Photo: Dan Kenah
Board of Directors and Staff
Board of Directors
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Treasurer
Marilyn is a semi-retired CPA who moved to Lander in 2019 to be closer to family. With 28 years of experience owning a successful accounting practice in Torrington, Wyoming, Marilyn brings extensive expertise in nonprofit management, particularly in economic development, tourism, education, and assistance to the elderly.
Marilyn has a proven track record of leadership, having served as an officer on the Board of Trustees for Eastern Wyoming College and as treasurer for the Goshen Care Center Joint Powers Board, overseeing the construction of a 103-bed nursing home and memory care facility, and a 30 unit assisted living facility. Additionally, Marilyn served on the Goshen Economic Development executive committee, the Goshen County Chamber of Commerce, and, more recently, the Lander Investment for Tomorrow committee.
Outside of professional and volunteer commitments, Marilyn enjoys golfing, pickleball, camping, gardening, and taking long walks. Married to Jim for 44 years, Marilyn has embraced Lander’s welcoming community and the stunning beauty of the surrounding mountains.
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Secretary
Michelle landed in Lander in the early 90s to work with NOLS. Her outdoor education career as a field instructor and administrator for NOLS took her to Patagonia, Mexico, British Columbia, and Alaska—all life-changing experiences—but Lander was always home-base.
As a nonprofit volunteer and consultant, Michelle's passion is local and regional nonprofit work, as she helps grassroots nonprofits reach their potential and serve our community. Michelle is the Lander Womentum Board Chair, League of Women Voters of Wyoming Board Member, and League of Women Voters of Fremont County Election and Education Committee Chair. Michelle has a BA in Economics and Art History and a MA in Nonprofit Management. Michelle was on the Lander Community Foundation during the transition from the Lander Rotary Foundation to the current foundation and was one of the early leaders of the Challenge for Charities.
In her free time, Michelle hikes, bikes, and Nordic skis in the Mountain West with a handful of friends, her husband, Scott Kane, daughter Magdalena, and a crazy curly poodle named Bella.
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Jerry is a retired newspaper reporter, lawyer and federal bankruptcy judge and is an active, 36-year Rotarian whose major passions now focus on volunteer work, philanthropy and helping others.
Jerry grew up in northwest Arkansas and earned journalism and law degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He was a reporter for eight years and a lawyer for more than 20 years in St. Louis and Jefferson City, MO before serving 14 years as a federal bankruptcy judge in Missouri. After retirement in 2013, he and his wife, Cassy, moved to Lander part-time in 2017 to be closer to family and fell in love with the mountains, the weather, and the people. They divide their time between Lander and Kansas City, MO.
In addition to golf, international travel, reading, and watching sports, Jerry's (and Cassy's) major passion is helping others through philanthropy and hands-on volunteer service, largely through Rotary. Jerry led an exchange team to Australia in 2002 and served his Rotary district as District Governor in 2005-06, and in 2016 he received Rotary International’s most highly prized individual recognition, the Service Above Self Award. He has served on numerous Rotary, community and law-related boards. He and Cassy have two children and nine grandchildren in Colorado and Iowa.
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Chair
Deborah was born and raised in Wisconsin and fell in love with Wyoming in the 1960s when her family visited a dude ranch. After years of living east of the Mississippi and annually visiting her family’s cattle ranch outside Lander, she and her partner Bill decided to make Lander home.
Deborah’s career started in New York City in the financial department of a Fortune 100 company. Since that time she has moved numerous times for business, worked for several nonprofits, and started a social enterprise business. She has also served on the boards of Challenger Center, Chicago Academy of Sciences, American Heart Association of Connecticut, The Nature Conservancy - Wyoming Chapter, and a family foundation. She and Bill have four grown daughters between them - all of whom have fallen in love with Wyoming.
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Dave has enjoyed living in Lander, WY, for the past decade. He currently serves as the CFO of Atlantic City Federal Credit Union, where he develops and implements balance sheet and growth strategies to support the organization's long-term success.
