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Board Members

Michael Browning, Board President

A 2014 vacation brought Michael Browning to the Rim Country from the suburbs of New York City with trails calling to him since he was a ten-year-old traveling with his dad through Rocky Mountain National Park where they climbed Longs Peak one windy summer day.  A Pine resident since June, 2015, he brings to the area a career spent in mechanical engineering, work done both across the country and internationally. Once settled in Pine, Michael began volunteering for the Pine Strawberry Fuel Reduction trail crew where, under the tutelage of expert mentors, he has grown in his knowledge and work with trail maintenance, layout and construction. Not surprising, then, is that his favorite Arizona trail is Pine Strawberry Trail 15 where he and a crew of dozens spent three years rerouting half of this beautiful trail that stands as a reminder of this labor of love.  When not in the woods, Michael enjoys reading, writing, home renovation projects and building spreadsheet portfolio models.  His hope for Rim Country Trail Fund is to build on the initial success of partnering groups to secure over half a million dollars in government grants and expanding into private donors to raise millions of dollars to build the recreational infrastructure Rim Country deserves.

Margaret DeHesse, Board Vice President

After spending years as a Rim Country weekend resident, Margaret deHesse permanently relocated to Payson in 2019. As a master’s level registered nurse and midwife, she has dedicated more than four decades in the medical field, with the last 20 years spent at a healthcare consulting company managing large project teams and overseeing multi-million dollar contracts while also volunteering for the Arizona Kidney Foundation and serving in multiple officer roles for this non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of Arizonans with kidney disease.  Fueled by her passion for trail running, Margaret has been an ultrarunner for more than 30 years; she is one who not only runs the trails but volunteers to maintain them and collaboratively promotes trail activities across Rim Country. Of all the trails in the region, the Highline Trail stands out to her as a favorite for its remarkable diversity. Margaret’s vision for the Rim Country Trail Fund is becoming a leading non-profit with robust fundraising initiatives allowing for continued improvement, expansion and maintenance of trails for the benefit of locals and visitors.

Mary McMullen, Board Member At Large

Mary McMullen has been a Payson resident since February, 2000, when her husband’s job with  Arizona Game and Fish Department brought them and their two sons to the place they wanted to raise their family and eventually retire. Her involvement in trails began five years later when she was hired as Payson’s first Trails and Outdoor Recreation Coordinator. Tasked with the goal of creating the Payson Area Trails System (PATS), she collaborated with Town of Payson staff, trail maintenance/construction volunteers, the US Forest Service, Gila Community College and other organizations to map a network of bicycle, equestrian and hiking trails. That original plan remains the foundation to all subsequent trails efforts, although the focus blurred with the housing market crash in 2008 which led to Mary moving on professionally becoming a Health Science Teaching Professor at Arizona State University. Nature was Mary’s outdoor “church,” constantly calling her to step into the amazing resource of Rim Country, with Payson’s Peach Loop trail being her favorite due to a killer uphill that opens to an unmatched 360 degree view of the Mogollon Rim and Mazatzal Mountains. Only the South Kaibab to North Kaibab (R2R) 22-mile trail at the Grand Canyon beats that. When not hiking, she loves being “Grumma” to her two granddaughters as well as spending time with her husband tending to their yard and gardens. Mary’s hope for Rim Country Trail Fund is to serve as the conduit to develop relationships with various entities to build and maintain sustainable trails in Rim Country.

Jenn Bradshaw-Vorce, Treasurer

Jenn Bradshaw-Vorce lives, works, and plays in Payson, Arizona. Serving on this board is part of a lifetime love affair with trails and all the connections and happiness they have brought to her life.