Greetings SBFC members and friends,

It is my privilege to announce the hiring of Ryan Ghelfi as the next Executive Director of the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation. Ryan brings with him a lifelong passion for all things Wilderness. Ryan has a degree in Business Administration/Accounting from Southern Oregon University. In his resume, Ryan describes himself as “an outdoor professional with a wide breadth of experience in the mountains and in business with a lifelong passion for Wilderness, trails, and maintaining access to our vast public lands.” When you meet Ryan, you will see why we are so excited to have him leading our team.

Ryan and his family will be moving from Ashland Oregon to McCall, Idaho in February. Ryan and his wife have two children with a third due in April. In Ashland, Ryan owned two Wilderness related businesses and was the treasurer for the Siskiyou Mountain Club. Ryan was a professional long distance runner from 2014-2020. He held speed records for ascents of Half Dome and Mt. Shasta. Please join me in welcoming Ryan into the SBFC community.

Ryan will begin his new position on March 1 after spending time working with outgoing Executive Director, Sally Ferguson, to assure a smooth transition.

Sincerely,
Jim Heidelberger; SBFC Board Chair