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Discover community events in Jackson Hole
Events

Commencement
Program Year: 1980

Acreage:
25,000 acres

Primary wildlife:
 elk, moose, mule deer, pronghorn, sage grouse,

Primary use:
wildlife habitat, working lands, community spaces

Explore our protected open spaces in Jackson Hole
JH PROTECTED
PROPERTY MAP

Events in Jackson Hole

Join us at a family-friendly event and let us bring open spaces to you
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Recent Land Projects

The Land Trust works to protect open spaces, wildlife habitat, working lands, and community spaces in Jackson Hole and Northwest Wyoming.

We protect land primarily through the use of a tool called a conservation easement. An easement acts like a blanket upon the landscape, being passed down from owner to owner, protecting the land for generations, uniquely shaped for each special aspect of the land upon which it sits. Each easement is different and varies depending on the desires of the original landowner.

  • Open Access Properties
  • Karns Meadow Invigoration
  • Karns Meadow and Journeys School
  • Acres on East Gros Ventre Butte
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Open Access Properties

July 12, 2018/in 2016, 2017, 2018, Jackson /by imokweb

While much of the Land Trust’s work consists of privately held land and conservation easements, we work strategically to make land conservation accessible to our local communities through open access properties. These community gems are open to explore and will be protected for generations to come. As of Summer 2018, the Land Trust protects a […]

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https://jhlandtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/DCF-Hike-to-Rock-Springs-LizzieVotruba.jpg 750 1000 imokweb https://jhlandtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/JHLT-Logo-Parent-300x213.png imokweb2018-07-12 14:21:462018-07-12 14:21:46Open Access Properties

Our Team

Meet the Jackson Hole Land Trust team

Visit: 690 S Highway 89, Suite 101
Mail: P.O. Box 2897, Jackson, WY 83001.
Chat: 307.733.4707.

Max Ludington

President
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Max comes to the Jackson Hole Land Trust following a career leading conservation in the Western US. Max first moved to the Tetons in 2001 to work seasonally for Grand Teton National Park. Inspired by the open views and wild character of Northwest Wyoming, he has dedicated his professional career to preserving the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Most recently, Max launched and led Teton LegacyWorks where he directed large-scale, collaborative conservation projects targeting critical regional concerns such as water availability and migrations. Max has extensive experience building and implementing collaborative strategies, developing environmental markets, developing partnerships with farmers and ranchers, and leading community conservation initiatives.

Max holds a Masters in Environmental Science and Management from UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School and a BA from the University of Virginia, with distinction. He is a Switzer Fellow, recipient of the Bren School’s Academic Achievement Award, and a recipient of the Gary Hunt Prize in Environmental Policy. Max lives with his wife Maria Hayashida, his daughter Joy, and their three dogs. He enjoys hiking, biking, backcountry skiing, fishing, hunting, and any other excuse he can find to get outside and enjoy the Tetons.

Liz Long

Vice President
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Liz Long joined the Land Trust in July of 2012 as Protection Manager. Liz was born and raised Birmingham, Alabama and holds a BA from the University of Georgia in Philosophy. She moved to Wyoming upon graduation and fell in love with the Tetons and the community of Jackson. She then returned to the University of Georgia to earn her law degree where she focused in environmental and land use law and gained experience with governmental agencies and numerous non-profits, hoping to return to Jackson. Outside of work Liz enjoys skiing, biking, hiking, yoga, music and time with her two pups, Murphy and Bella.

Derek Schaefer

Chief Operating and Financial Officer
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Derek joined the Land Trust in September 2013 after many years in the ski industry. Born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, he was raised in Phoenix, AZ. Derek attended Santa Clara University, earning a BS in Finance, and holds an MBA in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management. When not out walking with his golden retriever, Derek enjoys travel, skiing, and more travel.

Mika Burdette

Advancement Associate
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Mika joined the JHLT in April of 2021. Originally from West Virginia, Mika developed a love for conserving wild and open spaces while exploring the Appalachian Mountains. She holds a B.S. in wildlife and fisheries resources from West Virginia University and has held a variety of positions in both government agencies and nonprofit environmental organizations ranging from teaching outdoor education to volunteer coordination and office management. Mika relocated to Jackson during the fall of 2017 and enjoys snowboarding, nordic skiing, mountain biking, and petting cats.

