Steering Committee

Steering Committee

Dave Brann (Co-Chair) - A retired teacher and active outdoorsman, Dave loves to create trails that invite people to enjoy the local wild lands and water. He is active with the Kachemak Nordic Ski Club, the Friends of Kachemak Bay State Park, the Kachemak Bay Water Trail Committee,  Homer-Kachemak Bay Rotary Club, and The Homer Demonstration Forest Steering Committee. 

Devony Lehner (Secretary) - A conservationist with Homer Soil and Water Conservation District, Devony loves anything to do with helping folks understand and enjoy their natural environment, watershed-by-watershed, trail-by-trail, stream-by-stream. That includes looking for ways to make our natural areas accessible to everyBODY, including folks with disabilities. She's an avid horse person and has a contented herd of four--all freebees who've found a forever home with her.

Dana Gregoire - Lifelong Homer resident, Dana has grown up with Kachemak Bay State Park as her backyard. She became involved in trail work in 2019 and has enjoyed the opportunity to help the efforts of the organization and maintain the incredible trails Kachemak Bay has to offer. Her interests in hiking, camping, and kayaking have been enhanced by increased familiarity and access to the state park through volunteer work opportunities with FKBSP. Dana also serves on the Kachemak Bay Water Trail Committee.
 

Brad Charters (Treasurer)  - Professionally a hotel auditor employed by Land's End Resort in Homer, Alaska, so should have a good sense for numbers-but who has lost sight of a reasonable number of paddle craft... owner of (4) canoes and (5) kayaks. Introduced to canoe paddling at a YMCA summer camp in the mid-1950's. I always wanted a canoe, it only took 50 years for that to happen. I paddle fresh water wilderness-the Canoe Trails of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge (Swan Lake and Swanson River) and open salt water (Kachemak and Resurrection Bays) An interest in knowing the waters of Kachemak Bay better attracted me to the KBWT, and a positive response to a public question hooked me. Near future ("retirement") paddling plans include several segments of the NFCT (Northern Forest Canoe Trail) next year (2014). A 500 mile float down the Yukon River (2015) and exploring the Inside Passage Waters of Southeast Alaska.

Robert Archibald (Co-Chair) Robert was a professional mariner and has worked around the world on various types of vessels. He retired from sailing as a Chief Engineer in 20014 after 47 years. Robert is a skilled hand at a wide range of outdoor activities - from boating, skiing, and riding horses to working on trails. Robert and his wife Roberta have traveled through Europe and Africa on horses, canoed parts of Yukon River and rafted many rivers in Alaska, Colorado and Arizona. He was instrumental in making the Homer Highland Games a reality.

Kris Holderied - Kris is the director of NOAA's Kasitsna Bay Laboratory and a physical oceanographer. The lab sits on the south side of Kachemak Bay, is jointly operated by NOAA and the University of Alaska Fairbanks and supports coastal marine science research (including scientific diving), university classes, and K-12 student science camps. Below are photos from a blog article Kris wrote about cold water diver training at the lab . Check out the article at: http://noaaoceanscience.wordpress.com/2013/03/11/how-cold-canyou-go-nccos-science-dive-training-helps-prepare-the-next-generation-of-science-divers/.   See lab websites: http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/about/centers/ccfhr and http://www.westnurc.uaf.edu/kbay.html.

Aron Peterson - I retired to the area of Homer in 2006 from New Jersey.  I grew up an avid 4H-er on a dairy farm in western Michigan.  I earned a BS degree in biology with a minor in geology from Central Michigan University.  I did graduate work in physiology at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  Worked 40 years as a senior research scientist at Bristol-Meyers Squibb Company in drug development.  I also worked in residentential and commercial construction.  I was widowed on 2019.  We have 3 children, 6 grandchildren, and 2 great gvrandchildren,  I currently serve on the Kchemak Bay State Park Citizens Advisory Board.  I was honored to receive the Friends of Kachemak Bay State Park, Golden Pulaski Volunteer Awar in 2016.  I am brush, chain saw and wilderness 1st aid certified to do volunteer work in Kachemak Bay State Park.  I love anything outdoors.

