The Friends of Gold Butte is excited to announce Frank Golden as our President and Mitch Fry as Vice President. Our current officers, Secretary Chanelle Pickens and Treasurer Delmon Grapes remain in place. We look forward to an exciting fall with many hikes, projects and speaker series events.
Frank Golden
Frank is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel with over 30 years in uniform. He originally enlisted in the infantry and later attended college under the U.S. Army scholarship program and received an officer’s commission in the Medical Services Corps. He is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom with one tour in Afghanistan.
His love of nature began as a child when his father took him for hikes in the countryside to find peace and solitude. Much of his childhood was spent in Seoul, South Korea, and Olympia, Washington.
Frank holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Seattle University, and a Master of Science in Teaching from the State University of New York-Potsdam. He was also a middle school science teacher and a Health Educator for a county health department in Northern New York. He and his wife Tina moved to Mesquite in October 2016. Besides volunteering with the Friends of Gold Butte, he also volunteers with the Nevada Department of Wildlife and the Dixie PAWS animal shelter in St. George.
Mitch Fry
Mitch, besides chairing our Social Media and Technology committee, has now taken on the duties of the Vice President. Mitchel retired (2017) as professor of Computer Science from Western Oregon University and Chemeketa Community College. Although a software engineer by profession, he has had a lifelong connection with the outdoor lifestyle of the western U.S.
Growing up in Idaho, much of his youth was spent in the mountains and wilderness country of central Idaho; his working years in the mountains and coast of Oregon and retirement in southern Nevada deserts. Backpacking and camping in Idaho; cycling, fishing, hiking, and rafting in Oregon, and now desert exploring in retirement. Gold Butte is the perfect place to explore a remote, varied desert expanse; Mitch looks forward to further desert explorations and helping others to discover and protect the beauty of Gold Butte.
Chanelle Pickens
Chanelle’s idea of “outdoorsy” is sipping a glass of sweet tea on the porch on a spring afternoon. As one could imagine, her family and friends were very amused when she announced she’d be spending her time volunteering with the Friends of Gold Butte. While she may not be an accomplished hiker (yet!), Chanelle has a healthy appreciation for our wild places and genuine love for her adopted home state of Nevada. Besides being a super volunteer for Friends of Gold Butte, Chanelle also serves as an Archeological Site Steward in Lincoln County for the Nevada State Historical Preservation Office.
Delmon Grapes
Del is retired, having spent most of his business career as controller and tax compliance officer for a multi-entity organization of nonprofits with for-profit subsidiaries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s in accountancy and until retirement, licensure as a CPA.
He grew up in northern New Hampshire spending much time hiking and backpacking in the White Mountains. After college Del was commissioned in the U.S. Army Signal Corps serving with the 7th and 2nd Infantry Divisions in Korea in 1970-71.
Del and his wife, Sherry, have resided in the Chicago area for over 40 years and now escape the dreaded Chicago winters to Mesquite. Late in life he and Sherry discovered the delights of the Southwest backpacking in the Grand Canyon, Canyonlands, Zion and elsewhere.
Personal interests are classical music and theater, and art, literature and bookstores. Del and Sherry are avid book collectors with Del specializing in military history, particularly the Korean War and World War 2.