Panelists

Dr. Emily Wakild is Professor of History and Director of the Environmental Studies Program in the School of Public Service. She earned her B.A. from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon in 1999 and her Ph.D. in History from the University of Arizona in 2007. Her research interests include social and environmental change across time and space with a particular emphasis on conservation and national parks. Much of her research relates to national parks in Latin America and she has also written extensively about teaching.

She is the author or co-author of Revolutionary Parks: Conservation, Social Justice, and Mexico’s National Parks, (University of Arizona Press, 2011) with Michelle K. Berry, Primer for Teaching Environmental History (Duke 2018) and The Nature State: Rethinking the History of Conservation (Routledge 2017). In August of 2022 she will become the Cecil D. Andrus Endowed Chair for the Environment and Public Lands and she is eager to continue working with the Andrus Center in this new capacity.

Ken Paur retired as the Regional Attorney for the Mountain Region of the USDA Office of the General Counsel at the end of 2020. Ken began working for OGC in 1991 as an attorney in the Ogden office where Ken’s legal practice included advising the Forest Service regarding administration of the SNRA. Ken began his career as a forester in 1979 working for the States of Utah, Colorado, and Virginia, as a land surveyor in the private sector, and as a Land Law Examiner and Natural Resources Specialist with the USDI Bureau of Land Management after earning degrees in forestry and land surveying from Paul Smith’s College (1979) and Utah State University (1983). He graduated from George Mason University School of Law in 1989, where he was awarded an Environmental Law Fellowship to study water law and served as a law student intern with the U.S. Department of the Interior. He was admitted to the Virginia Bar in 1989. He now lives in northern Utah where he works as a consultant part time.

Kathryn Davis Grohusky is serving in her third year as the executive director of the Sawtooth Society. Grohusky brings diverse skills to the role including leadership development, public-private conservation partnerships, natural resources management, not-for-profit business management and development, environmental education, and coaching. Previously, she served as Faculty for the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs Aspiring Leaders Program (vALP) offering coaching through the business she founded, CoachGro LLC. Prior to coaching, she served as the Manager of the Summit County Community & Senior Center in Frisco, CO. and as the Assistant Director of Keystone Science School in Keystone, CO. Her leadership skills also include fifteen years of guiding for The National Outdoor Leadership School and other guiding companies. Grohusky earned her MS in Natural Resources Recreation and Tourism from Colorado State University and her BS from The Colorado College.

Born and raised in Soda Springs, Idaho. Honeymooned at Redfish Lake Lodge 33 years ago. Father of six children. Grandfather of three grandchildren. Graduated from Brigham Young University. Degree in Advertising/Marketing. Retail District Manager for Franklin Covey for nine years. Entering 24th year as General Manager of Redfish Lake Lodge.

Angenie McCleary has served as Blaine County Commissioner since 2008. Her background in health and human services with a strong emphasis on work with youth and youth issues. She has a Masters in Social Work with a focus on policy. Prior to being a commissioner she founded YAK! (Youth Adult Konnections), a healthy youth development program of St. Luke’s Wood River Valley and was the Wood River Middle School Social Worker. Angenie’s experience helps her understand the challenges facing Blaine County families and her community organizing experience led to her desire to serve in public office. Of particular interest to Angenie are the issues of mental health and substance abuse services, environmental protection, fire restoration and mitigation, public transportation and mobility, affordable housing, and integration of Blaine County’s growing Latino population.

Jim Lyons was a Lecturer and Research Scholar at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (now the Yale School of the Environment) from 2000 – 2003 and continued to lecture in natural resource policy until 2020.  Last summer, Jim also taught at the University of Montana and served as an advisor to the O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West. Previously he was a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Jim was Senior Staff on the House Committee on Agriculture from 1986 – 1992 where he helped develop the conservation and forestry titles of the 1990 Farm Bill and led congressional efforts to resolve the emerging conflict over old-growth forest management in the Pacific NW and the fate of Pacific salmon and the northern spotted owl.