Jill Callahan

Director of Advancement
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Jill joined the JHLT in December 2020. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, she discovered her love of the outdoors as a student at St. Lawrence University, exploring the Adirondack Park. Jill graduated from St. Lawrence University in 2006 with a B.S. in psychology.
Jill has worked in advancement for nearly 15 years. She brings experience in major gift solicitation, donor stewardship, grant writing, event management, and board relations to the role. In her 10 years in Jackson, she has worked for organizations including the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the Jackson Hole Community School, and the Art Association of Jackson Hole.
Jill serves as a board member for the Jackson Hole Babe Force, an organization committed to empowering all women to seek adventure in the mountains. She also serves on the Old Bill’s Fun Run committee and is an active member of the Thursday Roundtable Group. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, biking, hiking, and getting outdoors as much as possible with her husband, two dogs, and young son.
She is thrilled to be supporting the important work of the JHLT in a time when access to open spaces is more critical than ever for our mental and physical well-being.

Derek Ellis

Director of Stewardship
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Derek joined the Land Trust team as Land Steward & Staff Biologist in February of 2016. Derek grew up in Ohio, but after gaining as B.S. in Botany from Miami University, he traded the flat-lands of the Midwest for the alluring landscapes of the West. After 22 years working in ecology and habitat enhancement for a number of federal, non-profit, and consulting entities, Derek is excited to help uphold the conservation vision of easement donors and landowners. Above all, Derek enjoys sharing the wonders of the Greater Yellowstone Area with his wife, Jen, and two little girls, Lila and Quinn.

Steffan Freeman

Senior Land Steward
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Steffan was born and raised on Colorado’s Front Range. He holds a B.A. in Biology and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, and a Master’s of Natural Resources Stewardship from Colorado State University. Steffan has previously worked at the Aldo Leopold Foundation and in Minnesota for The Nature Conservancy on grassland conservation and management, as well as for the Institute of Ecosystem Studies and the USGS. He draws inspiration from Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic.

Erica Hansen

Landscape Protection Specialist and Staff Biologist
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Erica joined the Jackson Hole Land Trust as a Land Steward and Staff Biologist in the winter of 2017. She holds a B.S. degree in Zoology with Honors from Colorado State University, and an M.S. degree in Wildlife Biology from Utah State University. She has conducted research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem since 2007, and brings experience working for diverse stakeholders including research institutions, consulting firms, and the National Park Service. Erica specializes in the spatial ecology of wildlife, and has worked with a number of iconic western species including mule deer, pronghorn, elk, bison, and Greater sage-grouse. She is passionate about understanding how animals move across our landscape, and how that might change as more people come to enjoy the beauty of the Jackson area. When she’s not in the field, you can find her backcountry skiing, birding, trail running, and trying not to crash on her mountain bike.

Ellen Incelli

Conservation Project Coordinator
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Ellen joined the Land Trust in July 2019. Originally from Boise, Idaho, she gained an early appreciation for open spaces while exploring the most remote parts of Idaho through camping, skiing and hot springs hunting with friends and family. Ellen received a B.S. in Natural Resources from Oregon State University and spent a decade discovering the old-growth forests and Cascade Range volcanoes of the Pacific Northwest. She brings business management and fieldwork experience to the Land Trust, and has worked with nonprofits and government agencies teaching outdoor education and conducting ecological assessments. As many before her did, she found the Tetons by way of her unwavering, perhaps obsessive, love of long, cold, deep winters. Ellen enjoys skiing, mountain biking, yard games, painting with watercolors and exploring with her dogs.

Katie Jarve

Annual Fund Manager
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Katie grew up in Northern California where her love for the outdoors was fostered through backcountry skiing, backpacking, and fly fishing in the Sierras. She received her BA from Stanford University and her MA from Harvard University. Katie is passionate about land conservation, education, and equity in the outdoors. In 2018, Katie moved to Jackson to work for Grand Teton National Park Foundation, she spent two years honing her skills in development and event planning. In her free time, Katie can be found horse packing in the Winds and rock climbing in the Tetons.

