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AWC StaffMatt 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." Read an interview with Matt here. To contact Matt in our Tucson office, call 520-326-4300. Kate Mackay, Deputy Director
From our Phoenix office, Kate oversees media and communications strategies for AWC, including its newsletter and website, and helps to direct statewide wilderness campaign planning. She 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 also 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. Kate has worked for more than 12 years in the environmental 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, call 602-571-2603. Sam Frank, Central Arizona Director
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. 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, call 928-717-6076.
Paula Toffolo, Membership Coordinator
I’m continually amazed by the variety of beautiful landscapes the state has to offer. As the newest member of the Arizona Wilderness Coalition staff, I am very excited to be working to grow the membership and strength of this organization that works to protect such amazing natural treasures. This fall we are launching a major membership campaign, reaching out to citizens across the state in a variety of ways to find those folks who love Arizona’s wild lands and will join us as we work to ensure that they are protected and intact for future generations. We may even knock on your door!
To reach Paula, call 520-326-4300.
Rachel Martin, Administrative Assistant
She attained her Bachelor’s degree in ecology at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. She is currently getting her Master’s degree in public administration and environmental policy at the University of Arizona. Rachel has been working in AWC's Tucson office since February. She carries out various administrative duties, ranging from helping with mailings and working with QuickBooks, communications and membership tasks, and tabling at local events. To reach Rachel, call 520-326-4300.
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I grew up on the upper peninsula of Michigan and in upstate New York, where tall trees, deep snows, and big lakes were playgrounds for me and my friends. However, when I came to Tucson in 1993, the Sonoran Desert worked its beguiling magic on me and I grew to love the soft greens and dry air of southern Arizona. 
Rachel has always been interested in the preservation of our natural environments, and is excited to begin her foray into the world of environmental non-profits.