Bill Harty serves as the executive vice chair of the High Desert Council. He served theYucca Council, prior to the recent merger with Great Southwest, as its treasurer foraround 15 years. His board service began as a youth member in 1975, was a councilparaprofessional for four years, and has worn many hats in Scouting.Bill is a retired CPA and university administrator. In mid-July, he will reach his thirty-seventh wedding anniversary with Jennifer Munson, an attorney representing the rightsof abused and neglected children; they have one adult daughter.Bill received the National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award earlier this year, has been aSilver Beaver for forty years, and has served the Gila Lodge of the OA as chief, staffadvisor, and lodge advisor.

Dale Balmer is currently serving as an Assistant Council Commissioner for theHigh Desert Council's North Area. Before that he served as the CouncilCommissioner for the Great Southwest Council for seven years.  In his 35+ yearsas an adult Scouter, Dale has served as a District Commissioner, UnitCommissioner, Scoutmaster, Cubmaster, Webelos Den Leader, Committee Chairand Committee Member, among other positions.  Dale's also been a Wood BadgeCourse Director, and attended the 1997 and 2001 National Jamborees with hisEagle Scout sons.

Jeff Duer
I have been involved in Scouting since I was in second grade. I earned my Eagle Scout in 1993 from the Denver Area Council, then became an Assistant Scoutmaster in Troop 13 with the Longs Peak Council. Scouting can be credited for bringing me out of my shell and providing both fundamental life skills and tremendous leadership opportunities. The best summers of my life were spent working at Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch, serving in almost every position from Counselor-in-Training to Camp Director. I earned my Vigil honor in 2024.I have worked professionally for scouting for over 20 years. I started as a District Executive in the Denver Area Council. After serving in five different roles in Denver, I was promoted to Field Director in the Orange County Council in California. After that I was promoted to Assistant Scout Executive in the Pacific Skyline Council, which is headquartered in Foster City, CA. I am blessed to currently serve as the Scout Executive for the High Desert Council.In my spare time, my wife, Michelle, and I enjoy traveling. I enjoy pickleball, racquetball, riding my electric bike, swimming, jet skiing, and walking. I have both an undergraduate and a graduate degree from the University of Northern Colorado. I grew up as a die-hard Broncos fan.

Jim Libbin recently completed serving Yucca Council as Council President and CouncilAdvancement Chair. Jim, who was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout as a youth, rejoined Scouting when his son joined Tiger Cubs. Jim was his Den Leader from 1989 until 1995, and later crossed over to be Scoutmaster from 1995 to 2002. He has served as Committee Chair for that boys’ troop since 2002 and volunteered to be Committee Chair for a Cub Scout Pack when it reorganized in 2016 and a girls’ troop when it formed in 2019.Jim is a Vigil Member of the Gila Lodge, Order of the Arrow. He has been awarded the District Award of Merit, Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, Distinguished Commissioner Service Award, the James E. West Fellowship Award, William D. Boyce New-Unit Organizer Award, and several training awards.Jim retired from New Mexico State University in 2017 after a 40-year career as Professor ofAgricultural Economics and Agricultural Business and Extension Farm Management Specialist; he also served seven years as Associate Dean and Director of Academic Programs in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.Jim is married to Gail; they have four children and three grandchildren. His son, Zack, is an active Scouter and earned his Eagle in Troop 66 in 1999. Jim lives in Las Cruces, New Mexico and has been a member of the Die-Hard Chicago Cub Fan Club long enough to know better.​​

Chris Sandberg serves as the Chair of the Council’s Executive Board. Prior to the merger, he was Great Southwest’s Executive Vice President. Chris has worn the CSP of six different Councils in his Scouting career. As a youth, he was a Cub Scout, Scout, and Explorer, earned the Arrow of Light and Eagle rank, was inducted into the Ti’ak OA Lodge, and attended the XII World Jamboree in a Region V contingent. As an adult, Chris has been a Scoutmaster, Post Advisor, Crew Advisor, District Commissioner and Chair, Exploring Committee Chair, COPE Committee Chair, Venturing Committee Chair, and Vice President of District Operations. He has taught at the Philmont Training Center three times, and at Universities of Scouting for five Councils. He took a Central Regioncontinent to the XX World Jamboree in Thailand in 2003, and has been on staff at five National Jamborees and the XXIV World Jamboree. He has received the District Award of Merit (twice), National Scoutmaster’s Award of Merit. the Exploring Achievement Award (Council), the Silver Beaver, and the Venturing Leadership Award (Council, Area, Territory, and Region.) He is also a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow. Chris lives in Rio Rancho, NM, with his wife Carolyn.

