Our Team
Meet the people behind the work—staff and board members who care deeply about the forest and the community around it.
Jo Swanson
Executive Director
Two Harbors, MN
Jo (she/her) has a background in nonprofit trail administration, most recently working for the Superior Hiking Trail Association, where she loved meeting amazing volunteers and dedicated land-managing partners. She began her career accidentally, when she signed up to volunteer on a trail project and just kept coming back. She is a long-distance hiker, Wilderness area collector, and camps at least 52 nights per year. She is based out of Two Harbors and regularly explores the Superior National Forest. She hopes to meet you on a project soon!
Sandy Skrien
Board Chair
Duluth, MN
Sandy is the Program Manager for NEW Solutions Agriculture Conservation Experienced Services (ACES) program. She has a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Environmental Studies from St. Cloud State. Sandy started her career on the Superior National Forest writing wilderness permits, worked as a wilderness ranger, trails crew, and YCC crew leader. She spent 20 years on the Tongass National Forest, then returned to the Superior National Forest to be the Public Service Team Leader. She retired from the Forest Service in 2020 as the National Wilderness Program Manager after over 40 years. Sandy lives in Duluth, Minnesota, with her husband, Wayne, and yellow labs, Cedar and Juniper.
Andy Jenks
Board Treasurer
Stillwater, MN
Andy serves on the Board of the Northwood Volunteer Connection and has over 40 years of experience in outdoor navigation. Andy teaches graduate and undergraduate courses at the University of Minnesota in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). He serves as the President of the Banadad Trail Association, a major cross-country ski trail along the Gunflint Trail near Grand Marais, MN. Andy also serves on the Board of the John Francis Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on wilderness safety education and rescue. He is an avid wilderness paddler and kayaker with many wilderness trips in the US and Canada.
Rory Anderson
Board Member
Lutsen, MN
Rory (she/her) grew up loving the outdoors, but a summer spent in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness during college sparked her passion for helping others connect with nature. She holds a B.A. in Biology from St. Olaf College. Rory has worked across environmental education, nonprofit communications, and state policy—always with the goal of making complex environmental issues easier for people to understand and engage with. She grew up roaming the prairies of western Minnesota and now calls the Northwoods home, where you’ll often find her identifying lichens on the trail, swimming in Lake Superior year-round, or exploring the forest with her black lab, Fern.
Amy Boyer
Board Member
Rochester, MN
Amy (she/her) is deeply committed to preserving Minnesota’s beautiful natural resources and loves exploring the diverse and breathtaking state and national parks across the United States. She is based out of Rochester, Minnesota, working for a not-for-profit healthcare organization, but finds enjoyment volunteering with the United Way, Channel One Food Bank, and as a local election judge. Amy and her husband, Joe, cherish their time in the Superior National Forest and have a longstanding presence on Lake Vermillion.
Hannah DeFranco
Board Member
Saint Paul, MN
Hannah (she/her) is a lifelong Minnesotan with deep ties to the Northwoods, particularly the Boundary Waters, which have shaped her perspective and sense of purpose. She has led winter trips into the BWCAW with students, witnessing how time in the wilderness transforms relationships with self and land. Professionally, she works in project and change management, helping organizations align strategy with people through stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and volunteer leadership. As a board member, Hannah is honored to support the mission of Friends of the Superior National Forest through fundraising, planning, and advocacy to ensure public lands remain protected and transformational for generations to come.
Jake Hansen
Board Member
Fall River, WI
Jake is a passionate outdoor enthusiast and recreationist. He enjoys paddling, portaging, hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting in the Superior National Forest and Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Jake’s background includes more than a decade of leadership, fundraising, and resource development in the nonprofit sector. He holds a master’s degree in nonprofit leadership from the University of Denver and currently serves as the national Director of Development with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. Jake lives near Fall Creek, Wisconsin, with his wife, Emily, and their two spoiled German Shorthaired Pointers, Jep and Frost.
Trent Homard
Board Member
Saint Paul, MN
Trent (he/him) has always had a passion for the outdoors. He studied Biology at the University of North Dakota, earning a BS, and after college, started out working in laboratories. He quickly realized that he wasn’t cut out for lab work and started on a journey that led him to getting his Master’s degrees in Non-Profit Management and Public Administration from Hamline. He currently works for Neighbors, Inc., a human services non-profit in South St. Paul. Trent loves hiking, camping, and birding. He considers the North Shore and Superior National Forest one of the most beautiful places on earth, and loves any opportunity to go up there.
Tracy Salwei
Board Member
Rogers, MN
Tracy has a lifelong love for national parks, forests, and monuments, which is more than admiration for natural beauty; it's a call to stewardship. Our natural landscapes connect communities, protect ecosystems, and tell stories that span generations; preserving them requires more than passion —it demands strategic leadership and sound governance. Tracy has a professional foundation as a governance paralegal; she brings deep expertise in board operations, compliance governance frameworks, and legal policy. Tracy holds degrees in Criminal Justice from South Dakota State University and Paralegal Studies from ABA-accredited university, Minnesota State University-Moorhead. Tracy earned her certification as a Certified Fraud Examiner (“CFE”) through ACFE in 2017. Tracy is also a Certified Minnesota Paralegal (“MnCP”). Tracy lives in Rogers, MN, with her husband, Tim, and children, Adam and Addison, and their rescue dog, Rayna.
Mike Smith
Board Member
River Falls, WI
Mike serves as Co-Executive Director of Friends of Chimbote, working alongside his wife, Katie. Their organization focuses on community development in Chimbote, Peru. Before this role, Mike spent many years in international school leadership, most recently as Superintendent of Saudi Aramco Expatriate Schools in Saudi Arabia. His career began in the Peace Corps as an Environmental Education volunteer in rural Honduras, where he worked to raise awareness and promote protection of the Rio Plátano Biosphere. Mike holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Saint Mary’s. His Master’s research, also at Saint Mary’s, explored the impact of outdoor education on elementary-aged students. Next year, Mike and Katie plan to move to their favorite place in the world—the North Shore, near Hovland.