Our Staff
CDTA Senior Staff
Steve Dudley, Executive Director
Steve Dudley is not who you would consider a “typical” Executive Director of a Trail focused non-profit organization. Steve has been a management consultant to the housing industry by profession and he has been both a successful COO and managed a division “turn-around” in the recent past. He is an experienced hiker and outdoorsman and can keep up with anyone on the trail. Steve understands all of the challenges facing the organization and since arriving in Pine, has been taking the necessary steps to move CDTA into its next era of growth and development. Steve joined CDTA’s staff in October 2008. Email: steve at cdtrail.org
Teresa Martinez, Director of Field Operations
Teresa has more than 20 years of experience in the outdoor recreation field, outdoor and youth education, natural resource management and in trail design, construction and management. Her background includes a Bachelor of Science Degree in Wildlife Management from Virginia Tech and a Masters of Science Degree in Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, also from Virginia Tech. Prior to her work with CDTA, Teresa served as the Trail Program Director for Virginia for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, where she helped design, construct and manage over 500 miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in Virginia Teresa is also a Master of Leave No Trace and for the past 8 years served as an Instructor of Master Educators for NOLS, the USFS and Landmark Learning. Teresa is CDTA’s representative on the Board of Directors for the Partnership for the National Trails System. When not working at CDTA, you can usually find Teresa hitting the trails on her mountain bike or hiking with her junkyard dog. Teresa was hired in the summer of 2007. Email: teresa at cdtrail.org
CDTA Staff
Jerry Brown, CDTA Mapping Project Leader
Jerry Brown is a survey professional with 25 years of international experience. He has published maps and guides for a number of long distance trails, including The Colorado Trail, The Tahoe Rim Trail, and the Lost Silver Trail of Copper Canyon, Mexico. He is currently a member of a field crew that is hiking the CDNST with professional grade gps equipment to produce new maps and guides.
Brenda Dolan Hobgood, Education Program Manager
Brenda has over 15 years of experience designing, implementing and coordinating education,outreach and reacreation programs in a multitude of non-profit and private sectors. Prior to the CDTA, she worked in innovative settings as an early childhood teacher,environmental educator,and therapeutic recreation instructor. Brenda graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver with a Masters of Arts Degree in Educational Psychology and earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and Speech Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Brenda has worked within CDTA’s Volunteer Department since January of 2005. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, recreating outdoors, reading, gardening, traveling and tackling activities that challenge her to step outside of her comfort zone. Email: brenda at cdtrail.org.
Shannon Freix, Montana Regional Representative
Shannon comes to CDTA from a very diverse background and brings her adaptability and pioneering spirit to CDTA’s staff as the Montana Regional Representative. She brings extensive program management experience to this position as the former Program Director of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation – a current CDTA trail partner working in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. Her previous experiences include volunteer trail project coordination, project management and community outreach, however, she will never turn down an opportunity to get out on the trail and swing a pulaski! Shannon’s diverse experience includes international marketing and outdoor education; an added bonus in the office and in the field. When she’s not hard at work, Shannon enjoys whitewater kayaking, hiking and camping (for fun), knitting and cuttin’ a rug on the nearest dance floor. Shannon was hired in July 2009. Email: shannon at cdtrail.org.
Stephanie Friday, Volunteer Programs Manager
Venturing out into the wilderness has always given Stephanie a heightened sense of peace and belonging. Ever since she was little, she’s enjoyed setting out on foot or horseback just to “get away from it all”. Stephanie graduated college in 2004 from Indiana University. After college, she headed to North Carolina where she was a youth camp counselor. In spring of 2005, she accepted an AmeriCorps position in Denver as a Volunteer Coordinator, which was a great opportunity to network in the non-profit field and support volunteers of all ages. In March of 2006 Stephanie began her work with the Continental Divide Trail Alliance. The volunteers and CDT are such an inspiration to her working as the Volunteer Program Manager. Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Trail and she cannot tell you enough what they mean to the organization and the CDT. Email: stephanie at cdtrail.org.
Eric Herbst, GIS Mapping Assistant
Eric has been a CDTA crew leader for the last two seasons, which makes him CDTA’s face in the field with our volunteers. He has three years of trail construction experience, including a certified Colorado Outdoor Training Initiative crew leader, a crew leader trainer, Wilderness First Responder and is CPR certified. In 2007, he completed a full-time AmeriCorps leadership program with Mile High Youth Corps, where he received the equivalent of an S212 chainsaw certification in basic maintenance and operations. Eric also volunteered in at a Guatemala orphanage where he facilitated a physical education program and taught English. He has worked as a professional backcountry snowmobile guide with Nova Guides, while he was volunteering for the Leadville Ranger District in Leadville and is now also a volunteer with SOS Outreach taking underprivileged youth snowboarding. Eric is making the switch this winter, working with our GIS program and then he will be a mapping team member helping map the Trail in MT, WY, and NM. Email: eric at cdtrail.org.
