Staff – Board of Directors

Zack joined CDTC in June 2022 as the New Mexico Field Technician. Growing up in North Carolina, he developed a love for the outdoors through family outings and Boy Scout trips before pursuing a B.S in Geography from Appalachian State University. In 2016, after several years working for local government in North Carolina, Zack moved to New Mexico to combine his passions for maps and the public lands. He spent the next five years as a Wilderness Ranger on the Santa Fe National Forest, conducting inventories, making public contacts, clearing trail, and protecting Wilderness Character. In 2018, Zack received the USDA’s Wilderness Partnership Champion Award for his efforts. He looks forward to continuing to be a steward of the trail and public lands.

Dan grew up in rural Tennessee climbing trees and wandering creeks and woods on foot, bike, and horseback. Before heading west, he earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering, respectively, from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Dan has been based in New Mexico for the past 11 years, where he’s worked as an engineer, field biologist, and GIS analyst. He earned another Master’s degree in Applied Geography from New Mexico State University. Dan co-founded and serves as President of the Southern New Mexico Trail Alliance. Dan got his first taste of the CDT in 2010, when he joined his friend Peter to hike from Las Cruces to the CDT in the Black Range of the Gila. Since then, Dan has run trail races, backpacked, bikepacked, and maintained trails along sections of the CDT. He’s completed the Pacific Crest Trail, Pyrenees Traverse, and the Monumental Loop bikepacking route. When not on a trail, Dan is usually fixing up his “shack” in the desert, petting his two dogs, rock climbing, or still trying to learn to play music.

Luke “L” Fisher is an educator and community organizer who grew up in rural Indiana. They received dual degrees in Philosophy and Political Science before earning their Masters in Political Science from Indiana University. Before moving out west, they worked on campaigns and in policy advocacy throughout Indiana and parts of Texas. Luke’s passion for environmental policy eventually took them to Montana, where they worked as a conservationist and outdoor educator along the Rocky Mountain Front. When they are not working, Luke is dedicated to being an avid reader, amateur chef, and hiking enthusiast.

Danny grew up in Washington D.C. and was introduced to the National Scenic Trails at an early age. He would frequently hike in the nearby Appalachian Mountains which later inspired him to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and finally the Continental Divide Trail in 2016. After he earned his degree in Business Administration from Valparaiso University he went on to do a variety of things working as a backcountry guide, outdoor educator, wildland firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service, and even a scuba instructor in various locations around the world. Danny is now thrilled to be working with the CDTC and involved in protecting the trail that has had such a profound impact on his life. 

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Audra grew up in Billings, Montana and now lives in Great Falls. She graduated from the University of Montana in Missoula with a degree in Resource Conservation and Wilderness Studies. Although she has done a variety of things in her professional life, from Wilderness Ranger to full-time business owner, backcountry guide, and yoga teacher, Audra developed her niche several years ago in the communications and marketing realm. She has continued her education in digital marketing and design and loves the creative and storytelling aspects of the work. 

When not working, Audra spends as much time outside as possible with her husband, two kids, and border collie Echo. She is particularly fond of hiking and backpacking in Montana and the familiar East side of the Bob Marshall Wilderness but also loves exploring the desert wildlands of the Southwest. 

For over 30 years, Teresa has worked professionally to increase awareness, engagement, access, and stewardship of our entire National Trails System. A graduate of Virginia Tech, Teresa holds a B.S. and M.S from the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife in the College of Natural Resources. Teresa is a life long outdoor recreationist and from 1987-2007 she worked for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, from 2007 to 2012 she worked for the Continental Divide Trail Alliance and since 2012 she has been the Executive Director (and co-founder) of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition. She serves on the Trail Leadership Council of the Partnership for the National Trails System and has served as the Chair of the Federal Advisory Committee to aid the USFS in the development of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail. Teresa is actively involved in the creation of equitable spaces for all people in the outdoors and currently serves as the acting chair of the Board for the Next100 Coalition. In 2019,Teresa was honored by the Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources as the recipient of the Gerald Cross Alumni Leadership Award. When not working on behalf of one of our National Trails, Teresa may be found exploring trails in and around Santa Fe, NM, by bike, horse, and foot and is always up for a discada with friends in cool outdoor places!

