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- Christine Albano
- Darcy Allen
- Ethan Aumack
- Shannon Baker
- Lauren Berutich
- Eleanor Bliss
- Roger Clark
- Brett Dickson
- Steve Fluck
- Justun Jones
- Laura Kamala
- Nikolai Lash
- Neil Levine
- Richard Mayol
- Rick Moore
- Andrew Mount
- Mary O'Brien
- Phil Pearl
- Tim Peterson
- Joshua Porter
- Evelyn Sawyers
- Marcus Selig
- Tom Sisk
- Tony Skrelunas
- Kate Watters
- Mindy Wheeler
- Matt Willamson
Staff Bios: Quick Links
Bill Hedden: Executive Director
Since joining us in February 1996, Bill Hedden has coordinated the Trust’s activities in southern Utah’s canyon country. He has worked on a diverse array of projects, including the Moab Uranium Millsite cleanup and Utah state land reform. He was instrumental in expanding Arches National Park in 1998, retiring grazing from ecologically critical areas like the Escalante River canyon, and creating a directory of conservation groups working on the Colorado Plateau. Appointed Executive Director of the Trust in April 2003, Bill is a longtime resident of Moab. He is also a former County Council member in Grand County, a member of the Utah Board of Parks and Recreation, and a member of The Nature Conservancy’s Utah Board. Bill has a B.A. and Ph.D. in Biology from Harvard University.
Staff
Christine Albano: Restoration Program Coordinator
Christine joined the Trust in April 2007. She is primarily responsible for coordinating research and restoration projects on the Kane & Two Mile Ranches. Christine brings 7 years of graduate research and professional experience in the ecological assessment and monitoring of stream and riparian systems in the Great Basin, Rocky Mountains, and Colorado Plateau. Prior to joining the Trust, she was a biologist for the USGS in Utah, where her work focused on water quality assessment and biomonitoring. Most recently, she helped develop and test biomonitoring field techniques specifically for Colorado Plateau streams for the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program. Christine received her B.S. in Biology from Westminster College in her hometown of Salt Lake City. She earned her M.S. in Ecology from Colorado State University in 2006. [back to top]
Darcy Allen: Associate Director, Administration
Darcy Allen has been with the Trust since June 1995 and has lived in Flagstaff, Arizona, for over 20 years. A graduate of Northern Arizona University, Darcy earned her B.A. in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Public Relations. As the “MAD” manager, Darcy is responsible for many different aspects of Trust life. Her main focus is the loyal and knowledgeable members of the Trust. Additionally, she helps with all aspects of development, and serves on the human resource, facilities, and finance teams. Darcy Allen loves her job. [back to top]
Ethan Aumack: Kane & Two Mile Ranch Director
Ethan, a program manager from 1997–2001, returned to the Trust in 2004 as Director of Restoration Programs and took over as ranch director in June 2008. Ethan comanages fire and forest restoration work on the southern Colorado Plateau; he also oversees restoration and general management activities at Kane & Two Mile Ranches. His work focuses primarily on initiating or accelerating the recovery of natural landscapes, landscape processes, and native plant and animal species in the region. Ethan earned a B.A. from Swarthmore College and an M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Northern Arizona University. [back to top]
Shannon Baker: Finance Manager, North Rim Ranches
Shannon signed on with the Trust in December 2007. After more than 20 years managing a feed store and working on a cattle ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills, she earned an MBA at Regis University in Denver. She lived in Boulder, Colorado, for a few years before settling in Flagstaff in 2006. Shannon is thrilled to combine her love of the land with her business experience. [back to top]
Lauren Berutich: Volunteer Program Coordinator
Lauren came on board in January of 2008 after returning from a volunteer teaching position in rural Jamaica. She graduated in 2001 with a B.A. in Environmental Geography from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and has focused most of her energy in outdoor environmental education. Her experiences include teaching at the Montessori Charter School of Flagstaff, serving as an environmental educator and office staff member at Camp Colton, and instructing summer sessions at the Museum of Northern Arizona’s Discovery Program. [back to top]
Eleanor Bliss: Executive Assistant
Eleanor Bliss has worked for the Trust, at our Moab office, since June 1998. She has a B.A. from Harvard University, majoring in Anthropology with a minor in Botany. She escaped Boston in 1976, with a huge sigh of relief, and built a home and gardens and raised two daughters in Castle Valley. She is also a member of the Castle Valley Planning Commission, Moab Music Festival board, and library board. [back to top]
Roger Clark: Air & Energy Program Director