An outdoor enthusiast, Dave loves exploring Wyoming's beautiful landscapes. Whether climbing or running through the mountains, he’s often accompanied by his golden retriever, Bagel.
Dave is excited to be a part of the Lander Community Foundation where he can make an impact in the Lander community that means so much to him.
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Mark has over 35 years of experience in youth sports. He was the Chief Operating Officer for UK Elite Soccer, a company owned by Steel Sports. Before joining Steel Sports, Mark was the Executive Director of Aspen Valley Ski/Snowboard Club for 15 years. The non-profit focused on developing “Great Athletes, Great Kids” including many Olympians, Paralympians and X-Games athletes. The club was the United States Ski and Snowboard Association’s National Club of the Year in 2011 and twice during his tenure was recognized as the Aspen area Non-Profit of the Year.
Mark also spent 17 years with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), considered the gold standard in teaching wilderness skills and leadership. Over the years Mark taught backpacking, rock climbing, and winter courses. He oversaw the hiring and training of field staff and served on the director team for 8 years, as Finance Director and Alumni & Development Director.
Mark holds a BS in Mathematics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and an MA in Mathematics from the University of Washington.
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Board Member Emeritus
Rick is originally from Kemmerer, WY and has been with Fagnant, Lewis & Brinda Certified Public Accountants since his graduation from the University of Wyoming in 1977. His areas of focus are tax planning strategies, succession planning, and tax planning strategies for buy/sell transactions.
Rick is past president of the Lander Rotary Club, The Lander Chamber of Commerce, The Lander One Shot Antelope Hunt Club, and The Wyoming Society of CPAs. He served as a Council member representing WY on the American Institute of CPAs for six years and currently serves on the Wyoming State Board of CPAs and the Board of Directors for the Wyoming Community Foundation.
He is extremely active in his church, has been married to his wife Babes since 1979, and together they have two grown children Ben and Annie.
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Vice-Chair
Mark grew up in Lander and graduated from Lander Valley High School in 1986. He has vocational/technical school certificates as well as a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Master’s Degree. Mark’s wife, Julie, is the school Librarian at Gannett Peak Elementary, and they have two grown sons, Zach and Jake.
Mark worked for 18 years in a variety of capacities in a family-owned mechanical contracting business and has been a United Methodist pastor for 15 years. Mark’s widespread involvement in our community through various projects, organizations, and events demonstrates his commitment to the Lander Valley area.
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John moved to Lander with his wife Debbie and two young daughters in January of 1980. They moved into the house that they currently live in. Not long after moving to Lander, John, his father, and his brother went into business together forming the industrial construction company, Triple L, Inc. which has been in business for over 40 years.
John’s community service began with the Boy Scouts of America which he was involved with for many years. He has served on numerous boards over the years including the Lander Airport Board, the Wyoming Oil and Gas Safety Alliance, the Fremont County Solid Waste Board, and previously served two full terms on the Lander Community Foundation Board.
John enjoys almost anything to do with aviation, including the numerous fly-ins at Lander’s Hunt Field, and has been an Angel Flight West Command Pilot since 2005. He and his wife especially enjoy visiting their 2 daughters, 2 granddaughters, and great-grandson.
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Cyndy was born and grew up on the East Coast, where she attended college and graduate school. After doing medical research for three years at NIH, she transitioned to a teaching career.
In 1976, she came to Lander, as many folks did, to take a NOLS course. She realized immediately that Lander was where she was meant to be. She married her NOLS course leader, Peter Simer, and they lived in Lander until 1983, when Peter finished his tenure as executive director of NOLS and decided to get an MBA.
For the next 30 years, they raised three children, moved several times for different job opportunities, and Cyndy taught chemistry at both high school and college. In 2013, she retired, and they moved back to Lander, because they had always felt that it was their true home.
While their kids were growing up, Cyndy's volunteerism was focused on their activities: coaching soccer, managing their youth hockey teams, PTA, Cub Scout leader, and classroom reading assistant.