Lindsay Jones

Director of Communications and Outreach
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Lindsay joined the Land Trust in December of 2019. She believes in the power of story sharing to positively impact the environment, our communities and the relationships between them. Before moving to Jackson in 2018, Lindsay spent 5 years working to connect people to the wild lands of eastern Oregon and offer them meaningful opportunities to engage on public lands issues. Originally from California, Lindsay grew up in the Bay Area and earned her B.A. in environmental studies at University of California Santa Barbara. Outside of the office, Lindsay enjoys exploring Northwest Wyoming by foot, ski and bike.

Jr Rodriguez

Associate Director of Community Conservation / R Park Director
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Jr joined the Land Trust in October of 2017. Born and raised in the Bayou City, Jr’s appreciation of open space grew from exploring his local waterways and bikeways. He graduated from Reed College in Portland, Oregon in 2012 with a B.A. in Political Science focusing on International Relations. Jr brings environmental non-profit and community engagement experience from his positions as Manager of Programs and Development for the Greens Bayou Coalition and Trip Leader for National Geographic Student Expeditions. Jr enjoys trail running, travel photography, kayaking, and eating banh mi.

Roxanne Rosales

Advancement and Operations Manager
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Roxanne joined the Land Trust team in early January of 2020 after completing Climb Wyoming’s Office Careers program. Originally from Colorado, Roxanne has grown up with a constant appreciation and adoration for the breathtaking mountainous landscapes of the West. She has lived in and out of Wyoming over the past 13 years and immediately fell in love with the unique Jackson Hole community. Roxanne has experience in bookkeeping and is excited to grow her skills in nonprofit administration while working for an organization with a mission she values. Roxanne resides in Alpine with her husband and three children and enjoys camping, hiking, and paddleboarding.

Ellie Stratton-Brook

R Park Community Outreach Coordinator
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Ellie joined the Land Trust in 2017. Originally from bustling metropolis of Charlotte, North Carolina, she moved to the smaller town of Burlington, North Carolina to pursue her undergraduate degree, where she graduated from Elon University in 2012. Shortly afterward, Ellie relocated to Jackson, Wyoming to pursue her love of the outdoors. Ellie brings non-profit experience from her position as Communications and Events Analyst at Rendezvous Park. Ellie has now been in the Jackson region for over 5 years and enjoys skiing, backpacking, mountain biking and cultivating her expansive collection of vinyl records.

Kathryn Tolley

Green River Valley Program Advancement and Outreach Manager
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Kathryn Tolley joined the Land Trust in June 2018 as an Advancement Associate for the Green River Valley Program. While growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kathryn fell in love with the landscapes and wildlife of Northwest Wyoming during annual summer trips to the area. With a Bachelor’s from Gettysburg College and a Master’s degree in Philanthropic Studies at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Kathryn has worked at an education center in Alaska, and also with the Snake River Fund in Jackson. Kathryn enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hunting, and target shooting. She also enjoys baking, playing board games, watching movies, and reading.

OUR BOARD

Shawn Smith

Chair of the Board
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Shawn Smith is the founder of Silver Sage Capital, LLC, an impact capital company focused on conservation values coupled with the financing and investment in socially responsible real estate development. Previous to Silver Sage, Shawn was President of Convergence Management Co. and a member of Convergence Investments, LLC, a real estate development and investment firm located in Jackson, WY. // An avid angler and outdoorsman, Shawn can be found spending his free time exploring streams and duck marshes with his wife, Beverly, and daughters, Virginia and Harriet. He achieved his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, IL and received a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

Bob Peters

First Vice Chair
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Bob Peters first visited Jackson Hole as a kid in 1961 during the classic family station-wagon marathon trip through the West. He’s never forgotten the view of this valley as they drove down from Teton Pass. His next visit was on a ski trip during sophomore year at Iowa State University in 1969. In the winter of 1974/75, Bob and his wife Ruthie spent the first of what has now been over 40 winters skiing at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. In the winter of 1979, Bob was hired as a backcountry alpine ski guide at the resort and spent the next 8 seasons taking clients out of bounds.

