Staff
Matthew J. Nelson
Executive Director
Matthew has been the Executive Director of the ATA since 2012, but his connections to the Arizona Trail go back over 25 years. Matthew has worked as an outdoor educator, Grand Canyon backpacking guide, archaeologist, Native American repatriation coordinator, editor, and freelance photojournalist. He has more than 500 published articles to his credit and is the primary author of Your Complete Guide to the Arizona National Scenic Trail and the Arizona Trail Junior Explorer Handbook. Matthew serves on the Board of Directors for Natural Restorations, and La Tierra del Jaguar; is a policy advisor for Bikepacking Roots; and volunteers on the Trail Leaders Council and Policy & Advocacy Committee for the Partnership for the National Trails System. He has visited the summits of America’s highest peaks, and spent three winters removing trash from Cerro Aconcagua (22,841 ft.) in Argentina.
Brittany Chavez
Development Director
Brittany grew up in a small Little Colorado River valley nestled in the beautiful White Mountains of eastern Arizona. She received her BA from Northern Arizona University and became licensed to practice law in 2013. Brittany has served as an associate attorney for Defenders of Children, a Phoenix nonprofit, and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. In 2018 she spent three months traveling the Western US and Canada, and that adventure prompted a career transition to outdoor recreation and conservation. She was a proud partner of the ATA while working as a market coordinator for REI Co-op. She enjoys hiking, hunting and paddling with her family and their German Shorthaired Pointers, Boudreaux and Bijou. She is a member of the Arizona State Bar Environmental and Natural Resources Section, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, the Arizona Women Lawyers Association, the Grand Canyon Trust and, of course, the Arizona Trail Association.
Neil Stitzer
Trail Director
Born and raised in Tucson, Neil attended the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, where he received a B.A. in Geography and Environmental Studies in 2010. It was in Colorado that Neil developed a love for trails as a way for people to connect with nature. His first exposure to trail work was volunteering for trail construction of the Arizona Trail in southern Arizona. Neil worked for the Town of Marana Parks & Recreation Trail Crew building and maintaining trails in the Tortolita Mountains from 2011-2017. In 2017, he worked as a Trails Program Coordinator and Manager for Pima County Natural Resources Parks & Recreation, developing and managing Pima County’s regional trail system until 2023. Neil has extensive professional experience in trails planning, design, construction and maintenance in various locations throughout the southwest, including Arizona Trail projects. As an outdoor enthusiast, he is passionate about working towards supporting a balance between conservation and recreation.
Jeremy “JJ” Jonas
Volunteer Program Coordinator
Arizona’s incredible biodiversity drew JJ to Tucson 15 years ago, and its unique ecological and recreational treasures have kept him here ever since. JJ came to Tucson in 2009 for graduate school at the University of Arizona, where he earned a Master’s in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, followed by a Master’s in Science Education. He has 15+ years of K-16 science education experience, specializing in hands-on scientific research opportunities for underserved and underrepresented high school students. For the past decade, JJ also directed an immersive summer field science program at the Southwestern Research Station in the Chiricahua Mountains. He is an avid trail runner, backpacker, and mountain biker with a strong commitment to public lands volunteerism. JJ is passionate about uniting people from diverse backgrounds to work toward common goals and looks forward to engaging volunteers to preserve and promote one of Arizona’s greatest treasures—the AZT.
Renee Stevens
Administrative Director
Renee grew up in the New Orleans area and moved to Tucson in 1986. She quickly fell in love with the desert and mountains and decided to put down roots. She earned her degree in Accounting from the University of Arizona and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 2003. Throughout her career, Renee has helped many non-profit organizations achieve their financial and operational goals. She enjoys volunteering, especially for trail work events and at local trail races. She helped her husband plan and execute his successful thru-hike of the Arizona Trail in 2017. Renee is also an avid camper, hiker and trail runner, and has completed over 50 marathons and ultramarathons. When she is not working or spending time in the wilderness, she loves to read, watch documentaries, practice yoga and meditation, and tend to her backyard flowering cactus gardens.
