Lisa has been on the GDTA Board since 2022. She joined the GDTA because she believes long trails are special, and allow us to experience the wilderness in a unique and powerful way while playing an important role in its protection. She is committed to contributing whatever energy, skills, and passion she can to support the GDTA’s mission, and continue the work that countless others have started. Lisa brings her professional experience in operations in the non-profit sector, as well as a lifetime’s love of outdoor adventures.

Going for forest walks at 5 years old with sister and dad to enable Sunday morning peace and quiet time for mom seems to have started a career and volunteer path for Jeff. An end-to-end walk in 1968 on Vermont’s 438 km Long Trail at 16 years of age cemented a ‘trails’ passion.  Jeff is a founding member of the (1975) GDTA and rejoined the ‘reinvigorated’ organization and board in 2012. Committee service includes Trail Building and Maintenance, Safety and Environment. Trail experiences should start at our doorsteps and lead to the variety of all our destinations including the GDT!

Katie joined the GDTA Board as secretary in 2023. She is an avid backpacker and hiker, whose love of long trails was sparked when she hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016. She is passionate about protecting our local trails, which enable us to appreciate and connect with nature. Katie holds a BSc in Mathematics and a BA in Economics and works as an economic consultant.

Pamela Omu is a Chartered Accountant with over 10 years of experience. Currently working as an accountant in a real estate company and a student member of CPA Ontario. She enjoys outdoor activities and seeks to preserve and advance historical sites.

In April 2024, Pamela saw the GDTA’s callout for a new Treasurer to the Board of Directors and began volunteering. She has been attending Board meetings and learning about the GDTA’s financials since then. 

Pamela is dedicated to advancing GDTA’s mission and vision and is excited to be part of the Board in making a great impact. She looks forward to leveraging her skills to support GDTA’s financial health and strategic growth.

After completing two thru hikes, I have a new perspective on long trails and the surrounding community that supports hikers. I’m inspired to help sustainably build and maintain our local trails. I enjoyed volunteering on two maintenance trips. My background is in Computer Science, Programming, and IT. My skills include accounting, GPS mapping, and being bilingual. I’m eager to share my skills and committed to supporting the board’s work in making the GDT special.

Steve met his wife thru-hiking the PCT in 2016, and the two hiked the GDT as their honeymoon in 2021. Falling in love on the trail must be in his nature because he’s returned to do trail maintenance every year since. He has been the chair of the GDTA’s IT committee since 2022, and was elected to the board in 2023. He hopes to see the Great Divide Trail become well known in the hearts and minds of all Canadians and protected as a source of national pride.

Rebecca is an avid hiker and backpacker whose love of the outdoors has taken her across the Canadian Rockies, Pacific Northwest and Tasmania, Australia. Over the past decade, she has spent countless days on the trail, including the last five years backpacking, and has reached 127 mountain summits and counting.

A prospective Great Divide Trail thru-hiker, Rebecca believes trails offer a unique way to connect with nature and inspire stewardship of wild places. If she’s not hiking, she’s usually planning her next adventure or thinking about the mountains. Rebecca brings communications and writing experience from the nonprofit and government sectors. She is excited to contribute those skills to the Great Divide Trail Association and support the completion, long-term preservation and protection of the Great Divide Trail.

My name is Ryan Johnson and I am excited to be putting my name forward for a position on the GDTA Board.

I grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba and spent most of my summers on Lake of the Woods, Ontario, where I fished for walleye, slalom skied, and explored as many of the lakes’ 14,000 plus islands as I could. About four years ago I moved to Calgary as a recent law school graduate, and the outdoors have been a big part of my life here too. What was once an annual ski trip has become 20-plus days each winter, with summers now spent hiking and backcountry camping. When I’m not at my desk or getting outside, I’m most likely at the gym or dialling in my espresso.

Professionally, I practice as a litigation lawyer and am genuinely excited about the chance to bring those skills to the GDTA, whether that is in advocacy, governance, strategic planning, or policy. Being able to combine that with a passion for the outdoors and a community I am keen to be a part of would be incredibly rewarding.

