John Trinkl, President

John Trinkl came to EPFW from a lifetime of activism in various social causes and has been focusing much of his energy recently on preserving the quality of life of Calaveras County. He and his family own a cabin in Big Trees Village north of Arnold. He enjoys hiking in the area and shopping at the ACE hardware store in Arnold. Besides being president of EPFW, John has worked in a garbage bag factory, been a reporter, writer, editor, marketing specialist, web developer, worked in the travel industry, the book publishing business, and high tech ventures. He hopes to travel to North Dakota someday, the only state he hasn't visited.

Ron Szymanski—Incumbent

Ron Szymanski has had a cabin in the Ebbetts Pass area since 1990 and retired to Hathaway Pines in 2001. An active Adult Scouter in the Boy Scouts, Ron has been encouraged by EPFW’s activities since its inception. He is committed to bringing EPFW goals to fruition, ensuring that a viable ecosystem is maintained for all to share and enjoy now and in the future. He is not against logging, only irresponsibility in logging on private and public lands. He believes big business, including the timber industry, is not capable of, nor willing to police its activities beyond the effect on its bottom line. Therefore, it is our responsibility as citizens to point out other approaches that must be considered.

Bunny Firebaugh, Treasurer

Bunny Firebaugh, Treasurer has been a member of EPFW since its inception in May 2000. She served on the steering committee for about nine months before being elected to the Board in June 2001. Bunny has been a mainstay of the organization, helping with Town Hall meetings and special events, including fairs and Earth Day, among many others. In addition to her EPFW work, Bunny is a board member and docent at Calaveras Big Trees State Park. She also is a Volunteer In Protection inspector. She has lived in Blue Lake Springs full time since she retired in the fall of 1994 and has loved every minute except for what is happening to the forest in the Sierras. She looks forward to continuing her work with all the other devoted EPFW members to preserve a healthy forest for future generations.

Susan Robinson, Director

Susan Robinson joined EPFW several years ago after becoming aware of SPI's clearcutting plans at the Arnold Crafts Faire. She and her husband are now retired near Arnold and previously had a cabin in Big Trees Village. She recently retired from a major Bay Area corporation where she held positions in environmental and safety management and strategic and business planning. Susan's father had a Masters in Forestry from Penn State and was a district forester and regional park manager in Pennsylvania. She grew up with his views on respectful forestry (including logging) and love of all plants and animals in the forest ecosystem. Her deep love of the Sierra Nevada and its diverse forests drive her to action to protect them from being clearcut on an industrial scale and opposition to our government's perspective that forests are only sources of timber.

Bob Dean

Bob is a long-time involved resident of Calaveras County. He is President of the Board of Directors of the Calaveras County Water District. Bob is board member of the Mother Lode Land Trust, working to increase land preservation in Calaveras County. He has worked to preserve the foothill oak woodlands. Bob was one of the main organizers of the “Calaveras Water and Land Use” forum in Murphys this past November.

Steve Elias

Steve is a retired school teacher. He has worked for many years with the Sierra Club, most recently with the Mother Lode Chapter’s conservation committee and forestry committee. He has testified extensively before government agencies concerning conservation and development issues. He is a member of the Calaveras Planning Coalition. Steve works to preserve the Sierra forests and rural nature of the Sierra.

Penny Sarvis

Penny Sarvis has been a member of EPFW since 2000. She has served on the board and as secretary in the past. She would like to participate on the board again because of her unbroken commitment to the forests of the Sierra and because she feels EPFW, in conjunction with new allies around California, is in a better position than ever before to save at least some of SPI”s lands from the ravages of clearutting and plantations.

Agata Sulczynski, JD

Agata Sulczynski, received her Juris Doctor degree from University of San Francisco as a public interest law scholar. She served on the EPFW Board of Directors from 2005 to 2007 and was the Vice President of EPFW during this time. She was the Director of the Wild and Scenic Film Festival on Tour hosted by EPFW in Calaveras County. She is currently a Senior Project Manager at an environmental consulting firm, providing regulatory compliance support to a diverse base of clients. She also provides legal and strategic planning assistance to non-profit organizations working to protect California's natural resources. As a resident of Dorrington and an avid recreationist, she is interested in working for sustainable management of our public and private lands. Ms. Sulczynski offers her experience and interest in protecting our public trust resources. She continues to support EPFW in the area of legislative reform and as the Director of the Wild and Scenic Film Festival.