Roger Clark directs the Trust’s air quality and clean energy programs and our advocacy on uranium mining and natural quiet issues in the Grand Canyon. He first began working for the Trust in 1989 on actions to control air pollution from the coal-fired Navajo Generating Station, to reduce aircraft noise at the Grand Canyon, and to protect Colorado River resources downstream from Glen Canyon Dam. Roger left the Trust in 1994 to become the vice president in charge of exhibits and education at the Museum of Northern Arizona and to serve as a project director, faculty, and writer for the Center for Sustainable Environments at Northern Arizona University. He returned to our staff in January 2005. A lifetime member of Grand Canyon River Guides Association, Roger has been teaching since 1973. His undergraduate degree is from NAU’s School of Forestry, and his graduate degrees are from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. [back to top]
Brett G. Dickson: David H. Smith Fellow in Conservation Biology
Brett received a Ph.D. in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from Colorado State University in 2006, where his research focused on the response of avian communities to landscape-level prescribed fire experiments in ponderosa pine forests of Arizona and New Mexico. He received an M.S. in Forestry (2001) from Northern Arizona University and B.S. in Conservation Biology (1996) from San Jose State University. Brett’s other research interests include carnivore biology, spatial statistics and models in ecology, and quantifying the effects of disturbance, fragmentation, and urbanization on wildlife communities. Brett is an Assistant Research Professor in the Center for Environmental Sciences and Education at Northern Arizona University and was recently awarded a David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship for his work with us, which focuses on developing empirical models of fire, plant invasion, and wildlife habitat connectivity. [back to top]
Steve Fluck: GIS Analyst
Steve joined the Trust as a GIS intern in 2000 and runs our GIS program. Prior to working for us, Steve spent 10 years in the technical and research aspects of environmental contaminant analysis, primarily with mass spectrometry and gas chromatography. He also managed an ecological wastewater treatment pilot plant in Burlington, Vermont, and supervised laboratory staff of a hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal firm in Pennsylvania. His lifelong interest in natural history and conservation biology led him to return to the University of Vermont in 1998 for graduate-level coursework in GIS, field ecology, and statistics. He had a GIS internship with the Vermont Non-Game and Natural Heritage Program in 1999, followed by a GIS watershed delineation internship at the Trust in 2000. Steve received his B.S. in Biology from Muhlenberg College in 1982. [back to top]
Justun Jones: Kane Ranch Manager
Born and raised on the Arizona Strip, Justun is a fourth-generation cowboy. His father, J.R. Jones, ran the Two Mile ranch for over 30 years and his family actually owned a portion of it at one time. Justun began with the Trust in 2006 as foreman of the Kane Ranch.
Laura Kamala: Southern Utah Program Director
A passionate advocate and resident of the Colorado Plateau for over 30 years, Laura joined the Trust full time in July 2003. She was a founding board chair of the Castle Rock Collaboration and former director of the Southeast Branch of Utah Open Lands. Educated in wildlife biology at Rutgers University, she is a writer, musician, community collaborator, and sculptor. Laura was a founding principal of The Synergy Company of Moab, Utah, which produces health supplements. She works for The Earth Mandala Foundation for Global Peace through the Arts and she once lived in Guatemala, working for social change with the president of The Foundation of Mayan Ancianos. [back to top]
Nikolai Lash: Water and State Trust Land Program Director
Nikolai joined the Trust in November 1997. He has a B.A. in Liberal Studies from St. John’s College and a J.D. from Stanford Law School. His project emphasis is water, especially in the Grand Canyon region. He also works on restoring health to the Colorado River. [back to top]
Neil Levine: Staff Attorney
Neil became our Staff Attorney in June 2007. For the past 15 years, he has been litigating cases for environmental and community groups throughout the country on a wide range of issues, including grazing in national parks, saving endangered species, and protecting private lands from coal-bed methane development, among others. Neil previously served as an attorney for Earthjustice and Earthlaw (in Denver) and the Environmental Defense Center in Santa Barbara. He received his law degree from Tulane Law School and recently returned from exploring Patagonia. [back to top]
Richard Mayol: Communications Director
