About - FDRD - Friends of the Dillon Ranger District

Your donation to FDRD supports the local, National Forest.

Friends of the Dillon Ranger District (FDRD) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that preserves the local, National Forest through volunteer projects, outdoor education + collaborative partnerships.

With more than 60 volunteer projects on our National Forest each year, FDRD volunteers contribute thousands of hours maintaining and improving trails, planting trees, pulling invasive weeds and educating visitors about the local, National Forest.

Staff & Board

Goals/Accomplishments

FDRD Mission

Friends of the Dillon Ranger District’s mission is to engage our community and support the US Forest Service’s Dillon Ranger District in stewardship through: adult and youth education and diverse volunteer programs, to preserve and enhance our public lands.

FDRD Team

Doozie MartinExecutive Director

Doozie, grew up in Kansas City, MO, and after finishing graduate school at the University of Missouri, he followed his love of the forest and the mountains to the high country of Summit County, CO. Doozie’s now entering his ninth season of forest stewardship with FDRD. When he’s not rubbing shoulders with volunteers in this devoted mountain community, he can be found hiking with his dog, Titus, riding his bike, camping in the woods and strummin’ on his ol’ 6-string. He hopes to make your acquaintance on an upcoming forest health project on a trail near you!

Get in touch: doozie@fdrd.org
Pronouns: he/him/his

Lizzie MorrisonPrograms Manager

Lizzie first joined the FDRD team in 2019 after trading the Northern Midwest for Colorado about 10 years ago. After graduating with a degree in Environmental Science, she looked West for outdoor conservation work. Lizzie’s has an extensive trails background acquired from participating and leading trail crews with the Student Conservation Association and Rocky Mountain Youth Corps. When she’s not busy organizing volunteer projects and wearing her hard hat, she can be found in the woods biking, hiking, and skiing with her partner, Zack and powder hound, Cheezy. Lizzie is looking forward to digging in a borrow pit and pounding rebar with you at one of our trail projects this summer! Happy trails!

Get in touch: lizzie@fdrd.org
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Robert BennettMarketing & Events Manager

Rob grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and made his way out to Colorado after graduating from Drury University with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations. He started off in Summit County at Copper Mountain and eventually moved into the world of events, with stints in Copper’s Competition Department and Vail Resorts Hospitality. Rob is an adrenaline junkie and cannot get enough of the gravity-fed freedom that skiing and mountain biking supply. In his free time, you can find him out on the trails or honing his skills in the kitchen. Rob is an expert at-home chef and chocolate chip cookies are his speciality.

Get in touch: robert@fdrd.org
Pronouns: he/him/his

Maddie RetrosiEducation and Youth Programs Manager

Maddie grew up in New Hampshire and spent her time in coastal New England exploring the nature around her and working in outdoor and environmental education. After graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Wildlife and Conservation Biology, she put her physical skills to the test on a Student Conservation Association trail crew. Falling even more in love with the outdoors, conservation, and stewardship, Maddie moved to Colorado to chase public lands. She spent her summers in Summit County as an environmental educator and now is excited to get dirty on the trails again with FDRD. Maddie can’t wait to work with you on the trail and share her favorite recipes from wild edibles!

Get in touch: maddie@fdrd.org
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Em LindEducation & Events Coordinator

Em joined the FDRD team in 2022. She moved to Colorado in 2019 and first starting working as a youth snowboard instructor at Breckenridge Resort and spent summers in Maine. Originally from Pennsylvania, she studied Outdoor Recreation Management at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. Since then, Em has gained experience working with youth through instructing and as a manager of an adventure program at a summer camp in Maine. She is passionate about inspiring future generations to be stewards of the outdoors and connecting with the local community. When she is not out in the field, you can find her rock climbing, hiking, or out shooting photos.

Get in touch: emilylind@fdrd.org
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Maddie KornutiakProgram Coordinator

Maddie is new to the FDRD team this summer! She grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania and moved out to Colorado to attend CU Boulder (Sko Buffs!). After graduating from CU with a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, she moved up to Summit County to work for the US Forest Service on the Dillon Ranger District Trail Crew. You may have even seen Maddie patrolling up at Vail Pass on skis or a snowmobile! Maddie has gained a lot of experience working on the trail crew over the past two summers and is excited to work with FDRD. When she’s not rolling around in the mud on the trails, she’s is usually skiing, biking or even crocheting!

Get in touch: kornutiakm@fdrd.org
Pronouns: she/her/hers

The FDRD Board

Laurie AlexanderBoard President

Retired Software Product Manager

Jim BorgelVice President

Corporate Attorney at Holland & Hart

Brian BlankenmeisterTreasurer

Senior Vice President at Alpine Bank

Lauren RichmondSecretary

Marketing and Events Manager – High Country Conservation Center

Scott SchlegelBoard Member

Alpine Bank Assistant Vice President

Anne MillerBoard Member

Arapahoe Basin – Human Resources Director

Elaine CollinsBoard Member

Dedicated Volunteer

Kolina CoeBoard Member

Director of Mountain Operations – Keystone Resort

History of FDRD

How We Came About

Friends of the Dillon Ranger District (FDRD) began in 2005 as a group of local community members who wanted to work with the US Forest Service’s Dillon Ranger District (DRD), to play a more active role in the management of our local National Forest.

Our Founder

At the time, Ken Waugh was the District Recreation Staff Officer for the DRD. He also recognized the need for the Forest Service to make some “friends” and the creation of FRIENDS of the Dillon Ranger District became his mission.

Growth Over the Years

In the past 15 years, the organization has grown to a four-person, full time, year-round staff, with two summer seasonal employees, and over 1,000 dedicated volunteers. Our programs have seen steady growth in part due to a high level of demand for organized, effective, outdoor stewardship projects, as well as the immense popularity of outdoor recreation in Summit County.

Recognizing FDRD

FDRD was recognized as the US Forest Service’s National “Volunteer Program of the Year” in 2010 and won 2nd Place in the Summit Daily News’ Best of Summit competition for Best Nonprofit in 2019.

Awards + Acknowledgements

Caring for the Land Stewardship Award
Summit Foundation Outstanding Community Organization Award
Continental Divide Trail Alliance Partner of the Year
Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado Partner Organization of the Year
USDA Forest Service Sponsored Group of the Year Award
The SHIFT Youth Stewardship Award
Best of Summit County Award

2025 Accomplishments

Volunteer Hours

Bags of Trash Removed from National Forest

Feet of Trail Maintained

Educated

Goals & Accomplishments

Improving trail conditions on the National Forest in Summit County by engaging a diverse range of community members and other stakeholders in outdoor stewardship projects.
Providing a consistent volunteer outreach and monitoring presence on the National Forest in Summit County by engaging individual volunteers as part of FDRD’s Ranger Patrol program.
Providing a continuum of service learning opportunities for youth ages 6-18. Increased engagement of local, and visiting, youth remains a primary goal for FDRD in the years to come.

Improving natural resource conditions by engaging partners and community volunteers in a variety of volunteer service projects including ecological restoration and trail maintenance.
Seeking business and organization “field partners” to not only participate in field projects but also to help recruit additional sub-population of volunteers.
Educating the public about issues facing the National Forest, by providing and facilitating educational presentations, outreach opportunities, and interpretive hikes throughout the year.