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AWC Staff
Ian Dowdy, Conservation Outreach Associate
Ian has a diverse background involving land development in public and private organizations throughout Maricopa County, including employment with a large engineering firm and the Town of Buckeye, where he has lived for more than a decade. As a planner, Ian has designed community master plans, subdivisions, and sites, but he is passionate about conserving appropriate natural resources for the coming generations. He has worked closely with many local governmental organizations throughout his career and has been successful at negotiating solutions to various conflicts. With a bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning and a master’s degree in Business Administration, Ian provides a unique view to land management endeavors while bringing valuable outreach skills to the organization. To reach Ian in Phoenix, call 602-252-5530.
Sam Frank, Central Arizona Director
Growing up in Connecticut, Sam felt the irresistible lure of the high mountain west and sensed the best way to experience that part of the country was to move there. After two years of living and exploring Wyoming, he took his reverence for the west and headed back east where he began working for the American Wilderness Coalition in Washington, D.C. It was during his two years in D.C. that Sam gained valuable knowledge of various conservation efforts around the country as well as skill in lobbying, grassroots organizing, and fundraising. Sam received his Bachelor of Science degree from Susquehanna University in 2001. While in DC in 2005, Sam was offered the fellowship with Prescott College and completed his Master's degree in Environmental Studies in spring of 2009. He lives near Prescott with his wife and three dogs. To contact Sam in Prescott, call 928-717-6076.
Kate Mackay, Deputy Director
Kate has worked for nearly 14 years in the conservation advocacy field. She previously worked on public outreach and media strategies as communications manager for Clean Air-Cool Planet, a NH-based organization working on climate change solutions in the Northeast. She has also worked in several capacities for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). From their Boston field office, Kate helped safeguard the natural resources at Cape Cod National Seashore by educating and mobilizing Massachusetts citizens, legislators, and the National Park Service to protect the seashore from damaging jet ski use. She also spent three years in NPCA's Washington, D.C., headquarters as news editor and journalist for their award-winning bimonthly magazine, National Parks. In 2001, Kate received her Master's degree in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School and in 1995, received her B.A. in English and American Studies from the University of Virginia. She misses Fenway Park and New England seasons, but is enjoying exploration of wild lands in the Southwest with her family. To contact Kate in Phoenix, call 602-571-2603.
Meghan Mix, Administrative Assistant
Meghan began working with AWC in the spring of 2011. She manages the everyday functions of the organization, including bookkeeping, membership, fundraising, and local outreach/event coordination. Meghan is a native of the Pacific Northwest. She received her B.A. in Geology and Anthropology from Whitman College in 2004 and has worked for and with several environmental nonprofits in Washington and Oregon. In 2008, she moved to rural Southern Arizona, where she fell in love with the wild lands of the desert. After a brief foray back north to the Olympic Peninsula, she returned to Arizona in 2011 and is very excited to be in Tucson! Meghan’s interests include conservation, farming/local food advocacy, sustainable design, photography, hiking, and cross-cultural studies.
To reach Meghan in Tucson, call 520-326-4300.
Carla Olson, Contracted Event Coordinator
Carla has extensive experience in community and event programming, specializing in volunteerism, outdoor recreation, and the arts. A self-proclaimed "Jane of all Trades", she is up for any challenge - indoors or out! While having a deep-rooted passion for all things related to water (be sure to ask about her days of whale research), the mountains have called her name and she prefers to spend her time listening to the wisdom they hold. Carla received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Michigan State University, with a focus in the natural sciences and behavioral studies. She brings a unique spin to every adventure with her mix of subtle wit and fascination of behavioral ecology. Life favorites include her two dogs; partner Elias; Scrabble, and microbrews. To reach Carla, email or call 480-201-6762.
Matt Skroch, Executive Director
Matt worked for 10 years with AWC partner Sky Island Alliance, based in Tucson, as their programs director and executive director before returning to academia for a graduate degree in conservation planning at the University of Arizona in 2009. He knows the issue of wilderness inside and out, having helped launch the grassroots effort to protect the Tumacacori Highlands in 2002, while also lending support across the state for similar efforts to provide permanent protection to Arizona’s wild lands. Matt has a proven track record of increasing organizational capacity, charting strategies for success, and communicating the importance of wild land conservation to the public and media.
"It is with great anticipation that I approach the opportunity to work with and expand our membership of wilderness advocates," says Matt. "Having the pleasure and opportunity to volunteer for AWC over the last ten years as a board member, field volunteer, event host, and campaign partner, I’ve experienced the breadth and capacity of this organization. It is my full intention to help expand this breadth and capacity into the future. Across the Sonoran, Verde, Sky Island, Grand Canyon, and White Mountain regions, opportunity knocks." Listen to Matt's "Weekly Word" on our AWC YouTube Channel. To contact Matt in our Tucson office, call 520-326-4300.
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Ian began working
in our Phoenix office on September 15th as our conservation outreach associate, responsible primarily for networking and connecting West Valley residents and stakeholders with AWC's growing Sonoran Desert Heritage Campaign, building a diverse base of support in congressional District 2, and working with other campaign team members on strategy for legislation to protect the unique Sonoran Desert lands in western Maricopa County. 
Sam is the most recent recipient of the Prescott College graduate fellowship and is working as AWC’s Central Arizona Director. Based out of the Prescott office, Sam’s efforts are focused on inventorying roadless areas, hosting volunteer events, and monitoring and participating in Forest Service planning processes.
From our Phoenix office, Kate serves as a public face and lead for stakeholder outreach, donors and donor prospects, and new audiences on wilderness protection efforts around the state. She oversees media and communications strategies for AWC, including its newsletter and website, and helps to direct statewide wilderness campaign planning. In addition, Kate works intermittently as a faculty associate at Arizona State University, where she teaches The History of Parks and Wilderness in America for the School of Community Resources and Development in the College of Public Programs. 
Carla has been tangentially involved with AWC since 2004, becoming the go-to coordinator for special events in the fall of 2010 – including the 