Under President Clinton, Jim served as USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment (1992-2000) where he oversaw the Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.  He was an architect of President Clinton’s Northwest forest plan and helped lead the effort to protect 58 million acres of National Forest roadless areas.  Jim also helped initiate and lead the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project directing the Department of the Interior and the USDA Forest Service to develop a scientifically sound and ecosystem-based strategy for management of “eastside forests” in the northern Rockies.

Under President Obama, Jim was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Lands and Minerals Management in the Interior Department (DOI) from 2013-2016 where he advanced a number of public land management initiatives.   At DOI, Jim helped lead the effort to protect the Greater sage grouse across 11 western states, developed policies to mitigate the impacts of public land use on natural resources and the environment, established an interagency strategy for addressing the threat of rangeland fires, and advanced efforts to promote clean energy production on public lands.

Jim has been recognized as a distinguished alum by Rutgers University (1995) and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (2019) for his contributions to the fields of conservation and natural resource management.

Kirk Flannigan is the Area Ranger for the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, where he oversees the management of this area since the summer of 2015. In October 2021 Kirk was named Ranger of the Year for the U.S. Forest Service’s Intermountain Region, which covers the National Forest System in Utah, Nevada, southern Idaho and western Wyoming. Prior to coming to the Sawtooth NRA Kirk was at the Deschutes National Forest in Bend, Oregon, where he served as deputy district ranger for the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District. He previously served as the acting district ranger for the Santa Catalina Ranger District in Tucson, Arizona, and as a recreation and lands staffer for both the Sisters Ranger District in Sisters, Oregon, and the Pine Valley Ranger District in St. George, Utah. Kirk holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Utah in natural resource recreation management and planning. Originally from Georgia, he has resided in the West since 1994

Cliff Hansen was raised in Custer County.  He attended grade school in Stanley, ID and high school in Challis, ID.  Cliff began his entrepreneurial pursuits in construction soon after graduating from high school in 1960.  In 1979 Cliff purchased a ranch in Challis, ID which he still owns today. Cliff also managed the family ranch in Stanley, ID and did construction work on the side.

Cliff has always taken his civic duty to his community very seriously. Cliff was a member and the president of the Sawtooth Valley Association for many years during the late 60’s.  This organization fought against turning the Sawtooth Valley near Stanley, ID into a park and helped establish the multiple use concept of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Cliff also served as a board member for School District 171 for 6 years and a Custer County Commissioner for 20 years. He has long been respected for his integrity in these positions.

At 80 years old Cliff continues to ranch in the Stanley Basin.

Deb Bitton was raised on a potato farm in Central Oregon. She went to Oregon State University to receive her Bachelor degree in Education and meet her future husband. Her first teaching job was in Horseshoe Bend Idaho where she taught for four years before marrying an inspiring young Outfitter, Jeff Bitton, living in Stanley Idaho. They immediately purchased the Outfitting business, Mystic Saddle Ranch, from Jeff’s parents and dove into the tourism business in the Sawtooth Valley, the heart of the SNRA.

Mystic Saddle Ranch provided summer horseback pack trips into the Sawtooth Wilderness and the Frank Church Wilderness, hunting trips in the fall, and provided trail rides at Redfish Lake and Galena. Over two hundred thousand guests were introduced to the memory making adventures of the SNRA during the Bitton’s ownership of Mystic Saddle Ranch. After 37 years, the Bittons handed over the reins of the business to Mystic Saddle Ranch guides, Mat and Bekah Cain, in 2016.

Some of Deb’s many responsibilities included guest reservations, meeting and greeting guests, food preparations, training guides and advertising the businesses. One of the best joys of her job was sharing this special place with people from all over the world.

In addition to managing the Outfitting business, Deb also became a Real Estate agent, handling property sales in the SNRA. She has a great understanding of the Scenic Easement process in the SNRA.

Deb and Jeff own property at Fisher Creek where they have enjoyed countless mornings watching the sunlight dance it’s way down the Sawtooth Mountains. They feel blessed to have been able to live and work in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.