2025 Speakers

Lancing currently serves as the Acting Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department. He brings with him a wealth of experience in both the public and private sectors. Prior to serving as the Acting Cabinet Secretary, Lancing served as the Department’s Tourism Development Director. In this role he managed various grant programs and business development initiatives to support the tourism industry in the state of New Mexico. Before returning to the New Mexico Tourism Department in 2020, Lancing has served in a variety of executive roles in government including Deputy Director of Operations of the New Mexico Children, Youth & Families Department, and Finance Director for the New Mexico Tourism Department.

As the Western Restoration Program Manager at the Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), Garrett is currently working to scale restoration across the Upper Rio Grande basin by coordinating with funders, tribes, and diverse stakeholders to maximize aquatic resources for collective good. He believes that strengthening ecosystems can yield exponential increases in ecological, cultural, and economic values. Before joining EPIC, Garrett worked for the Santa Clara Pueblo where he integrated nature-based solutions and Indigenous knowledge to develop nationally recognized restoration projects and sustainable recreation opportunities. He is also a world class alpine skier who competed internationally on the Freeride World Tour and U.S. Ski Team.

As the Americas Tour Manager for XTERRA Sports Unlimited, Steve Andrus, is one of the foremost leaders in America driving competitive outdoor events, including the Xterra World Championship. The Championship draws over 1000 top athletes, and thousands of attendees each year. Prior to joining XTERRA, Andrus served as the Director of Sales and Events at Snowbasin Resort in Utah, and brings more than 20 years of executive experience in event planning, budgeting, marketing, and operations to the position. In his role at Snowbasin, Andrus hosted a wide variety of high-profile events including The Dew Tour, Tour of Utah, Utah Symphony, and XTERRA Championship event weekends.

Karina Armijo brings over 27 years of expertise to the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division, having supported small businesses and events in Northern New Mexico across both public and private sectors. As a tourism and marketing professional, she has spearheaded creative and web design services for the tourism and outdoor recreation industries. Most notably, Karina served as the first Director of Marketing and Tourism for the Town of Taos, where she spent eight years developing and managing programs that bolstered local and regional businesses and events in the Enchanted Circle region.

Bruce Armstorng, a Certified Economic Developer, has worked in all aspects of promoting GGEDC’s mission to target, attract, retain and expand industrial employers that provide high quality economic-base jobs and careers in the Gallup-McKinley County area since 2019. In addition to working on the planning and development of the Gallup-McKinley County TradePort, Bruce manages GGEDC’s public relations and marketing, including developing content for the GGEDC website and social media platforms. Prior to coming to GGEDC, Bruce was the Economic Development Planner at the Pueblo of Laguna.

Sierra is a mother, advocate, and mental health professional from Gallup, New Mexico. She is Bilagáána, born for the Waters Flow Together (To'aheedlíínii) clan, and with paternal grandfather from the Towering House (Kinyaa'áanii) clan. Sierra grew up exploring the mountains and rocks around Dinétah, and still finds joy in it when her schedule allows. She is the Clinical Supervisor for TribaLights, a holistic recovery and intensive outpatient program for co-occurring diagnoses based in Santa Fe, NM. Sierra views the world as deeply connected and hopes to positively impact others through healing work and education.

Colleen Baker joined New Mexico State Parks in 2020, after working for Santa Fe County Open Space and Trails Program for 16 years. She has devoted her career to landscape conservation, cultural heritage preservation, ecological restoration, and outdoor recreation. She is a graduate of University of New Mexico with a BA in Anthropology and Fine Arts, and a Masters in Community and Regional Planning.

Ben Bajema grew up in Nambe, NM, where his deep connection to the land and community shaped his passion for outdoor recreation and sustainable development. He is the Chair of the Rio Grande Trail Commission and Senior Advisor at the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD). Previously, he was an Associate at the Energy Futures Initiative Foundation in Washington, D.C., where he advanced technologies and policies for deep decarbonization. Ben is passionate about preserving and sharing New Mexico’s rich natural and cultural heritage through the completion of the Rio Grande Trail.

