Toby is a recognized leader in consulting circles with boards of nonprofits, corporations and NGOs. His specific areas of expertise are Governance, Finance, Succession Planning, Strategic Planning, Innovation, CEO Selection, Cyber Security and Artificial Intelligence. Has depth and breadth of skills and experience have earned him national, state and local awards and recognition.

Local awards include the Colorado Springs Mayor’s “Spirit of the Springs Award”, Leadership Pikes Peak “Community Inspiration Award” and the “Colorado Springs “Alumni and Friends Award and many “Best of Colorado Springs” awards.

Toby joined the PPORA board because he has a deep passion for the outdoors. His family has a long history of leadership in land conservation. They were founding members in the National Parks System, the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Geographic, USGS, the Royal Society, and the modern practice of Conservation Easements. His grandmother, Rep. Ann Gannett, was a leader and mentor to him in the efforts to preserve land near Walden Pond. Toby grew up in a family committed to outdoors and outdoor recreation. His sister is a former World Extreme Skiing Champion and he grew up living at his father’s family-owned ski area in Southern Colorado which was recently acquired by Vail Resorts. He grew up in the nexus of business, conservation and the recreation industry.

Toby spends at least an hour outside each day hiking, biking, skiing, running, etc. The outdoors is where he recharges and spends time with his family. The long term preservation and stewardship of our region’s land is a top priority for him.

JD grew up in central Minnesota, where he joined the Boy Scouts at age 6 and joined the military as an Army Ranger and Green Beret. The first time JD came to Colorado, was to train up the newly formed El Paso County Search and Rescue team. Based on that experience, he spent the next dozen years working towards getting back to Colorado permanently.

JD has a Doctoral degree in Business Management with emphasis on Strategic Planning and Organizational Development; with a minor in Information Assurance and Security from Colorado Technical University (CTU). JD is the owner of a consulting and coaching hybrid business, where he helps SMB organizations solve their complex strategic level problems. This is collectively accomplished through facilitated workshops, and tools such as the Business Model Canvas and a Capability Gap Analysis.

JD supports several local organizations that help military personnel, on their transitional journey out of military service. He enjoys mountain biking, backcountry skiing, fishing with his family, and volunteering at local sporting events.

A little-known fact about JD, is that he spent 1 ½ years training in Europe as a mountain guide and wrote a training manual for the Army Special Forces community on winter and high-altitude survival.

Emily grew up in Highlands Ranch, CO and has been drawn to the outdoors for just about as long as she can remember. What started as family camping trips and the occasional hiking excursion quickly developed into an obsession with venturing into outdoor spaces during every free moment she has.

Emily currently works at El Pomar Foundation and joined as a member of the 2021 Fellowship class. As a 1st Year Fellow, Emily supports Pikes Peak Heritage Series, Nonprofit Executive Leadership Program, Fellowship Recruiting, Sally Beck Fund and Western Legislative Academy. Emily also works with the Central Peaks and San Juan Regional Councils.

Emily graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2017 with a double major in International Affairs and Political Science with minors in Leadership and Spanish. Both during and after college, Emily has worked with various nonprofits whose focuses range from immigrant community integration to international development. While attending CU Boulder, she spent her summers teaching youth leadership in China, coordinating community development projects in the Navajo Nation and guiding backpacking trips for the school’s Presidents Leadership Class. After college, she led a group of young adults on a four-month service trip to Haiti and Jamaica and loves learning about diverse cultures and exploring new places. Prior to joining the Foundation, Emily worked with an in-house legal team for a financial corporation in Denver.

Emily enjoys any and all opportunities to experience and learn about outdoor spaces and recreation. After hiking the 500-mile Colorado Trail in 2018, she has sought out ways to continually inform her perspective on the outdoor recreation industry, land management and conservation, equity in outdoor recreation and environmental protection. She and her six-year-old rescue mutt can be found hiking, camping, running, backpacking, kayaking and canyoneering together every chance they get.