Allie grew up in Bend, Oregon, where she spent her time roaming the high desert with her dogs. Allie’s fascination with how people interact with their landscape led her to complete her undergraduate and graduate degrees in anthropology and archaeology. After graduating, she spent several years switching between seasonal park ranger jobs for the National Park Service and extended trips abroad with her husband before working as an assistant park manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Allie and her husband run a hobby cherry orchard in Bigfork, Montana, where they live with their two young children, two dogs, and lots of chickens. Allie is deeply passionate about sharing her love of the outdoors with her children, and she spends her time hiking, camping, skiing, and boating with her family.

Liz Schmit joined the CDTC in November 2022. Growing up in Chicago, she had nothing but big city dreams. That is, until she moved to Colorado in 2014 and was introduced to the awe- inspiring Rocky Mountain backcountry when her love of hiking began. Liz received her Bachelor of Arts from George Washington University. Her time in Washington, DC allowed her opportunities to work with a wide array of both cultural nonprofits and federal agencies that pivoted her interests towards public and civic engagement. Prior to coming on-board with the CDTC, Liz worked with Colorado state agencies under the Department of Education and the Department of Natural Resources. Liz has also worked in community engagement with Denver Center for the Performing Arts, strengthening outreach and collaborating with local partners to ensure arts accessibility in Denver-Metro communities. New to thru-hiking, Liz has completed the Colorado Trail, the Tour du Mont Blanc, and can’t wait for her time to hike along the CDT. When not working, Liz enjoys spending time outside with her dog (Jack), riding her bike down new paths, experimenting with recipes, and generally attempting to create an adventure out of the mundane. She is a firm believer that community has no geographical boundaries and is inspired by the interdependence of community well-being and environmental health along trail communities. 

Michael “Peacock” McDaniel grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. He left home to voyage across international borders during his young adulthood, traveling to all continents but Antartica. In 2015, he stumbled upon the Appalachian Trail, an adventure so grand it became the basis for a nearly decade long love affair with long distance hiking. He moved to Colorado later that year and began exploring many of America’s long distance trails, including the Continental Divide Trail.

Cornell “Corey” Torivio was born in San Bernardino, CA. He is Native American from the Pueblo of Acoma, NM. Corey has a BA in Culinary Arts and a passion for the outdoors, particularly wilderness and desert areas, and has devoted his life to giving Native youth an opportunity to be successful in the ever-changing world. The founder of Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps, he has built a strong foundation that, to this day, continues to change the lives of Native youth. Corey has been in the preservation and conservation field for more than 20 years. Having worked with Acoma’s Historic Preservation Office, he received the Heritage Preservation Award from former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson for his outstanding work on the San Estevan Del Rey Mission at Old Acoma. He also has devoted his time to working with the National Park Service in the preservation of Native and Non-Native Historic and prehistoric sites in the El Malpais/El Morro conservation area and monument, Petrified Forest National Park, and Aztec Ruins National Monument. He continues to advocate for the protection of all culturally sensitive areas in and around the Four Corners Region, both Native and Non-Native. Corey began conservation work with the Southwest Conservation Corps in 2006, and he played a key role in SCC’s transformation to Conservation Legacy. Having served as a vice chair and board member for more than 13 years, he has been instrumental to conservation and trail efforts in the Southwest. Corey brings his knowledge and expertise in working with Indigenous communities, preservation, and conservation, with him to the Continental Divide Trail Coalition. Corey’s most successful effort was having Ancestral Lands Youth Corps be the model of the Native American Conservation Act. Working with former Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), and many others, Corey helped guide this act through Congress, and it now provides opportunities for all Indigenous communities across the United States to build community conservation organizations. Corey believes in giving his 110% to CDTC and hopes to help build a stronger, brighter future, not only for CDTC but for the trail itself.

Lauren joined CDTC in 2018 and lives just outside of Helena, Montana. She was born and raised in a small Colorado mountain town and earned her degree in Environmental History and Political Science from Colorado State University. She’s been fortunate to live and work in Yosemite National Park, to travel across North America with her husband in a van for a year, and to develop an affection for all outdoor pursuits including mountain biking, backpacking, and climbing. To balance out her “extreme” hobbies, Lauren is also an avid gardener, highly unsuccessful mushroom hunter, and loving mother of her two rottweilers, Diezel and Rambler. Lauren can be reached at development at continentaldividetrail.org.