Yolynda has worked for the US Forest Service since May 2010. Formally, she has served as the Regional Tribal Relations Program Manager for the Southwestern Regional Office and as the Mount Taylor District Ranger since 2019. Yolynda earned her master's degree in Community and Regional Planning and Bachelor of Criminology from the University of New Mexico. Yolynda is a proud member of the Navajo Nation.

Growing up at the Bread Spring Chapter House in the Navajo Nation, Josh was a year round student athlete, who took an interest in building his own trails on old goat paths to train on. He started working when he was 16, and was drawn to the YCC as an opportunity to use his work ethic and love of the outdoors. Now in his 4th year, Josh leads a team of 15 young people from ages 16-25 to do continuous improvement on recreational sites in Gallup and McKinley County. Josh is passionate about helping improve the well being and health of the Native American community, and community at large.

As the Director of Operations at the Southwest Indian Foundation (SWIF) in Gallup, Jeremy drives initiatives to alleviate poverty and unemployment among Native American communities. He oversees transformative community projects, including housing, education, workforce development, and the innovative San Isidro Farm Project. At San Isidro, a 280-acre farm in New Mexico’s Zuni Mountains, Jeremy leads efforts to create a hub for community health, outdoor recreation, and sustainability. The project integrates regenerative ranching to restore soil health and produce healthy food. It also features a growing multi-use trail system, with four miles of single-track trails already built for NICA races, and plans for flow trails, skill trails, jump lines, campsites, and a future lodge for races, concerts, and community events.

Zuni Native Kenny Bowekaty is a Zuni guide and archaeologist who provides historical context into his people, their culture, and the land they inhabit. He invites outsiders into an intimate setting in order to teach them the importance of the Zuni people’s past and present influence. His tours draw from the cultural heritage, archaeology, arts and craft, and scenic beauty of Zuni Pueblo. In the 2025 Outdoor Economics Conference, Kenny will be a speaker as well as lead a special tour to the Village of the Great Kivas archeological site.

Hallie Brown is the Deputy Director of the Infrastructure Planning and Development Division at the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration, where she oversees strategic funding for community infrastructure projects, including recreation and outdoor access. With a strong background in federal grants management, Brown has led nonprofit and municipal efforts to grow grant revenue, manage multi-million-dollar budgets, and improve interagency reporting. A Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, she brings a community-centered approach to development and holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of New Mexico.

Senator Angel M. Charley, a citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna with Diné (Navajo) and Zuni heritage, has represented New Mexico’s 30th District since 2025. Before her election, she served as Executive Director of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, where she championed reforms addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and advanced culturally grounded policy solutions. She also led IllumiNative, a globally recognized national NGO focused on narrative and culture change, aimed at building power through storytelling. Her legislative work has included the advocacy for the protection of sacred sites like Mount Taylor, the cleanup of contaminated lands, and stronger systems to locate missing Indigenous persons.

Treston Chee, a multidisciplinary visual artist, is Díné and was raised on ancestral homelands on the Navajo Nation. He is the founder and director of Our Generations production, a grassroots film collective. Treston is also a dedicated fly fishing guide in northern New Mexico. Through guiding, he navigates the constructs of storytelling, outdoor recreation and conservation that connects conservation and the outdoors to the livelihoods of Indigenous communities. Within his practices of photography and film-making he embodies guidance, resiliency and collaboration to share stories that speak of connections, empathy, inspiration, hardship, and generosity on Indigenous lands.

In 1995, Carl co-founded the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in Taos, and was the Executive Director for 20 years. He has served on numerous boards, including the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps and New Mexico Forum for Youth in Community. In 2011, he was honored by President Obama’s White House as a Champion of Change for his work to align marginalized youth with sustainable employment, and in 2014. He served as the Director of the Enchanted Circle Trails Association, until joining the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division, where he manages the Trails + grant program, the NM Uplift Project and the Rio Grande Trail planning initiative.

