EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jay has been working with communities and natural resource issues since 1995, including stints as a forester with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, forestry consultant, the Peace Corps in Panama and as a high school teacher in Glenwood. Jay has a master degree in forestry from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, a bachelor degree from Whitman College, and is the founding director of MARS.

jay@mtadamsstewards.org

MONITORING & OUTREACH COORDINATOR

Dave leads efforts to measure and monitor the impacts of forest restoration, stewardship and management associated with community-based forestry activities at MARS. He is also responsible for communicating those efforts to the local community and other stakeholders. Dave comes with extensive forestry experience, having worked for the US Forest Service, WA DNR, The Nature Conservancy, and the Quinault Indian Nation. He holds a B.A. in Classics from the University of AZ, a B.S. in Forestry from the University of MT, and an M.N.R.S. (Ecological Restoration) from Colorado State University. Dave enjoys photography, travel, camping, and spending time with his trusty sidekick, Hektor.

dave@mtadamsstewards.org

STEWARDSHIP CREW PROGRAM LEAD

Lucas oversees our Stewardship Crew program, leading a seasonal field crew in implementing a variety of projects that he develops in collaboration with other MARS staff and partners. He joined MARS after several years with Washington DNR as a wildland fire and forest health specialist, as well as a firefighter. Lucas grew up in Trout Lake with Mt. Adams and the surrounding forests as a playground. He is also an artisan cheesemaker!

lucas@mtadamsstewards.org

FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITIES COORDINATOR

Sarah joined MARS in 2022 after a stint as a AmeriCorps member in the Willamette Valley working on wildfire recovery in the wake of the devastating 2020 fire season. She now works on the mitigation side of the wildfire crisis, helping our local communities prepare their homes and landscapes for fire. She is also involved in developing MARS’s prescribed fire program and managing our array of grants and agreements. Sarah grew up in northeast Ohio and holds a B.A. in biology from Carleton College. Outside of work, she can be found running trails with her dog, Jack.

sarah@mtadamsstewards.org

FUELS PROJECT MANAGER

Dalton joined MARS in 2024 as Fuels Project Manager to help manage and administer the Community Wildfire Defense Grant. He comes from a background in forestry and arboriculture within the Columbia River Gorge and brings with him experience across multiple aspects of forest management. Following the devastating 2020 wildfire season, Dalton assisted in conducting hazard tree assessments across the state. He has a bachelor's from Humboldt State in Environmental Management and Protection. When not working he can be found on the river, climbing rocks, or looking at trees.

dalton@mtadamsstewards.org

ADMIN & ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST

Katie joined MARS in 2023 as an accounting and administrative specialist. She brings experience with natural resource conservation and a passion for the Mt. Adams area, which she's explored since a young age and now enjoys with two sons in tow! Her background spans the public and private sectors and she has a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Seattle University.

katie@mtadamsstewards.org

BULLFROG REMOVAL ACTION TEAM (BRAT) PROGRAM LEAD

Riley joined MARS in 2021 as a field technician on the BRAT project. His enthusiasm and pride for MARS’ mission has driven him to become more involved in growing the project. He currently oversees the BRAT field team, and leads a seasonal crew of technicians focused on native species recovery. Riley works directly with USFWS and landowner partners to foster a community-driven approach to Oregon spotted frog conservation. He has a B.S. (Water Resource Management) from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. As an avid outdoorsman and wildlife enthusiast, Riley can often be found wading through the wetlands of Conboy Lake in search of waterfowl and amphibians.

riley@mtadamstewards.org

STEWARDSHIP CREW SQUAD LEAD

Craig started at MARS as a seasonal Squad Lead in 2022, becoming a full-time employee in 2024. Prior to that, he worked for the US Forest Service for 9 seasons but found himself looking for more local, ecologically-focused work. Craig appreciates that MARS gives him the chance to work closely with people and the forests he grew up with, and to participate in organizational decisions. Having grown up in the Trout Lake area and witnessed the vulnerability of the community to wildfire, this work is very important to him. In his free time, Craig enjoys backpacking in the area and traveling abroad when possible.

zulu@mtadamsstewards.org

STEWARDSHIP CREW SQUAD LEAD

Mitch found MARS, or we found him, in 2022. Mitch grew up on the lakes, rivers and woods of Northern Maine and found his way to the Columbia Gorge in 2015. After working in heavy civil construction and stream restoration, he's excited to be able to call MARS home and dive deeper into all things related to our local forests. If he's not with his squad in the field he's probably surfing or fishing.

alpha@mtadamsstewards.org