Buck Rock Foundation Board of Directors

Buck Rock Foundation

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kathryn Ball, President / Executive Director
Wendy Garton, Secretary / Director
Matthew Geer, Treasurer / Director
Leatrice (Lea) Dotters, Director
Jeff Hannel, Director
Stacey Hannel, Director
Glenn R. Stewart, Ex-Officio Director
Jeff Monaco, Ex-Officio Director
Bruce Handel, Ex-Officio Director
Mark Swift, Ex-Officio Director

	Kathryn Ball, President/Executive Director – Kathy has worked 15 years as a forest fire lookout for the Hume Lake Ranger District of Sequoia National Forest. Since 1995, she has trained all incoming fire lookouts at both Delilah and Buck Rock Lookouts and currently supervises the Volunteer Fire Lookout program for the district. Kathy has a broad background in business management, customer service, advertising, public relations and promotions. Currently she is the Central California/Nevada Director for the Forest Fire Lookout Association and serves on the Project Coordination Committee for the New Century of Service for Fire Lookouts. Kathy was the recipient of the 2004 Doug Newman Award in “recognition of exceptional achievement and dedicated service in the restoration of historic fire lookouts in California.”
	Wendy Garton, Secretary/Director – A native of Clovis California, Wendy graduated from CA State University, Fresno with a degree in Private Recreation. As Manager of Clovis Lakes (now Wild Water Adventures) she helped develop the recreation park by expanding it into a premier water park and group picnic facility. After raising 3 children, Wendy re-joined the workforce as a substitute teacher and volunteer for local organizations in the Dunlap area. She began her lookout career in 2001 with the Highway Fire, near Delilah Lookout. In 2002, she received the CA State Assembly Certificate of Recognition for her service. After 2 seasons full time at Delilah, she joined the volunteer ranks of the Buck Rock Foundation. Since 2003, she has been the Volunteer Lookout Coordinator for the Foundation, while volunteering at Buck Rock, Delilah and Park Ridge Lookouts. Besides the Foundation, Wendy continues to work as a Substitute Teacher and is on the Board of Directors of the Oak to Timberline Fire Safe Council.
	Matthew Geer, Treasurer/Director -Matthew has worked on innumerable award-winning features, commercials, and documentaries for over 17 years, with the last twelve concentrating in the large-format arena. He has traveled all over the world enhancing his film-making experience. Currently he is helping develop several Imax projects, while working on independent documentary films about wildfire, wildlife and fire lookouts. Matthew has degrees in English and Psychology from The College of William and Mary and is a published author.
	Leatrice (Lea) Dotters, Director – Lea has held secretarial positions in many organizations including Parent-Teachers Associations and the Kern County Mineral Society. She was the Vice President of Dotters and Testerman Equipment Company, Inc. of Visalia and has experience in public relations, drafting, bookkeeping and editing and publishing newsletters. Lea worked for the Hume Lake Ranger District as a clerk and dispatcher and was the first female fire lookout at Buck Rock Lookout. She currently volunteers as a lookout at Buck Rock and has recently written a children’s pocket guide called “Exploring the Natural History of the Southern Sierra Nevada as Viewed from Buck Rock Lookout”.
	Jeff Hannel, Director – Jeff works as an Engineering Geologist with the Regional Water Quality Control Board providing oversight of polluted groundwater cleanups. Jeff has over 20 years experience performing environmental cleanups and investigations including local projects at Stony Creek, Lodgepole, Grant Grove, and Hartland Christian Camp. Jeff staffed Breckenridge Lookout for the 1981 fire season and was a member of the Lake Isabella Fire Engine crew for the 1982 and 1983 fire Seasons. Other volunteer work has included President of his children’s school’s Parent Club for four years, volunteering with United Way, and working with the Knights of Columbus. Jeff first visited Buck Rock in 2000, and has been a volunteer lookout since.
	Glenn R. Stewart, Ex-Officio Director – Glenn is a program manager for the U. C. Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group. Today, his work is focused primarily on community outreach and education. Formerly, he served as project leader for bald eagle population recovery efforts on California’s Central Coast, and Harris’ hawk population recovery along the lower Colorado River for the Predatory Bird Research Group. He has also participated in peregrine falcon recovery efforts and is co-author of a California statewide study of the northern goshawk. Glenn studied bald eagles in Prince William Sound for three months following the Exxon-Valdez oil spill. He directed Idaho’s largest conservation organization, the Idaho Conservation League, for five years during the early 1990’s. Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group
	Jeff Monaco, Ex-Officio Director – Jeff is the Solid Waste Manager for the County of Tulare, in California. He has a long history of conservation experience in both the non-profit and governmental arenas, including his role as general manager for the Butte Environmental Council. He is currently enrolled in a Masters program in Political science at California State University at Fresno and aspires to be a local political gadfly. He first began volunteering weekends to staff the Buck Rock and Delilah lookouts in 1997 and regrets his recent inability to continue doing so.
	Bruce Handel, Ex-Officio Director - Bruce works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as Project Manager for their Defense Environmental Restoration Program and recently concluded the management of the environmental cleanup of the Presidio of San Francisco. He coordinates all project decisions with state and federal regulatory agencies and oversees a budget of over 20 million dollars. Bruce spent several summers working seasonally in Sequoia Forest as a cave tour guide and wildlife surveyor.
	Mark Swift, Ex-Officio Director – Mark works as the District Archaeologist for the Chemult Ranger District of the Winema National Forest in Oregon. His interest and involvement in historic preservation of fire lookouts is vast and includes research, documentation, presentations, and restoration projects in Oregon, Washington, Nevada and California. Mark is a member of the Forest Fire Lookout Association and heads the National Historic Lookout Register's Nomination and Research Committee. In 1998 Mark nominated Buck Rock Lookout to the National Register.