Amy Denet Deal, an enrolled member of the Diné tribe, is the visionary founder behind 4KINSHIP, a Santa Fe-based sustainable artwear brand that turns restoration and upcycling into a creative art form. Amy launched her career as an activewear designer and fashion executive for major brands like Cannondale, Reebok, and Puma. In 2015, she founded 4KINSHIP, which established the Diné Skate Garden Project, a transformative effort that created a skate park for Diné youth in the remote community of Two Grey Hills on Navajo Nation. Since the skate park's opening in 2022, the project has distributed over 5,000 skateboards and helmets to Native youth. In 2025, 4KINSHIP launched their non- profit Indigenous Futures 4EVER, which is supporting the next generation of Indigenous leaders, athletes, creatives, and entrepreneurs with resources, opportunities, and collaborative platforms across skateboarding, dance, fashion, music, design, art, and more.

In 2014 Nate was elected Mayor of Farmington in 2018, and re-elected in 2023. Driven by a commitment to diversify the regional economy to help buttress the challenges of a changing energy market, Nate championed growing the outdoor economy. Recognizing the value of the area's tremendous outdoor assets, incredible high desert climate, unique cultural heritage, and access to big city amenities, Mayor Duckett and the Convention and Visitors Bureau developed the Outdoor Recreation Industry Initiative (ORII for short) and a new tag line “Jolt Your Journey.” Farmington’s ORII has brought together regional stakeholders dedicated to work together to attract and promote local outdoor recreation businesses, assets, and seek funding in order to focus their collective resources to meet the call to be a place where outdoor lovers and active families thrive.

Rose Eason has served as the Executive Director of gallupARTS since June 2016. She has her B.A. in Art History from Barnard College at Columbia University and her Ed.M. in Arts in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Under Rose’s leadership, gallupARTS has significantly expanded its role within the community and deepened its positive community impact. She developed a multi-faceted suite of youth-oriented art education programs and has raised Gallup’s profile as an arts and cultural center at the local, state and national levels. In 2023, Eason worked with arts leaders statewide and the Legislature to establish the Creative Industries Division in the New Mexico Economic Development Department.

Andrés Esparza is a Principal Associate with the Pew Charitable Trust, working on aquatic and terrestrial connectivity in Arizona and New Mexico. He has worked in the conservation and education field for the better part of two decades throughout the Western US. Through his time in a variety of roles, Andrés has always strived to engage diverse and often underrepresented populations with their public lands in an effort to ensure the relevancy of our public lands in the years to come. Andrés holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Master in Environmental Management degree from Western Colorado University.

As a land management professional and conservationist, Bjorn earned a graduate certificate in wilderness management from the University of Montana, and a B.A and M.S. degrees in environmental studies and science from Yale University. He spent 13 years working with the U.S. Forest Service, with positions focused on the management of recreation, wilderness, wild & scenic rivers, commercial uses and infrastructure, archaeology, and minerals in Washington DC, Washington State, California, and New Mexico. In his current role as Conservation Director with New Mexico Wild, he leads the organization’s federal lands advocacy, defense, and stewardship programs staff.

Stephanie Garcia Richard is the New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands. The Commissioner and the State Land Office oversee the management of nine million acres of public land that generate income for New Mexico’s schools and hospitals. During her tenure Commissioner Garcia Richard has created policies to allow citizens to enjoy state lands for outdoor recreation, established an outdoor recreation permit system, and developed a GIS system to better understand important environmental and cultural resources on state lands.

With nearly two decades of experience as a teacher, school leader, and statewide education leader, she works to ensure that all students in New Mexico have equitable access to high-quality outdoor and environmental learning opportunities. In her current role, Trish leads the implementation of the state’s Outdoor Learning Initiative, supporting schools and educators through strategic planning, professional learning, and grantmaking efforts that integrate outdoor experiences into everyday instruction. Her work focuses on advancing student well-being, engagement, and academic achievement by connecting learning to the natural environment and local communities.

