• About Us

OUR MISSION

Friends of Pathways champions a safe, connected system of pathways, trails, bike lanes and sidewalks that encourage active transportation and healthy recreation in our Jackson Hole community.

OUR TEAM

Katherine Dowson

Katherine Dowson

Executive Director

Many years as a camper and staff member at Teton Valley Ranch Camp gave Katherine an appreciation for the mountains and this area. She moved here permanently after graduating from the University of Virginia in 1988. Since then, she’s been working in the nonprofit arena, serving on several boards including Teton Valley Trails and Pathways, as well as working for the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, the Teton Regional Land Trust, Teton County Education Foundation, and the Center of Wonder. Email Katherine >

Sam Petri

Communications & Advocacy Director

Originally from upstate New York, Sam fell in love with the outdoors growing up skiing, riding bikes, and exploring the mountains in the Northeast. After graduating from St. Lawrence University with an English Writing degree, he moved to Jackson Hole and began working as a local newspaper reporter. Soon after, he became the first web editor of TetonGravity.com, the most trafficked snow sports website. Sam later took his writing and communication skills to the business world and for the last seven years has worked as a public relations account executive, helping grow brands in the outdoor industry.

Sam has served the Jackson community by volunteering on the board of 89.1 KHOL Jackson Hole Community Radio, as well as the Teton County Pathways Task Force. He is an advocate for connecting every neighborhood to the pathway system so all people can travel safely through Teton County without the use of a car. Email Sam >

Sam Wilmot

Development & Operations Director

Sam moved out to Jackson to ski for a year in 2009 after graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in History. One year turned into two, which turned into three…and the rest is history. Sam has gotten to work all her dream jobs in the Valley, from Lift Ops Lead at JHMR, Bookseller at both Valley Bookstore and JH Book Trader and as a member of the Backcountry Trail Crew for the BTNF. It was at the BTNF where Sam was first introduced to Friends of Pathways and eventually worked as their Youth Trail Crew Lead. Sam is happy to be back working for FOP and believes heartly in our mission. You can find Sam out on our surrounding rivers, trails and mountains with her husband Ryan, their two young kids and golden retriever. Email Sam

Chris Owen

Trails Program Director

Chris first visited Jackson when he was 14 on a backpacking trip and knew he had to move there. After earning a BS in Recreation Resource Management from Clemson University he found his way back working at the National Outdoor Leadership School and living in Jackson between courses. He shifted to the Jackson Trail Crew and spent 8 years working on the Bridger-Teton National Forest in partnership with Friends of Pathways before coming to work for us full time. Chris is an avid biker and climber and spends about as much time on the trails on his own time as he does during the work week. So look for him working along with the Youth Trail Crew and Trail Ambassadors next time you’re out on an adventure. Email Chris >

Sarah Soper

Trail Program Assistant

Sarah grew up in Teton County, Idaho and first started working for Friends of Pathways at the age of 14 on the Youth Trail Crew. She graduated from Westminster College in Salt Lake City with a BS in Outdoor Recreation and Quantitative Analysis and returned to Jackson to pursue a career that would allow her to work outside while contributing to the community that she grew up in. Sarah is passionate about the outdoors and in her free time enjoys trail running, backpacking and skiing. Email Sarah >

Harlan Hottenstein

Downhill Trails Technician

From nearly free-falling down a rocky chute, gliding and pumping through dips and turns in the woods, or sending a 35 mile-an-hour step up, Harlan Hottenstein absolutely loves riding and jumping bikes and thinks a lot of other people would, too, if given the opportunity to ride quality trails.

Harlan is a founding member of Teton FreeRiders – a nonprofit trail building organization responsible for creating the freeride trails on Teton Pass. Now that Friends of Pathways has assumed management of those gravity-oriented trails, Harlan has joined our team as our Downhill Trails Technician, focused on maintaining and improving the Teton Pass downhill trails that he helped create.

Friends of Pathways is lucky to have Harlan join our team and with his help, we look forward to progressing the downhill trails on Teton Pass.

Jim Rooks

Bike Safety Coordinator

Jim Rooks is a Jackson native, former Town Councilor, and Teton County School District educator. Jim helps with FOP’s in-school bike safety and bike skills programming at JH Middle School. He also helps to create new opportunities for bike safety education. Jim’s passion for teaching, youth and bike safety is of great benefit to FOP and the greater community. Look for Jim out on the pathways this summer. Email Jim

Morgan Cotter

Program Assistant

Growing up exploring the Texas Hill Country instilled Morgan with a love of the outdoors from an early age. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Geography and the Environment, she deepened her passion for working and playing outside and encouraging others to do the same. She’s spent 9 seasons working on Trail Crews all over the country, most recently in Grand Teton National Park, where she led the Youth Conservation Program for three seasons.

