The Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund held its annual meeting on September 6th, which involved approval of a 5-year strategic plan and election of directors and officers.
The strategic plan officially expanded the mission of the organization to include trail user education, in addition to fund raising for the maintenance and enhancement of the 411 miles of trails within and surrounding Sedona and Village of Oak Creek.
The three new board directors – Dreama Aldredge, Amanda Maxwell and Kelley Malek, are all avid trail users have all become engaged committee members. Dreama has joined the community outreach committee, Amanda the grants committee and Kelley the philanthropy committee. They will each serve 2-year terms. (shown in photo L-R: Dreama Aldredge, Amanda Maxwell and Kelley Malek)
We asked them to share a few words about their attraction to Sedona and what inspired them to join the board.
Dreama Aldredge and her family began visiting Sedona and the surrounding communities in the 1990’s. Immediately realizing what a spectacularly unique area this was, she and her husband purchased a home here in 2001, moving here full-time in 2009. For the last 14 years she has hit the Red Rock trails almost daily either on horseback, hiking or jeeping. Having volunteered for many non-profit organizations, her most recently held positions have been focused on tourism and fund-raising. By working to achieve the goals of the SRRTF, Dreama hopes to share the joy and magnificence of this area with her grandchildren for years to come.
Kelley Malek is a retired geoscientist with a passion for hiking among the beautiful, unique Red Rocks of the Sedona area. She serves on the board of the Sedona Westerners Hiking Club and is the Hike Boss of the Sunday hiking group. When not hiking, Kelley enjoys backpacking, kayaking, playing the piano, and spending time with family and her beloved dog. She started living part-time in Sedona in 2014 and moved here full-time in 2021.
Amanda Maxwell is a Sedona resident and avid member of the Sedona hiking, backpacking and kayaking communities. She clocks hundreds of miles per year on the trails and rivers of Sedona, Grand Canyon, and Southern Utah. She currently serves as the Ranger (Forest Service Liaison) for the Sedona Westerners Hiking Club, and coordinated their volunteer efforts for the Cathedral Rock Trail Project in 2023. As a sculptor and career art educator, Amanda authored numerous Visual and Performing Arts grants for underserved student populations. As a member of the Red Rock Trail Fund board, she contributes her grant writing skills to support the care and maintenance of the Sedona trails that she hikes every day.
In addition to the new board members, the board also re-elected three officers: Kevin Adams, president (2-year term); Mark Bealafed, treasurer (2-year term), Dick Williams, secretary (1-year term). Vice president Sandi Heysinger will be serving the second of her 2-year term.
At the conclusion of the meeting Kevin Adams remarked, “Our current board is the most experienced since I joined and became president in 2018”. He added “It’s an eclectic mix of time-honored and new directors with diverse backgrounds, trail use preferences and experiences who are committed to the SRRTF’s mission. I can’t wait to see what this board will accomplish!”
