MEET OUR TEAM
Our board is comprised of seasoned professionals with diverse expertise and a shared commitment to helping keep our public lands public and accessible. Each member of our team has a special connection to our mission and brings unique insights and invaluable experience, driving our organization towards continued success and innovation. Explore their profiles to learn more about the people steering our mission and shaping our future.
Board of Directors
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PresidentHailey, ID
Greg’s family moved to Boise, Idaho from South Dakota in 1979, where he graduated from Boise High School in 1981. That first summer he backpacked the White Clouds and has considered the central Idaho wild places his spiritual home ever since. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in upstate NY in 1985 with a BS in Geology, where he met fellow adventurer and PUG director Barry Lifson. Together they explored the wild places in the Adirondacks.
After receiving his MBA from University of Colorado in 1992, he worked in public accounting and later became CEO of a property investment and ranching company in Western Australia. In 2003, he returned to Idaho to be closer to his beloved mountains and wilderness. He is currently a land planning and water rights consultant, but his passion is wilderness stewardship.
During 2012-2014, he began volunteering for trail projects, where he met advisory board member Jay Dorr and became interested in the history and utility of crosscut saws. This led to taking a saw filing class from master Dolly Chapman, which in turn led to Greg working for the US Forest Service trail crew. He spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons working on improving tails in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. In 2017, Greg took a position with the Sawtooth Society as their Stewardship Coordinator, where he substantially expanded their program. Additionally, he has led trips for the Idaho Trails Association. He was inspired to form PUG as a tightly focused partner to the Forest Service, specializing in remote and complex stewardship needs in logistically challenging areas.
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Treasurer
Stanley, ID
Dave graduated from high school in suburban Chicago and headed west to study at the University of Idaho. He married his wife, Melissa, in 1987 and graduated with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1988.
After graduation, they moved to Boise where they raised their two children, Kyle and Christine, both now adults. Dave spent 30 years designing computer memory chips before retiring in 2018.
Dave grew up with an enthusiasm for backpacking and mountain climbing. He has backpacked extensively in the Pacific Northwest, including large parts of the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington, the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier, and all throughout Idaho’s Sawtooths. He has climbed Mount Rainier seven times, scaled three of the Seven Summits, and explored many of the peaks in the Sawtooth Range.
While living in Boise, Dave and his family developed a significant love for the Sawtooth Mountains and the town of Stanley. They built a home there in 1995 and spent many summer weekends and holidays up in the mountains. Now, in retirement, they consider Stanley their home.
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Barry Jay Lifson was born November 18, 1963 in Brooklyn, NY.
He is the youngest of 3 boys from his parents Ellen and Marvin. Barry learned of stamp collecting as an early teenager from the parents who were philatelists having grown a collection of US stamps with plate blocks, a large first day cover collection and United Nations stamps for which they were proud to have stood on line.
The family moved to upstate New York and then there were many changes in store with half brother, half sister and a plethora of step brothers and sisters. Barry graduated from high school in New Rochelle, New York then moved on to achieve a Bachelor degree in Biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic institute. He followed his passion for the medical sciences, graduating from New York Medical College in 1990. From there, he entered residency in Urology and met the love of his life Rosa. The couple were blessed with three children.
Through these years and the subsequent life of practice of Urologic Surgery, Barry never lost his love for stamp collecting. He worked in the early years, striving to fill the commemorative pages of his beloved Minkus stamp album. In the 21st century, at the urging of his good friend Mark Penniman, he began a more serious quest for high quality classic United States mint issues including Air Mail stamps. He worked with reputable dealers including Chris Rupp, Alan Cohen and Ed Reiser as well as finding excellent stock from auction houses. In the end, there were few spaces in the entire Minkus album left unfilled.
Barry moved from New York to Parkersburg, West Virginia in 2002, then to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina in 2019 continuing to practice the medical arts.
Among his other passions, aside from philately, are running, skiing, golfing, coffee and espresso brewing and hiking the mountains of Idaho. He is especially proud of his work with Pulaski Users Group which is an Idaho based non-profit group whose mission is to provide current and future generations with the skills to maintain stewardship for wilderness lands.
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PROJECT LEADER
Neil Crowson, known to some on the trail and in certain circles as "Coach," grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. In his twenties, he spent four years in Blaine County and four years in Boise, Idaho, with additional time spent living and working in New Zealand and Switzerland, experiences that broadened his perspective and deepened his connection to the natural world.
Neil completed the National Outdoor Leadership School’s educator semester and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Multidisciplinary Studies. He is currently finishing a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Over the years, Neil has worked in adaptive sports, youth development programs, and outdoor education, always guided by a commitment to fostering personal growth through nature.
