OUR BOARD
Jasonn Beckstrand, Board President
Jasonn (at) LPForest.org
Jasonn graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1995 with a BS in Electrical Engineering. With a passion for camping, hiking, and biking in the Forest, he started volunteering with the Los Padres National Forest Service in 1998. He first started helping by surveying and GPS-ing official and unofficial trails in the Front and Back Country. From there, he connected with the Volunteer Wilderness Ranger program and the LPFA. In 2004, he joined the LPFA board, and became President in 2006. What drew him to become part of LPFA were the working vacations and the great people that participate in the events. For the past 10 years, Jasonn has led 4+ backcountry projects yearly, and has also hosted the Volunteer Wilderness Ranger training at Los Prietos. He is currently training to become a Wrangler in order to help out more with the Mule Packing Program, which supports the multi-day working vacations. Jasonn can often be found in the backcountry helping with local Scout projects, hiking and camping with his family, or surveying trails for future LPFA work. If you meet him out on the trail, make sure to say hi!
Valerie Hoffman, Vice Chair
Valerie Hoffman is an attorney who clears her mind and spirit by being outdoors in nature. Transplanted to Santa Barbara from Chicago and prior to that from the far north country woods in New York State, she was lured into the backcountry by her partner Ron Noe who suggested they take a little walk one weekend. She has never looked back, except to make sure she knows where they left the car. Valerie also is interested in California native plants and their importance to our ecology, and has deepened her knowledge of them while doing volunteer trail maintenance with the LPFA. Valerie has served on a number of not-for-profit boards in a variety of roles and brings this expertise, along with her legal skills to the LPFA.
Kyle Slattery, Treasurer
Robert Gilcrest, Board Member
Terry & Cindy Wright, Board Member – Ojai Chapter
Terry: I have grown up in the shadow of the Los Padres National Forest here in Ojai. I am retired from Civil Service working for the US Navy in Port Hueneme as an Industrial Engineer, did many facility design and development projects over my 36 years of service. I continue to work as a contractor, working for the Navy part time, as well as doing lots of volunteer work around Ojai, CA. Was on The City of Ojai’s Redevelopment Commission, the planning Commission, and now on the Ventura County Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) for the Ojai Valley. I like to travel, ride my bike, hike, and attend to our ½ acre “estate” with 10 orange trees!
Cindy: She is more artistic, has done a lot of painting, drawing, and mastering of the musical instrument, the didgeridoo! Which she loves to play for visitors at Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center.
We both have been volunteering at the Wheeler Gorge Center since 2008. While there we have been docents, but have supported all of the upgrading of the building, conference room, kitchen, and restroom facilities, and Thomas Fire remodel. We support the Summer Program Series every year on Sat from May thru Sept.
Don Jack, Board Member
OUR STAFF
Bryan Conant, Executive Director
Bryan (at) LPForest.org
Bryan Conant has been the Executive Director of the LPFA since 2013. Bryan grew up outside of Los Angeles and learned an appreciation for the outdoors thanks largely to annual Sierra backpacking trips with his family. After attending UCSB and graduating with a degree in Geography, Bryan settled in Goleta and worked for 15 years as a Cartographer and the Director of Mapping Services at Maps.com. It was also during this time that Bryan began spending many weeks each year exploring and learning about the Los Padres National Forest and in particular the trails across the Sespe, San Rafael and Dick Smith Wilderness areas. In 2003 Bryan merged his love of the Santa Barbara Backcountry with his cartographic expertise and self-published the San Rafael Wilderness Map Guide. This was followed in 2008 with the publication of the Dick Smith & Matilija Wilderness Map Guide. Both map titles continue to sell at local retail stores and are updated regularly. Around the same time Bryan became involved with the Condor Trail and founded a 501c3 non-profit focused on building the Condor Trail named the Condor Trail Association. Bryan has a strong background in trail design and maintenance with multiple trail building certifications and through his role as LPFA Executive Director works closely with the Los Padres National Forest and other partner organizations to oversee the maintenance and restoration of trails across the Los Padres Forest. In addition to backpacking, hiking and mountain biking the Los Padres, Bryan also enjoys surfing, playing sports, house projects and spending time with his family.
Addison Jerlow, Program Manager
Addison (at) LPForest.org
Originally from San Diego, Addison has been exploring the Los Padres Forest since he began studying at UCSB in 2013. He grew up hiking and backpacking throughout the state, but following his first backpacking trip up the Sisquoc it became clear the Los Padres was the place for him. After years of backpacking in the region, Addison joined LPFA as a volunteer on several trail maintenance projects. He now organizes and leads volunteer projects across the forest, manages visitor information and outreach programs, and continues to spend as much of his free time as possible exploring the Los Padres.
Sonia Connors, Project Coordinator
Sonia (at) LPForest.org
Sonia holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and dedicated over a decade to serving the City of Santa Barbara Public Works Department as a registered Civil Engineer. A problem-solver at heart with a strong commitment to community and the environment, she brings both technical expertise and a deep appreciation for the outdoors to her work. After her time with the City, Sonia took time to focus on her most important role being a mom to her daughter, Kasey. Sonia also spent 11 years with Wilderness Youth Project, mentoring children in nature, leading backpacking trips, and fostering a love for the wild in the next generation. Sonia began volunteering with the Los Padres Forest Association (LPFA) about 2016, where her passion for outdoor stewardship truly took root. Whether she’s searching for waterfalls, hiking through beautiful canyons, or discovering new trails in the Los Padres National Forest, Sonia is always seeking out the next adventure and hidden treasures.
Tim Bills, Coordinator, Big Sur Station
Since 2015, Tim has managed the visitor center information desk and Nature Station Store at the Big Sur Station. During that time, Tim has developed strong working relationships with personnel from State Parks, USFS, Caltrans, Ventana Wilderness Alliance and the greater Big Sur community. Tim joined LPFA after a 25-year career working in higher education & student affairs, primarily at California State universities. He was born in Pennsylvania and enjoys the outdoors, especially hiking, composting and gardening.
Mike Smith, Trail Crew Leader
I have lived in Lompoc since I was 2 years old. I first hiked in the Los Padres National Forest as a 12 year old boy scout. It was easy to fall in love with the Los Padres, since I had already been hiking and enjoying the chaparral community of the La Purisma Mission state park since I was 5 years old.
It was about 20 years ago I first volunteered on a Kerry Kellogg led trail crew. I was hooked immediately! I was leading volunteer projects within a year. I even obtained 5 goats trained for packing and used them to support volunteer trips. In that 20 years I have led or participated in over 200 projects, whether they are 1 day projects or multi day working vacations.
This 20 year period of volunteering also involved many work trips with my wife Jenn and our 4 children. The children are now all well into adult years and still occasionally volunteer as time permits.
With the decline in the USFS budgets and staffing, the need for volunteer work has continued to increase in the Los Padres. It’s the love of the backcountry and my sense of stewardship that keeps me involved in the LPFA. My preferred projects are working deep within the Wilderness areas using only the hand tools allowed. I simply love wilderness trail maintenance best of all.
As the LPFA’s role increases in the non- wilderness areas, I am enjoying the work and challenges that brings. The Los Padres National Forest is a special place with many unique areas. As long as I can walk I will be involved one way or another with meeting the needs of the forest.
Jason Morris
Trail Crew Leader