Chrissy Maes
Administrative Assistant
Chrissy grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and fell in love with the Southwest when she moved to Prescott, Arizona in 2014. Her introduction to the region formed during a three-week backpacking trip in Central Arizona, where she learned the importance of connecting with nature and learning about the plants and animals that surround her. Two years later, Chrissy moved to Tucson to finish her B.A. at the University of Arizona, and she has been lucky to call Tucson her home ever since. Chrissy has worked with people of all ages in schools, at summer camps, on college campuses, and with multiple non-profit organizations. She is dedicated to helping others find connection to themselves and community through outdoor experiences. Chrissy enjoys trying to identify every bird she sees, Latin dancing, caring for her house plants, and being part of a community garden.
Alex Gonzales
Trail Technician
Alex was born and raised in south Texas near the Gulf Coast and spent his childhood climbing trees and camping with his family. His joy of experiencing the outdoors and love of the natural world eventually led to a B.S. in Natural Resources Management from Texas Tech University with a minor in GIS. After graduation in 2020, Alex has spent time working for various government agencies and conservation organizations all over the western US. These experiences gave Alex a diverse background including trail construction and maintenance, wildlife biological work, and habitat restoration. Eventually landing in the Santa Rita Mountains leading a trail crew on a restoration project, he found the Sonoran Desert and the ecosystems too beautiful to leave and has been based in Tucson since 2022. Working and traveling in the Southwest has expanded his appreciation for recreation and conservation and he hopes to continue to make a positive impact. During his free time Alex loves rock climbing, hiking, photography, and generally being active in the outdoors.
Shawn Redfield
Shawn RedfieldSteward Extraordinaire
After 30+ years of bureaucracy with the Department of the Interior, Shawn retired in 2010 and decided to unwind by hiking the AZT. The very next year, he committed to full-time volunteer work within the Trail Operations program where you can witness his unwavering commitment to the continuation of developing and maintaining the trail. Whether Shawn is installing a sign, replacing a gate, or conducting trail work, he is always busy supporting staff and volunteers. He received the 2015 Trail Volunteer of the Year Award from American Trails, and in 2016 was named the Cox Conserves Hero for Arizona – an award that honors volunteers who create, preserve or enhance the outdoor places in our communities.
Michael “Chappy” Chappell
VETS Program Director
Following his deployments during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Chappy sought solace in the therapeutic embrace of nature, which steered him towards enrollment at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Here, his academic endeavors centered on Outdoor Education and Conservation, fostering a deep understanding of the symbiotic relationship between humanity and the environment. His commitment to community service runs deep, evidenced by his involvement with esteemed organizations such as the Southern Arizona Rescue Association, Arizona Conservation Corps, and the National Park Service. In his current capacity as the VETS Program Director with the ATA, Chappy is unwaveringly committed to crafting tailor-made initiatives designed to enrich the lives of those who have bravely served our nation. By creating nature-based programming and fostering meaningful connections, he ensures veterans have the tools and opportunities to thrive along the scenic expanse of the Arizona National Scenic Trail, and beyond.
Treven Hooker
Youth Outreach Coordinator (Southern AZ)
Born and raised in Arizona, Treven has led the Seeds of Stewardship program in southern Arizona since 2016. He is dedicated to helping youth develop long lasting and meaningful relationships to Nature. He believes these experiences will positively affect every aspect of their life, their environment, and their community. Treven mentors students to become ethical naturalists who are motivated to advocate and protect Nature. He believes that in order to have a sustainable future, it must include a healthier and happier relationship to Nature.
Clay Showalter
Youth Outreach Coordinator (Northern AZ)
Environmental, racial, and social justice form the foundation of Clay’s approach to conservation and environmental education. He fell in love with Arizona’s diverse landscapes and people while thru-hiking the AZT in 2022 and is excited to bring over a decade of field experience across six states and five countries to his work in Northern Arizona. “It has been a particularly challenging period for young people in this country and adolescents are capable of much more than what they believe they can do and what society tells them they can do,” says Clay. “Outdoor education has never been more urgently needed to empower youth, build community, and sow seeds of advocacy and stewardship.”