Jack Hess has been involved with Scouting almost continually since being a CubScout in the 1950s. He is a Past-President of the Longs Peak Council and currently serves as Vice Chair for Finance and Administration for the High Desert Council. Additionally, he serves on the National Finance and Fund Development Committee. Past National service includes the Order of the Arrow National Committee, the National NCAP Committee, and five Jamboree staffs. He is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, and Silver Buffalo Awards. He is a Distinguished Eagle Scout, Order of the Arrow Vigil Honor Member and Order of the Arrow Distinguished Service Award recipient. Dr. Hess retired as President of the Geological Society of America Foundation in Boulder, CO in June 2020. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2015, he served as the Executive Director of the Geological Society of America (GSA) for 13 years. Before joining GSA in 2001, he was Executive Director of the Division of Hydrologic Sciences and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Nevada. During histenure with DRI, he also served on the faculty at the University of Nevada, Reno and theUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas where he taught courses in hydrogeology and low temperature aqueous geochemistry. In 2000-2001, Hess served as a Congressional Science Fellow in the office of Senator Harry Reid (D-NV). He holds a bachelor’s and doctorate in geology from The Pennsylvania State University and attended the Stanford Executive Program, Stanford University. Jack lives in Santa Fe, NM with his wife Letitia. They have two Eagle Scout sons.

Robert Heimer
I am delighted to be serving as the Director of Customer Care at El Paso Electric since 2022. In my role, I oversee a variety of customer service operations, including our call center, billing, payment, collections, and quality management teams. With over 18 years of leadership experience, I am committed to ensuring that we provide the best possible service to our customers. A little bit about myself – I was born and raised right here in El Paso, Texas, and I am proud to call this city my home. I am a graduate of Hanks High School and have pursued higher education with a Bachelor of Science in Technical Management from DeVry University in Phoenix, Arizona, and an MBA from West Texas A&M University. Additionally, I am a certified Project Manager Professional (PMP). On a personal note, I am married and have a wonderful child. In my spare time, I enjoy spending quality moments with my son and am excited to watch him grow up and thrive in the scouts.

Don Miller
My Scouting experience began in 1953 in Pack 305 in Marquette, MI where I achieved WEBELOS status before joining Troop 305, earning the God and Country Award, Eagle Scout, two palms, and the VIgil Honor, while serving as OA lodge secretary and vice-chief, before joining Post 309 where I served as Post President and was a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster for the 50th Anniversary (1960) National Jamboree in Colorado Springs, CO, and has continued (sometimes peripherally, having raised four daughters before girls were allowed in the program, and a career involving frequent travel) through our most recent Autumn Adventure at Philmont. As an adult I have served on five council executive boards: Hiawathaland, (2008 - 2013, Council President, 2009 - 2013), Bay-Lakes, (2012 - 2016, Advisory Council 2017 -2024), Mount Baker, 2017 - 2020, Great Southwest, 2022 - 2024, and High Desert 2024 - present. Additionally I've served on the staff of national jamborees in 2010, 2023, 2026, and NOAC 2024. Prior to a career in sales I earned a BS, Bus. Ad. from Ferris State University, an MBA from Central MIchigan University, was a Legal Clerk in the US Army, and served as a trustee of the Northern MIchigan University Foundation. 