With over a decade of working in the outdoor education field, she is excited to continue her journey of getting folks outside with Friends of Pathways in Jackson. When not working, you can find her paddle boarding, hiking, skiing, biking, swing dancing, and playing music with her friends.

Email Morgan

Michael Piker

Pathway Program Assistant

Mike grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana but spent his summers on the family farm in the Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas where he developed his love of the outdoors. Upon graduating from the University of Arkansas with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, he took a field service position that included extensive travel across the western U.S, including Jackson. In 1996, after several years of power plants and industrial settings, he moved to Jackson to pursue a less stressful lifestyle in the outdoors. Mike is an avid cyclist who spent years racing his mountain bike and recently discovered how much fun riding can be without worrying about intervals and heart rate monitors. Mike works seasonally for FOP and coordinates the Memorial Bench Program and helps with trail construction/maintenance and miscellaneous pathway projects. Look for him on the local trails riding his mountain bike with a chainsaw on his back or putting the final touches a new pathway or trail bench. Email Mike >

Nancy Weeks

Finance and Development Assistant

Nancy, born and raised in Austin, Texas, lived in Jackson for 13 years and for many years worked for Friends of Pathways as our full-time Office Manager. She and her husband Jamie moved to Stanley, Idaho in 2018. Friends of Pathways came calling again and in 2021 Nancy rejoined the team in a part-time administrative role. Nancy misses the JH pathway system but has found plenty of recreational pursuits in rural Idaho. She is also happy to be working again with her FOP family. Email Nancy >

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Amy Puccia

President

Originally from Guilford, Connecticut, Amy received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Lynchburg College in Virginia in 2006. Shortly thereafter, Amy moved to Jackson on a whim in 2007 and fell in love with the landscape and the community.

Amy and her husband AJ live in town in a TCHA Employment Based house at The Grove. They are both avid trail runners and mountain bikers, lovers of the Bridger-Teton National Forest trail system and frequent commuters on the town pathways.

With experience in community design & development, and a great appreciation for our trails & pathways, Amy joined the Friends of Pathways Board in order to focus her energy and passion into action with a group that is impacting the daily lives of Jackson’s residents and visitors alike.

Colleen Valenstein

Vice President

After graduating from Northeastern University in Boston, Colleen made the move to Jackson in 2003 to fulfill her aspirations to live the ski bum life. Unfortunately, that lifestyle seemed financially unsustainable, so she went on to work for Sotheby’s International Realty in marketing and design and eventually as a freelance graphic designer for a number of years. She is currently the Studio Manager of a local architecture firm, Prospect Studio.

Colleen absolutely cherishes being a part of such an involved and committed community to their local non-profits. The support and resources abound and she feels it is very important to invest the time to volunteer in these organizations. When not working, rearing children, cooking, eating, sleeping or volunteering, she can be found adventuring around the local pathways, trail systems and ski hills in the valley with either her two young boys and husband, Ethan or with her friends (all of the Friends).

Katie Wilson

Secretary

Katie is a Licensed Architect who possesses a unique ability to work with a wide spectrum of people; facilitating and synthesizing different perspectives into projects. She holds great respect toward the power of place and the need to connect people’s lives and livelihoods to the landscape.

Katie serves on several Boards, including the Town of Jackson Planning Commission & JH Land Trust’s Open Space Council. She has also taken on multiple local volunteer roles in Jackson, holding the belief that the connection to community helps her better understand the physical, human, political, historical, economic and cultural factors that affect people, natural environments and design.

Katie loves any excuse to connect with nature – you can find her playing in the mountains by foot, bicycle, or skis.

Don Watkins

Treasurer

Originally from Western Pennsylvania, Don has called Jackson home since 2006. He is a proud husband to his wife Shea, father to daughters Ramsay and Charlotte, and a dog-dad to Roo. Don graduated summa cum laude from the University of Vermont with a focus in finance. Don began his finance career in Private Equity and now enjoys working closely with individuals, families and local organizations in the Investment Management Business as an Advisor with Wind River Capital Management.

