glen canyon instituteDedicated to the restoration of Glen Canyon and a free flowing Colorado River.
GCI
Staff
Eric Balken – Executive Director. Eric grew up in Salt Lake City, building a connection to Utah’s mountains, rivers, and deserts at a young age. In his youth, Eric volunteered with local non-profits gaining experience in public land surveys, membership outreach, and grassroots organizing. Eric has been deeply involved with Colorado River policy for the past decade, helping spearhead multiple research and advocacy initiatives at GCI. Eric has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Geography from the University of Utah and serves as an advisory on the Future of the Colorado Group. (EMAIL)
Michael Kellett
– Special Projects Coordinator. Michael is involved with GCI programs as well as with operations and fundraising efforts. He co-founded the New England conservation organization RESTORE: The North Woods in 1992. He developed the proposal for a new Maine Woods National Park, directed campaigns to list the Atlantic salmon and Canada lynx as endangered species, and oversaw programs to protect the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, White Mountain National Forest, and other public lands. Previously, as the Northeast regional director and Michigan representative of The Wilderness Society, he helped to pass the Michigan Wilderness Act of 1987 as well as legislation establishing Grand Island National Recreation Area and authorizing the four-state Northern Forest Lands Study. He has visited more than 230 National Park System units in 46 states and territories. He has worked for GCI since 2006. (EMAIL)
– Special Projects Coordinator. Michael is involved with GCI programs as well as with operations and fundraising efforts. He co-founded the New England conservation organization RESTORE: The North Woods in 1992. He developed the proposal for a new Maine Woods National Park, directed campaigns to list the Atlantic salmon and Canada lynx as endangered species, and oversaw programs to protect the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, White Mountain National Forest, and other public lands. Previously, as the Northeast regional director and Michigan representative of The Wilderness Society, he helped to pass the Michigan Wilderness Act of 1987 as well as legislation establishing Grand Island National Recreation Area and authorizing the four-state Northern Forest Lands Study. He has visited more than 230 National Park System units in 46 states and territories. He has worked for GCI since 2006. (EMAIL)
Jack Stauss
– Office Manager and Outreach Director
– Office Manager and Outreach Director
Jack grew up in rural Vermont. He moved to Utah in 2008 and fell in love with its open space and community. His passion for the red rock and Glen Canyon comes from years of higher education and experiential learning. Recently, he finished his graduate work at the University of Utah in Environmental Humanities where he focused on public lands and environmental communication. Jack has previously interned with Save Our Canyons and the Salzburg Global Seminar. He has worked for GCI since 2016. (EMAIL)