In 2002, Bob and Ruthie moved to the Valley full time and Bob became a partner in the North 40 Realty real estate brokerage. Since that time, he’s also been a part-time adult private ski instructor at JHMR. Bob loves skiing so much that he did a streak of skiing at least once a month for 200 consecutive months, a string that ended in the summer of 2014 when he had both knees replaced. Coincidence? We’ll probably never know. In addition to serving as board member and Open Space Council chair at the Land Trust, Bob is active in the community and serves on the boards of the Community Resource Center of Jackson Hole, Friends of Fish Creek, and the Snake River Fund.

Lori Fields

Second Vice Chair
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Lori and her husband, Marlin Risinger, joined the Jackson Hole community in 2005. Lori and Marlin raised their three sons in London, where they lived for 17 years. In January 2016 they returned to the US, and now reside in Jackson.
In her early career, Lori worked as a trial attorney at the US Department of Justice, and later became Assistant Special Counsel to the US House of Representatives’ Committee on the Judiciary.
Lori has been actively involved in education related charities. Currently she serves on two non-profit education boards. In addition, for many years she served as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the American School in London, a K-12 independent school in central London.
Lori studied as an undergraduate at Stanford University and received her law degree from the University of Virginia.

Michael Schrotz

Secretary
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Recently retired after 38 years of federal service with the Forest Service, Michael has a long career of land and resource management, and many years of volunteer work.

Michael graduated with a Bachelor of Science Landscape Architecture (1974), from the University of Wisconsin. He entered private practice, working with many Wisconsin communities, helping residents and elected officials develop parkland systems; early years of collaboration. Michael moved to public service, beginning at the county-level as liaison between parks and freeway departments. He worked with neighborhood groups to locate and develop freeway systems. Michael moved to city-level public service, again working with neighborhood groups, developing parks and resolving recreation and land use issues.

Michael entered federal government as Landscape Architect for the Forest Service in northern Minnesota. He moved to Vermont as District Ranger; and then to the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming as Ecology Resource Group Leader. At the time of his retirement, he served as Planning and Lands Staff Officer, preparing for Forest Plan revision.

In his “free time” Michael and his wife Claudia spend many hours giving back to our community by volunteering. He has served on the Board of the Community Resource Center, and Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole. In his early years in Jackson, he volunteered with Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Trout Unlimited. Later he joined The Jackson Hole Lions Club, where he has served several times as President. Today he and Claudia are active with the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Center for Arts, and Lions activities.

Even after retiring, Michael remains active, working behind the scenes, on land adjustment cases, and meeting with private landowners to help them move their private land to public land.

Michael has positive energy, always working to resolve issues and concerns. He believes the glass is always half-full.

Jennifer Sparks

Treasurer
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Jennifer Sparks is a Senior Portfolio Manager and Partner at Friess Associates, managers to the Brandywine Mutual Funds. She has worked at Friess Associates for over 15 years. After graduating from the University of Vermont in 1989 and travelling West, Jennifer thought she would stay in Jackson Hole for just one year. She fell in love with the Valley and has been here ever since.

She has been an active member on Teton County Search and Rescue for 16 years and has dedicated her time to serve on numerous Boards of Directors. She believes volunteering and community involvement are an important part of what makes Jackson Hole so special. Jennifer and her family brave the wilds of Town living and she enjoys fishing, trail running and winter time activities.

Jan Davis

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Jan Phillips Davis has been coming to Jackson Hole since her college days in the 1980’s. Born and raised in New York City, Jan has called Pacific Palisades, CA home for the last 24 years. Jan received her BA in History from Brown University and MBA from Columbia University and is an Outward Bound graduate.