Steven “Twinkle” Shattuck is an accounting and finance professional with a passion for the outdoors. He has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a M.S. in Accounting from Grand Valley State University in Michigan. Steven is a licensed CPA in both Michigan and Colorado who enjoys time away from the computer screen being active in the outdoors. Long distance hiking, backcountry skiing, canyoneering, packrafting, and mountaineering are his favorite outdoor pursuits when not reading SEC filings. Having hiked most of the CDT in 2015, Steven couldn’t be more excited to work for an organization that gives back by protecting and promoting the trail high on the Divide.

Haley Gamertsfelder (she/her) grew up in the mid-Atlantic, with the privilege of frequent visits out west where she was left awestruck by bears and geysers in Yellowstone, towering granite faces in Yosemite, and wide sweeping valleys dotted with mesas in the Southwest. She went on to pursue a degree in Environmental Science and Technology from the University of Maryland. Following college she traveled abroad with her sister for 4 months. In 2018 she moved to Montana for a 3 month long internship and hasn’t left since. She considers herself lucky to have been involved in many facets of western Montana conservation, from the wilderness of the Montana/Idaho border to the seldom visited middle fork of the Flathead in Glacier National Park. When Haley is not in the field or working from home you can find her backpacking, skiing, or gravel biking around her home in western Montana.

Jordan calls the Pacific Northwest home, but the sunshine and mountains have kept him in Colorado for over ten years now. After graduating from Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, Jordan received his Master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado and currently lives in Fort Collins, CO with his wife and their Australian Cattle Dog. Jordan’s professional background includes stints in college athletics, community recreation, and natural resources. While working for the Poudre Heritage Alliance (the nonprofit partner of the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area), his wife had the crazy idea to hike the Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango with their dog. After 31 days of backpacking, Jordan had officially fallen in love with the Continental Divide. Now he looks forward to promoting and protecting that landscape throughout Colorado with CDTC. Jordan spends his free time volunteering in the Northern Colorado community, trail running with his dog, trying to become a better skier, and supporting his wife’s love of rock climbing.

Claire Cutler grew up in Kailua, Hawaii exploring Oahu’s mountains and ocean. She developed a love for environmental science and policy, and attended Georgetown University to study Science, Technology, and International Affairs. After graduating, she spent time serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA and living in Great Basin National Park, where she helped the park’s non-profit partner with education programs and communications. She is an avid runner on both roads and trails and also enjoys hiking, elaborate baking projects, and reading. 

Jill Yoder lives in Anaconda, Montana with her two dogs, Maisie and Benny. Jill came to Montana via a summer job in Yellowstone National Park and then she attended Montana State University earning a B.A. and M.A. in English. After graduating from MSU, Jill began working in nonprofits where she developed a love for nonprofit fundraising, grant writing, and grant management. Jill spends much of her time hiking, fishing, backpacking, and skiing near and far from her home in Anaconda. 

Audrey Moreng is a recent graduate of Colorado State University’s Conservation Leadership Master’s program. She started working with CDTC during her master’s capstone project, and now will continue as a policy intern, expanding on her graduate work. Because of her experience and coursework, Audrey has decidedly prioritized working in the community driven conservation space. Originally from Colorado, Audrey has a passion for the outdoors and travel. A former Peace Corps volunteer and collegiate soccer player, she is always looking for the next adventure!

Amy Ajih is a student at Ringling College of Art and Design currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Art. As a game artist, she designs and models 3D environments for gamers so they can have an enjoyable interactive experience. With a passion for art, she strives to bring diverse and interesting stories to life for all ages to enjoy. As she embarks on her new journey with the CDTC, she’s eager to use her artistic talents to educate the public about the trail and become more immersed in the community. When she isn’t busy drawing, she enjoys learning to play different instruments and spending time with her family.

Kinsey “Past Ten(t)se” Warnock grew up in the wide open spaces of New Mexico. She earned an Environmental Studies degree from Brandeis University. After graduating during the pandemic she took a job with the Idaho Conservation Corps and hasn’t left the trail world since! When a friend mentioned she was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in the summer of 2021 she said “Why not” and thus began a love of long walks. She completed another trail season in Colorado and then it was time to take on the intimidating Continental Divide Trail! This trail felt like coming home to her. She loved every minute of it and felt connected to it in a way that she didn’t experience on the PCT. Before she had even finished, friends and family were sending her the posting for this job!

