Mike Madden – President (2020-present)
Mike was born and raised in Chicago, graduated from Purdue in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering. His ‘inner gypsy’ led him to adopt a school-teacher’s schedule, doing contract engineering for 9 months, then taking the summer off. His first 6 summers were spent bicycle camping, logging 25K miles. In an effort to leave the roads, slow down, and be closer to nature, his next 5 summers were spent hiking the AT, PCT and CDT. The gypsy was satisfied. So at 33 he moved to So Cal, and stayed there 22 years, retiring from Boeing in 2005. He chose retirement in NM because of the four seasons, strong sun, mild temps, blue skies, wide open spaces, and relatively few people… a place where one could make a difference.
Kerry Jones – Vice-President (2025-present)
Now retired, Kerry Jones spent nearly 30 years as a meteorologist at NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) including 25 years at the forecast office in Albuquerque, NM. Kerry served as a Lead Forecaster, Warning Coordination Meteorologist and Meteorologist-in-Charge and also worked at NWS offices in Spokane, WA and Norman, OK. Early in his career, Kerry was a certified Incident Meteorologist (IMET) on both wildfires and prescribed fires. This led him to the U.S. Forest Service where he worked for several years just prior to his retirement as an air and water quality specialist and liaison to the New Mexico Environment Department in Santa Fe, NM. Kerry is on the Board of the East Mountain Wildfire Protection Association and currently volunteers with Scouts BSA as an outdoor adventure program leader. Kerry received a B.S. in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma and a Master’s degree in Water Resources from the University of New Mexico. Kerry and his wife, Julie, have called the East Mountains home for 15+ years. They are proud parents of three young adult children.
Silke Bletzer – Secretary (2021-present)
Originally from Germany, Silke grew up hiking and skiing in the mountains in Europe. Work took her to New York, until her husband Michael and she decided to move to the SW following his research here. Since moving to Albuquerque ten years ago, hiking buddies have taken her exploring the local mountains. After losing trails a few times, particularly when covered in snow, she got interested in local trail maintenance and joined FOSM and the NM Volunteers for the Outdoors. Silke has worked in the US and in Germany for Bayer Healthcare, the College Board as well as several Salesforce implementation partners. When not in front of the computer, she enjoys outdoor activities in the mountains and on the water.
Scott Dietrich – Treasurer (2025-present)
Scott spent his 32-year career in pharmaceutical research, marketing, sales and sales management, the last 26 years with Merck, where he retired as an Associate Director of Sales in 2014. Scott and his wife Carla moved to New Mexico from Pennsylvania in 2000. They are avid outdoors enthusiasts and enjoy cross-country and downhill skiing, road and mountain biking, hiking, fishing and just being in the great outdoors. In 2017, Scott was the driving force behind the foundation of the Sandia Nordic Ski Club and currently serves the Club as its President and CEO. He has developed detailed spreadsheets that help Sandia Nordic track their income and expenses and stay on track with the various federal and state filings which are required for a 501(c)(3) corporation. Scott and Carla have been lifetime members of FOSM since 2016.
Sam Beard – All Projects Chair
After high school joined the USAF and trained as a Russian linguist in Texas and Monterey, CA. Stationed in England near London three years. Earned degrees in physics from Mars Hill Junior College and N. C. State University. Retired in 2003 from Sandia National Laboratories after 37 years in the Aerothermodynamics Group. Moved to Albuquerque with Edwina in 1965. Developed an interest in cross country skiing and published a trail guide in 1979 with a second edition in 1988. Began developing ski trails on the Sandia Ranger District as a volunteer in 1970. Was a founding member of the N. M. Cross Country Ski Club, N. M. Volunteers for the Outdoors, and Friends of the Sandia Mountains.
Jenny Blackmore – At large
Jenny grew up in Minnesota but left for the mountains as soon as she could, living in Boulder for many years before retiring from REI and moving to ABQ in 2015. She immediately fell in love with the Sandias, where she enjoys cross country skiing, trail running, climbing, hiking and building trails. She started volunteering with FOSM in 2017 and served as leader of the FOSM trail construction crew from 2021 through 2023.