Michael C. Maurer
Mike has been involved in scouting in Albuquerque for about 25 years, he served as Cub Scout Den Leader, Assistant Scoutmaster and Eagle Advisor for Pack and Troop 409. He has been member of the GSWC board for about 13 years and is currently serving as a Board Member. His past board positions include serving as the Council President, Executive VP, and VP for Finance. He is a Camp Master for Gorham. He has lead a number of Council teams and helped secure over $115,000 in grants.
Mike has been to Philmont over a dozen times and hiked close to 300 miles. He has been to NorthernTier and Sea Base with his boys. He was an Aquatics instructor at the 2005 National Jamboree.
One of the things he really enjoys about his involvement with scouts is teaching the scouts new skills and watching them become fine young men and women.
In addition to volunteering with Scouting, Mike served on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity for six years, served as their president for two years.
Mike met his wife, Barbara, in elementary school and they have been married for 42 years. They have two sons: Matt, an Eagle Scout, and Steve who achieved the rank of Life Scout.
Mike has a BS in Engineering Science and MBA with a concentration in Materials and Logistics Management from Michigan State. Mike retired after 31 year from Sandia Labs. His last job was the Senior Manager for Business Operations for Sandia’s Science and Technology Division.

Jim Mayo
Jim is a Professor Emeritus from the University of Kansas where he taught architecture and
urban planning for forty years and served as a Department Chair. He has been a Scoutmaster, District Commissioner, Council Vice-President for Endowment, and is currently our council’s Committee Chair for Investments. He has served in positions related to finance at the territorial, regional, and national level. Jim conducts research on national council finance, and he has developed the Council Endowment Management Portfolio, which is available on the Scouting America national website. As a youth, he grew up in West Texas and became an Eagle Scout, received the Exploring Silver Award as well as attending national jamborees at Valley Forge and Colorado Springs. As an adult, Dr. Mayo has been honored with the District Award of Merit, the Distinguished Commissioner Service Award, the Doctorate of Commissioner Science, the Winthrop Rockefeller Award, and the Silver Beaver Award. Jim is a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow and a Sachem in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say, which he received in the Heart of America Council. He is James E. West Diamond Member and a Legacy Member of the Second Century Society. His hometown honored him as a Distinguished Former Odessan and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society at KU for his scholarly awards and contributions.

Steve Wells has recently served as the 17 th President of New Mexico Institute of Mining
and Technology (New Mexico Tech), a public academic and research university granting
undergraduate and graduate degrees in science, engineering, technology and
mathematics. He served as President of the Desert Research Institute (DRI) of the
Nevada System of Higher Education from 1999 to 2016, overseeing one of the world's
largest multidisciplinary environmental research organizations with approximately 500
scientists, technologists, students, and other support staff. Steve was Professor of
Geomorphology and Chair of the Graduate Program in the Department of Earth
Sciences at the University of California, Riverside, and began his academic career at
the University of New Mexico in 1976 and ultimately served as Chair of the Department
of Geology from 1989 to 1991. He has held visiting appointments with the U.S. Air
Force Office of Research, U.S. Geological Survey, and Los Alamos National Laboratory,
and consulted with numerous federal agencies and private companies including the
U.S. Department of Justice, Sandia National Laboratories, and environmental and
geotechnical firms in the western U.S. He received his B.S. degree in Geology from
Indiana University as well as a M.S. and Ph.D. in Geology from the University of
Cincinnati. After serving 24 years as a leader in higher education, he is deeply
committed to the mission of Scouting America which helps shape the future of New
Mexico through building leadership skills in our youth. He proudly serves on the Board
and Executive Committee of the Higher Desert Council.

Alecia Evans
I have been involved in scouting for around 7 years now. I am currently serving as the 2025 Yah-Tah-Hey-Si-Kess Lodge Chief. I was inducted into the Order of the arrow in 2022 and have since served as the Lodge Vice Chief (2024), the Lodge Ceremonies Committee Chair (2023 to now), and a few other chapter roles. The Order of the Arrow has brought so many people into my life and has cultivated my passion for being a leader. I have been on 2 Philmont Treks, staffed Brownsea in 2024 and 2025, and attended the National Order of the Arrow Conference in 2024. I have been invited back to be the SPL of Brownsea in 2026. I earned the rank of Eagle on October 15th, 2025 with Troop 1395. Some of my other passions include Marching band, in which I play the French horn, my job as a lifeguard at Sandia Pool. My future plans include attending the University of New Mexico to study Civil Engineering, and continuing my scouting career in the Order of the Arrow.”