James Glover has been a leader in the marketing field for three decades. As a passionate outdoorsman, he has directed his talents towards helping New Mexico communities create innovative brands and strategies for promoting their outdoor economies. In 2020 he founded endeavOR New Mexico, the state’s outdoor recreation business alliance. Glover is an advisor to the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division and a member of the State Outdoor Business Alliance Network (SOBAN). Glover lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico and is an avid mountain biker. His license plate reads: LUV2MTB

Deb Haaland is a 35th generation New Mexican and member of the Laguna Pueblo. She served as one of the first Native women in the U.S. House of Representatives and was appointed the U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 2021-2025, where she oversaw management of 480 million acres of federal land. These included lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and other agencies.

As a paramedic and nurse, Teal Harbin specializes in wilderness medicine and has instructed remote medicine and coordinated medical evacuations worldwide from austere locations. In addition to being the CEO of Base Medical, she currently serves as the New Mexico Search and Rescue Medical Coordinator. In 2025 Harbin helped strengthen the New Mexico Search and Rescue Act to require timely deployment of search and rescue resources for people in need of aid. She also sits on the Advisory Board to the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division.

A graduate of UNM’s Anderson School of Management, Shani is passionate about systems change, creativity, and economic equity. Previously instrumental in establishing EDD’s JEDI Office, she has worked across government, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors to expand opportunities for underserved businesses. As a small business advocate, she champions creative entrepreneurship, and initiatives that support New Mexico’s growing creative economy. In 2024, Shani became the inaugural Director of the New Mexico Economic Development Department Creative Industries Division. The Division is responsible for fostering our state’s multi billion dollar creative economy of artists and creative talents, and community infrastructure.

An avid outdoorsman since childhood, Marc strapped on skis at age 4 and never looked back. Seeking outdoor adventures in every corner of the state, hiking, camping, fishing, skiing, and riding, convinced him that New Mexico offers the best outdoor recreation in the country. That passion inspired Marc to found Rezosystems, a software company specializing in rental and management platforms tailored for businesses in the outdoor recreation industry. Over the past decade, Rezosystems has grown into an industry leader, serving hundreds of clients nationwide while maintaining an impressive 20% annual growth. In 2023 Rezo Systems won the “Adventure Pitch” funding competition at the Outdoor Economics Conference.

A born and raised New Mexican, Ted spent his childhood digging in his yard, riding horses, and racing bikes. Ted took his riding to the next level, racing professionally for a number of years in and out of high school. In combination with his construction and heavy equipment experience, Ted transitioned to trail building full time. He has spent time building in Missouri and Arkansas and has now reestablished roots back in his home state. You can catch Ted calling out to anyone on a bike with a big smile and getting the mini excavator in some crazy locations. His company Rocket Ramp builds custom and predesigned bike ramps and a wide variety of trail building services to create a fun and exciting bike experience.

Keegan King brings nearly 20 years of public policy experience to his role as the founder and Executive Director of the Native Land Institute. A proud member of the Pueblo of Acoma tribe, Keegan is dedicated to promoting economic, environmental, and social justice for Native Americans while protecting their cultural heritage for generations to come. His leadership and advocacy has extended to various national and statewide organizations, including serving as the former Legislative Affairs and Communications Bureau Chief for the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department.

Kate Lacey-Younge started working for the New Mexico Environment Department in 2021 as the River Stewardship Program Coordinator and now serves as the Watershed Protection Section Program Manager. Kate has experience working in water resources management and water quality protection with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, and fire and watershed management with the Cibola National Forest.

Kate has a B.S. in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Watershed Management and Hydrology from the University of Arizona and a Master of Water Resources degree with a concentration in Hydroscience from the University of New Mexico.

