Tom Butine is educated as an engineer and scientist, with an executive MBA in macro-economics and finance. He is the grandson of farmers and worked as a ranch hand in his youth. In his professional career he held senior technical and management leadership positions in several multi-billion-dollar airplane research and development programs, and is a Technical Fellow of the Boeing Company. His pastimes include backpacking, exploring, bicycling, skiing and ocean sailing. He has studied public lands, water and air/climate issues and analyzed their underlying data for several years. He strives to work with the public, students and our political leaders to enable growth while conserving the reasons we live here: the expansive scenic open spaces, the temperate climate and clean air, ample water and friendly community.