Don is passionate about the outdoors and spends his winters skiing and snowboarding and summers camping, boating and biking with family. Don is also very active in the local community. He is a team member of Teton County Search & Rescue (TCSAR), a volunteer group that provides emergency search and rescue services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout Jackson Hole and the Teton County backcountry. He also serves on the Board of the Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation, a non-profit that assists TCSAR volunteers through direct support, community education, and advocacy. Don feels grateful to be a part of Friends of Pathways and help support the invaluable work they do through their initiatives and trail networks that help make Jackson the incredible community it is.

Greta Baker

Originally from Taunton, England, Greta grew up biking – racing road, track and time trials, gaining national recognition and competing internationally. An illness forced a change in direction which took her around the world teaching skiing. While spending many years on the move, she met her husband Sean Baker teaching on the slopes in Australia and followed him back to Jackson in 2014. She hasn’t looked back since, finding Jackson the perfect place to share her two passions.

In addition to teaching skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Greta is an Education Staff Member with PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America), and the retail manager at Fitzgerald’s Bicycles. Passionate about the outdoors, you can find Greta pursuing her primary passion, road riding on the local pathway system. Often joined by her two dogs, Maple and River, she recognizes how privileged we are to have this fabulous opportunity to experience nature on our system of multi-use trails and pathways. Thanks to the efforts of prior generations, she joins the Board of Friends of Pathways to give back to the community and contribute to the preservation and development of this incredible resource for future enjoyment.

When not biking or skiing, you might find Greta in the garden, pursuing a secondary interest in regenerative farming and growing nutrient-dense food.

Libby Hall

Libby grew up in Connecticut and Vermont and attended Middlebury College where she met her husband-to-be Taylor Hall. When Taylor moved to Jackson in 1990, Libby started dipping her toes into the Teton life and upon graduation in 1992, moved out west for good.

Libby lived the typical 1990’s Jackson Hole lifestyle of outdoor pursuits and restaurant gigs before landing positions at the Teton Science School and Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance. In 1997, Libby became the Executive Director of the Newton Family Foundation, and in 2004 transitioned to a Board member of the Foundation on which she still serves.

Libby is currently Head Teewinot Coach for JH Ski & Snowboard Club’s Nordic Program, a level 100 USSS (U.S. Ski and Snowboard) Certified Nordic Instructor and a USSS Alpine Official. Libby is owner of PIKA*MADE, and along with her husband Taylor, owner of Skinny Skis, are both passionate about supporting and giving back to the community.

Libby is a full-time parent to kids Whit, Elsie and BB and their three dogs Junie, Gambler and Wiggins. She enjoys traveling, Nordic skiing, hiking and foraging with her family. Libby is passionate about preserving the character of our backcountry experiences. She finds joy in intimately getting to know a place—such as discovering where chanterelles grow or what flowers are blooming when the huckleberries are ripe.

Lucas Onan

Lucas was born in Wisconsin and grew up just outside of Asheville, North Carolina in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. He was born with a condition called arthrogryposis, which caused his left arm to remain underdeveloped. In between semesters at App State, Lucas and a buddy took a road trip to work in Grand Teton National Park. He was hooked on the bigger western mountains.

After reluctantly heading back to NC to finish school he then took his first opportunity to come back to the Rockies, where he landed in Vail, CO. He lived there for 6 years working as a ski instructor and wilderness ranger for the Forest Service, and occasional pizza delivery guy. He also spent two summers as a mountaineering guide in British Columbia and one summer riding his bike across the US for affordable housing with the organization Bike and Build. This is where Lucas grew his passion for cycling and most things endurance-related.

In 2019, an opportunity finally came to move to Jackson. Lucas hopped on the opportunity and began volunteering and working with Teton Adaptive Sports and as a ski instructor at JHMR. He also started his own non-profit with two other adaptive athletes aiming to connect the lowest point in elevation to the highest on each continent, human powered, while providing mobility care for those in need.

In his free time, you can find Lucas riding his bike around the Tetons, running over and through them, skiing down them and hanging with his partner Kate and dog Sage. He uses the Pathways of Jackson a lot and is excited to be more involved with FOP!

Sam Pope

Sam, a native of New Hampshire, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics from Whitman College. After completing his studies, he moved to Jackson, Wyoming in 2001 to pursue his passion for skiing. He spent several years living the life of a ski bum, taking on various jobs to support his skiing habit.