Henry grew up crashing in his backyard on sketchy homemade jumps. Through mentorship and support at the local dirt jumps from some of the godfathers of freeride, Henry learned how to shape, pack, and analyze terrain and jumps. Henry has earned a bachelor’s in geology, all while building trails and lines on the side. From personal freeride projects to assisting with building events like Proving Grounds, Henry has a passion not only for building, but also for the science behind it. His company Rocket Ramp builds custom and predesigned bike ramps and a wide variety of trail building services to create a fun and exciting bike experience.

As a leader in coalition and strategic development for NMCTOD, Charm played key roles in organizing and working with professional health care organizations to improve public health. She coordinates the New Mexico Prescription Trails Program and has helped to implement the program in many New Mexico communities and advise on the national level. The focus of Prescription Trails is walking and utilizing established parks, trails and loops as a mechanism for increasing physical activity and improving health.

Aidan Manning joined the Rivers and Waters Program at New Mexico Wild in 2023 after completing they PhD in Hydrology at the University of Nevada in Reno, where they studied how changing forests impact snowpacks and water resources across the Mountain West. In their current role, Aidan supports river and watershed conservation in New Mexico through science communication, advocacy, and analysis. In this work, they draw on their scientific background, experiences in environmental science communication in Grand Canyon National Park and Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, and over 10,000 miles of foot travel across the West’s mountains, deserts, canyons, and forests.

Allison Martin’s mission centers on empowering educators and building partnerships to reimagine schoolyards as inclusive outdoor classrooms. Her career has included roles as a Park Ranger at Petroglyph National Monument, Education Manager at Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District, EENM (Environmental Education of New Mexico) Fellow, and Co-Founder and Executive Director of TOTAL NM (Teaching Outdoors to All Learners), a nonprofit created to support teachers to bring learning outdoors. Her most recent work includes co-developing the New Mexico Outdoor Classrooms Statewide Framework: Empowering Teachers to Take Learning Outdoors Every Day in Their Schoolyard.

Carlos Matutes is the New Mexico State Director for Greenlatinos, a national organization working to ensure environmental justice for Latine communities and other communities of color. He has been a mountain biker for over 30 years, and has advocated for trail access and the economic benefits of outdoor recreation for the past 20 years, and is currently a member of the Bernalillo county Economic Development Department's steering committee.

Cecilia began her career with the DFA in January 2022. In her work, he oversees funding appropriated to local governments in New Mexico. Prior to this, she worked for the Department of Defense on tasks prioritizing and executing fiscal responsibilities to best serve critical stakeholders such as the U.S. Forces Korea, U.S. Forces Japan, and 36 nations. All of which required and reported to the President of the United States, Congressional Committees, and the Secretary of Defense. She is also a decorated Marine Corps Veteran, serving both overseas and in the continental U.S. (CONUS) during her active-duty time in service.

Bison Star Naturals, located in Taos, New Mexico, is a family run body care company built from the ground up. Jacquelene manages the company's wholesale accounts, social media marketing campaigns, website development & maintenance, and other components of building a brand. Jacquelene has worked to get Bison Star's lotion line into locations including Yellowstone National Park, the Albuquerque International Sun Port and other locations around the Nation. Connect with her on social media and check out the #BisonStarBuild to see how a small, family business from New Mexico is expanding.

Greg Miller, FASLA has twenty-eight years of experience as a landscape architect, and is a Principal with the firm Pland Collaborative in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has developed a design philosophy that integrates sustainable development trends with site specific ecological and human needs. He has recently been a speaker at national and regional conferences on topics including: inclusive play area design, the evolution of play environments, enriching landscapes with appropriate cultural design elements, and creating green schoolyards. He has worked extensively with municipalities and other governmental agencies to develop iconic parks and recreation facilities that play a key role in economic development.

Scott Nydam is a former professional cyclist, passionate community advocate, and Founder of Silver Stallion Bicycle & Coffee Works, a nonprofit based in Gallup, New Mexico providing youth cycling programs as an instrument for improved health and wellness in communities throughout the Navajo Nation. Since 2018, Silver Stallion has been instrumental in bringing numerous cycling programs and partnerships to the Navajo region, including school-based P.E. and bicycle mechanic programs. Currently the Silver Stallion serves hundreds of kids annually, providing free bike distribution, mobile mechanic service, after-school clubs, and race team opportunities.

