Zach Poff and Molly Ryan join SE Group's Public Lands team
We’re excited to introduce two new members of our Public Lands team: Zach Poff, Senior Associate and Public Lands Strategist, and Molly Ryan, Associate Recreation Planner. Their expertise in land management, recreation planning, and community engagement further strengthens SE Group’s commitment to creating sustainable, inspiring outdoor experiences.
Zach Poff, Public Lands Strategist
Zach Poff joins SE Group as our public lands strategist with more than 20 years of experience in land management. Zach’s career with the U.S. Forest Service spanned recreation management, trails programs, ski area permit administration, and district ranger leadership across multiple regions, including his most recent post in Ketchum, Idaho. His breadth of experience, from fire and fisheries to federal policy and planning, gives him a unique, cross-disciplinary perspective on today’s most pressing public lands challenges.
Zach is widely recognized for his creative thinking and leadership in pioneering initiatives. He played a central role in launching the Wood For Life program and helped establish the first publicly operated workforce housing on National Forest lands, a first-of-its-kind effort that earned him both a Regional Forester’s Award and a Chief’s Award. At SE Group, Zach brings deep expertise in programmatic strategy, NEPA planning, and partnership development, skills that will strengthen our work with communities, partners, and agencies nationwide.
Zach is an avid outdoor enthusiast with a passion for skiing, exploring remote places, and discovering new cultures. His vision, leadership, and dedication to stewardship align seamlessly with SE Group’s mission to design recreation experiences that help communities thrive.
"Zach was a trusted advisor to SE Group during his years with the Forest Service, and now he’ll be a trusted advisor to our clients. He brings a highly unique skillset to the consulting world—one that’s rare in outdoor recreation planning, permitting, and management. Zach has a remarkable ability to illuminate the powerful recreation and resiliency opportunities that emerge when communities interface with their public lands. We’re thrilled to have him on our team." — Travis Beck, Managing Director, Public Lands
Molly Ryan, Associate Recreation Planner
Molly Ryan joins SE Group with a strong commitment to connecting communities with public lands and ensuring that visitor experiences are both meaningful and sustainable. With expertise in visitor use management, social science, and land conservation, she brings proactive and innovative solutions to some of the most complex recreation challenges facing public lands today. Her work is rooted in strategic planning, systems thinking, and collaborative engagement, always with an eye toward balancing resource protection with recreation access.
Molly has eight years of experience leading large-scale recreation planning projects for national forests and national parks across the country. As a recreation planner and Presidential Management Fellow with the U.S. Forest Service, she helped advance sustainable recreation plans for wilderness areas in Montana, New Mexico, and Arizona, while contributing to the Interagency Visitor Use Management Council. Her leadership and scholarship have been recognized with multiple awards, including the prestigious Presidential Management Fellowship, the Wyss Scholar for U.S. Land Conservation, and the Donella Meadows Prize for Promoting Sustainability. She also holds a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment, where she served as a teaching fellow, and a bachelor’s in environmental studies and Geography from Dartmouth College.
Molly finds joy in Colorado’s mountains, rivers, and canyons, often exploring them with friends and family. She’s equally at home indoors, knitting, browsing indie bookstores, or gathering people around a dinner table. Her deep knowledge, collaborative spirit, and passion for public lands make her an invaluable addition to SE Group as we continue to support communities in shaping the future of outdoor recreation.
"We are thrilled to have Molly at SE Group! Her deep expertise in recreation visitor use management at the federal level will be transformative for our Public Lands team and for our clients across the board. Molly’s problem-solving skills and her ability to guide clients to successful outcomes will make her a dynamic and fun collaborator—we’re excited for what’s ahead!" — Travis Beck, Managing Director, Public Lands
Together, Zach and Molly bring fresh perspectives, proven expertise, and creative leadership that will play a vital role in advancing SE Group’s mission— designing recreation experiences and strategies that help communities thrive, support our partners and agencies, and protect the places we love.