Makenzie Mabery
Gear Girls Coordinator
For the better part of the last decade, Makenzie has worked across the West as a wildland firefighter and most recently as an Environmental Planner, focused on NEPA work in the Southwest. Her background exemplifies an admiration for sustainability and land management which is highly relevant to mountain biking and trail stewardship. Makenzie grew up and learned to pedal in Northern Arizona. Though she has ridden trails and roads all over the world, she notes that nothing compares to the diverse terrain, weather, and varying ecosystems found throughout Arizona. She is very excited to cultivate community and create an experience on bikes that is specific to the needs of girls, allowing them to embrace the fullest versions of themselves. She hopes that as girls continue to progress on the bike, they will stay in the sport and apply lessons learned in the saddle to everyday life.
Sarah Dowling
Gear Girls Assistant
Sarah’s love of the outdoors sprouted while catching frogs, foraging herbs, and playing in the lush forests of the Northeast. She believes in the power of connection to the natural world as a necessary element in inspiring a sense of creativity, joy, and responsibility for the greater world around us. Sarah is passionate about fostering spaces for youth and adults that encourage greater confidence and joy within themselves as well as deeply personal bonds with the outdoors. She is grateful to be doing so with the Arizona Trail Association. When she is not working with the ATA, Sarah teaches yoga and can be found outside trail running, biking, or catching a great sunset with some grade A snacks.
Shannon Villegas
Marketing and Graphic Designer
Shannon is an enthusiastic Arizona Trail ambassador. She’s always looking to spend time on the trail and inspire others to fall in love with the AZT. She loves pushing pixels as a graphic designer, and has been lending her talents to the ATA since 2016. Her own graphic design business was started after she left San Diego and moved to Tucson in 2006. The outdoors are her playground, and she enjoys mountain biking and trail running. A SoCal convert, she feels incredibly blessed to live and work in Arizona with her husband, and is always looking for a new adventure… living life ‘with the lid off’!
Aaron Seifert
GIS Director
Aaron has been with the Arizona Trail Association since the summer of 2008 when the “Close the Gap” trail work was being done just north of Flagstaff. He publishes and maintains all the passage maps, interactive website maps, and supply map data for the Arizona Trail App, Arizona Trail To Go App, Topo/Trail Line Map Set, exports to GPX files that are posted on the aztrail.org website as well as other various map products. He’s been working in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) since 1996 after receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Geography from Northern Arizona University. He mostly likes mountain biking and hiking trails across the state and hopes to bite off segments of the Arizona Trail until he completes it. In 2015 he received the AGIC (Arizona Geographic Information Council) Chairperson’s Volunteer of the Year Award for his work with the ATA.
Tasha Pontifex
Field Coordinator – Southern Arizona
Tasha has been volunteering with the ATA since 2006, where she initially cut trails on the Las Cienegas passage south of Tucson. She grew up in Montana and attended college on the East Coast but couldn’t resist returning to the West. She moved to Tucson in 2001 and started working at the University of Arizona as a research technician. She has also volunteered to build and maintain trails for other organizations in the Tucson area, believing that the more trails, the better. She received the 2019 Volunteer of the Year Award and now embraces her new role as a Field Coordinator. As the use of the ATA grows, so will the need for volunteers, and Tasha is committed to making sure each and every volunteer has a great experience.
Heidi Larson
Field Coordinator – Northern Arizona
Heidi has always been fascinated by nature and science; all the little connections that are easily overlooked. She moved from the Midwest to Flagstaff to study Physics and Astronomy at NAU, and became charmed by the mountains and forest on the edges of town. Heidi transitioned from hiker to mountain biker after becoming a telescope operator for Lowell Observatory at the 4m telescope in Happy Jack. A lot of time between shifts and some awesomely long bike commutes were spent on and near the AZT during this time. After helping with a few local trail work days, Heidi discovered the Trail Skills Institute courses. After attending all the modules, she became a Trail Steward in 2022. Heidi says, “Trails provide amazing opportunities to connect with nature, yourself, and any trail buddies – people, lizards, deer, and others. I want to encourage others to get out exploring and volunteering to support local trails and ecosystems.”