Jan serves on the Resource Council of the Grand Teton National Park Foundation. She also spends time counseling first generation inner city students through CollegeMatch in Los Angeles and is a member of Women Helping Youth, an LA philanthropic group providing after school activities for local youth. She is also a member of the Director’s Circle at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Jan, her husband Chuck, and children Jared and Jenna (all Brown graduates) support scholarship students at Brown from Africa and inner city Los Angeles. Jan enjoys skiing, snow shoeing, hiking, horseshoes, yoga, and vegetarian cooking.

Kelly Davis

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Kelly Davis is an avid equestrian and owner of Old Oak Farm, LLC and international show jumping stable. She is married to George Davis. They have two children, Lucy and Clay. Kelly and George are past Chairs of the Stanford Parents Advisory Board. Kelly was on the Board of the Sullivan Canyon Preservation Association for 8 years. Kelly currently serves on the California Committee South for Human Rights Watch and the Director’s Circle at the Los Angeles County Art Museum. When not riding horses, Kelly enjoys skiing, mountain biking, fly fishing and running, and has recently taken on the big challenge of learning golf.

Mike Fenn

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Mike is an avid outdoorsman who lives and works in Pinedale. He attended the Air Force Academy and earned a degree at the University of Wyoming. Mike has over 30 years of experience in construction management and has developed and operated several business ventures in the energy industry. He owns two ranches outside of Pinedale; one of which was recently conserved through The Nature Conservancy with help from the Green River Valley Land Trust. Mike previously served on the GRVLT board and was the Lands Committee Chair. He is an active member of the community and is passionate about conservation and wildlife.

Peggy Gilday

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Peggy has been personally and professionally involved as a member of the Jackson community since moving to Jackson in 1995. As an architect, most recently as a partner in GYDE Architects, her extensive portfolio embodies her passion for commercial and residential projects, including workforce housing.

Peggy’s community engagement includes serving on the boards of The Center for the Arts, Teton Science Schools, and as a former board president of the Jackson Hole Land Trust. She has also served on numerous committees and panels in varied capacities over the years.

She is a 1984 graduate of The Cooper Union in New York City and has worked with Davis Brody Bond and Toshiko Mori Architects while in NYC. As an architect, citizen, partner and mother, Peg enjoys tennis, skiing and travelling, as well as great cuisine in some of the most beloved dining spaces she has designed in Jackson, including her home. She shares a blended family with Maho Hakoshima, and raised her children in this special place.

JJ Healy

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JJ founded Healy Capital and is a technology industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience with companies including EMC Corporation, CS First Boston and Yahoo! Inc. JJ is the Vice Chair of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, was appointed by the Governor of Wyoming to the Select Committee for Split Estate Reform, and also serves on Saint Anselm’s Board of Trustees. He owns the Double J Ranch LLC, in Daniel, WY, and was on the Green River Valley Land Trust Advisory Board.

Des Jennings

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Des’ personal history with Jackson Hole dates back to the mid-1990s on a family vacation which led him to return nearly every year since that time, including five years working at the Teton Valley Ranch Camp in Dubois, WY. Originally from Rhode Island, Des made the Valley his permanent home following his graduation from Middlebury College in 2008 and has worked in the sale of residential, ranch, and commercial investment properties in Wyoming and Idaho since 2011. Des is currently an associate broker with Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty.

Des is the 2021 President of the Teton Board of Realtors, a trustee and committee chair at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, and serves on the board as treasurer for Jackson Hole Public Art. Des is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys spending his free time hiking, skiing, and fly fishing in the Greater Yellowstone area with his wife, Chloe, and two daughters.

Pete Lawton

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Pete Lawton’s familiarity with the valley makes him a tremendous asset to the Land Trust board. Pete grew up in Jackson Hole and attended the University of Wyoming. He further augmented his credentials with several more business and banking related degrees outside of the state. The CEO of Bank of Jackson Hole since 2011, he previously served as Jackson Market President for Wells Fargo and President of Jackson State Bank & Trust. The Land Trust appreciates Pete’s steadfast commitment to this community.

Cody Lockhart

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Cody is a lifelong resident of Jackson. Cody takes every opportunity to venture into the mountains surrounding Jackson Hole with his wife Shauna, daughter Amelia, and son, Callahan.

