Nasralla and Fran Scriber, PA in the hospital/clinic a few years back.
Brittany also owns Ski and Bow Rack – a successful local store in Pagosa Springs. She is married to Robert and the proud Mom of Trent, Peyton, Eden and Summit. She has lived in Pagosa Springs for 30+ years, loves the outdoors and skiing, and is very excited about caring for our Moms, Dads and babies!
Megan Castenada – Clinic Assistant: Megan moved to Pagosa in 2002 and spent several amazing years at home raising her three beautiful kids. She enjoys taking care of and helping people, and being in the medical field, particularly in the area of obstetrics, was always a dream of hers. In 2019, she was blessed with the opportunity to join the staff at Aspire and absolutely loves caring for the patients that come through the doors. She loves having the opportunity throughout prenatal visits to get to know each patient, support them, and show them genuine love and kindness. Her family loves to travel and she says, if she’s not at work, she’s probably on an adventure somewhere in the world!
Anette McInnis – Education Coordinator:
Anette received her bachelor’s degree at Fort Lewis with a major in Spanish and a minor in business. After having her two boys, she took early education classes to become a teacher at Our Savior Lutheran Preschool in Pagosa. She was the director and pre-k teacher for 25 years. Anette was born and raised in Pagosa Springs. She and her husband Jeremy have two wonderful boys-Reyes (married to Mariah) and Ryan (married to Kaeani) as well as one grandchild.
Anette is excited to teach parents of babies and toddlers about positive parenting tips, how to manage stress and become more effective during this critical time period.