In 2006, Sam was one of the founders of KGB Productions, a video production company specializing in crafting engaging and effective video content for companies. Over the last 15 years, he has honed his skills in video production, working with a wide range of clients to create visually stunning and compelling videos that effectively communicate their message.

In his free time, Sam enjoys photography, skiing, mountain biking, kayaking, and adventuring with his three-year-old son Gus and his wife Alex.

Brian Remlinger

Brian has seen the Jackson Hole Pathways and Trail system grow tremendously since he first arrived in Jackson Hole over 20 years ago. He has participated in the design and environmental mitigation of the South Park Loop, WY22, Broadway, and Wilson to Stilson pathways through his consulting business, Alder Environmental LLC. Cycling is a passion of Brian’s and he has logged thousands of miles in numerous ultra bikepacking races including the Tour Divide and Winter Fat Pursuit. He is an avid, year-round cycle commuter and ebike advocate. Brian has three school aged children who benefit significantly from the pathway system both for recreation and commuting. Pathway safety, connectivity and user experience are a high priority for Brian when contributing his experiences to the FoP Board. He believes pathways and trails are truly multi-use for recreation, commuting and for general benefit of the people. His wife, Maddy, is happiest hauling kids around the valley on her cargo ebike.

Celia Wallace

Celia grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, and received degrees in English and Communications from Tulane University in New Orleans. Her first job took her to Washington D.C. as a Special Assistant to Louisiana Senator J. Bennett Johnston, the chairman for the Senate Energy Committee. Celia later worked on energy and environmental legislation for Wyoming Senator Craig Thomas. She began coming to Jackson in the 90’s with her Wyoming native husband Rob, and eventually made the Tetons her permanent home.

Celia is passionate about her service and support of nonprofits and has served on several Boards including the Deans Advisory Committee of the School of Arts and Sciences of Tulane University in New Orleans; the Brinton Museum Advisory Group in Big Horn, Wyoming; and locally, the Grand Teton National Park Foundation Board and Resource Council.

Celia also loves being a St. John’s Episcopal church member and occasional volunteer or traveling with her family. You can find her walking or cross country skiing every day on the pathways with dogs Molly and Rudy, or hiking or biking on one of our many local trails with husband Rob and daughters Morgan and Ella.

Shelter Wein

Shelter grew up on a small Island in New York, where she was raised with the values of building community through outdoor recreation. She spent her summers at Teton Valley Ranch camp, learning the importance of respect, safety and care for our trails and river systems.

After graduating Connecticut College, Shelter moved to NYC where she found herself longing for adventures in the mountains. In June 2017 she packed up her car and headed west. She works as a Wealth Manager at General Catalyst. Outside of work, you can almost assuredly find her within the trail systems, on the bike path, or nordic tracks. She is endlessly grateful for this invaluable community resource, and looks forward to supporting and enhancing the trails for everyone!

Karen Wilbrecht

Karen first moved to Jackson in the summer of 1978 and worked at the Wort (Silver Dollar Bar), the Hollow Tree (restaurant in Gaslight Alley) and cleaned the Safeway grocery store at night. You needed three jobs in 1978 to survive! She fell in love with the Valley and all it had to offer so she decided in 1978 that Jackson would be her full-time home someday. She returned to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to secure her education and professional path in life. After working for the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) for four years she returned to Madison and completed a Master of Science Degree in Real Estate Investments & Analysis. Post graduation, she spent the next 37 years working in the field of commercial real estate working with private developers to institutional real estate (investing for public pension funds). Her career spanned the US from Boston to San Francisco with stops in Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles along the way. Karen retired in May 2024 after a 19-year career at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

In 1994 and 1995 Karen did a short stint with the Peace Corp in Vladivostok, Eastern Russia followed by a winter in Jackson Hole working for the Jackson Hole Ski Corp. She rode the chair lift doing direct market research, asking people whether snowboarding should be allowed.

Karen’s dream of living full-time in Jackson became a reality in March 2020 when she was able to work remotely! She first invested in the Valley in 1994 and moved into her forever home in East Jackson in 2003, which provides easy access to the Cache Creek trail system. Karen is an avid cyclist and with her quiver of bikes has cycled the world from Bhutan to Jordan with a few more user-friendly countries thrown in! Karen enjoys skiing and hiking in the backcountry and uses the trails on a nearly daily basis. The trails are her “therapy” and she doesn’t know what she would do without them.

In addition to FOP, Karen recently joined the Bridger Teton Avalanche Center Foundation Board.