Ed Lieser, born in St. Paul, Minn., spent his early years in Texas. After high school, he moved back to St. Paul where two significant events occurred — he graduated from the University of Minnesota, and he married Sue. They now have three children and two great grandchildren.

Ed's degree in forestry led him to the Forest Service in Idaho. While he and Sue were on vacation in Glacier National Park, they discovered Whitefish and decided this was where they wanted to raise their family. Ed transferred at the first opportunity.

He describes Whitefish as "an amazing blend of community and environment" and recalls with pleasure the lasting friendships and experiences gained while watching, coaching and refereeing as his children progressed through childhood sports.

An outdoorsman, Ed skis, golfs, boats, kayaks, bicycles, hunts, fishes and enjoys hiking in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. On the sedentary side, he reads, plays the guitar and piano, and gazes in awe at the view from his mountainside home.

His passion is the prevention and suppression of wildfires. He is a fire behavior analyst, and although retired, he remains on the incident management team and is subject to call for fires that exceed local capabilities.

Ed served many years on the Water Quality Board, is active in the Society of American Foresters and is on the board of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation. Among other things, he is a founder and president of the Whitefish Area Fire Safety Council, which is dedicated to awareness and reduction of wildfire risk.

Co-workers, citing his energy and commitment, refer to him as a "wonderful leader," saying that "if it's got anything to do with wildfire, he has a hand in it." They add, "We're really lucky to have him in our area."

Ed, we too, feel lucky that you are in our area. Your contribution to the environment and our safety is beyond measure, and we thank you.

— Jake Heckathorn

This column is dedicated to those who give freely of their time and energy to worthwhile community projects, but whose efforts often go unnoticed. If you know such a person, please e-mail [email protected].