Board of Directors

 

Mark Trautwein, Chair
California
Mr. Trautwein was on the staff of the US House Interior Committee from 1979 until 1995 under Chairmen Mo Udall and George Miller where he was responsible for the committee’s jurisdiction over parks, public lands and wilderness. During that time, the Committee led Congress in doubling the size of the national parks system, tripling the wilderness system and enacting landmark conservation laws such as the Alaska Lands Act. Previously, he was a staff writer for Congress’ Environmental Study Conference. He holds a degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley and worked as a newspaper reporter in the San Francisco Bay Area for five years. He retired from Congressional work in 1995 and returned to San Francisco, where he is now an independent consultant as well as an editor at KQED public radio.

 

Andy Wiessner, Secretary
Colorado
Mr. Wiessner has worked for Western Land Group and facilitated Congressionally approved land exchanges since 1988. His expertise in legislative affairs stems from his extensive experience in Washington D.C. that includes serving as counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Public Lands and National Parks, and the Subcommittee on Mines and Mining. He has also served as a mediator for projects involving the National Wildlife Federation, U.S. Park Service, and others. Mr. Wiessner also serves on the Board of Directors of the Wilderness Workshop and the High Country News.

 

Jim Blomquist, Treasurer
California
Mr. Blomquist is an independent consultant to non-profit groups specializing in campaign strategy and lobbying. He worked for the Sierra Club for 25 years in a variety of positions, including Regional Representative in the Pacific Northwest and Southern California and a Washington Representative in DC specializing in National Forest and National Park issues, during the legislative fights over the spotted owl. Mr. Blomquist also worked on the legislation to establish the Smith River National Recreation Area. In addition, he served as a Major Gift Officer and Director of the Office of Educational Programs. Mr. Blomquist currently serves on the Board of the Smith River Alliance and is an avid fisherman.   visit his website http://jimblomquist.org/

 

Jean Hocker
Virginia

Ms. Hocker is president of Conservation Service Co., LLC, a consulting firm based in Alexandria, Va. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience, she advises organizations and agencies across the country on management and conservation issues. She was president and CEO of the national Land Trust Alliance from 1987 to 2002, during which time she helped it become a highly effective conservation force and triple the amount of open space protected by its member associations. Before that, she was the founding executive director of the Jackson Hole Land Trust in Wyoming. She currently serves on the 15-member Land Trust Accreditation Commission and several other conservation-related organizations.

  

Jacqueline Van Dine

California

Ms. Van Dine is the cofounder and Brand Director for Ahnu Footwear.  Her role includes creating the brand vision and direction, marketing strategy, and all product design.  She was awarded Sporting Goods Business “Top 40 under 40” in recognition during Ahnu’s first year in business. She previously managed product design as well as developed trade and consumer marketing strategies for Birkenstock and Keen Footwear. She received a D&AD Award for her work with Fuseproject on the launch of a new collection from Birkenstock which also won a 2004 IDEA Gold Award for Design from Business Week. Due to Van Dine’s leadership, Ahnu has donated more than $250,000 to like-minded non-profit organizations since the brand’s inception in 2007.

    

Jon Mulford, Emeritus Board Member, Founder
Oregon
Mr. Mulford was formerly engaged in the practice of law in Denver and Aspen specializing in federal public land law. He is a fellow of the University of Colorado Natural Resources Law Center (1984). Mr. Mulford is the past president and founder of The Wilderness Land Trust.

  

Bill Pope
Washington
Mr. Pope is an attorney based in Seattle, Washington. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Earthjustice and is a long time wilderness user and advocate. Mr. Pope also owns the Mazama Country Inn and is a former Microsoft Corporate Counsel.

  

Doug Scott
Washington
Mr. Scott is the Policy Director for the Campaign for America's Wilderness. He formerly managed a local environmental group in the San Juan Islands of Washington State, worked at The Wilderness Society, and for 17 years for the Sierra Club, including as conservation director and associate executive director. Mr. Scott was involved in the enactment of the Eastern Wilderness Areas Act (1975), The Endangered American Wilderness Act (1978), the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness (Idaho, 1980), The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (1980), and the California Desert Protection Act (California, 1994), among others.

  

Paul Torrence Ph.D.

Oregon

Dr. Torrence is an avid conservationist and wilderness supporter who retired from his position as the Professor at  the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Northern Arizona to become an organic farmer in southwestern Oregon.  He has conducted and published research focused on the discovery of new approaches to the treatment of viral, neoplastic, parasitic, and inherited diseases. As a conservationist his dedication ranges from the international to the local. He is a valued member of multiple nonprofit conservation boards and, like all good farmers, willing to get his hands into specific campaigns and causes, such as the protection of Arizona’s San Francisco Peaks, sacred to 13 north American tribes, and the threat of wilderness inholdings

 

 

John Toth

California

John Toth is Chief Financial Officer of ARC (NYSE: ARC), a global provider of business-to-business document management technology and services to the architectural, engineering and construction, industries.  Previously, Mr. Toth was Chief Financial Officer of Bell-Carter Foods and, from 2006 to 2008, he was Chief Financial Officer of Fresh Express, Inc., a division of Chiquita Brands International Inc.  In 2001, he founded Tennyson West LLC, a provider of merger and acquisition advisory services to middle market companies.  Prior to Tennyson West, Mr. Toth was a Vice President in the investment banking division of J.P. Morgan & Co., Inc. and he started his investment banking career with Goldman Sachs & Co., Inc. in New York.  Mr. Toth has an undergraduate degree in economics and political science, and a master’s degree in economics, both from Stanford University.  Mr. Toth lives with his family in San Francisco where they enjoy hiking, tide pooling, and being outdoors.