JACKSON, Wyo. — The Board of Directors of the Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation (TCSARF) announced today that Keegan Young will serve as the next leader of the organization. Young will assume his role as Executive Director on November 1, 2023.
Young brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in nonprofit and complex public-private organizations to the role. Young started his career in nonprofit leadership as an accomplished fundraiser with the Tulsa Area United Way and the Tulsa Zoo. He served as Executive Director of Tulsa Zoo Management, Inc. from 2005 to 2011, gaining valuable experience in public-private partnerships, before joining the American Alpine Club, where he was responsible for Development and External Relations. Most recently, Young served as Chief Executive Officer of the Colorado Mountain Club, successfully stepping in to lead the organization through a challenging period. He has earned a reputation as a leader that works effectively across a broad and diverse range of stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes and build key community relationships.
“Keegan Young brings the right experience at the perfect time for the Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation,” said Hugh O’Halloran, Foundation Board Chair. “His background, strategic approach, and collaborative nature made him a natural choice as our Foundation continues to grow in sophistication and focus on our mission and the vital direct support we provide our Search and Rescue volunteers and our community through education and outreach. We are thrilled to welcome him to TCSARF and to Teton County.”
The Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation supports the essential work of Teton County Search & Rescue (TCSAR) through direct volunteer support, community education, and advocacy. In its 30th year, TCSAR and the Teton County Sheriff’s Office have worked in partnership to provide vital emergency search and rescue services in the backcountry of northwest Wyoming. TCSARF was launched in 2010 to help support the construction of a TCSAR facility and to raise funds in support of TCSAR volunteers. Most recently, TCSARF successfully completed the purchase of the county’s first wholly owned rescue helicopter through the Mission Critical campaign, which directly raised $7.25 million in less than one year.
“I am very excited to join the Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation and continue its legacy as a best-in-class nonprofit supporter of a critical service in the community,” Young said. “Working alongside the Foundation staff, the Teton County Sheriff’s Office and the Search and Rescue volunteers, I am deeply committed to the organization’s mission as a volunteer first responder, an avid backcountry user, and climber myself. I pledge to support and serve the organization, the staff, our partners, and the community with energy, perseverance, and creativity.”
Young holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Oklahoma State University. He serves as a volunteer firefighter in his current community, Golden, Colorado. Young will be relocating to Teton County with his wife, Brooke, in the coming weeks.
Young will succeed Stephanie Thomas, the organization’s founding Executive Director, who retired from the Foundation in May 2023 after leading the Foundation as it grew and developed over the past 13 years, most recently successfully completing the Mission Critical fundraising campaign. The TCSARF Board also wishes to thank Liz King for her leadership as Interim Executive Director over the past several months and for all of her contributions to the Foundation.
The Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation partnered with Koya Partners, an executive recruiting firm that specializes in leading mission-driven searches in a several month-long, nationwide search for the organization’s next leader.