Staff and Board

Amanda Marsh

Amanda, widow of Eric Marsh, has lived in Prescott for nearly 30 years. Amanda is the founder of the Eric Marsh Foundation and is the Board President. She is vital to the day to day operations of the foundation. She holds a masters degree in Wildlife and Range Resource Management and is a retired professional horsewoman. Amanda can often be found perfecting her eye as a western fine art photographer from the back of her horses.

Jason Perez

Jason is Vice President of the Board of Directors. He sits on multiple program committees, including the Mental Health and the Fatalities and Injuries committees. Jason is an all hazards firefighter with the City of Los Angeles Fire Department. In his off-time, Jason is a dare devil and loves being the lake.

Paula Simonds

Paula Simonds is a seasoned nonprofit executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience and a lifelong commitment to service. She currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Family YMCA of the Desert, where she has strengthened programs, partnerships, and community engagement across the Coachella Valley through compassionate, values-driven leadership.

Previously, Paula served as Executive Director of the Desert Cancer Foundation, where she expanded community support and grew the organization’s signature fundraising events, helping ensure access to care for individuals and families in need.

As Secretary, Paula supports strong governance practices, clear documentation, and organizational accountability while advancing the Foundation’s mission to uphold the courage, sacrifice, and legacy of the wildland firefighting community.

We are grateful for Paula’s leadership and honored to have her serve in this role.

Jim Fahrenkopf

Jim Fahrenkopf brings decades of public-service experience, investigative expertise, and a deep commitment to integrity and accountability. He is married to his wife, Joanne, and is the proud father of two adult sons.

Jim dedicated 25 years to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, including six years in policy development and 19 years managing an audit team focused on high-net-worth individuals and complex abusive tax-avoidance transactions. His work required sound judgment, discretion, and leadership in high-stakes regulatory environments.

Currently, Jim serves as a Medicaid Fraud Investigator with the Office of the Inspector General, where he works to identify, investigate, and prosecute Medicaid fraud—helping protect public resources and uphold accountability within critical healthcare systems.

Outside of his professional work, Jim enjoys outdoor and adventurous pursuits, travel, and opportunities to contribute meaningfully through service and principled action.

Tom Haney

Tom is a long-time resident of Yavapai County and has been been a champion of the Eric Marsh Foundation since its inception. Tom is the Eric Marsh Foundation Liaison for families of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. He and his wife are instrumental in the care and well-being of the crew's families. Tom is Battalion Chief for the Mayer Fire District and Division Chief and Complex Safety Trainee for Southwest Team 1.

Dirch Foreman

Dirch has a been a long-standing champion of the Eric Marsh Foundation. As a board member, he is Chairperson of the Fatalities and Injuries Committee. Dirch is a retired fire chief with the Highlands Fire District, and currently serves as a Wildland Fire Specialist and Safety Officer with the Ponderosa Fire District. Not only that, Dirch is a Team Safety Officer for the Northern Arizona Zone Team and a program advocate and an instructor for the National Volunteer Fire Council Wildfire Assessment Program. Dirch is a dedicated family man and loves his dogs.

Alan Sinclair

Alan is long-time family member of the Eric Marsh Foundation family. Alan plays a vital role in board development for the Eric Marsh Foundation and sits on the Fundraising Committee. Alan is a retired Type 1 Incident Commander for the Southwest Area Team 1. Alan is owner of T1D1 Consulting and Siphon Draw Fire and Fuels. He also founded his own non profit, the International Wildfire Alliance. Outside of his work, Alan is spending time with his family.

Rich DePrima

Rich, while new to the Board of Directors, has been a part of the Eric Marsh Foundation family for many years and currently sits on the Fundraising Committee. Rich has 23 years of service to FDNY and is currently an FDNY Battalion Chief with Battalion 49 in Astoria Queens, NY. He is Incident Commander for the FDNY Incident Management Team. Not only that, Rich is a 0-305 Type-3 IMT Team Course Instructor/MentorTEEX Enhanced ASII-Hazard Incident Management/Unified Command. He works Incident Management for structure and wildland fires and natural disasters. Rich is a dedicated family man and loves to spend his time in the mountains.