Richard joined the Trust team in April 2004 as Communications Director. He brings us 25 years of experience as a nationally recognized, award-winning, political media and public policy consultant. Richard has managed and produced communication / mass media campaigns for congressional, gubernatorial, and mayoral candidates, as well as dozens of ballot measures across the West — compiling a 90 percent win record in the process. His media campaigns helped gain public approval for funding the McDowell Mountain Preserve in Scottsdale, Arizona; the purchase of Willow and Watson Lakes in Prescott, Arizona; and open space in Flagstaff, Prescott, and Santa Fe, among other places. Richard has a B.S. from the University of Tulsa. [back to top]
Rick Moore: Associate Director, Programs
Rick fell in love with the Colorado Plateau on a hike down the Paria River in 1972. He received a B.A. in Philosophy and English from the University of Denver in 1974, moved to Durango, Colorado, and began exploring the region’s spectacular mountains, canyons, rivers, and slickrock country. Rick joined the Trust in 1992, initially focusing on the protection and management of the Plateau’s phenomenal cultural and archaeological resources. From 1994 to 1997, he represented the Trust on the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission, which worked on protecting visibility at parks and wilderness areas. In the late 1990s, Rick led our successful efforts at the Mohave Generating Station. He also led the Trust’s air quality program, which focused on cleaning up the Springerville and San Juan power plants. Rick became Associate Director for Programs in the spring of 2008. [back to top]
Andrew Mount: Volunteer Program Coordinator
Andrew joined the trust in November 2009. He earned his M.S. in Forestry from Northern Arizona University in 2008, in addition to his B.S. in Parks and Recreation Management. Andrew’s interests include wilderness advocacy, outdoor recreation and leadership, natural sciences, ecological restoration, human health, and volunteerism. He has worked as a park ranger, backpacking guide, research technician, and in municipal water conservation. He enjoys collaborative and adaptive land management, and sharing his passion for nature with others through outdoor experiences and adventures. Outside of work, look for Andrew at live music events, in a yoga posture, or on local trails.
Mary O’Brien: Utah Forests Project Manager
Mary joined Grand Canyon Trust in Fall 2003 to help organize and co-coordinate the Three Forests Coalition’s efforts to obtain greater care for native wildlife, vegetation, and ecosystems on southern Utah’s Dixie, Fishlake, and Manti – La Sal National Forests. Since earning a B.S. in Sociology, a Masters in Elementary Education, and a Ph.D. in Botany, Mary has worked as a staff scientist for toxics reform, environmental law, and public lands conservation organizations for 28 years. She thinks backpacking and hiking are particularly amazing ways to spend days on Earth. [back to top]
Phil Pearl: Associate Director, Development
A 30-year veteran of conservation programs and issues, Phil focuses on strategic development, donor cultivation, and fundraising for Trust programs. Prior to the joining us in October 2007, Phil was the principal of Open Space Resources, a land-conservation consulting firm. He also served as Northwest Regional Director for the National Parks and Conservation Association, Senior Project Manager for the Trust for Public Land, Program Director for the Lila Acheson and Dewitt Wallace Fund for the Hudson Highlands, and Land Preservation Director for Scenic Hudson. Phil earned his B.A. at Pennsylvania State University and Evergreen State College and his M.S. from Columbia University. [back to top]
Tim Peterson: Utah Forest Wilderness Program Director
As a seventh-generation westerner, Tim cares deeply about our public lands. Tim came to the Trust in January 2010, bringing 12 years of on-the-ground field experience inventorying and advocating for wildlands in eight western states. He cut his teeth assisting with a re-inventory of America’s Redrock Wilderness Act on Utah’s BLM lands in the nineties, then moved on to conduct field inventory and off-road vehicle monitoring on Utah’s national forests and in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, Arizona, Oregon, and Idaho. Between field stints, he’s conducted GIS mapping, NEPA project work, and policy and legal analysis for local, regional, and national conservation groups. Tim enjoys spending time hiking in, fishing, floating through, and photographing the backcountry he seeks to protect.
Joshua Porter: Volunteer Coordinator
Joshua joined the Trust in February 2010. He has been devoted to conservation education, biological field work, and wilderness leadership for 15 years. Most recently, he taught undergraduate field courses in environmental studies for the Wild Rockies Field Institute. Joshua has developed land stewardship education programs in sustainable forestry and agriculture and served as a Conservation Work Skills Instructor for the Student Conservation Association. His field biology experience includes tracking forest predators in Washington and conducting breeding bird surveys in Alaska. He earned an MS in Ecological Teaching and Learning from the Audubon Expedition Institute at Lesley University and a BA/BS from Evergreen State College. He is passionate about facilitating transformative learning experiences that connect people to the land.
