Staff and Board

Dani Poirier

Director

I was raised in the Rockies of Colorado and Canada, but have called Utah home since 2004. I was fortunate to grow up resort and cross-country skiing, but when I became involved with WBA in 2014 as an intern while attending the University of Utah, I had never been alpine touring. I joined because I believed in protecting the balance between undeveloped and developed terrain in our small but gorgeous mountain backyard. I joined the Board of Directors in 2018 and now serve as the director as of the 2023/2024 season. I am excited to pioneer this new role and help tap into our potential to protect our vital winter playground. I love ski touring in the winters, but I also dabble in other activities Utah has to offer like rafting, climbing, cross-country and resort skiing, mountain biking, and hiking with my high-energy dog.

Aaron London

Board President – volunteer

Born from ice, Aaron grew up in New Hampshire learning to ski the east both resort and backcountry. He transplanted to Utah just in time for the previous record breaking season of 2010-2011. While touring with a mentor and friend in Willow Heights in the season of 2012-2013 he learned about the plan to put a gondola right through the heart of it. He began volunteering with the WBA shortly thereafter, tabling at events and later focusing on the trail counting program. In 2019 he joined the board to further his commitment to protecting and preserving the balance in the Central Wasatch mountains and to give back to a place and community that has given him so much. As a software engineer for onXmaps he feels incredibly fortunate to be able to align professional and personal passions for the outdoors. This season he continues the freeheel tradition as he steps up to the role of president and seeks to fill the boots of past-president Chris Adams.

Chris Adams

Board of Directors – volunteer

After stops in Steamboat, CO and Portland, ME, Chris Adams moved to Salt Lake City in 1997 and has called it home ever since. He started telemark skiing his first winter in UT, ditched his alpine gear the next year and has not succumbed to the AT revolution yet. Chris joined WBA in 2015 and served as its president from Fall 2016 until Fall 2023, and is committed to preserving, expanding and improving recreation access for future generations. When he’s not working as an attorney, you can find Chris telemark and nordic skiing in the winter, and enjoying the trails, desert, rivers and mountains in the summer with his wife and two daughters. He is a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan who attended Colgate University (BA History) and University of Maine School of Law.

Haley Brenkmann

Board of Directors – volunteer

Born and raised in Salt Lake City, I am an avid outdoor enthusiast with a deep connection to the Central Wasatch. Whether climbing granite cracks or skiing powder, this region has always been my favorite place to explore and connect with nature.

My passion for protecting the Wasatch runs deep, inspiring me to dedicate over a decade to recreation and nonprofit advocacy work in the area. Through volunteering with organizations focused on preserving these cherished landscapes, I have cultivated a strong commitment to ensuring they remain accessible and sustainable for future generations.

As Secretary and Events Coordinator for the Wasatch Backcountry Alliance, I am thrilled to combine my experiences in community building and advocacy to amplify our efforts. I look forward to fostering meaningful connections among recreationists and advancing initiatives that safeguard the Wasatch’s natural beauty and backcountry opportunities.

Taylor Meadows

Board of Directors – volunteer

A native of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Taylor grew up recreating in the Tetons and developed a love for the mountains from a young age. He frequented Salt Lake throughout his childhood while visiting family and began forming an appreciation for the Wasatch. He relocated to Utah in 2012 and his appreciation for the Wasatch grows with each passing day and adventure. Taylor joined the WBA board in 2024 to help advocate for and protect the Wasatch with its unparalleled opportunity and access.

Taylor is a Product Manager for onXmaps and is privileged to align passion and craft for his day-to-day work. Outside of backcountry skiing, Taylor loves alpine climbing, mountain biking, trail running, and paragliding and is enjoying teaching his two year old to ski.

Jen Irwin

Board of Directors – volunteer

Jen grew up skiing in southern Indiana before building an eight-year career as a CPA in New York City. After multiple trips to Utah, discovering backcountry skiing, and Little Cottonwood’s legendary powder, she followed her passion west. In 2024, Jen took a sabbatical from her corporate career and relocated to Salt Lake City, where she now works as a ski instructor at Alta.

Ani Williams

Board of Directors – volunteer

I was raised in Vermont’s Green Mountains but have called Utah home since February 2023, just in time for our historically huge winter. I grew up skiing Mad River Glen, racing on Nordic skis, and spending time exploring the East Coast’s rugged mountains in all seasons. I’m a climate scientist by training and writer by passion. I’ve pursued stories, ski lines, and field work in far flung places across four continents. I love working to protect natural ecosystems and our access to them and am thrilled to be serving on the WBA board. When I’m not at my desk working as Policy Director for Winter Wildlands Alliance or plotting my next story, I can usually be found exploring the nearest mountains on foot or skis.

Jake Wright

Board of Directors – volunteer

Jake grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he mountain biked, skied, and skateboarded at a young age but then transitioned to snowboarding due to its similarity with skateboarding. When Jake transplanted to Utah he quickly picked up splitboarding and fell in love with the backcountry. He is passionate about environmental protection and has worked in the International Development sector for seven years, supporting projects that have helped transition developing countries from fossil fuels to renewables, raise private funding for renewable energy investments, and lobby for clean energy policy. Jake is an alumni of West Virginia University and has volunteered for the Sierra Club, Cottonwood Canyons Foundation trail crew, and WBA trail counter program. In addition to splitboarding, Jake also enjoys rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, and slacklining.

Eli Davis

Social Manager

After admiring WBA’s advocacy work from its early days, I joined the team during the 2022 winter, managing social media and communications. Working alongside and learning from the dedicated and knowledgeable WBA board members has further inspired my love of the Wasatch and desire to protect my adopted home range. My Baltimore roots remain in my diehard Ravens, Orioles, and Terps fandom. I would be remiss not to mention I teleski. Because one nonprofit isn’t enough, my day job at O₂ Utah keeps me busy working for cleaner air across the Wasatch Front.

Thank you to the following Emeritus Members for your continued support:

• Jamie Kent
• Tom Diegel
• George Vargyas
• David Page
• David Carroll
• Brad T. Rutledge

Thank you to the our former board members for your contributions:

• Will McKay
• Jay Erickson
• Claudia Wiese
• Mason Daly
• Erme Catino
• Caroline Gleich
• Ron Penner
• Jenny Sonntag