Professionally Cody is a Director of Wind River Capital Management. Wind River Capital Management helps families and institutions with their unique financial needs, specializing in asset management. His team’s ability to handle all types of complex and unique financial matters for their clients from an office in Wyoming is something Cody takes great pride in.

Cody’s time away from the office is spent helping his family run their cattle ranch, and beef business, Lockhart Cattle Company. Lockhart Cattle Company focuses on producing high quality sustainably grown grass fed beef.

Cody is Chief Advisor of Teton County Search and Rescue, where he is always on call to help those in need.

Alex Muromcew

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Alexander Muromcew moved to Jackson full time from San Francisco in 2010 with his wife and four children. A native of Washington, D.C., he has lived on the East and West Coasts as well as in Tokyo. While living in San Francisco, he served on the board of the San Francisco Parks Alliance and was Finance Chair. He is also very involved with the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation in Massachusetts. Alex graduated from Dartmouth College with a BA in East Asian Studies and has an MBA from Stanford University. Professionally, Alex’s career has been in international finance. Most recently, he was a Managing Director at financial services firm TIAA and was lead portfolio manager of the TIAA Emerging Markets Equity Fund. Alex is an avid skier (alpine and nordic), cyclist (road and mountain) and hunter.

Marion Mussafer

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Marion is the current owner of M Home Design Group – Luxury real estate properties. Marion grew up in Texas and received her BS in Radio Television Film & Advertising from the Moody School of Communications at The University of Texas, Austin in 1986. Upon graduation, she worked for several years in commercial and public television. Marion has been extensively involved in child-centered and education-based philanthropies both in the United States and globally with a focus on providing support for students in at-risk communities and she and her husband, David, serve on national committees and boards for Duke and Tulane Universities. Marion and David support land and ocean conservation efforts in Rhode Island and Boston where they have raised their four grown children. When not visiting family in Texas and Alabama, Marion and David spend as much time as possible in Wyoming.

Emilé Newman

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Emilé first laid eyes on Jackson in 2003, and made such an impact on her that she went on to pursue her undergraduate studies at the University of Montana receiving a double major in Natural Resource Conservation and Environmental Studies with a minor in International Development. At U of M, Emile spent summers researching restoration ecology and policy in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. After her graduation in 2010, she moved back to Jackson to work as an outdoor educator and naturalist, teaching at the Teton Science Schools and the National Outdoor Leadership School.

In 2020, she went back to school to pursue a Master of Environmental Management at the Yale School of Environment where she is finishing her second year. Prior to Yale, she worked at the Bureau of Land Management, where she conducted habitat assessments, collected ecological data, and worked on federal policy for the Greater Sage-grouse Conservation Plan. As a field ecologist, she researched and studied pollination ecology in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

During her time at Yale, she has produced a solar feasibility study for the Nature Conservancy’s Ten Sleep preserve that is now being installed. She served as the Co-Executive Director of the Environmental Film Festival at Yale.

In Jackson, WY, Emilé serves as an ambassador for various outdoor brands, and works as a writer, covering topics from outdoor inclusion, Western identity, and the natural environment. On the side, she works as a sustainability consultant conducting carbon accounting and sourcing offsets for clients.

Brad Nielson

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Brad was born and raised in the Rocky Mountain region and earned his juris doctor degree from the University of Utah College of Law in 1982. During his 34-year legal career he served in various legal roles with several major energy companies. He spent 19 years of his career living abroad and managing legal teams and projects in all parts of the world. Brad retired in 2015 from his role as General Counsel at Royal Dutch Shell and is currently a board member of several non-profit organizations involved in conserving some of Wyoming’s extraordinary natural resources.

George Putnam

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George first visited Jackson Hole at age 8 on a trip to Trail Creek Ranch. He moved to Jackson in 1994 after graduating Middlebury College to escape rainy winters and fickle trout. Soon after arriving, he joined the survey field crew at Pierson Land Works. With a background in Geography, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Economics, George found he had a range of skills valuable to helping clients navigate the ever-changing development and conservation landscape of Jackson Hole. He worked with Pierson Land Works and Y2 Consultants for 24 years. George now owns Cirque Consulting, LLC and provides land planning and computer mapping services to a range of clients in the Valley and beyond.