Evelyn Sawyers: Associate Director, Finance
Since joining the Trust in October of 1994, Evelyn has been responsible for the organization’s financial and administrative affairs. In addition to representing the Trust to the financial community, she prepares and maintains financial records, statements, and reports. Evelyn brings us over 12 years of progressive experience in accounting, with a developed expertise in fund accounting. [back to top]
Marcus Selig: Arizona Forest Conservation Program Associate
Marcus joined the Trust in July 2010 to assist with the development and implementation of forest restoration projects on the southern Colorado Plateau. Prior to joining us, Marcus practiced environmental law in Washington, DC, where he primarily focused on climate change-related issues and the use of financial incentives for developing renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Before attending law school, Marcus was a research scientist at Purdue University, where he studied natural forest regeneration, forest plantation establishment, and the effects of forest management on carbon sequestration. Marcus earned a M.S. in Forest Biology and B.S. in Forest Resources Management from Virginia Tech, and a J.D. from Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis. [back to top]
Thomas D. Sisk: Senior Science Advisor for Kane & Two Mile Ranches
Tom Sisk is an ecologist with the Center for Environmental Sciences and Education at Northern Arizona University. A native New Mexican, he focuses on science and policy issues affecting biodiversity and natural resources, primarily in arid North America. Tom directed an international program in tropical conservation biology for the Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford University, where he received his Ph.D. in 1992. Before joining the NAU faculty in 1996, Tom served as the Special Assistant to the Director of the National Biological Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Currently, he oversees a group that researches the effects of habitat fragmentation, livestock grazing, forest and fire management, and long-term changes in land use. He coordinates NAU’s interdisciplinary M.S. program in Environmental Sciences and Policy, and serves on numerous editorial boards and advisory committees. In 2001, he was named a fellow of the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program of the Ecological Society of America, and he was recently elected to Board of Governors of the Society for Conservation Biology. [back to top]
Tony Skrelunas: Native America Program Director
Tony rejoined the Trust in 2003 after spending 12 years working on sustainable economic development. He not only served as Executive Director of the Navajo Nation Economic Development Division and Government Development Office, but he was also a partner in Horizon Springs Partnership. He coordinates our work with tribes, communities, and nongovermental organizations on conservation and sustainable development projects. Currently a partner in Southwest Tradition Log Homes, Tony is Board President for the Navajo Nation Shopping Centers, Inc., a $40M realty management company. In addition, he chairs the Native American Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit affiliate of the Native American National Bank. He successfully combines his traditional Navajo upbringing with a western education that includes a B.A. and MBA from Northern Arizona University. [back to top]
Kate Watters: Volunteer Program Manager
Kate Watters joined the Trust in December 2007. Her past experience includes 10 years as a trail crew member and field biologist with Grand Canyon National Park; she has also worked for the Ecological Restoration Institute, Arboretum, and Museum of Northern Arizona, where she participated in restoration, plant survey, and native plant gardening projects. Kate earned a M.A. in Botany, Conservation Biology, and Creative Writing in the Liberal Studies Program from Northern Arizona University, and a B.A. in Sociology from Wheaton College. She is coauthor of River and Desert Plants of the Grand Canyon. [back to top]
Mindy Wheeler: Utah Forest Program Associate
Mindy joined the Trust in January of 2010 to get the new year going in a fresh and exciting direction. Before coming to the Trust, Mindy was principal of her own Salt Lake City environmental consulting firm for 11 years. Her company concentrated on the vegetation component of projects such as rare plant surveys and vegetation community mapping, but also included NEPA documentation, land management plans, ecological restoration plans and implementation, and wildlife habitat assessments for a variety of clients. Previously, Mindy worked for a small consulting firm in Boulder, Colorado. She earned an M.S. in Rangeland Ecosystem Science from Colorado State University, and a B.S. in Biology at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. When she is not in the field, Mindy enjoys backcountry skiing, music events, traveling, and friends. [back to top]
Matt Williamson: Arizona Forest Conservation Program Associate
Matt joined the Trust in July 2010. He will focus on developing strategies for achieving forest restoration at a landscape scale through the Trust’s efforts on the Kaibab Plateau and within the Four Forest Restoration Initiative. Matt received his B.S. (2003) and M.S. (2008) in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University, where his research focused on songbird community response to mechanical restoration treatments. He comes to the Trust after spending the past three years working on the restoration of natural areas in the suburban-Chicago area. [back to top]
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