She is excited to bring her love of the CDT and her experience building and maintaining trails to the CDTC. Bring on the good people, wild places, and of course, DIRT!

Greg is an active outdoorsman and has been a supporter of the Continental Divide Trail for well over a decade. He has been active as a volunteer by building trail and by advocating for the Trail and the CDTC. He is a CDTC charter member and served on the original Advisory Committee to develop the CDTC’s vision, values and organizational pillars. Greg joined the CDTC Board of Directors in December 2016. He has a background in problem solving, consensus-building, and navigating thorny circumstances in his outdoor and professional careers.

Greg is a product manager and analyst by profession, working with customers and other stakeholders and technical experts to solve problems and improve processes through the use of technology. Additionally, he develops long-term product strategies and implements them using near-term incremental achievements.

A native Coloradan with ties to Wyoming and New Mexico, Greg is dedicated to completing and promoting the CDT as a 3100-mile sanctuary for those who seek wild places.

Hailing from Connecticut—a state tied with Iowa as having the lowest percentage of public land in the U.S.—Kathleen was first exposed to National Scenic Trails when her 10^th grade math teacher thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail.  After nearly a decade of savings, Kathleen fulfilled her pipedream of thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2014 and the Continental Divide Trail in 2015.

Kathleen works in Sustainability at Levi Strauss & Co. in San Francisco, where she oversees material and supply chain innovation, and is responsible for executing Levi’s industry-leading greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. Kathleen sits on several industry committees tackling the most pressing climate, energy, and DEI opportunities of our time. Prior to Levi’s, Kathleen worked in sustainability and sourcing at Big Agnes, Inc. in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. While at Big Agnes, Kathleen brokered the company’s adoption of 74 miles of the CDT, and planned and oversaw a three-month, 750-mile employee relay on the Colorado section of the trail. Kathleen took her Mom on her first-ever backpacking trip on the CDT, cementing Santa Fe National Forest as a place that holds her heart.

Don began his career in Colorado, where he worked in lands and environmental compliance for the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. He has a B.S. in Psychology from Tufts University and a M.S. in Natural Resource Administration and Planning in Outdoor Recreation from Colorado State University.

Don spent 23 years working for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the National Park Service on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, where he specialized in planning, designing, and managing the 250,000-acre protective corridor for the Trail. He then served as Executive Director of the Land Trust of Virginia from 2008 to 2014, guiding the organization through a period of expansion in which the organization doubled its portfolio and quadrupled its assets. The Land Trust of Virginia was one of the first land trusts in the nation to be accredited in 2009 and renew its accreditation in 2014.

Don presently serves as a Circuit Rider for the Land Trust Alliance in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Connecticut. He also consults regularly for the Partnership for the National Trails System, the Maryland Environmental Trust, the West Virginia Land Trust, the Ice Age Trail Alliance, the National Park Service, and more than a dozen other land trusts, trail organizations, and agencies.

Dean is a New York native who moved to Colorado in 1990 to pursue an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado, ultimately completing his studies there with an MS in Construction Engineering and Management.

Professionally, Dean has spent his career in real estate development and construction. He has been instrumental in the developments at many ski resort related projects including Keystone’s River Run Village, Copper Mountain and the Village at Winter Park. In 2008 he started his own real estate investment company focusing on residential in-fill developments. Dean is also active in the Colorado startup community as both an investor and mentor to entrepreneurs.

Growing up in New York near the Appalachian Trail and being actively involved in scouts created a love for the outdoors that has continued to play an important role in his life. While in college Dean worked summers as a trip leader taking teens on backpacking, canoeing and cycling trips throughout the Northeast. He has also travelled extensively by bicycle across North America (cross country twice) as well as many destinations around the world including Europe, Australia and New Zealand. More recently, Dean has completed thru-hikes of the John Muir Trail, the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Colorado Trail.

His previous board experience includes participation with the Urban Land Institute, the Denver Art Museum and YMCA Camp Jewell.