Christine Honeman, Office Manager
Chris grew up in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and graduated from Oklahoma State University and moved to Colorado in 1990. Chris has always had an affinity to the outdoors and to the mountains in particular. Chris currently lives at the top of a mountain with a menagerie of critters. She has many interests which include fishing, camping, jeeping, and gardening, but is widely respected as a pool shark having won several tournaments in the past few years including the North American 8-ball Championship in Las Vegas, NV. Email: Christine at cdtrail.org.
Jon Pierson, New Mexico Field Program Coordinator
Jon will begin working for CDTA in November 2009. He recently graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Parks & Recreation Management after completing a required internship as a Backcountry Ranger in Yellowstone National Park. While at NAU, he served two terms as President of the Hiking Club. Some of his previous experiences include working as an expedition guide in the US Virgin Islands, a Trail Crew Leader for the Florida Trail Association, and a Trail Crew Supervisor for the Coconino Rural Environment Corps in Arizona. In addition, he has completed several conservation internships with the Student Conservation Association. In 2007 he raised $1400 for a non-profit foundation while riding from Mexico to Canada along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route which cris-crosses the CDT. He is certified as a Wilderness First Responder and as a USFS Wildland Firefighter. He also enjoys photography, music, teaching, and playing ultimate frisbee. Jon is very excited about getting to explore new sections of the CDT in NM.
Kerry Shakarjian, GIS Program Manager
Kerry has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Biology from the University of Montana and a Master’s degree in Geographic Information Science from the University of Denver. Her experience includes planning and monitoring field based data collection related to trails, cabins, vegetation, hydrology and fisheries while employed with the USFS in Southeast Alaska as well as in Colorado. While working for the USFS, she was exposed to Geographical Information Systems (GIS) as it relates to using field collected data to update GIS for natural resource management. Kerry began her position at CDTA in October of 2006. Her role is to work closely with federal, state, local and private agencies in order to keep track of management data along the trail. Kerry is currently working on setting up a GIS server for storing all the CDNST spatial data with multiple user access to better maintain edits to the CDNST spatial data as well as creating a web based mapping application for public use to access CDNST spatial data. Kerry has worked with CDTA since October 2006. Email: kerry at cdtrail.org
Josh Shusko, Communications Coordinator
Josh joined the CDTA staff in 2007 and has seven years of experience in nonprofit public relations. For more than four years he worked for America’s Community Bankers, a Washington, D.C.-based trade association. His experience includes media relations, website coordination, e-communications, client/member relationship management and strategic planning. Josh has an extensive writing and editing background that includes press releases, newsletters, articles and marketing materials. In 2006, he fulfilled a lifelong dream when he thru-hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, a journey more than five months and 2,100 miles in length. Josh has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Virginia Tech. Email: josh at cdtrail.org
Barbi Springer, Bookkeeper
Bob Woods, New Mexico Regional Representative
Bob began working for CDTA in August 2008. Before moving to New Mexico as CDTA’s first Regional State Representative, he spent the previous 7 years doing similar work as the Trail Program Coordinator for the Florida Trail Association on the Florida National Scenic Trail. He has also worked as an Oregon State Park Ranger in the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, a Park Ranger at Oxbow County Park in Oregon, and an Interpretive Ranger at Hovenweep National Monument in Utah. He has lead volunteer crews from the Student Conservation Association, Americorps, the American Hiking Society, Youth-at-Risk, and Alternative Spring Breaks. Bob is certified as a Leave No Trace Master Educator and a Wilderness First Responder. In addition, he also has been certified by the US Forest Service for rigging, tree climbing, chainsaw, and crosscut saws. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors for the NM Volunteers for the Outdoors, one of our partner organizations. When he’s not out exploring the CDT, you may find him fishing, paddling, reading, taking pictures, or playing with his dog, Chili. Email: bob at cdtrail.org.
Volunteers:
Jerry and Helga Bell
Jerry and Helga are two of CDTA’s most committed volunteers. Together they helped found the Crew Chef Program in 2002 and are still active Chefs on CDTA trail projects. For the past two years, they have led our Crew Chef training in Colorado. This couple has taken the lead on cleaning all the cook gear that comes back from our projects and organizing the CDTA gear sheds. Off the Trail, Helga helps out in the office every week. Jerry also donates his time in the office helping with construction and building needs. All together this amazing couple has contributed over 3,900 volunteer hours towards CDTA efforts!
Karl Luce
Karl Luce has held roles in product engineering, mechanical analysis, management and professional training within Fortune 500 companies for over 20 years. His outdoor interests include hiking and skiing. He has hiked the Appalachian Trail, Long Trail, NE 4000-footers, and portions of the North Country Trail and Continental Divide Trail. He maintained a section of the AT and worked trail crews on the AT and CDT. He graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology ‘85. This fall, Karl began volunteering with CDTA as our Razor’s Edge Guru.