Board of Directors

The Executive Board of the Association is composed of nine elected members, each serves a three-year term, along with two camp staff liaisons. Three new members are elected each year by the dues paid members of the Alumni Association.

Elected Directors (2021 - 2023)

Jason Hood – Jason is an Attorney and Counselor at Law with Davies Hood PLLC.   Jason is an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member, Order of the Arrow. KKSR Staph (1979, Camp Osage Nature; 1980, Dining Hall Steward; Camp Cherokee Program Director, 1983, 1984, 1991, and 1992). Former Chickasaw Council president, council commissioner, and long-time council executive board member.  Boy Scout volunteer on national, regional, area, and local levels. Troop 34 committee member. Former Vice-Chair, American Red Cross Mid-South Chapter Advisory Board.  Pinecrest Camp and Retreat Center Board Chair. Idlewild Presbyterian Church (USA).

Alexandra Schrack - Alexandra Schrack is a Business Planning and Policy Specialist with Youth Villages in Memphis, TN. While working on staph, Alexandra spent three years in Osage Nature Lodge, two years as Cherokee Program Director and two years as Osage Program Director. Alexandra has served on the KKAA's board as the Camp liaison (2016-2018) as well as the KKAA's secretary (2020) and Treasurer (2021).

Ken Kimble – Ken Kimble is the National Managing Director of Development at Youth Villages in Memphis, TN. Ken spent most of his years at Kia Kima (1991-1995, 1999) working with high adventure programs. He was appointed Reservation Director (2000-2001) while working as a professional Scouter for the Chickasaw Council. Ken is an Eagle Scout, Vigil Honor Member of the OA and was the last Chief of the Chickasah Lodge. He has served as Vice President, Chickasaw Council Executive Board (2017-2020) and is a master educator for the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. Ken and his family are members of Holy Rosary Catholic Church.

Elected Directors (2022-2024)

Ryan Cooper – Ryan is the Director of Information Technology at Nesvick Trading Group. An Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow, Ryan served on KKSR Staph (1996-2004) in various positions including Camp Cherokee Program Director, Camp Osage Program Director, and COPE Director.  Ryan currently serves as Chickasaw Council Vice President of Membership. Ryan is a former Ahoalan-Nachpikin Lodge Chief and recipient of the OA Founder's Award, Silver Thunderbird Award, KKAA Service Award, and the KKAA Distinguished Alumni Award.

Michael Downs – Michael has previously served on the board of KKAA in support of our membership efforts as the Membership Chairman. Michael worked on Kia Kima Staff (2002-2006, 2008-2012), including three years as the Waterfront Director. Michael has been instrumental in the marketing of the organization and the expansion of our member database. Michael is a recipient of the KKAA Silver Thunderbird Award. Michael is a commercial pilot with FedEx.

Ron Edmonds – Chickasaw Council Board member and Council Scouter, Ron was largely responsible for the resurgence of Kia Kima in the early 90’s and the 75th anniversary.  He has previously served as Eastern District Chairman and Council Camping chairman. He is well versed in the history of Kia Kima and has prior board leadership. He is also a Trustee of the Ernest Thompson Seton Foundation. Ron was the 2020 recipient of the KKAA Distinguished Alumni Award. Ron is a CPA by training and owns his own consulting business working with green companies.

Elected Directors (2023 - 2025)

Martez Moore, CFRE – Martez has been a professional Scouter since 2002 when he joined the Middle Tennessee Council in Nashville as a para-professional Neighborhood Executive. Since then he has risen through the ranks as a District Executive, Sr DE, Field Director and Director of Field Services. In 2014 Martez moved to the BSA National Headquarters to serve as a Learning & Delivery Specialist for Scouting University where he later became Training Manager. In 2020, he was promoted to Director of Field services of the St Louis Area Council. Martez is also a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps and was deployed to Fallujah Iraq in 2004. As a youth Martez served on the KKSR Staff at camp Cherokee from 1994-1996 at Scoutcraft and COPE. He is an Eagle Scout, Vigil Honor member and Wood Badge trained. Moore and his wife Twana have two sons. One is an Eagle Scout, and the other is on his way to achieving the rank as well.

Jeremy Palazolo – Jeremy first visited Kia Kima as a ten-year-old Troop 34 Scout. He joined the staff at fourteen and has accumulated more than twenty years on the Kia Kima staff, serving in various positions and most recently as Reservation Director. Joining the Chickasaw Council staff in the early 2000s, Jeremy would continue to have the opportunity to serve and manage the staff of Kia Kima for many years. In 2009, Jeremy became the Reservation Director, and enjoyed a thirteen-year tenure, during which he oversaw the first year of operational profitability and supervised (and contributed countless hours of sweat equity to) numerous projects to improve the camp, including the Osage and Cherokee Technology Centers. Jeremy is an Eagle Scout from the Chickasaw Council and a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow; he was also recognized with the Medal of Merit as a youth. In 2018, in recognition of his lifetime of exceptional service to Kia Kima Scout Reservation, he was presented with the Kia Kima Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award, the fourth of only seven recipients of the most prestigious recognition presented by the organization. Jeremy is married to Samantha, and they have one daughter, Gabriella, who is an active youth in Troop 13G in Memphis, TN.

Brad Stevens – Brad is a Lab Supervisor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN. He is an Eagle Scout, Vigil Honor member, recipient of the Order of the Arrow Founder’s Award, and was the first lodge chief of the Ahoalan-Nachpikin Lodge. Following in his father Richard Stevens footsteps, (KKSR staff from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s), Brad served on the Kia Kima Staff from 1992-1996 as Cherokee Scoutcraft staff, Cherokee and Osage Handicraft Director, Osage Nature staff and Osage Nature director. Brad has served as District Commissioner for the Twin Banks District. He currently serves as Camping chair for the Eastern District and Ceremonies Adviser for the Ahoalan-Nachpikin Lodge. Brad and his wife, Marnie, live in Collierville and have 3 children.

Camp Staff Liaisons (2023)

KKSR Reservation Director - Vacant

James Smythe - James Smythe is currently serving as the Camp Osage Program Director. For the past several years, he has served as the Camp Osage Technology Center Director and can always be found enthusiastically leading Scouts, campers and staphers alike!

Officers

The Officers of the Association are elected by the Board of Directors annually for a one year term.

President Ryan Cooper (President@KiaKimaAlumni.org)

Secretary Michael Downs (Secretary@KiaKimaAlumni.org)

Treasurer Brad Stevens (Treasurer@KiaKimaAlumni.org)