Thora Padilla became President of the Mescalero Apache Tribe on January 12, 2024. Prior to that she worked for the Mescalero Apache Tribe as Director for the Division of Resource Management and Protection. She helped to establish and develop this program, which started out as the Office of Environmental Protection in 1994. She also worked 8 years with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Mescalero Agency as a Timber Sale Forester. Ms. Padilla has served on the New Mexico State Parks Advisory Board, the US Forest Service Collaborative Forest Restoration Program Technical Advisory Panel, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service Western Regional Tribal Conservation Advisory Council.

Sarah Piano was raised in Gallup and was elected to office as a City Councilor in March 2022. She is an advocate of Gallup’s beautiful outdoors, including 30 miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as the diverse multi-cultural heritage. As a Councilor, she is working to strengthen the relationship between the city, county, and tribal government and is focused on investing in infrastructure and quality of life initiatives. Sarah has a background in fundraising and public relations and is the Senior Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters Mountain Region.

As a career public land recreation manager, Angie now manages daily operations of New Mexico’s State Parks, as well as the Law Enforcement and Boating Bureau and the Marketing Program. Prior to serving in this role, she had a 26-year career with the National Park Service (NPS) where she held several positions in interpretation, science communication, resource management and park management. She worked at eleven national park units, one regional office and the national office for the Climate Change Response program. She started her career with the NPS at Chaco Culture National Historical Park and ended it as the Superintendent at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.

As SFCT’s Trails Program Manager since the start of 2014, Tim Rogers organizes volunteers to help maintain and build local trails, takes hundreds of local students out to public trails and open space each year through the Passport to Trails program, supports SFCT’s “Vamonos/Santa Fe Walks” series of 30 annual community walks, and coordinates the multi-faceted Safe Routes to School program promoting walking and biking to school in Santa Fe. Tim is well-known in the Santa Fe area for his “Community Cruise” bicycle rides, and in 2015, Tim received national recognition for his statewide work to promote physically-active transportation in the form of the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors‘ “Cullen Award.”

Eddie Ryan serves as the Manager of Events and Strategic Partnerships for the Village of Ruidoso, bringing more than 30 years of experience in tourism, event production, and community engagement. Over the course of his career, Eddie has led major expositions, festivals, sporting events, and cultural initiatives that drive economic development and highlight the unique character of the region. With a deep passion for storytelling through experiences, Eddie is currently spearheading efforts to strengthen Ruidoso’s tourism economy through bold new ventures in film, music, and outdoor recreation-based tourism. Through these initiatives, Ruidoso is building on its reputation as a premier destination in the Southwest.

Dave Simon has over 35 years of experience in the parks, conservation and recreation field. He has served as Director of the City of Albuquerque’s Parks and Recreation Department since March 2018. Dave provides overall leadership for a City department with an annual budget of $42 million that is responsible for nearly 300 neighborhood parks, 30,000 acres of open space, 15 aquatic facilities, four municipal golf courses, numerous sports and recreation facilities, and the world-famous Balloon Fiesta Park.
He has held senior public service leadership positions in New Mexico. Mr. Simon was Director of New Mexico State Parks (2003-2010), Assistant Commissioner at the New Mexico State Land Office (2002), and worked 16 years with the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association in Washington, D.C. and the Southwest.

Raised in mountainous Roseburg Oregon, Russ has been a lifelong avid outdoorsman. As a multi talented creative and event planner, Russ has been the creative co-director of the New Mexico Outdoor Economics Conference since its founding in 2018. While Conference attendees know Russ for his quick smile and behind the scenes logistics coordination, the City of Las Cruces celebrates Russ as the founder and coordinator of its New Year’s Eve Chile Drop, and Halloween Zombie Walk. In 2024 Russ was honored as the “Tourism Professional of the Year” by the New Mexico Hospitality Association.