Jason Okuly-Ranger, Kachemak Bay State Park.  I was born in Holland, Michigan.  I went to Grand Valley State University where I received a degree in Natural Resource Management.  I traveled throughout the lower 48 doing summer seasonal work as a bio tech, landscaper, wetland technician, trail worker, and other odd jobs.  I livened in Montana, North Dakota, Washington, and Oregon, always wanting to try Alaska.  In 2011 I was hired as a Kenai River Ranger for AK State Parks and worked the river for three years prior to accepting my job in Homer in 2014.  As a seasonal employee I loved traveling third world countries, working at ski resorts, and spending time with my beautiful wife, Mallory.  We wed in September of 2014. 

Bob Glen-I am a retired professional aircraft pilot and law enforcement officer. My wife, Monica, and I lived in Homer in the late 1980s before moving to Anchorage for work reasons in 1989. Our four children were raised in Anchorage. We returned to beautiful Kachemak Bay after my retirement in 2010.

I was born and raised in Vermont. Immediately before moving to Alaska in 1981 I lived in Bergen, Norway. There I flew aircraft in the western fjords region for the ambulance service and fisheries enforcement as well as mountain supply and tourism.  I flew seaplanes and guided fishermen in the Bristol Bay-Iliamna region my first few years in Alaska.  I’m a graduate of the Universitetet i Bergen (BSc), University of Alaska – Fairbanks (BS) and Boston University (MS). I have a life-long interests in marine biology and science, as well as boating and flying.

I volunteer for the Kachemak Nordic Ski Club in addition to the Kachemak Bay Water Trail.

Steve Bainbridge-
I am retired after working for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation as a specialist in cleaning up contaminated sites and oil spills.  After retiring from the State, my wife and I purchase the Seldovia Harbor Inn, where we run an Inn and a Cafe for five months of the year. One of my hobbies is running, having served as race director for the Equinox Marathon in Fairbanks for 15 years, and then helped the Anchorage Running Club put on the Big Wild Life running events. 

Martin Schuster-Martin is a lifelong Alaskan but a new resident to Homer.  He recentl started job with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as a shellfish research biologist.  Martin studied Marine Biolog in Fairbanks and has worked as a fisheries technician and research diver throughout Alaska and the Antarctic.  He is not a skilled paddler et, but loves hiking in Kachemak Ba State Park and hopes to explore more of the coastline via kaak in the future.

Kim Powell-Kim came to Alaska four ears ago to pursue a Masters Degree in Marine Biolog at UAF.  She ended up loving Alaska so muchm she never left, and after graduating, moved to Homer.  During grad school she worked in the Arctic on an icebreaker and around Alaska as a research diver.  After school, Kim spent time in Aleknagik working with Sockee salmon.  She recentl started a job as a contractor for NOAA orking on the Gulf Watch Alaska Project which helps monitor beautiful Kachemak Ba and Cook Inlet.  Kim is an avid hiker across the ba and is excited to discover a new dimension through paddling along the water trail!

Bill Hague-Farm boy from Indiana living the dream in Homer, Alaska.  Retired from multiple careers: teacher, soldier, farmer, sailor and public safety officie

Hal and Jessica Shepherd-With a combined forty years in Alaska, Hal and Jessica Shepherd run Water Policy Consulting LLC with the goal of investigating and informing others on issues related to water rights, climate change impacts, timber and mining legislation, and community resilience.  When we're not at the keyboard, we're enjoying this , the last great wilderness, on skis, in kayaks, and by hiking the many wonderful trails on the Kenai Peninsula.

Sub-committees

The Sub-Committee will be reviewed and revised in Jan.-Feb. 2022

Outreach and Education Subcommittee

  • Robert Archibald
  • Dave Brann
  • Andrew Haas
  • Kris Holderied
  • Taz Talley

Launch Site Working Group

  • Robert Archibald
  • Dave Brann