Board of Directors

JOHN RITZ

“People are not aware of the scope of all the things that the RCD does.”

John Ritz is an Army veteran and served as a Medic. After his service, he became a raft guide and fell in love with the Trinity area, moving to Hyampom. Eventually, he moved into Weaverville. John plays the bass guitar and has played music at our local Salmon Festival, one of the TCRCD’s favorite events. He hopes his presence on the TCRCD board will help to educate the community about what, and how much, we do to improve and protect Trinity County’s natural resources.

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MARY ELLEN GRIGSBY

After a 32-year career as a silviculturist with the U.S. Forest Service, Mary Ellen (“MEG”) Grigsby found she was interested in learning about natural resources from different perspectives. The TCRCD board is a great fit for her; she is enjoying seeing the impact of our projects at the local level. MEG received her B.S. in Forestry from the University of Montana at Missoula and was the Local Area Manager for the Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area. She is engaged in learning the different aspects of what the RCD does for Trinity County. MEG enjoys hiking and getting into the woods, as well as golf and pickleball.

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JOSH BROWN

Josh is a certified ISA Arborist, small business owner and long time forest advocate. Josh has 25 years of experience in hazardous fuels reduction work, forestry management issues, habitat restoration work and public outreach. Josh also served as a Board Member from 2011‐2015 with the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) based in Humboldt Bay. Josh is a dedicated recreationist who thoroughly utilizes the excellent trail system throughout the Weaver Basin and the greater Trinity Alps. He believes It’s vital for the public to have good access to well designed trails to further their connection to nature and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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KENT COLLARD

Kent lives with his family on the Bar 717 Ranch in Hyampom. Since 1998 he has been the Director of Camp Trinity on the Bar 717 Ranch. Established in 1930, Camp Trinity is a summer camp for children ages 8-16 giving kids a chance to experience life on a mountain ranch. In addition to partnering with camp parents to raise community minded citizens, the ranch also produces cattle and timber. Kent has a BA in Architecture from UC Berkeley, and an MA in Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He spends his free time turning salvaged trees into lumber with a Woodmizer sawmill.

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MIKE ROURKE

Mike has taught agriculture at Trinity High School for over 20 years with instruction in animal science, plant science, forestry, natural resource management, agriculture business management, and agriculture mechanics. His forestry students continue to excel in regional and statewide competitions. Rourke currently farms the 900-acre Rourke Ranch in partnership with his wife and parents. The ranch includes cattle operations, irrigated pasture, timberland, rangeland, and wildlife habitat. Mike has served as president of the Trinity County Cattleman's Association and is advisor for Future Farmers of America. Rourke is currently Chairman of the Board.

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