Joe Albright:
After 30-some years as a foreign news correspondent, Joe Albright swapped the arena of worldwide politics for the dusty corrals of a dude ranch at the base of the Sleeping Indian.
From the 1960s through the 1990s, Joe reported from Washington, D.C., and more than 40 countries for Newsday and the Cox newspapers. In that time, he co-authored Bombshell: The Secret Story of America’s Unknown Atomic Spy Conspiracy and Their Promised Land: Arab and Jew in History’s Cauldron with his wife, Marcia Kunstel, and also wrote What Makes Spiro Run. After retiring from journalism in 2000, Joe and Marcia (a former Alliance board co-chair) moved full time to Jackson Hole, where they own and operate Flat Creek Ranch, a wilderness dude ranch.
Joining the board in February 2009, Joe calls the Alliance “our bulwark” and says that Jackson Hole’s most pressing challenge is reaching consensus on a growth path that preserves wildlife and community values.
A graduate of Williams College, Joe also serves on the boards of the Jackson Hole Historical Society, IC 21, St. John's Medical Center and the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming. He is past president of the board of the Rotary Foundation of Jackson Hole and past vice chair of the Wyoming Council for the Humanities and of the Teton County Library board. He’s also a state committeeman for the Teton County Democratic Party.
A straight shooter, Joe says that during his term on the Alliance board, he hopes to “help keep bad stuff from happening.”

Kniffy Hamilton:
Continuing her years-long commitment to conserving the nation’s public lands, recently retired Bridger-Teton National Forest Supervisor Kniffy Hamilton joined the Alliance board in August 2010.
“I’m delighted to be on the board of this very active conservation group, which works to protect the wildlife and natural resources that make this part of Wyoming such a treasure,” she says.
Hamilton retired in early June after 30 years of government service, more than 10 spent as forest supervisor of the 3.4-million-acre Bridger-Teton. During her tenure, Hamilton’s work with conservation organizations, other agencies and the Jackson Hole community to keep lands in the upper Gros Ventre and the Wyoming Range safe from energy development has been a major factor in keeping the area’s wildlife diverse and abundant. She also spearheaded efforts to help the Teton Park pronghorn herd by protecting its migration corridor between Jackson Hole and Sublette County.
A wildlife biologist by profession, Hamilton worked for the Bureau of Land Management for almost 20 years in various jobs before moving to Jackson and her position with the Forest Service in 1999.
“One of my core values is to work collaboratively with people to accomplish goals and objectives,” Kniffy says, adding that as an Alliance director, she’ll work to motivate the community to “take action in sustaining the quality of life we have in this unique ecosystem.”
“Maintaining open space, providing affordable housing for our workforce, limiting gas development in critical wildlife and recreation areas, and protecting habitat for large predators including wolves and grizzly bears are key issues,” she adds. “Using sound science is the key for finding solutions to these issues.”
A native of Colorado, Kniffy graduated from Colorado State University in Fort Collins with a degree in Biological Sciences and Secondary Education. She enjoys hiking, boating, cross-country skiing, exercising and playing with her three young granddaughters.

Nancy Hoffman:
A supporter of the Conservation Alliance since the early days, retired real estate broker Nancy Hoffman was welcomed back home to the board in July 2008.
Nancy owned Ely Associates Property Management in Jackson for 17 years and retired in the late ’80s to enjoy raising and racing quarter horses. “Had some winners, too,” she says with pride.
Having lived in the Jackson Hole area for more than 30 years, Nancy also said she hopes her experience, history and familiarity with the issues will prove to be a good resource for the Alliance. “Finding a good Comprehensive Plan that truly meets the vision of the community and specifically protecting the wildlife and vistas that make Jackson Hole what it is are our most pressing issues,” she added.
Nancy’s other volunteer work includes serving as president of the Star Valley Land Trust Chapter of the Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust, vice president of the newly formed Therapeutic Riding STAR group in Star Valley, and secretary of the Sweetwater Irrigation Company. She’s also involved with the Horse Council of Wyoming and the Wilderness Society, and was honored by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department as the 2007 and 2008 Landowner of the Year for the Jackson area for her outstanding land stewardship.

Taylor Phillips :
Growing up on the outskirts of Richmond, Virginia, Taylor Phillips spent a lot of time in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. “Early on, I developed a deep connection with the natural world,” he says. “But I also saw firsthand the results of sprawl and urbanization of a once rural location,” a fate he hopes this valley won’t share.
After graduating from Eckerd College, Taylor first visited Jackson Hole in 2002, when “with the balsamroot in full bloom, the bison roaming Antelope Flats and the Tetons piercing the heavens, my heart rose as I knew I had found a new home.”
“I immediately appreciated the unique wild character that remains here,” he says. “We have something special and we need to keep it.”
Since then, he’s put his degree in environmental studies and philosophy to use in jobs ranging from varied positions at Teton Science Schools to guiding for the Hole Hiking Experience to creating his own business, EcoTour Adventures. Taylor also found time for a 76-day Alaskan adventure, kayaking the entire 2,000-mile Yukon River with three friends, a trip he calls “a turning point of my life.”
“By experiencing the wildlife, natural sounds and solitude, I realized even more how the natural world needs to be cared for,” he says. This led to his commitment to work for sustainable ecotourism, and to join the Alliance’s board in April 2010. As a director, Taylor wants to engage younger community members in conservation issues. “A large part of Jackson Hole’s population recreates in and enjoys the outdoors, and if they see that it can be jeopardized then they will start to care,” he says. “Many of them do care but don’t know how or aren’t inspired to act. I hope to change that.”
Taylor’s other passions include backcountry skiing, biking, hiking, backpacking, fly-fishing and wildlife photography.

