MEET OUR TEAM
Our board is comprised of seasoned professionals with diverse expertise and a shared commitment to helping keep our public lands public and accessible. Each member of our team has a special connection to our mission and brings unique insights and invaluable experience, driving our organization towards continued success and innovation. Explore their profiles to learn more about the people steering our mission and shaping our future.
Board of Directors
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PresidentHailey, ID
Greg’s family moved to Boise, Idaho from South Dakota in 1979, where he graduated from Boise High School in 1981. That first summer he backpacked the White Clouds and has considered the central Idaho wild places his spiritual home ever since. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in upstate NY in 1985 with a BS in Geology, where he met fellow adventurer and PUG director Barry Lifson. Together they explored the wild places in the Adirondacks.
After receiving his MBA from University of Colorado in 1992, he worked in public accounting and later became CEO of a property investment and ranching company in Western Australia. In 2003, he returned to Idaho to be closer to his beloved mountains and wilderness. He is currently a land planning and water rights consultant, but his passion is wilderness stewardship.
During 2012-2014, he began volunteering for trail projects, where he met advisory board member Jay Dorr and became interested in the history and utility of crosscut saws. This led to taking a saw filing class from master Dolly Chapman, which in turn led to Greg working for the US Forest Service trail crew. He spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons working on improving tails in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. In 2017, Greg took a position with the Sawtooth Society as their Stewardship Coordinator, where he substantially expanded their program. Additionally, he has led trips for the Idaho Trails Association. He was inspired to form PUG as a tightly focused partner to the Forest Service, specializing in remote and complex stewardship needs in logistically challenging areas.
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Treasurer
Stanley, ID
Dave graduated from high school in suburban Chicago and headed west to study at the University of Idaho. He married his wife, Melissa, in 1987 and graduated with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1988.
After graduation, they moved to Boise where they raised their two children, Kyle and Christine, both now adults. Dave spent 30 years designing computer memory chips before retiring in 2018.
Dave grew up with an enthusiasm for backpacking and mountain climbing. He has backpacked extensively in the Pacific Northwest, including large parts of the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington, the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier, and all throughout Idaho’s Sawtooths. He has climbed Mount Rainier seven times, scaled three of the Seven Summits, and explored many of the peaks in the Sawtooth Range.
While living in Boise, Dave and his family developed a significant love for the Sawtooth Mountains and the town of Stanley. They built a home there in 1995 and spent many summer weekends and holidays up in the mountains. Now, in retirement, they consider Stanley their home.
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Secretary
Boise, ID
Sarah enjoyed growing up in Boise, Idaho when the population was approximately 67,000 and people never locked their doors. Because it was such a safe community, Sarah’s parents didn’t worry when she and her friends rode their horses and bikes down to the Boise River and other places around town. Once they obtained their driver’s licenses at age 14, Sarah and her friends spent countless hours exploring the southwestern Idaho desert and mountains.
After graduating from Capital High School, Sarah obtained her Bachelor of Arts at Boise State University, majoring in Social Science and Art. She then spent several years living in Salt Lake City, Utah before moving to Portland, Oregon to attend law school at Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College.
During and following law school, Sarah practiced law in Jacksonville, Florida and Phoenix, Arizona, as well as Portland, Oregon. Each of these locations offered ample opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, however, none offered Boise’s quick and easy access to the outdoors.
After a thirteen-year absence, Sarah returned to Boise where she continued to utilize her legal skills in the government, non-profit, and private practice arenas. Sarah and her law partner, Brooke O’Neil, founded the law and mediation firm of Law/Alternatives/PLLC in 2016, where Sarah focuses on estate planning, probate, guardianship and conservatorship, and elder law.
Sarah and her husband, Kenley Hinrichs, spend almost every minute of their spare time camping, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and snowshoeing. In partnership with the Forest Service, Idaho Department of State Lands, and various private groups, Kenley has spent years designing, mapping, and maintaining motorized trails. This experience has allowed Sarah to enjoy remote trails that are otherwise very difficult to access. Whenever possible, Sarah and Kenley are accompanied by their Giant Rat Terriers, Decker and Dyna.
Advisory Board
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Crosscut Saw Program & Traditional Tools Education
Hailey, ID
Jay worked on the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, both the trails and wilderness crews from 1971 through 2018. He was the Trails Manager, Crosscut Saw Coordinator, Lead Blaster, and Air Quality Manager. He is a crosscut saw evaluator and was part of the Intermountain Region crosscut saw training cadre. He is an expert in use of traditional tools: crosscut saws, numerous hand and power tools, pack and saddle stock, blasting, and the techniques of trail design, construction, and maintenance. In retirement he continues with volunteer trail and other work, gardening, hiking, skiing, and other outdoor activities. He has a BS in Forest Resource Management from University of Idaho. He splits his time living in Hailey, on the East Fork, and the Idaho mountains with his wife Patti, a retired nurse
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Crosscut Saw Expert
Shoshone, ID
Growing up in Southern Idaho, being outside was a way of life. Riding bikes and building forts with his brother, fishing and hunting with his Dad, and working in the garden with his mom and sisters, to say David is an outdoorsman is an understatement.
During his teen years, David spent most of his time working for the Wilderness Therapy program formerly known as SUWS, where he learned survival skills, plant identification, fire making, navigation and much more. After high school, David spent a few years traveling the United States as an employee for Union Pacific Railroad before returning home and pursuing his fire career.
Starting his fire career in Southern Idaho, before moving to the Salmon- Challis National Forest, where his love for crosscut saws, chainsaws and hand tools took off. Buying his first set of crosscut saws from a fellow fire employee, David set out to learn everything there was to know about the "misery whip". Starting with yard sales and one weird encounter with a craigslist ad, David's saw collection and knowledge of the crosscut saw grew. He became one of the most well known saw filers in the Pacific Northwest, and continues to sharpen, repair, restore and teach others about crosscut saws everyday.
David is married to his wife Kelsey and they have 2 wonderful kids, Amaya and Lucas. The family enjoys fishing, hunting, wandering the desert looking for rocks for their rock tumbler, and taking their kayaks out on the river. Both kids have a vise and tool set in Dad's shop, ready to learn the family trade, and help with Dad's orders.
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Grants & Wilderness Education
Oahu, HI & Stanley, ID
Debra was first introduced to the Sawtooths in 1992 and has since spent every summer exploring its trails and backcountry. She and her husband, Dick, have a small cabin in Stanley and love the experiences it has brought. Having enjoyed hiking many miles of maintained trails, she decided to become a trail clearing volunteer as a way of giving back. She especially values PUG’s commitment to involving youth as they will be the future advocates for these public lands.
Debra’s background includes over 20 years of program development in Hawaii’s public sector, both state government and non-profits. Her interest is to help PUG with it’s formative development and enhance it’s experiential learning opportunities.
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Trail Crew Morale Booster
Hailey, ID
At ten years old, Ziggy can be found on most if not all of our hitches. He keeps the crews motivated and the energy high. He loves long hikes, belly rubs, and naps in the shade.