George lives in East Jackson with his wife Annie and two sons Will (12) and Zack (10). George was on the Board of the Jackson Hole Ski Club from 2009-2018 and served as Secretary, Vice President and was President during the successful Building the Base capital campaign.

Sonja Rife

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Sonja Rife and her husband, Jason, own and operate Killpecker Creek Cattle Company in the foothills of the Wyoming Range, where the sagebrush plains meet the soaring mountains and pine trees reach toward the open skies. Lush grasses blanket the meadows while Cottonwood Creek and Killpecker Creek provide ample feed and water for a growing herd of Galloway cattle. Sonja grew up in the D.C. area and earned her Bachelors of Science in biology. Her and her husband’s decision to leave the east coast and raise their family in the fresh air and wide-open spaces, combined with a passion for interesting, scientific-based work led to purchase 1,100 acres in Daniel, Wyoming in 2013 and begin ranching from a scientific background. With their love of good food and home cooking, Sonja and Jason raise grass-finished, no-antibiotic, no-hormone beef that they are proud to serve at their table and offer to their community.

Amy Staehr

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Amy is a local attorney with Long Reimer Winegar LLP. She is a Jackson native and focuses her legal practice on trust, estate, and tax planning, with an emphasis on international issues, wealth succession, asset protection, and state income tax. Amy received an A.B. in English from Dartmouth College, an M.A. in English and Creative Writing from the University of Texas at Austin, and a J.D. from the University of Wyoming College of Law. Amy has lived throughout the United States, as well as in London, Tanzania, and Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, where she served as a Peace Corps volunteer. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time on the local rivers.

Patti Stancarone

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Patti moved to Teton Village with her late husband Joe Albracht in 2000. Most of Patti’s career was spent working in the information technology field for the City of NY. She worked at several agencies in New York City, most recently as a Deputy Director with the Mayor’s Office of Operations under Rudy Giuliani. Prior to moving to Jackson, Patti held the position of Project Manager at the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund, better known as the TIAA-CREF. Several years after purchasing and renovating our home in Teton Village, Patti decided to return to work to start a new career in the financial services field, first with Bank of the West then at First Western Trust, prior to retiring in 2017.

Hal Wheeler

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After completing a B.S. in Physical Geography at the University of Colorado, Hal moved to Jackson to pursue his love of the mountains. He has held many jobs in the 15 years he’s lived here. He has been a foreman for a construction company, a bartender, a furniture maker, a tandem paragliding instructor, and a musician. Hal now owns The Hub Bicycles, a bike shop with deep roots in the local community. The Hub sponsors many community fundraisers including the annual bike swap and The Run and Ride for the Cure with The St. John’s Hospital Foundation. Hal meets regularly with a task force of local politicians working on community issues. In his free time, Hal enjoys skiing and biking with his wife and two sons, and playing music in his basement with local rock stars.

Lindsay Wilcox

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Lindsay lives in East Jackson with her husband James and four children, Jack, Virginia, Whitney, and Henry. She and her family are avid skiers and hikers and love the wilderness of Wyoming. Lindsay started exploring the region as a teenager backpacking in the Wind River Range and is grateful to call Jackson home.

Professionally, Lindsay has been a Private Wealth Advisor with Goldman Sachs since 2004 providing strategic financial advice to families and foundations. Lindsay is a member of Goldman’s Advisors Council representing the top wealth advisors at the firm and Women’s Council comprised of 30 female leaders within her division. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs Lindsay received an M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and a B.A. from Dartmouth College where she played Varsity squash for four years and studied History and Environmental Studies. Lindsay is currently a member of Tuck’s MBA Council.