Since returning to Lander, she has been involved with First Stop Help Center, the Care and Share Food Bank, and the Lander Art Center, as well as an assistant leader for the C4C July 4th race. She looks forward to being more actively involved with LCF.
Staff
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Executive DirectorMary is a passionate community builder and the Executive Director of the Lander Community Foundation. She believes that strong communities are built on generosity, collaboration, and meaningful relationships, and she works every day to connect people, ideas, and resources to help Lander thrive. Since 2019, through her leadership, the Foundation has expanded resources for local nonprofits, increased charitable giving, and fostered partnerships across sectors that help create a vibrant, connected, and resilient community.
Since moving to Lander, Mary has devoted herself to community volunteering and board service, including with the Lander Art Center, Challenge for Charities, Good Samaritan Community Meal, and Little Free Pantries. She also co-founded Lander Womentum (2017), a women's leadership nonprofit, and Lander Presents (2020), which brings live music and events to the community year-round.
Before joining the Foundation, Mary spent four years at the Wyoming Outdoor Council and eleven years with NOLS, where she worked as a senior field instructor, program supervisor, and field staff recruitment coordinator.
In her free time, she enjoys horse packing and hiking in the Wind River Mountains, baking for friends and family, and connecting with people on a deeper level. She and her husband, Ariel, have called Lander home since 2011, where they're raising their two daughters, Halle Wendell and Louise.
Mary shares, "As executive director of the Lander Community Foundation, I will strive to continue growing the strength and spirit of this community that is so special to me. I will ask your opinion and listen to your ideas, and work hard to build a stronger, more vibrant community."
You can reach Mary at mj@landercommunityfoundation.org — she hopes to hear from you!
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Brad brings more than two decades of experience in design, communications, and digital media, having built websites since 2000. A graduate of Illinois State University, he spent 18 years at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), where he began as the organization’s first in-house Webmaster and advanced to Creative Director. In that role, he led a team of 13 designers, videographers, writers, and web developers, shaping the organization’s visual storytelling and digital presence.
At the Lander Community Foundation, Brad stewards the organization’s brand across platforms by managing the website, designing print materials, and capturing the community's spirit through event and program photography.
Based in Lander, Wyoming, Brad also works as a freelance photographer, videographer, and web designer, helping organizations and individuals tell their stories with clarity and creativity.
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Molly currently serves as Program Coordinator for Lander Community Foundation, bringing experience in education, marketing, and operations to the role. Since moving from Durango, Colorado to Lander in 2019 with her husband Scout, she has been interested in using her skills to support local initiatives.
Her professional background spans leadership, compliance, marketing, and administrative coordination. She is motivated by developing efficient systems, collaborating with others, and building strong community ties.
Outside the office, Molly is happiest exploring the outdoors and discovering new corners of Wyoming’s wide-open spaces. Her enthusiasm for community building, combined with her professional versatility, makes her a thoughtful contributor to LCF’s mission.
Want to join our board for a 3-year term?
Please complete the Board Prospect Form.
We are always looking to add enthusiastic prospects to our list!
Past Board Members
(C = Former Chair)
Ellen Bechtel
Susan Brame (C)
Leslie Calkins
Cale Case
Michael Cheek
Gina Colovich
Andrew Coulter
Michelle Escudero
Andy Gramlich (Cx6)
Sarah Hamlin
Justus Jacobs
Deborah Kaufman
Mike Kusiek (C)
John Larsen (C)
Liz Lightner (Cx2)
Sam Lightner
Mike Lilygren
Linda Lindsey (c)
Lisa Lowham
Pat McGavran
Bryan Neely
Rita Neill
Deborah Nunnink
Ernie Over
Sky Phifer
Don Reynolds (C)
Judd Rogers
Amanda Sempert
Cori Slingerland
Bill Sniffin
Trey Warren
Gary Wilmot
Heather Wisniewski