JACKSON, Wyo. — After spending 13 years at the helm of Teton County Search & Rescue (TCSAR) Foundation, the organization’s founding Executive Director Stephanie Thomas has announced that she will be leaving her position.
As TCSAR Foundation’s leader since its inception in 2010, Thomas has directed the Foundation through numerous projects and campaigns while forging partnerships in the nonprofit sector. According to TCSAR’s website, Thomas will officially make her exit by May 31, following the completion of her latest fundraising campaign, “Mission Critical,” which raised 7.25 million in less than a year and intends to bring to the team a year-round helicopter.
“Stephanie believed that community support could elevate an already distinguished TCSAR team up to the next level of accomplishment,” said Missy Whelan, emeritus board member for TCSAR Foundation. “Her driving energy and out-of-the-box thinking were just a couple of her unique qualities that helped to make TCSAR Foundation’s successes possible. She leaves behind a huge legacy of lasting impact and she will really be missed.”
A TCSAR volunteer since 2007, Thomas will continue to serve in that capacity.
“Supporting our community through supporting my team, truly like a family, has been something I will always be grateful for as it’s an opportunity most people can only dream about,” Thomas said. “I’m excited to continue my role as a TCSAR volunteer, and I look forward to my next chapter in this wonderful community.”
Under Thomas’s leadership, TCSAR Foundation has accomplished the following:
- Raised the profile of TCSAR Foundation to garner a new level of grassroots support through Old Bill’s and other fundraising platforms.
- Supported the work of TIPS—Teton Interagency Peer Support—to provide anonymous free mental health support to all first responders and their families in Teton County.
- Worked with Search & Rescue teams regionally, nationally and internationally to redesign funding models for increased support for SAR teams throughout the world.
- Advocated for the increase in helicopter operation funds from the county from four months to eight months, and raised donations through the Heli-Yes campaign to fund additional training and partnerships.
- Redesigned the community education program into Backcountry Zero, currently in its eighth year, which included launching The Fine Line podcast, the Wyoming Snow & Avalanche Workshop and What’s in Your Pack programming for people of all ages and abilities.
- Created the TCSAR Foundation in 2012, separating the nonprofit from the TCSAR operations to allow volunteers to focus their energies on rescues while a non-rescue volunteer board took over the fundraising and community education goals.
TCSAR Foundation is currently working on a succession plan to coincide with Thomas’s departure. Liz King, who has been with the Foundation since 2019, will take over as interim Executive Director until a permanent ED is hired. A celebration for Thomas will take place in early June.
