Board of Directors

Kevin Gilman spent most of his career on the accounting and finance side of the hospitality industry. Along the way he worked with several non-profits. He was the Treasurer for Vail Mountain Rescue Group, on the Board for Meet the Wilderness, the Training Director for Grand County Search and Rescue, facilitated communications for what would become Habitat for Humanity of Grand County, and was the Treasurer for Trappers Lake Group of the Sierra Club. After hiking thousands of miles all around the world he wanted to pay it back and has done trail maintenance with FOW since he retired 3 years ago.

During her childhood, Priscilla gained a respect for and love of wildlife, woodlands and waterways while summering on Beaver Island, Michigan.   As an adult, her career as an Immigration Attorney, focusing on Business Immigration, was challenging and gratifying. She was able to work remotely beginning in 2005 when she moved to Steamboat Springs from Ann Arbor, MI.   Priscilla joined FOW in 2021, first as a Trail Ambassador and later, obtained her Sawyer Certification.  Priscilla is thrilled to be on the Board of Directors and hopes to contribute to the synergy and camaraderie of being part of FOW.  When not engaged with FOW activities, she enjoys hiking, x-country skiing, swimming, international travel and paddle boarding.

I am a recovering engineer who joined Friends of Wilderness in 2015.  Having participated in maintaining trails, being a trail ambassador, constructing trail signs and boardwalks, backpacking and serving in multiple board roles I still haven’t found an FOW activity I don’t thoroughly enjoy.  FOW has been a great way to keep in touch with nature, meet fantastic people, and help the USFS with the stewardship of our Wilderness areas.

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.”  John Muir

Since my dad was a geologist by profession and a naturalist at heart, I grew up camping and hiking with my family in Colorado and the western U.S.  I continued this tradition with my husband, Howard, and our two children, who now also enjoy outdoor adventures with their families.  Although I lived and taught science in the southeastern California desert for many years, I was fortunate enough to spend a number of summer and winter vacations in Steamboat Springs. In 2019, I achieved a long-time goal of retiring fulltime to Steamboat.  Since joining FOW in 2004, I have participated in trail patrol (including via horseback), trail maintenance, and llama training.

Our magnificent mountains have always been a source of serenity and wonder for me, and now, year-round recreation; this includes hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, alpine and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and photography.  I welcome the opportunity to both enjoy and support our spectacular outdoors through Friends of Wilderness.

Originally from Ohio, Hank and his wife Beth, retired from careers in education and moved to Steamboat in 2013. They have been FOW members since 2017. Hank is a certified sawyer and enjoys getting out working on the trails and engaging with others that have a passion for the wilderness areas. While Hank has some favorite spots in the Zirkel and Flat Tops Wilderness, he continually looks for new areas to explore while hiking and backpacking.

 Hank is an avid outdoor person, enjoying hiking and biking in the summer and backcountry skiing and snowshoeing in the winter months. Along with his wife, he loves to travel, especially internationally, and looks for trips that include plenty of outdoor activities.

Karen is a four-decade Steamboat Springs visitor who made Steamboat her home in 2011. She has a background in photojournalism, having worked as a photographer for newspapers in Colorado and as a freelancer, photographing events and outdoor pursuits in North America and Europe. She is passionate about preserving wild places and joined FOW to help protect local wilderness and to meet like-minded people.  Karen has been the FOW Trail Ambassador Coordinator and is a new board member. When not out hiking, she enjoys skiing, camping, cycling, working on personal photo projects, city breaks for arts & culture, and exploring nature’s wild places throughout the world.

Denise is a long-time part-time resident of Steamboat. She grew up hiking the hills in central New York and followed her boots to a career in geology, moving from NY to Colorado to Texas and back to Colorado. In 2008, she moved with her husband Kurt to his hometown of Panama City, FL, with the promise that they’d return to the mountains each year. They joined FOW in June 2025 but have always been wilderness friends backpacking out trash and mitgating noxious weeds. Denise has held leadership positions on scientific and cultural not-for-profit Boards. She has a passion for environmental sustainability and uses her skills for noxious weed mitigation to help restore and protect wilderness habitat.