Jamey Browning – Maps and signage
Jamey was born and raised in Carlsbad NM. He moved to Albuquerque in 1980 after graduating with a degree in engineering. He had a 42-year career in satellite and aircraft embedded flight computer design and in program management. Jamey has worked at Sandia Laboratories, Gulton Data Systems, SBS Technologies, and General Electric Embedded Systems. After retiring the first time, Jamey worked as Chief Technologist for Retirement Extender, a local financial management firm. He has also served as both a member and later, as chairman of the governing council for a local school.
Jamey started volunteering for Albuquerque Open Space in 2014 and developed a love for hiking the Sandia Mountains. He joined FOSM in 2018 and has been a regular member of the Monday trail maintenance crew since 2021. Jamey has logged over 2,700 miles of hiking, mostly on local trails. His Interests include hiking, skiing, woodworking, and cartography. He has created trail maps for the FOSM snowshoe race, Sandia Nordic Ski Club, and Sandia Mountain Natural History Center. Jamey is currently volunteering as cartographer for the Sandia Ranger District.
Sim Cook – At large
Moved to Albuquerque from Arizona in 1953. Graduate of NMMI, UNM, and Baylor University College of Dentistry. Completed an internship in the US Army at Womack Hospital, Ft. Bragg, during Vietnam and served 5 and a half years. Had a 42-year career in dentistry and solo private practice. Served on the Maxwell Museum Board of Directors at UNM. Seven Years with FOSM. Interests are downhill skiing, mountaineering, fly fishing, cycling, golf, and hiking. My wife, MaryJane, is my biggest supporter and encourager!
Byron Garner – At large
Moved to New Mexico, from Memphis, in 1988 to continue a 40-year career in Allied Health and has been hiking, fishing, CC skiing and exploring the Southwest ever since. After retirement in 2015 from UNMH, he was introduced to FOSM and began volunteering for trail-maintenance projects. Additional volunteer work has been doing trail maintenance for the New Mexico Cross Country Ski Club In the Jemez since joining them in 1989. When not on the trail, he can be found pursuing other interests, which include reading, cooking, travel, guitar, and a life-long fascination with railroads.
Cliff Giles – Webmaster
Grew up in and around Lubbock, Texas. Moved to Albuquerque in 1969 with wife Joyce and two sons. 43-year career in science and technology management with USAF, EG&G, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Retired since 2006. Enjoyed lots of business and personal international travel. Commercial pilot (SEL) with instrument rating. (Commuted to Los Alamos by air.) Loves hiking, snowshoeing, and downhill skiing. Cliff joined FOSM in 2018, served as vice-president from 2021 to 2025, and assumed webmaster responsibilities in 2021. He worked with the Monday trail-maintenance crew in 2018 and 2019 and has been a member of the Wednesday general-projects crew from 2020.
Susan Gregory – Adopt-a-Highway
Susan joined the United States Air Force directly out of high school and worked as an avionics technician on RF-4C aircraft based in England. After completing her enlistment, she returned home to Billings, MT and began working as a television broadcast engineer. Susan moved to Albuquerque in 1987 to work at KOB TV as the station’s mobile satellite uplink engineer. For five years she traveled across New Mexico and other areas of the Southwest providing satellite communications for KOB and other stations around the country.
Susan earned a degree in environmental engineering from New Mexico Tech in 1996. She went on to work as an aerospace manufacturing manager and as an environmental and energy consultant before retiring in 2023 from the United States Space Force as a satellite systems engineer.
Laura Leon – At large
Laura Leon grew up in Southern Wisconsin and after graduating from Drake University in Iowa with a medical technology degree, she headed to Corpus Christi, Texas to play on the beach for a couple of years. Thirty years passed which included a marriage to Landy, an elementary school teaching certification and teaching career, raising 2 sons and quite a bit of playing on the beach and sailing. Laura and Landy left Texas for Albuquerque in 2010. She received a Masters degree in Library and Information Sciences and became a children’s librarian at Cherry Hills Public Library where she stayed for 12 years until retiring from all things involving lesson plans and cutting out crafting materials.
Since retiring in 2023, Laura has taken on several volunteer opportunities which include helping at Road Runner Food Bank, Compassuss Hospice, Saranam, NMVFO, City Open Spaces and of course, FOSM activities and organizing the Thursday crew each week. She loves being out every week in the mountains but does occasionally miss the beach and satisfies that with some travel.