With a passion for inclusive access to the outdoors and the therapeutic potential of wilderness, Neil continues to explore how nature can facilitate both individual development and community well-being.
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Sarah Holyoak was born and raised in Northeast Ohio, bouncing around the South and West since 2015. With a Bachelors in Exercise Science and a Masters in Health Promotion emphasis in Outdoor and Experiential Education, she has always found nature as a place to fill her cup. She enjoys rock and ice climbing, skiing and family time.
She began her love for trail work in West Virginia and Kentucky, focusing on climber trails in disrepair. She moved to Idaho in 2018, where her wilderness therapy job put her in connection with the local trail work crews and eventually PUG! Her experience in collegiate recreation, public health and incredible; skills make easy work of connecting with new friends in the outdoors.
Advisory Board
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Crosscut Saw Program & Traditional Tools Education
Hailey, ID
Jay worked on the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, both the trails and wilderness crews from 1971 through 2018. He was the Trails Manager, Crosscut Saw Coordinator, Lead Blaster, and Air Quality Manager. He is a crosscut saw evaluator and was part of the Intermountain Region crosscut saw training cadre. He is an expert in use of traditional tools: crosscut saws, numerous hand and power tools, pack and saddle stock, blasting, and the techniques of trail design, construction, and maintenance. In retirement he continues with volunteer trail and other work, gardening, hiking, skiing, and other outdoor activities. He has a BS in Forest Resource Management from University of Idaho. He splits his time living in Hailey, on the East Fork, and the Idaho mountains with his wife Patti, a retired nurse
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Crosscut Saw Expert
Shoshone, ID
Growing up in Southern Idaho, being outside was a way of life. Riding bikes and building forts with his brother, fishing and hunting with his Dad, and working in the garden with his mom and sisters, to say David is an outdoorsman is an understatement.
During his teen years, David spent most of his time working for the Wilderness Therapy program formerly known as SUWS, where he learned survival skills, plant identification, fire making, navigation and much more. After high school, David spent a few years traveling the United States as an employee for Union Pacific Railroad before returning home and pursuing his fire career.
Starting his fire career in Southern Idaho, before moving to the Salmon- Challis National Forest, where his love for crosscut saws, chainsaws and hand tools took off. Buying his first set of crosscut saws from a fellow fire employee, David set out to learn everything there was to know about the "misery whip". Starting with yard sales and one weird encounter with a craigslist ad, David's saw collection and knowledge of the crosscut saw grew. He became one of the most well known saw filers in the Pacific Northwest, and continues to sharpen, repair, restore and teach others about crosscut saws everyday.
David is married to his wife Kelsey and they have 2 wonderful kids, Amaya and Lucas. The family enjoys fishing, hunting, wandering the desert looking for rocks for their rock tumbler, and taking their kayaks out on the river. Both kids have a vise and tool set in Dad's shop, ready to learn the family trade, and help with Dad's orders.
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Grants & Wilderness Education
Oahu, HI & Stanley, ID
Debra was first introduced to the Sawtooths in 1992 and has since spent every summer exploring its trails and backcountry. She and her husband, Dick, have a small cabin in Stanley and love the experiences it has brought. Having enjoyed hiking many miles of maintained trails, she decided to become a trail clearing volunteer as a way of giving back. She especially values PUG’s commitment to involving youth as they will be the future advocates for these public lands.
Debra’s background includes over 20 years of program development in Hawaii’s public sector, both state government and non-profits. Her interest is to help PUG with it’s formative development and enhance it’s experiential learning opportunities.
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Trail Crew Morale Booster
Hailey, ID
At ten years old, Ziggy can be found on most if not all of our hitches. He keeps the crews motivated and the energy high. He loves long hikes, belly rubs, and naps in the shade.
STAFF
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FORESTRY AID
Kate Horowitz was born and raised in Hailey, Idaho. Kate enjoys camping, backpacking, hiking, and rock climbing. She graduated from Oregon State University in 2025 with a Bachelor’s degree in Climate Science. While in Oregon Kate worked for two different researchers studying Paleoclimate Science and Snow Hydrology.
She loves spending time outside in any capacity and in any place, but feels especially connected to the mountains in Idaho! Kate continues to feel excited to participate in the stewardship of the trails and land she grew up hiking with her family and exploring as a young adult.
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MEDIA MANAGER
Jennae grew up in Lewistown, Montana, and now lives in North Idaho, where she owns and operates a website and marketing business. She’s passionate about conservation, spending time in nature, and— as a mom of three— sharing the wonders of the outdoors with the next generation. Whether it’s exploring wild places or teaching kids about the land, she’s committed to inspiring future stewards of our environment.