Board Members
Rick Bass
As a nationally prominent nature and environmental writer who is a twenty-year resident of the Yaak Valley and one of the founders of the YVFC, Rick could be considered the backbone of the organization. His experience as board member and trustee of the Montana Wilderness Association, the Cabinet Resources Group and Round River Conservation Studies has been invaluable towards the development of YVFC. Rick’s numerous books and articles on Yaak’s wildlands and the need to protect the remaining roadless cores have brought national attention to the organization. In addition to Rick’s work as secretary for the YVFC, his accomplishments for our group include overseeing our annual community presentations, and supervising two anthology book projects. Rick offers countless hours of volunteer field support to our Forest Watch program, as well as writes numerous articles and op-ed pieces yearly, which bring national media attention to the need to protect the Yaak's wildlands.
Andrew Duffin
A relative newcomer to the Yaak, Andrew Duffin brings an academic background to the YVFC. Andrew holds a Ph.D. from Washington State University, specializing in environmental history — a field that examines the dynamic relationships between humans and the physical world over time. His doctoral dissertation has been turned into a book, recently published by the University of Washington Press: Plowed Under: Agriculture and Environment in the Palouse. One of Andrew’s first tasks as a board member for the Forest Council will be to assist in the development of an environmental education program for Troy schools.
David Henderson
David is currently an Assistant Professor in the graduate school at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, OK, where he teaches leadership classes. He is a Courage To Teach/Lead facilitator and was co-founder of Montana Courage To Teach, a professional development program for educators and leaders which focuses on helping educators/leaders reconnect who they are with what they do. He was an adjunct professor at The University of Montana in Missoula where he taught leadership classes. He has taught college and high school English and the sciences as well as having served as the high school principal in Troy, MT. For four years he taught 5th-8th grade in the K-8 school in the Yaak Valley of Northwest Montana, the last “one room” school in Montana which still meets in its original log cabin. His family’s spiritual home is their A-frame in the Yaak Valley of Montana.
Gary E. Hudson
Gary was raised in Huntsville, Alabama during the start up of the space program in the 1950’s. This instilled in him a deep and continued appreciation for science and technology. Scouting exposed him to the great outdoors and led to an interest in caving, hiking, camping - basically all things outdoors. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era Gary entered the foundry industry as owner operator of a small family business, Hudson Metals, and built the company steadily for 13 years before selling his shares to pursue a college degree. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in 1983. During this time Gary fell in love with the Rocky Mountain West. Gary worked the next 27 years in heavy manufacturing, retiring recently after a 15 year stint as V.P. & General Manager for a division of a major international company. In this position he created over 100 new jobs in manufacturing steel products for the mining, transportation, forestry and defense industries. Gary is most proud of his long term marriage to Trish Lauer, of his two adult children, of his history as a job creator and of fulfilling a long term dream - living in the Rocky Mountain West. Trish and Gary purchased property in the Yaak 20 years ago and over time built a house, now becoming their new home. Gary brings to the Board a unique blend of interest in preserving and enhancing our great outdoors, while having a full appreciation for the need for active management of our resources and job creation in our region.