Board of Directors

Jeff Feldman is a business entrepreneur and consultant who for 35 years has created and administered many startups. From wholesale distribution to stakeholder and risk management he has created and consulted for a dozen businesses over his career. After moving to St. George in 2001 he volunteered for the Bureau of Land Management and is a trainer and mentor for the Color County Site Steward Program. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Santa Clara River Reserve and Citizens for Dixie’s Future. He volunteered to facilitate four Vision Dixie community meetings. He is a member of the Outback Hiking Club and is a bike enthusiast.

James P. McMahon launched Sweetwater, LLC in September, 2002 after an extensive search for a business that he could operate from his home in Southern Utah. Jim has worked in the environmental field since 1974 when he launched one of the first recycling collection programs in the country in Seattle. Jim worked in recycling for 15 years, launching several successful business ventures and establishing the first intentional variable collection rate structure in the country. Jim moved to Denver in 1988 where he began working as a freelance writer and sought a way to work with rivers, since he had long been attracted to flowing water.  In 1995 he got a chance to launch The Nature Conservancy's Mackinaw River Project in Illinois. Then, in January 1999, he was able to return to the West when he accepted a position with Grand Canyon Trust, working on the Virgin River in southwest Utah. Jim has authored as essay reflecting on the development of recycling entitled "Closing the Loop" in the book The Next West, published by Island Press in 1997. While living in Denver he wrote policy papers and opinion editorials on western land use issues as a senior fellow for Independence Institute, a non-profit thank tank. He has also published numerous articles, editorials, and short fiction. Jim has extensive training in river ecology with The Nature Conservancy's Freshwater team, Dave Rosgen, and Luna Leopold. He holds a BS in Ecology from the University of Illinois and coursework toward an MA in Deep Ecology from Naropa Institute in Boulder, CO. Jim is the newest member of the CDF board, joining in September, 2009.

John R. Reed retired from a career in government service with Salt Lake County Facilities Management where he was responsible for design, construction and maintenance of mechanical systems in all County owned facilities. Since moving to Ivins six years ago, he has been active as the government liaison for the Kayenta community, working to inform, educate and facilitate community involvement with Ivins City. He currently serves on the Ivins Planning Commission.  John is an avid mountaineer, bicyclist and hiker and is currently president of the Southwest Utah Bicycle Touring Assoc. helping to promote bicycle safety, participation and public education.

Lisa Rutherford, originally from New Mexico, taught for several years in Texas before moving to Anchorage, Alaska where she worked for thirty years before returning to the states to reside in Ivins, Utah.  Her work in Alaska was spent mostly in the oilfields providing administrative support in the first production facility in the second largest oilfield in North America followed by work in the health, safety, environmental and training areas of the company.  Her work included organizing field-wide events, local public relations activities, and company-wide United Way drives. Besides serving on the board of CDF, Lisa assisted with the Washington County Vision Dixie process and serves on the Ivins Sensitive Lands Committee.

Mike Small and his wife Kay have lived in Washington County for over 21 years.  Their three children are all graduates of Dixie High.  Mike has a Bachelor's Degree in Wildlife Management and a Master's Degree in Range Science.  He retired in 2005 with 32 years of federal service, primarily as a wildlife biologist for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).  He worked for 20 years on the Airzona Strip, playing a major role in the re-introduction of California condors to northern Arizona/southern Utah.  Mike is the former Chair of the Southern Region Resource Advisory Council for Utah's Division of Wildlife Resources, an active member of the Pine Valley Volunteer Fire Department, founding and current member of the Red Cliffs Audubon Chapter and member and past president of the Bloomington Lions Club.  Currently President of the Democrats of Southern Utah, Mike ran for the Utah House of Representatives in 2006.

Jane Whalen from Hurricane is a realtor who has been an environmental activist for over 30 years. She is president of the Grafton Heritage Partnership, working to preserve the historic Town of Grafton which is on the National Register of Historice Places. She helped establish Hurricane's Historic District and is a past president of the Hurricane Preservation Commission. She was the architect between environmental groups and ranchers in Kanab to protect their water rights from the coal slurry pipeline and helped to prevent a coal strip mine next to Bryce National Park. She sat on the BLM Arizona Strip Advisory Council for two years and as an advocate for environmental protection with careful resource management on public lands, established the Southwest Resource Council. Jane also managed the Grand Canyon Dories in Hurricane for many years.

Staff

Paul Van Dam, Executive Director:  Paul practiced law for thirty-five years.  His professional career as an attorney has involved him in many activities including serving as prosecutor, defense attorney, Salt Lake County District Attorney and Utah's State Attorney General. Other legal activities include serving as Chair of Utah's Drug Task Force for Statewide Association of Prosecutors, National District Attorney Association consultant, Chair of National Anit-Trust committee for AG's Association, Chair of the Western Attorneys General Association and counsel for several health care corporations.  His military service was with the Judge Advocate General Corps in the Arms Reserve.  Paul's interests outside the legal profession include passionate interest in Utah's lands where he's enjoyed skiing, hiking, biking, motorcycle racing and serving as a professional river guide.  In addition, Paul is a professional musician playing both the guitar and bango.

 Kai Reed, Administrative Director:  Kai has had a varied career beginning with operating her own fitness business, running world class ski events as Marketing and Special Event Manager for Park City Mountain Resort, Director of International Sales and Marketing for The Yarrow Hotel, Project Manager for Coca-Cola during the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics coordinating the transportation of 2,500 VIPs and interim Director of Marketing for The Canyons Ski Resort. In 1998 she found her piece of paradise and moved to Ivins to become a hiking and biking guide. Locally Kai created the Cactus Hugger 10k running race and the three-day Cactus Hugger Cycling Festival. She's the past Chair of the St. George Area Sports & Events Committee, does consulting work for other event organizers, and is the Administrative Director for Citizens for Dixie's Future.