I look forward to contributing in any way I can and hope to meet many of you soon

Meaghan has been on the GDTA Board since 2021, is a professional fundraiser by trade, an active member of the Ensuring Financial Capacity Committee, and has been building trail every summer since 2020. Originally from the Maritimes, she quickly fell in love with the mountains after backpacking solo to Mt. Assiniboine in 2018 (her first trip ever) and since then has hiked thousands of kilometres through the Rockies, Sierra Nevadas, and other wild places around the world. She joined the GDTA because she believes the Association plays an integral role in empowering all of us who love adventure and the wilderness.

Kristine has been on the GDTA Board since 2022 and has been living in the GDT-region for the past 7 years. She is an apprentice hiking guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and can be found regularly hiking and skiing in the Canadian Rockies. She has volunteer experience with a number of conservation organizations including the Alpine Club of Canada, Parks Canada, Yellowstone to Yukon and CPAWS. Kristine’s mantra is that conservation is a team sport and she believes we can get further by partnering with like-minded organizations who are working toward our shared goal of preserving the wilderness of the GDT region. She hopes to use her skills, passion and creativity to help the GDTA advance its’ goals during her term. 

Paul has been a member of the GDTA since 2020 and section hiked most of the GDT since that time. He’s been an active volunteer since 2021 and participated in a number of work camps at Cairnes and Collie Creek as well as being a member of the Outreach Committee. As a member of that committee, Paul hosted an info seminar in Kelowna featuring thru-hiker speakers, merchandise sales and membership promotion. He also had a part in the production of the new GoTrekker maps as part of that committee.

Paul is a retired member of the RCMP, living in Kelowna BC and over the years has been a member of various Boards including community and sports organizations. As an avid sailor he has served on the Kelowna Yacht Club’s board on two occasions most recently.

For the past two years, Paul and his wife have been BC Parks Hosts at Kakwa Lake where they have the joy and privilege to meet hikers who have experienced the GDT and they are proud to act as ambassadors for the organization.

Melissa has been volunteering with the Trail Protection and Advocacy Committee as Secretary since fall 2025. She grew up in Northern Ontario and developed a love of the outdoors at a young age. Melissa moved to Calgary with her partner in 2023 so they could enjoy a mountain-adjacent lifestyle. An avid day hiker and camper, she hopes to expand her backpacking abilities and start tackling sections of the GDT. A land use planner/project manager/cat herder by day, Melissa is keen to lend her expertise to various GDTA initiatives that involve relationship building, external communications, and project management.

Alex’s first experience of the GDT was hiking Section E in the summer of 2021. After years of hiking throughout BC, Alberta and internationally, Alex realized what a special trail the GDT is and he wanted to help further promote, protect and improve the trail. 

Alex has been the chair of the Ensuring Financial Committee from September of 2021, right after his section hike, and they’ve had tremendous successes from securing Alberta Trails Act funding, to bringing on board corporate sponsors and many many grants. 

Alex’s work is at the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus where he works with 125 student staff to put on intramural sports for the 60,000 UBC students who call campus home. This involves hiring, training, culture creation, logistics & operations and working with students who have some of the best and most wild ideas.

I’m a mountain lover at heart, happiest when I’m deep in the Rockies with a long trail stretched out ahead of me. After completing the Colorado Trail and beginning my section‑hike of the GDT, I feel strongly about helping build and protect the incredible routes our hikers rely on while respecting the land and wildlife that call the Rockies home. Volunteering on two recent trail maintenance trips sparked my interest in becoming more involved with the GDTA. Recently retired, I’m excited for the chance to support the GDTA as a Board member. I bring extensive Board experience, including four years as President of a Condo Board, along with my 34‑year career in Finance focused on leadership, risk mitigation, and process improvement. 

Kate began volunteer trail building with the GDTA in 2020 and quickly became attached to the trail and the volunteers, which is why she put her name forward for this role. Kate deeply values connection with the environment inspiring stewardship and protection, movement outdoors for mental and physical health, and access and inclusion to outdoor recreation for everyone. She hopes that her contributions will help the Great Divide Trail to be preserved and maintained for generations to come.

Tyler grew up in the mountains of northern British Columbia, where his love of wild places was shaped by a childhood spent hunting, fishing, and hiking. Those early experiences built a lasting passion for backcountry adventure and a deep appreciation for Canada’s mountain landscapes. In 2021, he thru-hiked the Great Divide Trail, further strengthening his connection to the Rockies. Today, Tyler continues to explore the mountains in every season and contributes to the outdoor community through trail building, education, and a commitment to sharing the spirit of adventure with others.