Meet the Team!
Staff
Jon Hare
Advocacy Director
Jon arrived at HCCA after a 20-year career with the US Forest Service, working on public lands as a Lands and Minerals specialist, fisheries technician, winter snow ranger, wildland firefighter, and trail builder. His primary area of expertise is in the use of public land by federal, state, and local governments, public and private utilities, mining, recreation and more. After starting his career in the Gila National Forest, Jon spent 12 years on the White River National Forest, then 8 years on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest. Jon has lived in Gunnison since 2019 with his wife Bree and their two boys. The Hare family enjoys snow, water, and trails, as well as traveling to visit family. Jon emphasizes, “Public lands are the greatest asset in our community, yet reveal a legacy of impacts and continue to face threats at all levels. I am excited to represent HCCA to raise a clear and consistent voice to advocate for the conservation of public lands in Gunnison County to protect the health, integrity, and beauty of these places long into the future.”
Isabel Lucas
Administrator and Outreach Coordinator
Isabel first arrived at HCCA to serve an AmeriCorps term in the summer of 2023. She is excited to be a part of HCCA once again to use her skills and knowledge towards advocacy, stewardship and sustainability. She was born and raised in Gunnison and returned home in 2020 to finish her bachelor degree in Environment and Sustainability at Western Colorado University. Following her graduation, Isabel was eager to seek out opportunities that eventually led her to our organization where she assisted with the stewardship program. She is an enthusiastic outdoor user and is passionate about protecting the lands she grew up exploring. Currently, Isabel resides in Mt. Crested Butte where you can find her spending her free time enjoying the Gunnison Valley’s beautiful public lands.
Board of Directors
Sue Navy
Board President
Sue has lived in Crested Butte since 1971 and is a founding member of HCCA. She has worked on a wide variety of issues since 1977. Her volunteer work focuses on public lands protection, open space, the Gunnison Sage-Grouse and other community issues. She serves on the Gunnison Valley Land Preservation Board, Gunnison Basin Sage-Grouse Strategic Committee, and Gunnison County Sage-Grouse Mitigation Committee. Sue leads HCCA’s summer hike program, as hiking in our inspirational public lands and wilderness areas is her passion, and also helps coordinate fundraising and outreach events for HCCA. Her longevity in our community brings a relevant perspective to our work.
Derek Pankratz
Vice President
Derek is a researcher and writer focused on helping companies address climate change and operate more sustainably. He was born and raised in northeastern Wisconsin and moved to Colorado in 2018. Derek is passionate about public lands and wild places, and he also serves as the communications co-chair for Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. His conservation heroes include Aldo Leopold, Ed Abbey, Wendell Berry, and Greta Thunberg. Whenever possible he can be found rambling around our public lands on foot, bike, or skis, or with a nose in a book or crossword puzzle. He lives in Gunnison with his wife, two daughters, cat, and chickens.
Susan Toepfer
Treasurer
Susan first came to Crested Butte in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the community and the natural beauty. She and her husband (and two boys) spend as much time as possible recreating — hiking with her dogs, snowboarding, nordic skiing, and playing tennis — and enjoying the cultural activities the area offers. Susan is a recent empty-nester and has practiced employment law in Miami, FL for over 25 years and joined the HCCA board to devote new-found free tim to her lifelong passion of protecting wildlife and the environment.
Bryan Wells
Bryan (with his wife Susan and their two boys) first came to the area in 2017. He finds so much about the area to be amazing: Nature, music, radio, the restaurants and taverns, the bookstore, and the art. For Bryan, HCCA is existential; without our work, we all would likely not be here as the waters would be polluted from the mine, and the community would be drastically different. Bryan joined the board out of self-interest and love for the mountains, forests, lakes and streams, and the public lands. Also splitting time between Miami and CB, you can catch Bryan on his bike, fishing the local waterways, playing tennis, listening to the elk bugle or watching marmots in a state of zen, peace, and quiet.
Natalie Ehmsen
Natalie has lived in Gunnison County since 2002, first in Gunnison, and more recently, in Mt. Crested Butte. She recently retired from a 21-year career as a paralegal, specializing in contract law. Natalie joined the HCCA board in November 2021, to take her lifelong passion for protecting the environment to the next level. HCCA has a proven track record of meaningful conservation work, and she is thrilled to be a part of that work and to contribute to the legacy it has built over the years. Natalie also serves on the Gunnison Valley Land Preservation Board. She can generally be found with her grandson in her vegetable garden, kneading bread, hiking, or reading a book by the fire.
Courtney King
Courtney is originally from upstate New York, and moved to Gunnison in 2019 to pursueher M.S. in Ecology. She fell in love with public lands through fieldwork, physically demanding stewardship projects, and forays into the surrounding area. Her dedication to a life spent within and for the land only grew through some time away from the Gunnison Valley, as she hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and traveled throughout the West. Courtney is excited about work to conserve wildlife habitat and natural resources on the local scale that simultaneously promotes carbon storage and broader environmental action. Despite being a novice skier and hockey player, she tends to enjoy outdoor activities on the slower side – swimming, hiking, or hammocking with a good book in hand.
Daniel Kreykes
Daniel is a former marketing professional turned painter with a passion for public lands advocacy and clean water. Born and raised in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Daniel has tried to form his life around access to public lands and received his degree in Outdoor Education and Experiential Education from Brevard College in North Carolina. In 2014, he and his wife Ashley landed in Crested Butte and have been in love ever since. Together they have hiked more than 90% of all the trails in the county. A passionate whitewater kayaker and backcountry skier, Daniel first became interested in HCCA's mission because of his connection and love for the pristine headwaters of the Gunnison River basin.
Erika Brownlee
Erika first visited Crested Butte in 2018 for a Nordic skiing weekend and was blown away by the incredible scenery. She moved to the valley full-time in 2020 and has been in awe of the natural beauty of the public lands of the Elk Mountains every day since. Prior to working at another nonprofit in the Gunnison valley, Erika was a teacher for fifteen years. She spends her summers mountain biking with her wife Betty, playing tennis, and hiking with her dog Charlie. Winters are spent skiing and playing hockey. Erika is excited to be a member of the HCCA board and support the essential work of conserving and protecting our precious public lands.