Emeritus Board

Vince Lee

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Vince Lee came to the valley in 1967, following graduate school at Princeton and a tour in the far east with the U.S. Marines. He joined long-time Wilson resident, John Morgan, as a partner in the firm of Design Associates architects in 1969 and led the firm for 30 years following Morgan’s retirement in 1972. During the same period, Vince was a seasonal mountain guide and owner of High Country West, Alpine Adventures, the first local representative of The Nature Conservancy, and a three-term member of the Wyoming Quality Council in Cheyenne. He was a founding board member of the Jackson Hole Land Trust and served as President from 1981-1986. His son, Christopher, took over Design Associates in 2002, and Vince and his wife Nancy now live in McElmo Canyon, near Cortez, Colorado.

Rod Moorhead

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Rod Moorhead is retired from Warburg Pincus, a private equity and venture capital firm in New York, where he was employed since 1973. He currently serves as a director of Coventry Health Care, Inc. and Proximity Learning. Mr. Moorhead is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Taft School, a member of the Oversees Committee on University Resources, Harvard College, a member of the Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows, Co-Chairman of The Stroud Water Research Center, and a trustee of the Brandywine Conservancy. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in economics from Harvard University. He and his wife, Alice, split their time between New York City, Unionville, PA and Wilson. In his free time Rod enjoys fishing, fox hunting, golf and skiing.

Gil Ordway

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Gil Ordway’s participation in the work of the Land Trust has been valued for many years. He first joined the Land Trust Board in 1982, two years after the Land Trust was founded, and has served as a Board or advisory council member every year since that time. After graduating from the University of Colorado Law School, Gil moved to the valley in 1953; he and his wife, Marge, own the spectacular Fish Creek Ranch, most of which was protected in 1975 by one of the first conservation easements in Wyoming. The Ordways’ dedication to land preservation has been an inspiration to all associated with the Land Trust.

Scott Pierson

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Scott Pierson is the president and co-founder, with his wife Lisa Pierson, of Pierson Land Works. Scott previously served as a Jackson Hole Land Trust board member from 1997-2005, including a term as president. His long-term relationship with the Land Trust and 35 years of experience in land planning and management are valuable assets to the board.

Allan Tessler

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Allan Tessler is an emeritus board member, past board member and past president of the Jackson Hole Land Trust. He and his wife, Frances, reside in Jackson. An attorney and specialist in investment banking and turnaround financing, Allan has offices in both Jackson and New York. He founded International Financial Group, Inc., an international merchant banking firm, in 1987 and has served as its chairman and CEO since that time. He also serves as co-CEO, chairman and director of several other companies. // Allan started his career in the law firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. He has also served as counsel to Spengler, Carlson, Gubar & Churchill, and was senior managing partner of Shea & Gould. He supports his alma mater as co-chairman of the Cornell Law School Capital Campaign and as an emeritus trustee and Presidential Counselor of Cornell University. Allan is also Vice Chair of the Hudson Institute.

Mike Wardell

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Mike Wardell is currently a Jackson Hole Land Trust (JHLT) emeritus board member. In the past, he has served the Land Trust as a board member, president, and member of various committees. A lifelong Jackson Hole resident, Mike developed a passion for the land as a skier, rancher, hiker, fisherman, and businessman. He was one of the early supporters of the concept of preserving open lands in the valley. His family has protected several hundred acres in Jackson Hole with easement donations on land in the South Park area. // A familiar face in the community, Mike is now a partner at Real Estate of Jackson Hole and in the past he was an owner of Jackson Sporting Goods Company and Teton Village Sports. His first career was at the Highlands Lodge in Grand Teton National Park, which he and his family owned and operated from the late 1940’s to the early 1970’s. Mike also served as vice president of the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum and is a past board member of the Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust.

Open Space Council

MISSION

The Jackson Hole Land Trust is a private nonprofit that was established in 1980. We work to protect and steward the treasured landscapes of Northwest Wyoming.

VISION

Our vision is a legacy of protected open spaces, wildlife habitat, working lands, and community spaces across Northwest Wyoming that inspire current and future generations.

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Contact

690 S. Highway 89, Suite 101, Jackson, WY 83001
P.O. Box 2897, Jackson, WY 83001

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