Board of Directors 2009

The Board of Directors meets three times a year. 

Mark Harvey is a writer, photographer, filmmaker and student pilot. His documentary, " A Land out of Time" on the gas drilling boom in the Rocky Mountain West has garnered numerous awards. His first book, the NOLS Wilderness Guide, won the National Outdoor Book Award, and his writing and photography has been featured in many publications throughout the United States. Mark is also a shellfish farmer and raises oysters and mussels in southern Chile in the Chilean archipelago. He has served on various non-profit boards including High Country News, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, The Maki Foundation, and the Public Counsel of the Rockies. A lifelong outdoorsman, Mark has traveled, hiked, climbed, and skied extensively throughout the United States and Latin America.
Basalt, CO.

Peter McBride is a renowned National Geographic photojournalist, Basalt city councilman and outstanding outdoorsman, whose love of adventure, cultures and the outdoors have taken him on assignment throughout the world. Peter first entered journalism working as a writer for a natural resource publication called High Country News, after writing a thesis on public land ranching. Before journalism, Peter raced for the United States Development Ski Team and later went on to coach the University of Colorado Ski Team to a NCAA Division 1 Championship. His family runs the Sopris Foundation.
Basalt, Colorado.

Murray Cunningham is president of Aspen ski tours. He is an accomplished pilot and environmentalist and flies occasionally as a staff pilot for EcoFlight.
Aspen and Paonia, Colorado.

Ronald K. Sievert has over 25 years of experience in finance, accounting, and operations.  In addition to bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Ron earned his law degree from the University of California – Hastings College of the Law, specializing in tax and finance.  He was the president and co-owner of First Choice Properties & Management, an accountant for a Fortune 500 company, and the chief financial officer for two other companies. Ron was instrumental in the startup of a national organization, and oversaw financial due diligence in the merger and acquisition of two companies.  He has served on the Board of Directors of several businesses and non-profit organizations and has been an active participant in a number of charitable activities.
San Diego, California.

Heidi Binz Friedman is a realtor with Forbes in Vail, CO and has been involved in the ski industry for over 20 years.
Edwards, CO.

Jean Ringwalt is a partner in a wholesale import business, Mélange, which works with artisans in developing countries. She volunteers with Sopris Therapies, which is a non-profit organization that uses horses to assist people with disabilities.
Aspen, Colorado.

Bruce Gordon, EcoFlight’s president and chief pilot. Bruce was one of the original directors of Lighthawk and after helping to develop the programs and structure of the organization, he founded EcoFlight in 2002. His passion for the outdoors comes from years of climbing in the Himalayas and leading student outdoor educational trips; inspiring him to be an educator and staunch advocate for wild places and animals.
Aspen, Colorado.

Advisory Board Members

David Bonderman
Managing Partner, Texas Pacific Partners
Currently serves on the boards of The Wilderness Society, The Grand Canyon Trust, The World Wildlife Fund, the University of Washington Foundation and the American Himalayan Foundation.
Fort Worth, Texas, and Woody Creek, Colorado.

Adam Lewis
A philanthropist and businessman, Adam has focused his efforts on the environment. He was among the first donors to promote high-performance or green buildings more than a decade ago. Lewis currently supports organizations that are central to stopping mountain top removal and building a new economy that reclaims the ancient promise of Appalachia.  He is also engaged in other projects to launch efforts to stop climate change by funding an action plan for the new administration in 2009 including an energy policy for the United States built on efficiency, technological prowess, and renewable sources of energy. Lewis holds an Honorary Doctorate and serves on the board of Sustainable Settings, a farm-based education center, in Colorado. 
Aspen, Colorado.