Jason Jones

Jason Jones is a retired CAL FIRE Captain with 25 years of dedicated service in wildland and all-risk fire suppression across California. Throughout his career, he served in demanding operational and leadership roles, responding to large, complex wildfires while prioritizing firefighter safety, sound decision-making, and strong crew cohesion. His experience spans initial attack, extended attack incidents, and mentoring firefighters through every stage of their careers.

He currently serves as a Battalion Supervisor for Wildfire Defense Systems in Visalia, where he continues to apply his deep operational knowledge to wildfire response, structure defense, and incident leadership. Jason is a lifelong hunter and outdoorsman whose respect for the land informs his approach to fire behavior, risk management, and stewardship.

Passionate about giving back to the fire service, Jason is deeply committed to training and mentoring the next generation of wildland firefighters. He teaches multiple NWCG courses, including S-130, S-131, and S-215, and is currently completing the instructor series to teach California State Fire Marshal courses. His career reflects a steadfast commitment to service, firefighter well-being, and supporting the families who stand behind those who protect our communities.

Jake Hauser

I was born on a farm in Sparta WI. Growing up I was always active in anything outdoors. Our farm was 157 acres’, so I had plenty of forest to roam in. At the age of 11 my family moved to Chino Valley AZ. Moving from, and into such drastically different climates was a huge change for me as well my area to roam was cut to just 2 acres. My Father was a very experienced Hang Glider pilot and I received my own Hang-Gliding license at the age of 9 as a Beginner.

A year and a half after moving to AZ my father was killed in a freak hang-gliding accident on Mingus Mountain. On that same day there was a wildfire on Mingus and several Prescott Hotshot’s were called to come help recover my father from the cliff side. Growing up without a father was a challenge but due to family support I made the best of my situation. Upon graduating high school, I had 2 options; spend money I didn’t have and continue going to school that I didn’t enjoy or start working.

My first job was on the Prescott National Forest in 2001 and my workstation was based on Mingus Mountain about 200 yards from where my Father was killed. I also worked on the Tonto National Forest for 2 seasons. I worked as a seasonal employee for the U.S. Forest Service for 9 seasons before I received my Career position as a Squad-leader on the Midewin IHC where I spent 8 seasons as a Hotshot. In my current position I am an Engine Captain on the Mark Twain National Forest in Southwest Missouri.

On the Mark Twain National Forest, we are aggressively eradicating invasive Eastern Red Cedar and have a very active Prescribed Fire Program that treats about 60,000+ acres a year in combination with mechanical treatment. We also are engaged with many wildfires on our forest.

Gregg Boydston

Gregg Boydston is a dedicated fire-service professional with nearly 15 years experience across wildland and structural fire environments. His career spans private contract crews, USFS hotshot and engine crews, and a major Southern California municipal fire department, where he has progressed from Firefighter/Paramedic to Engineer and is currently pursuing the Captain’s process.

In addition to his operational experience, Gregg brings a strong background in photography, video, design, and storytelling, using creative media to support fire-service organizations through outreach, education, and advocacy. He is deeply connected to the wildland fire community and is honored to contribute his skills and service in support of the Eric Marsh Foundation’s mission.

Gina Foreste

Gina Foreste is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and creative strategist whose work bridges creativity, community, and purpose. With a background in visual art, design, and retail leadership, she brings a calm, intuitive, and strategic presence to building meaningful, mission-driven experiences. At the Eric Marsh Foundation, Gina helps shape creative direction and retail initiatives, translating organizational values into environments and storytelling that feel welcoming, intentional, and alive.

Casey Perkins

Casey Perkins serves as the Firefighter & Family Services Program Manager for the Eric Marsh Foundation. She is the proud wife of her husband, Shane, a career firefighter with the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, who began his fire service career in wildland fire. Casey and Shane have been together since they were 14 years old, and she has stood beside him throughout his entire firefighting career.

Casey and her family currently operate Shane’s family ranch, which has been in the Perkins family since 1900. Their children represent the sixth generation to live and work on the ranch, carrying forward a long-standing family legacy.

The mission of the Eric Marsh Foundation is deeply personal to Casey. She is honored to serve the wildland fire community, and her family is actively involved and supportive of the Foundation’s work. Casey brings compassion, understanding, and dedication to her role, standing alongside firefighters and their families with care and integrity.