Nick is a small business owner; he runs a small business that he established in 1943. Nick has consulted, worked on, contributed or donated to some of the most historically significant buildings in Northern New Mexico, and has been self-employed for almost 40 years.

Nick has been a member of the Back Country Horsemen of America for over 25 years. He first joined the Pecos, NM chapter, and in 1997 was a founding member in forming the Santa Fe chapter. He served on the Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico state board for 12 years, and on the BCHA national board of directors for 14 years, including 2 years as treasurer. He chaired the Volunteer Hours committee for 9 years, compiling volunteer hours from states and affiliates for the national summary presented at the National Board Meetings. During his time as the chairman of this committee, the committee was able to streamline and simplify the collection of data, which has produced more states reporting their volunteer hours to the national level.

Nick is a member of the Rio Grande Mule and Donkey Association, and a member of the Northern New Mexico Horsemen Association, where he was awarded a lifetime membership in recognition for many years of service, support and donations. He is a board member of a non-profit organization for abused women and children in Santa Fe and belongs to the Sangre de Christo Bee Keepers, a local organization in Santa Fe and surrounding area.

Kevin Webber is a dynamic & innovative entrepreneur with backgrounds in sales, marketing, business development, and manufacturing. He is the CEO and co-founder of Colorado’s largest wine operation: Carboy Winery. Since 2016 Carboy Winery has slowly turned a state known for its beer into one that makes exciting wines, lifting the Colorado wine industry into prominence. 

Kevin currently sits on both the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board as the marketing chair and the Colorado Association for Viticulture & Enology’s Board of Directors as the legislative chair.  His passion is for building impactful brands that give back. 

During his time at Fourpoints, Kevin was a steering committee member for the Colorado Outdoor Business Alliance (Conservation Colorado), and he worked with outdoor environmental partners including the CDTC to push conservation initiatives such as the CORE Act and more specifically protection of the Camp Hale Continental Divide Wilderness Area. 

In his free time, Kevin enjoys spending time with his wife and kids in the great outdoors.

Jo Pegrum Hazelett has an M.P.A. in Organization Development and a wealth of experience in non-profit management and fundraising, most recently as Executive Director of the Piedmont Council, Boy Scouts of America, where she has served for almost 20 years.

She and her husband, together with their giant border collie, sectioned hiked both the Pacific Crest and the Continental Divide Trails. They began their treks in Scouting with their now adult sons, with whom they still enjoy hiking when time permits. Jo continues to enjoy encouraging new generations of youth to experience the outdoors both as hikers and trail builders through her work with Scouts and with the CDTC.

Currently living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Arthur’s love for long-distance trails began on the A.T. as a Boy Scout while growing up in Virginia, and has continued throughout his adult life while residing in West Virginia, North Carolina, and Colorado. A life-long hiker, Arthur has been an active Appalachian Trail volunteer for more than 46 years. He served on the board of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy for 24 years, including 18 years as ATC treasurer. He continues to serve as a member of the ATC Audit Committee In 2011 he became the 54th person, in ATC’s 95-year history, to be named an ATC Honorary Member, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s highest award.

Professionally, Arthur worked in higher education finance for 32 years, serving as chief financial officer of 2 universities. Additionally, he served 4 years on the board of the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Following early retirement from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, he was recognized as Vice Chancellor Emeritus for Financial Affairs.

Previously, Arthur served a short period on the board of the Continental Divide Trail Alliance prior to its close. In March 2018, he joined the CDTC board and looks forward to using his knowledge, experiences and skills to advance the CDTC and CDT.

Clancy is a Colorado Native who has lived in most every state the trail traverses and currently lives in Cotopaxi, CO. He has attended Colorado State University, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and Montana State University.

As an avid outdoorsman and volunteer, he is passionate about helping ensure the CDT takes its place of prominence among our National Scenic Trails, and that it is completed and stewarded for the greatest good. He wants to assist with the growth strategy of CDTC by supporting fundraising efforts and helping to build strong internal controls. He has a deep commitment to supporting CDTC’s staff as they grow in their roles. He is also committed to ensuring the “why” of the CDTC is clear, communicated, and always driving Board decisions. Clancy strives to always work hard, maintain a positive attitude in all situations, and, like CDTC, holds honesty and integrity as core values in all areas of his life. 

