Jennifer Burns, Co-Founder and Former President, Retires

SEDONA, AZ (August 13, 2025) – Jennifer Burns, co-founder and former president of the Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund, will retire from the board of directors this September after 11 years of service. Her departure marks the end of a foundational chapter for the organization, whose mission has become central to trail stewardship in the Sedona area.

Burns, who served 30 years with the U.S. Forest Service as a recreation manager, led the 2013 public process that expanded Sedona’s trail capacity. At the time, she called on the public to participate in trail maintenance, warning that federal funding would remain limited. Her advocacy played a key role in the formation of the Trail Fund.

Today, she says she is proud of the organization’s growth and its role in bridging community support with federal trail needs.

“The mission of the Trail Fund is both unique and essential,” Burns said. “A trail is more than a route through the woods – it’s a way to connect people with their favorite places, carefully designed to be easy on the land and showcase nature’s beauty.” Jennifer Burns (center) is retiring from 11 years of service as a founding board member of the Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund. Burns spent the final decade of her Forest Service career with the Red Rock Ranger District, where her deep knowledge of the area helped guide the design of sustainable trails through Sedona’s ecologically sensitive and visually striking landscapes.

As a founding board member, Burns helped establish the Trail Fund as a trusted community partner to the Forest Service, raising both awareness and funding for trail maintenance, improvements and user education. Her efforts extended internationally, volunteering on trail projects in Russia, Mongolia and Ethiopia through the Forest Service International Program.

“Jennifer has always brought heart, field experience and vision to everything she touches,” said Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund President Dick Williams. “She helped create not just trails, but a model for how a community can care for the land it loves.”

Dreama Aldredge Also Retiring From Board

Also retiring from the board is Dreama Aldredge, who joined in 2023. During her tenure, she strengthened the Trail Fund’s ties to the business community and played a key role in expanding programs such as Toast for Trails Week and the Trail Keepers program, which expanded by 25% under her leadership. Aldredge also brought an equestrian perspective to the recent public planning process for the Turkey Creek trail system.

Three New Board Members Elected

In June, the board elected three new members to continue representing Sedona’s diverse trail users — hikers, cyclists and equestrians:

• Cheryl McCann, a retired educator and longtime trail volunteer, has been active in national trail initiatives and multiple Friends of the Forest teams. After two decades of visiting the area, she and her husband moved from Wisconsin to Sedona in 2024.

• Maddie Smith, a Sedona native, first explored the region’s trails on horseback. She now directs the equestrian program at Verde Valley School and has worked on trail restoration projects with nonprofits across Northern Arizona.

• Lars Romig, a Verde Valley native and Sedona Fire District employee, comanages the agency’s Technical Rescue Program. An experienced mountain biker, climber and canyoneer, he has been involved in local trail planning since the late 2000s.

About the Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund

The Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund (SRRTF) is the driving force behind the preservation of one of America’s most iconic trail systems. Dedicated to protecting and enhancing the non-motorized trail system surrounding Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek, SRRTF combines the power of community, philanthropy, and partnership to keep Red Rock Country open, sustainable, and accessible to all.

Since its founding in 2014, the SRRTF has raised over $3.5 million, uniting residents, businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies in a shared mission to maintain these treasured public lands. SRRTF also works to educate users about responsible recreation and long-term stewardship.

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit and official partner of the U.S. Forest Service Red Rock Ranger