Jake Cummins
DUST2 NOTE: This past year, Jake attended the DUST2 sponsored trail work training weekend run by Salida Mountain Trails. He also helped out at a DUST2 trail work day on Chris Mountain and regularly attends the weekly group bike rides.
My name is Jake Cummins and I would appreciate the opportunity to be considered for a position on the DUST2 board. I believe that given my entrepreneurial experience coupled with my experience with working on other trail clubs I could be a valuable addition to the board.
My family and I have lived in Pagosa Springs since June of 2024. We moved down to this area from Ken Caryl, Colorado. A deeper sense of community, slower pace, easy access to the outdoors, and thousands of acres of wilderness were a few of the reasons we chose Pagosa. In Ken Caryl, I was a member of the Ken Caryl Trail Club for 10 years. Over this time period I put
in significant volunteer hours building and maintaining trails. I served on the volunteer trail patrol and I also volunteered as the liaison between the trail club and the Ken Caryl Open Space committee. In these roles I was able to learn a great deal about trail building and maintenance as well as the politics around building trails and working with opposing groups in a professional and productive manner. From a professional standpoint, I started a telecommunications consulting business in 2012 and grew that business from nothing to one of the most successful firms in my industry. During that timeframe I learned many skills that I think would translate well to serving on the DUST2 board. These skills include: working with many organizations on single projects, dealing with difficult customers, overcoming adversity, creating win/win situations for all parties involved. I see these skills translating to working with the forest service and landowners for new trails, working with groups that are opposed to mountain biking, and helping to create opportunities that work for the forest service, landowners, and opposing groups.
It would be a tremendous honor to work with the DUST2 organization to help bring more trails to the Pagosa area and to continue to grow the mountain biking community in the region. I have a ton of great ideas and I believe that I could make a tremendous contribution to the already incredibly hard working team that is in place. Thank you for your consideration.
Ryan Holloway
DUST2 NOTE: This past year, Ryan attended the DUST2 sponsored trail work training weekend run by Salida Mountain Trails. He also helped out at 3 different trail work days and camped with us at the Leadville High School Mountain Bike Team Race. Ryan regularly attends the weekly group bike rides.
I've been cycling since I was a child to be honest...had a steel frame 26er that I rode in the pastures of the land we owned through middle school and I really didn't pick up cycling again after that until I was about 300lbs in my late 20s.
I purchased a hardtail mountain bike when I was in Houston and started riding every day and got into spin classes. Things led to other things and I decided to get into triathlons after discovering that I enjoyed running. I purchased a road bike, then a tri bike...sprints led to olympics that led to half ironmans that led to completing two Ironmans (Texas 2014 and 2017).
At this point I was down 100lbs and well adapted to an active lifestyle. I was doing century rides, crit racing and lots of roadie stuff.
My roadie friends also did mountain bike stuff which was my first cycling discipline I fell in love with as a kid. I did lots of local races in the Houston area and even got into cyclocross and gravel.
My first Leadville Race was in 2022 which resulted in a 11:19 and a buckle, I did the Breck Epic Stage Race in 2023 and 2024 (completed both) and I just did Leadville again this year with a 10:19. I'm signed up for Breck Epic again 2026. Mountain biking is my favorite hobby and I consider myself lucky to live in a place that gives me so many ride options and I also consider myself lucky to be around so many like minded mtb riders!
I feel like in that journey I have gained quite a bit of mileage and perspective when it comes to riding bikes in general...but specifically mountain bikes. I'd be happy to be on the board and offer these perspectives!
Tom Steen
Briefly, my career has been as an educator. After university, I taught a bilingual (English/Spanish) math and science class in a California junior high school during a year in a Teacher Corps program. Following that I spent 2 years in the Peace Corps conducting in-service teacher training (ESL) in Malaysia. After completing my time with the Peace Corps, I taught English at the National University of Malaysia. I left Malaysia with my wife (Ming) to run language training programs for the Royal Saudi Air Force from 1976 to 1984.
Upon arriving in Pagosa in 1984 I designed and built our current home and a "spec" house before starting The Education Center. As the executive director of that 501-c-3 nonprofit for 10 years I was able to develop and offer evening classes in adult literacy, ESL, computer literacy, and small business management and accounting before starting an alternative high school dropout recovery program in partnership with the Archuleta County School District.
After retiring from The Education Center I spent a couple of years developing a system of mountain bike trails that were adopted by the USFS and is now generally known as Turkey Springs. During the trail development period I created a Web page (pagosatrails.net) to share the new trail information with local riders. During this same period, when traveling, I did freelance work for Singletracks.com providing downloadable GPS maps for mountain bike trails in multiple western states.
I currently am riding less and less, but would like to be able to continue to offer any skills I have towards youth education and trail development in the Pagosa Springs area.
VOTE HERE
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Elections for the Board of DUST2
DUST2 has a working board of directors, filled by local volunteers, and serving two year terms. Each year vacancies are announced in October and elections are held in November for the term beginning the following January.
The current Board of Directors consists of:
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Tarrie Parker - 2025/26
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George Gardner - 2025/26
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Rob Fischer - 2025/26
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Rodney Peart - 2025/26
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MaryKay Herzenach - 2025/26, board appointed to fill vacant spot.
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Logan Hart - 2024/25, returning for 2026/27
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Driz Cook - 2024/25, returning for 2026/27
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Patrick Shaffer - 2024/25, open spot for 2026/27
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Open
There are two board positions open for a two year term beginning in January. Bios of the candidates are directly below and the voting form is at the bottom of this page. Voting is open from November 11-21, 2025.