As the Executive Director of Outdoor New Mexico and the New Mexico Outdoor Economics Conference, Jeff is one of New Mexico’s leading conservation voices. Outdoor New Mexico has worked with over 140 communities, pueblos and tribes statewide to provide policy training, entrepreneurial support, and education to promote conservation and sustainable outdoor recreation within New Mexico’s diverse public lands. He helped lead the successful campaign to establish the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, and as a State Legislator, authored legislation creating the Rio Grande Trail, New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division, and Outdoor Equity Fund. In 2024 Steinborn was named the ``Elected Official of the Year`` by the New Mexico Recreation and Parks Association.

Getting into the family business at an early age, Nick was guiding fisherman before he was old enough to drive them to the river, and by the age of 17, Nick was a member of the U.S. Junior Fly fishing team. In 2004 Nick, along with his wife Chrissy, re-opened the Taos Fly Shop. The shop has grown from its humble beginnings and is now Northern NM’s premier fly shop. Understanding early on in his career that a thriving business would depend on healthy rivers, Nick got into conservation volunteering for such groups as Trout Unlimited and the Wildlife Federation. In 2023 he became the executive director of Friends of Rio Grande, Del Norte, a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument, near Taos.

Ben Thomas has served as Rocky Mountain Youth Corps’ Executive Director since 2014. Prior to that, Ben has served multiple roles at RMYC including Corpsmember, Crew Supervisor, Program Coordinator, and Manager. Rocky Mountain Youth Corps is a youth development organization where young adults are inspired to make a positive difference in themselves and their communities. Through service projects in the conservation, health, and education fields, members prepare for their next steps in life. In 2016, RMYC engaged their first Deaf and Hard of Hearing Crew, and in 2022, launched a Public Health Crew in partnership with AmeriCorps.

Deborah Torres (Tewa, San Ildefonso Pueblo) is a visionary leader in Native American cultural tourism, business development, and economic empowerment. As the founder of Passport to Pueblo Country, she has created immersive, community-led cultural experiences that celebrate Pueblo heritage and generate meaningful economic impact for tribal communities. She also serves as a Native Business Development Liaison with the City of Santa Fe Office of Economic Development, where she champions Indigenous entrepreneurship, supports Native-owned enterprises, and develops sustainable tourism models rooted in tribal sovereignty and cultural preservation.

Elmer Torres is a tribal member of Powohgeh Owingeh (Tewa) “Where the Water Cuts Through.`` He and his wife, Deborah, are the owners of ``Passport to Pueblo Country,`` a business that offers guided tours of northern New Mexico's cultural landscapes. He is also a former Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Tribal Council member for San Ildefonso Pueblo. Elmer brings Pueblo teachings to life through storytelling and immersive cultural experiences that connect people to place—whether walking the ancestral paths of Tsankawi or welcoming guests to experience the heartbeat of Pueblo life.

Warren Unsicker has worked in the economic development field since 2005 and is one of a handful of Certified Economic Developers (CEcD’s) in New Mexico. In his role as the Director of Farmington’s “Outdoor Recreation Industry Initiative, ORII” Warren has helped lead efforts to develop innovative outdoor amenities in and around Farmington, making it a leader in the state’s outdoor economy. Recently, Farmington created a whitewater wave feature in the Animas River, enabling new aquatic recreation activities, and assisting in providing additional water to farmers. He and his wife and two children spend much of their free time living up to the tag line for the area, “where outdoor lovers and active families thrive.”

Emily Wolf has a M.Sc. in Water Resources from the University of New Mexico, and worked with the school of Civil Engineering at the University of New Mexico on water quality analysis and community science. She has worked on erosion mitigation and community-led river & watershed restoration, education, and policy initiatives on landscapes and with diverse communities across Colorado and New Mexico, including Tribal, agency, and private partners.