Grand Teton National Park Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of new members to its board of directors and resource council. Effective October 1, we welcome Laura Davis, Affie Ellis, Lynn Larson, Chip Nisbet, and Jeff Willemain to the board of directors and Neeta Demeulenaere, Lisa Friesecke, and Brandon Jones to the resource council. The group brings a broad spectrum of expertise to the Foundation.
“We are delighted to welcome this group of talented, passionate professionals to the Foundation’s leadership team,” Grand Teton National Park Foundation President Leslie Mattson said. “They each bring unique perspectives and experiences, and, when paired with their passion for Grand Teton, this group will help us as we continue our important work to provide private funding for impactful initiatives in our backyard national park. ”
In addition, Adrienne Mars was named as the organization’s first emeritus board member. A volunteer since 2010, her visionary leadership has been pivotal to the Foundation’s success over the past fifteen years. The organization is deeply grateful for her continued partnership and honored to work alongside her in this new role.
The Foundation aims to protect and enhance Grand Teton National Park through various programs, including youth engagement, historic preservation, wildlife conservation, and visitor experience enhancements. The board and resource council play a vital role in this mission by supporting the development of new projects and initiatives to ensure the park continues to inspire visitors for generations to come.
Incoming Board Members
Laura Davis
Laura has served on various boards and commissions, including the University of Chicago Celiac Leadership Council and the University of Chicago Medical Center Board of Trustees. She has also been involved with organizations such as the Serve Illinois Commission of Volunteerism and Community Service, the Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's Associate Board. Laura holds a B.A. from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. She and her husband, with their two children, have been skiing and hiking in Jackson for over twenty years.
Affie Ellis
Affie grew up in Jackson and is a state senator representing Wyoming’s eighth district in Cheyenne. Elected in 2016, she was the first native woman to serve in the Wyoming Legislature and had previously served as a legislative aide to Senator Craig Thomas. Currently, she serves as the senate chairman of the Select Committee on Tribal Relations and is involved in various others committees. Professionally, Ellis is a shareholder at the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck and practices in the areas of natural resources, energy, environment, and federal Indian law. Additionally, she is the Senate co-chairman of the bi-partisan Wyoming Women’s Legislative Caucus and is involved in various volunteer activities.
Lynn Larson
Lynn is the vice president of the Wyoming City Schools Board of Education in Wyoming, Ohio, and is involved in various volunteer activities. She previously served in board-level roles with Maple Knoll Communities, Inc., the Junior League of Cincinnati, the Trowel and Error Garden Club, the Wyoming, Ohio Women's club, and the Audubon Society of Ohio. She holds a B.S. in accounting from Miami University. She and her husband enjoy fishing, golfing and hiking in Jackson.
Chip Nisbet
Chip is a founding partner of Lions Gate Capital and was previously an executive at Morgan Stanley in the Real Estate Investment Banking Division. He serves on the board of HealthPrecision and has been a board member of Advance America, Inc. and Starlite Media, LLC. Chip is also involved with several non-profit organizations and holds a B.A. in economics from Davidson College and an M.B.A. from the Darden School at the University of Virginia. He and his wife live in Wilson and enjoy hiking, skiing, fishing, and golf.
Jeff Willemain
Jeff retired as the global managing partner for regulatory and risk at Deloitte in 2013. He served on the advisory board for the World Economic Forum in 2003 and has been an active board member of various nonprofit organizations, including the Detroit Zoo, Metropolitan Affairs Coalition, Citizens Research Council, United Way, the Metropolitan Club of Chicago, Cornerstone Schools, I Have a Dream Foundation, and One22 in Jackson. Jeff is also a former board chair of Grand Teton National Park Foundation. He and his wife live in Moose, WY and enjoy volunteering for the park on the Wildlife Brigade.
Incoming Resource Council Members
Neeta Demeulenaere
Neeta has been involved in various community organizations and non-profit boards in Chicago. She attended the University of Massachusetts for her undergraduate studies and earned an M.B.A. from Babson College. She then pursued a career in mezzanine finance and private placements at Equitable Capital and Alliance Capital in New York City. Neeta and her husband raised their family in Chicago and look forward to transitioning to full-time residence in Jackson.
Lisa Friesecke
Lisa has volunteered at the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve as a ranger for seven years and with the Teton Raptor Center. In Florida while raising her family, she was active on various boards, including the Charity Guild of Fort Lauderdale, the Seafarerʹs House, and the LYC Sailing Foundation. She and her husband enjoy skiing, hiking, and sailing and live in Wilson.
Brandon Jones
After graduating from the University of Texas, Brandon began his career as a corporate lawyer in Dallas before transitioning to a finance career in New York City. He worked as an investment banker and managed private investments for a multi‐strategy hedge fund. Brandon, his wife Lela Rose, and their two children live in Wilson and enjoy backcountry skiing, hiking, and biking.
The Foundation would also like to acknowledge the outgoing board and resource council members who completed their terms on September 30. Thanks to Maggie Gibson, Charlotte Krugh, Anil Singh, Jan Davis, Kirsti Goodwin, Eddie Holstein, Adam Janak, Catherine Rose, Lisa Steele, and Wayne Teetsel for their service to the organization.