Amy McCormick has spent her 14 plus fundraising career at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and in the land trust community and is now a fundraising and communications consultant and principal at McCormick & CO Consulting. Amy holds a Masters in Corporate and Organizational Communications from West Virginia University (WVU) and is a native West Virginian. After a number of years living in Portland, Oregon, she now lives in Astoria, remains smitten by the Pacific Northwest, especially the Oregon coast. When she’s not working, Amy can be found hiking or camping in the East Cascade Mountains or walking along the Oregon coast’s beaches and old growth forests with her partner Dan and their beloved (and terribly rotten) Shiba Inu, Moxxi.

Amy Camp founded Cycle Forward in 2013 with the plan to help communities better connect to and benefit from their trails. She is a trails and tourism consultant, a place-maker, and a certified coach. She helped to launch the nationally recognized Trail Town Program ® in 2007. She has since offered her consulting services along trails of all types throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Amy’s book, Deciding on Trails: 7 Practices of Healthy Trail Towns, was published in December 2020. It outlines the history of the Trail Town/Gateway Community movement and recommends best practices for trail communities. Amy has had consulting engagements in two CDT Gateway Communities (Silver City and Lemhi County) and instantly fell for both places. She looks forward to getting to know others along the trail as well as the trail itself.

Amy served on the Board of American Trails from 2012-17, acting as Board Secretary and Chair of the Hulet Hornbeck Emerging Leaders Scholarship Program. She is an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coach Federation and firmly believes that her coaching certification makes her a better consultant. Amy lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she first grew to love communities and began her work to help improve them. In her spare time, she hikes, bikes, and cross country skis, and generally enjoys being outside as often as possible.

Amiththan brings years of experience in building community and organizing anchored in approaches to consensus and grassroots activism to the CDTC Board of Directors. He holds a Graduate degree and has hiked thousands of miles along distance trails world-wide. He believes that there is no trail without people.

As a student, Amiththan co-founded two successful, grassroots movements for Sri-Lankan-Canadian youth centered on post-civil-war dialogue towards inter-communal reconciliation. He conceived and orchestrated successful fundraisers, shaped their voice and communication strategies, wrote public opinion pieces and secured multi-year grants at the federal level. He is proud to have been at the ground level of The Tamil Student Volunteer Program and The Sri Lankans Without Borders not-for profits. Both of these organizations emerged at a pivotal moment for the emerging Sri Lankan-Canadian community and he takes special pride in creating a space where none existed.

As an academic he is keenly interested in ideas of kinship, belonging, and, of course the land. As a transplant to North America and a survivor of civil war his advocacy and activism are rooted in the ways in which land as a socio-political construct and lived reality underpin belonging. He also believes that the work around creating any sense of belonging is always ongoing. The Continental Divide Trail traverses millions of footsteps across a number of ancestral indigenous homelands. There are, as well, many other stakeholders in this landscape. However, he sees the CDT as not only a delineated footpath that connect these communities but also as an opportunity for creating and fostering an interconnected web of consensus and relationships, centered around the stewardship for the land.

As a member of the CDTC’s Board of Directors he hopes to build, lead and connect the trail to the people, the people to the land and each other. Amiththan welcomes the opportunity to champion initiatives that continue to distinguish the CDTC as a leader in building a trail as well as trail of communities.

Mike’s mission is to influence progressive and systemic change through a people-centered approach to Human Resources. He is committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and he works to practice HR guided by those principles. His HR career spans more than a decade, primarily in the nonprofit world (with organizations focused on environmental restoration, youth leadership and conservation, and international development/water, sanitation and hygiene), and also with a multinational company. Previously, he was a newspaper reporter and a copy editor. He has a lived and ongoing understanding of what it means to work in multicultural, international, racially diverse, and queer workspaces. His pronouns are he/him/él.

Ben Gabriel has led Wild Montana since 2017, providing vision and strategic leadership to execute its mission. Before joining Wild Montana, he was executive director of Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks in New Mexico. He’s also worked in higher education, parks and recreation, and as a whitewater guide across the United States. In addition to CDTC’s Board, he serves on the Next100 Coalition Board of directors. He holds a B.S. in recreation studies from Ohio University and a masters in higher education administration from New Mexico State University. He lives in Helena with his wife Christa and daughter Neko.