Debbie Reis:
A tried-and-true Alliance volunteer for many years, Debbie Reis was welcomed onto the board in Fall 2009. Raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Debbie made a trip out west in her teens that left a lasting impression: “We took a family vacation to Yellowstone – it was the first time I’d seen wildlife up close and I promised myself, ‘one day I’ll live in Jackson Hole.’ It took a while, but I finally made it!”
Debbie graduated from the Tudor Hall School in Indianapolis, Indiana, and studied child development at the University of Cincinnati before becoming a junior fashion model for advertisements and commercials. She has two daughters, Jenny (named after Jenny Lake) and Ashley, whom she first brought to Crescent H Ranch in 1991, returning each summer for six years before Debbie bought a home south of Wilson. At that time, public land in the neighboring Mosquito Creek area was about to be swapped for another piece of property and developed, and Debbie says she learned first-hand how involved the Alliance is as they “stepped in and stopped the swap.”
Meeting honorary Alliance board member Mardy Murie on Mardy’s 101st birthday also inspired Debbie. “I’ve always admired people who make a difference and I aspire to be that type of person,” she says. “I wanted to become a part of this wonderful group of caring and devoted people, who love Jackson Hole as much as I do, and want to do everything possible to protect this special place.”
As well as serving as chair of the Alliance’s development committee, Debbie volunteers for St. John’s Living Center, St. John’s Auxiliary and the National Museum of Wildlife Art, among others. As an Alliance board member, Debbie says that she “hopes to come up with creative ways to raise money for the Alliance, to encourage our younger generation to become members, and to work with others to preserve our natural resources and our community character in this beautiful valley – working together, we can all make a difference!”

Beverly Lane Smith:
We hated to lose her as a valued staffer in 2007, so we were very glad to welcome Beverly Lane back in her new role as board member in February 2009.
A third-generation conservationist, Beverly grew up in Charleston, S.C., and before her early 20s, managed to work for three political campaigns, intern in the U.S. Senate, volunteer in Zimbabwe and work at the ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge, “among other things,” she says modestly.
After graduating from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in History and interning at the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, Beverly moved to Jackson Hole. She learned about the Alliance when she bought one of our hybrid car raffle tickets, and ended up researching and writing grants for us as an intern. It was a short step from there to becoming our outreach associate in February 2006, organizing issues forums, events and field trips, again, among many other things!
Now working as volunteer operations coordinator for Trout Unlimited, Beverly says she hopes to help the Alliance create a solid base of active members under the age of 40. “Growing up in the low country of South Carolina and going to school in Virginia, most of my life has been surrounded by the remnants of history, a constant reminder of the lasting impacts of human events – good and bad,” she says. “I feel that I’m now living in a place and a time in which the community’s choices are more important than ever, impacting future generations in immeasurable ways. I want to be a part of making sure good choices are made.”
When she’s not out making the world a better place for all of us, Beverly’s most likely found floating and fishing the rivers of northwest Wyoming with her best friend, Baggs.

Pegi Sobey:
A professional fundraiser, Pegi Sobey brings a wealth of expertise to her role as Co-Chair of the Alliance Board and Chair of the Development Committee.
Pegi was born in Dayton, Ohio, the eighth of nine children, and worked and volunteered in Ohio, Florida, Texas and California before retiring to Moran with her husband, Doug, in 2001.
After working in law office management and stockholder relations with BFI, Pegi embarked upon a second career as development director and fundraising consultant for numerous nonprofits, including The Marine Mammal Center, Audubon Canyon Ranch, Marin Conservation League, Marin Audubon Society, San Francisco Estuary Institute, Yosemite National Institute, Marin Baylands Advocates and WildCare. She also provides volunteer assistance to Nature Mapping Jackson Hole and the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation.
Pegi's goals are to help the Alliance achieve ever greater impact through conservation leadership initiatives, while raising the profile of our shared conservation "brand" in the valley. She will also work through a successful planned giving program to continue to build a permanent endowment fund to sustain the Alliance’s fiscal stability and future conservation efforts.
Pegi enjoys traveling, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, golfing, playing cards, canoeing, wildlife viewing and videography/photography.

