Founded by the Coconino Natural Resource Conservation District, Willow Bend’s Board of Directors meets every 2nd Monday from 4:30-6:00p.m. at Willow Bend, 703 E. Sawmill Rd, Flagstaff (meetings are open to the public). Want to attend a meeting or have any questions to the board? Please e-mail info@willowbendcenter.org, or call (928) 779-1745.
Willow Bend Board of Directors
Andi Rogers, Board President /Senior Program Associate, Southwest Decision Resources
Andi is a wildlife biologist by training and is currently a Senior Program Associate with Southwest Decision Resources, a local facilitation company. She holds a B.S in Zoology from the University of Montana and a M.S in Wildlife Science from the University of Arizona. Recently, Andi’s career has focused on fostering collaboration in natural resources including skills in mediation, conflict resolution, and capacity building. Andi also loves to ride horses, hike with her dogs, bake bread, cross country ski and of course spend time with her family.
Eric Souders, Vice-Board President / Financial Advisor
Eric is an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor at Ascendant Financial Solutions with a focus on socially responsible and fossil fuel free investing. He has been active in the community during 20 years of living in Flagstaff volunteering for different organizations and serving on multiple boards. He is an active 4H leader and is well known as the “Camel and Llama guy”. Since his home is electrified by solar and heated by a “thermal solar/wood stove”, while his gardening ecosystem involves harvested rainwater, pest controlling chickens, and goat and llama fertilizers, one could say that sustainability is his passion.
Jillian Worssam, Board Secretary / Teacher (Retired)
Jillian is a retired educator. She received her first BS in Forestry, then received a BS in K-8 education and her master’s degree in Bilingual Multicultural Education. Jillian spent time in the Philippines as a US Peace Corps Volunteer and a year teaching in China. She is a certified Project Wild educator and prides herself on her outdoor education skills. The few years of Jillian’s teaching career were spent teaching Science in a local middle school. Jillian has participated in research projects in the Bering Sea and the Southern Ocean and has a passion for bringing learning out of the classroom and into the real data driven world.
Mary McKell, Treasurer / FUSD Counselor (retired)
Mary grew up in Minnesota and received a B.S. in Elementary Education from St. Cloud State University. After graduation she moved to Ft. Defiance on the Navajo Reservation and taught in the elementary grades for 5 years. She the n moved to Flagstaff and earned a Master’s degree in counseling and an Ed.D. in Educational Administration from NAU. Before retiring, she was an elementary school counselor. Mary serves on different non-profit boards including CCC& Y (Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth). She and her husband, who is a retired NAU professor, enjoy the many activities and diversity that Flagstaff has to offer.
Tabi Bolton, CNRCD Liaison / Supervisor, Campbell Global
Tabi is the Area Supervisor for Campbell Global’s Northern Arizona operations, where he manages forest activities. He is a Registered Professional Forester in the state of California. Tabi has worked in fish and wildlife biology, botany, forest certification (FSC & SFI), safe harbor agreements, land use agreements, and long-term planning. He also has extensive training in tribal relations, negotiating effective environmental agreements, facilitation, archaeology, and protocols for botanical surveys. Tabi holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from Cal Poly Humboldt. He lives in Flagstaff, AZ with his wife and their two children.
Michele James / Executive Director, Friends of Flagstaff’s Future
Michele is the executive director of Friends of Flagstaff’s Future. She has a B.S in wildlife biology, a Master’s from the Sustainable Communities Program, and a post-baccalaureate degree in Visual Communication. She spent over 15 years managing endangered and threatened species, working for federal agencies and non-profits in Oregon and Arizona. Michele enjoys hiking and camping with her family, photography, stained glass, poetry, and fixing up an old house in Flagstaff.
Ariel Leonard / Forest Planner, US Forest Service
Ariel was born and raised in Maryland. She attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio where she studied biology. Since she graduated in 1987, Ariel has worked for the Park Service and Forest Service in various capacities. She attended graduate School at Northern Arizona University where she received a Master’s degree in Forestry. Ariel has worked for the Kaibab National Forest since 2004 and currently serves as the Forest Planner and Climate Change Coordinator.
Grant Mohn/ Co-Owner of Grand Canyon Adventures
Grant is co-owner of Grand Canyon Adventures, an outdoor guide company based in Flagstaff & Sedona. He was born and raised in the desert outside of Las Vegas and made regular trips to the Flagstaff area for hiking, backpacking, and exploring. After graduating with a degree in Physics from Lewis and Clark College, Grant and his wife moved to Flagstaff with their two dogs and never looked back. Grant’s passion for the landscapes of Northern Arizona has furthered Grand Canyon Adventures’ mission to create new advocates for this land with 10,000 guests each year. He loves to annoy his wife by turning every hike into a “guided” hike.
Jana Sterling / Vice President, SWCA Environmental Consultants
Jana grew up in a ranching community in west Texas and received her B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University. She spent the first years of her career as an itinerant biologist with a focus on field ornithology, and then became a park ranger for the City of Phoenix Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area. Jana has worked at SWCA Environmental Consultants for the past 15 years, starting as a field biologist and was recently promoted to Vice President of their Southwest subregion. Jana enjoys hiking, running, botany, birding and spending time outdoors with family and friends.
Coconino Natural Resource Conservation District Board Members
Benny Aja, Chairman / Rancher
Benny is a third-generation rancher, northeast of Williams. He has served on the Coconino County Farm Bureau for 22 years and is their current President. Benny has two daughters and three grandchildren
Jim Parks, Vice Chair / Rancher, Former Coconino County Board Supervisor
An Arizona native, with ancestral history going back 9 generations in Arizona, Jim was a working cowboy for 38 years, after serving on the flight deck of two aircraft carriers during the Vietnam War. Jim worked for many ranches all over the state of Arizona. He joined the Coconino County Farm Bureau and Cattle Growers Association in 1998, serving as president from 2008-2016. Jim was named Rancher of the Year in 2015. Jim served as Coconino County Supervisor between 2016- 2020. Married to his wife Vickie with two daughters, Betsy and Lisa, 4 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren, most of which live in the Flagstaff area.
Tabi Bolton, Treasurer
Tabi is the Area Supervisor for Campbell Global’s Northern Arizona operations, where he manages forest activities. He is a Registered Professional Forester in the state of California. Tabi has worked in fish and wildlife biology, botany, forest certification (FSC & SFI), safe harbor agreements, land use agreements, and long-term planning. He also has extensive training in tribal relations, negotiating effective environmental agreements, facilitation, archaeology, and protocols for botanical surveys. Tabi holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from Cal Poly Humboldt. He lives in Flagstaff, AZ with his wife and their two children
Sam Whitted, Board Member
Sam is an AZ native, managing the Reed Ranch Northwest of Williams, AZ. He has worked on this ranch for over 50 years. Sam retired as Chief Deputy of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office after 26 years. He was a member the Southwest Area Type One Incident Management Teams, served on a Southwest Area Command Team, served on a National Incident Management Team (NIMO), was Deputy Chief of the Summit Fire District, and has helped teach the Incident Command System for the US Fire Administration Nation Wide. Sam has been married to his wife Brenda for 45 years and they have one adult daughter, Amanda.
Kit Metzger, Board Member