Mark Sullivan:
Alliance board member Mark Sullivan is an environmental attorney who started his career 15 years ago with Riverkeeper, Inc., the Hudson River-based environmental watchdog.
Mark spearheaded Riverkeeper’s watershed protection program, which aimed to protect water quality in the 2,000-square-mile region that feeds New York City’s remarkable drinking water supply. He then spent nearly five years at Carter Ledyard & Milburn in its prominent environmental practice, helping his clients fight suburban sprawl and strengthen New York’s urban core with infrastructure improvements and commercial development.
Today, Mark lives with his wife, architect Nona Yehia, and their two children in Wilson. He has his own private practice, and continues to represent environmental parties including Keep Yellowstone Nuclear Free and the Landowners for the Upper Green.
Mark says he joined the board in February 2011 “to protect our beautiful valley and improve the lives of its two- and four-footed denizens,” and hopes “to help lead the Conservation Alliance to even greater heights in its environmental advocacy and stewardship.”
“I believe that Jackson Hole’s greatest asset is its open space, whether publicly or privately owned,” he continues.“We must fight to protect every inch of land, for the sake of the wildlife, to preserve the extraordinary character of this place, and for the enjoyment of future generations. At the same time we can help ensure that our human community grows, becoming ever more vibrant and sustainable. Up not out, it is as simple as that.”
Admitted to practice law in both New York and Wyoming, Mark holds a B.A. in Political Science from Keynon College, as well as both a J.D. and an LL.M. in Environmental Law from Pace University.
Mark loves all things outdoors, and says he finds time to enjoy all that Jackson has to offer in that regard.

Nancy Taylor:
Some people have a green thumb -- Nancy Taylor has a green heart, mind and soul.
The author of “Go Green: How to Build an Earth Friendly Community,” Nancy also teaches classes in yoga, meditation and green building, has a business called Green Living and Building Consulting, and wrote the weekly “Going Green” column for Planet Jackson Hole from 2004 to 2009. Reflecting Nancy’s wide range of environmental interests, her columns, which now continue at www.22local.com, have covered the gamut from global warming to toxic chemicals to renewable energy.
“I am passionate about this natural environment and have a deep respect for the way the Alliance addresses conservation and planning issues in the region,” she said regarding her decision join the board. No stranger to community service, Nancy is also a member of the Authors Guild, the United States Green Building Council, the local Green Building Action Team and the resource group of Sustaining Jackson Hole. She’s also a former board chair of the Northern Rockies Action Group in Helena, Mont., and of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, Calif.
The mother of two daughters who also work in the environmental field, Nancy has a bachelor’s degree in science from the University of Denver and a master’s in social work from the University of California at Berkeley. Since 2004, each winter, she has taught a six-week course called “The Art of Green Living and Building” in collaboration with the Murie Center. In connection with her consulting business, she has worked with many homeowners and businesses on all aspects of green building, from solar site selection and construction materials, to indoor air quality and energy efficiency.
A resident of the valley off and on since 1973, Nancy lists oil and gas development, and “a lack of understanding of what is truly sustainable in this bioregion” as the most critical issues facing Jackson Hole today.

Shirley Thomas:
Looking after people’s well-being is second nature for recently retired health care administrator Shirley Thomas. Now, since joining the Conservation Alliance board in early 2010, she’s helping to care for an entire ecosystem.
A registered nurse with a bachelor’s degree in community health education and a master’s in health care administration, Shirley first became involved with the Alliance in the mid-1990s through her daughter, Heather (Thomas) Overholser. (Although Heather left the staff a while ago, she was a longtime Alliance employee who’s now head of Teton County’s recycling and solid waste program.)
“I’ve remained a member ever since,” says Shirley, “and I’m excited to be able to share some of my knowledge and passion for our wonderful community as a member of the board of this great organization.”
Shirley spent most of the past 10 years telecommuting from her Melody Ranch home to her job as director of the Solaris Physician Network in New Jersey; she retired in 2010. Her husband Daniel, a teacher at Jackson Hole High School since 2001, also recently retired, giving the couple more time to become involved in the community.
Shirley believes that the biggest issue facing Jackson Hole is “our development dilemma in a world that presses us to think only of the financial and to forget about the environmental impacts of our actions.”
“I hope that I can be someone who can discuss the pros and cons of our development issues and work toward making our town and county truly sustainable,” she adds. Besides the Alliance, Shirley serves on the Eco-Fair planning committee and also volunteers for the Center for the Arts, the Grand Teton Music Festival and the recycling center. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, skiing, watercolor painting, photography and cultivating her organic vegetable garden.

Carol Wauters:
Joining the Alliance board in early 2007, director Carol Wauters is no stranger to environmental work, or to the valley. She began visiting Jackson Hole 25 years ago, when her daughter Lexey became a ski instructor at the Village right out of college.
Carol moved here full time in 2002. Her undergraduate degree is in biology from Colby College in Maine, which she followed with research in immunology at Cornell Medical School before obtaining a Masters of Education from New York University.
While living in Croton-on-Hudson, Carol was part of a committee that achieved a special “school-within-a-school” in the Croton public school system, where she taught science and art. Other work included four years as assistant director of a political action group focusing on environmental and social problems in Westchester County, and volunteering for many years for the Hudson River Folk Festival in its campaign to clean up the river through “education, outreach and political persuasion.”
She has also volunteered for the Sierra Club and the Alliance, and believes in doing “whatever is required to maintain and preserve this very intricate ‘web of life’ of which we are but a part.”