The Kenai Peninsula Trout Unlimited Chapter is a fully volunteer-led conservation nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring the rivers and streams that sustain our region’s trout and salmon. Working in partnership with Trout Unlimited staff and local community organizations, we bring people together to strengthen fisheries, safeguard clean water, and support healthy communities across the Kenai Peninsula. Join us and be a champion for your rivers and streams.
If you have the interest and time to make a deeper commitment to our local conservation and education work, just connect with a KPTU board member below.
PRESIDENT
Roger Sensabaugh
Kenai
I am retired after 34 years as a Parks and Recreation Superintendent from the great State of Illinois, and home to the Chicago Bears. I have been involved with the Kenai Peninsula Trout Unlimited, Chapter 229 for 7 years, 4 of these years as President. I am proud of our Executive Board’s accomplishments in the past few years such as the Youth Fly Fishing Camp, Mapping salmon life stages in local waters advancing state and local protections, KPTU Gear Swap & Picnic, Casting for Recovering program for women recovering from cancer and Fly-tying classes for adults and youths. These projects and more are possible through partnerships with the Kenai Watershed Forum, National Trout Unlimited Embrace – A – Stream grant and various other grants. It is our goal to continue these programs and to develop new projects which will enhance and improve our rivers, streams and watersheds throughout the Kenai Peninsula.
SECRETARY
Tony Lewis
Kenai
I have been a member of the KPTU board of directors for the past three years and the board’s secretary for the past two years. While on the board I have written several grants for KPTU, helped rewrite the bylaws, and been a lead organizer of our Youth Flyfishing Camp.
TREASURER
Bob Mires
Kenai
I have been a voting board member, and vice president prior to becoming treasurer. I am a retired educator of middle school aged students and adjunct instructor of math and science college courses. I was a river fishing guide in Montana for ten years, helped secure an Embrace A Stream (EAS) Grant to identify the extent of salmon species in the numerous water ways of Kenai Peninsula, and helped implement a new software program with Kenai Watershed Forum.
BOARD MEMBER
Benjamin Meyer
Soldotna
Benjamin Meyer grew up in Wasilla, Alaska and holds an M.S. in Fisheries from University of Alaska Fairbanks. Benjamin has worked throughout Alaska in diverse natural resource management professions including wildland firefighting, science consulting, and tourism. Outside of his passion for rivers and fish habitat through his work with both KPTU and Kenai Watershed Forum, you can find him working on converting an old bus into an RV, coaching Junior Nordic skiing, or watching his dog chase squirrels. He loves reading and hearing about Alaska history. You can check out some of Ben’s recent projects on KWF’s blog, or his research portfolio at www.benjamin-meyer.net.
BOARD MEMBER
William (Bill) Tappan
Kenai
Bill has been a fly-fisherman ever since his dad brought him to Alaska 77-years ago on a month-long vacation to fish all over the then territory. That trip hooked him on fly-fishing and Alaska. He and his wife, Jean, bought property on the Kenai Peninsula 25-years ago and retired here from Southern California 21-years ago. His middle son, Alan, owns and operates the Alaska Legacy fishing lodge/guide service on the Kenai River for over thirty-five years. In retirement Bill decided it was time to ‘give back’ some of his time to nonprofit organizations. He is a member of the newly founded Kenai Peninsula Trout Unlimited chapter 21 years ago. He also served/serves as a volunteer on the Alaska State Fish & Game, Kenai /Soldotna Advisory Board, the state Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board, the Peninsula Community Health Services Board, the Homer Electric Association Board, the Kenai Peninsula Foundation Board and the Kenai Peninsula Trout Unlimited Chapter Board.
BOARD MEMBER
Elizabeth Hardie
Soldotna
My name is Elizabeth Hardie and I am a Finance Manager with the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The central Kenai Peninsula has been my home for almost 40 years. In my spare time, I enjoy running, hiking trails on the Peninsula, skiing, and spending time with my sons, their significant others, and my granddaughter. I joined the Trout Unlimited Board after taking Dave’s fly fishing class, then volunteering with the local chapter of TU. My family and friends and I appreciate and depend on the bounty of the Kenai River and our regional waters.
BOARD MEMBER
Carolyn Knapper
Cooper Landing
Carolyn is a fisheries biologist, conservationist, and community leader based on the Kenai Peninsula. She holds a BSc and is completing a master’s degree in natural resource and fisheries science, with a focus on salmon ecology and coldwater systems. Her work bridges scientific research, conservation practice, and public engagement across Alaska and British Columbia. Carolyn is passionate about getting Women out fishing and onto the water. She is the founder of Steelhead Sirens, a women-focused fishing initiative designed to build confidence, skills, and community on the water, and she is an owner and host at Lakeview Outfitters, where she helps connect people to the region’s fisheries through education and shared experience. Through Trout Unlimited, she is committed to inclusive conservation, mentorship, and protecting the rivers and streams that sustain wild trout and salmon on the Kenai Peninsula.
BOARD MEMBER
Kevin Duffe
Soldotna
Kevin Duffie hails from Michigan and moved up to the Soldotna 3 days after graduating from Michigan State University in 2022 with a degree in Environmental Studies. Over the last 4 years Kevin has spent as an intern at Kenai Watershed Forum, worked summers with ADFG, and school years as a tutor at Soldotna Elementary. Kevin has been the Kenai Peninsula Community Engagement Coordinator since 2024, and when he isn’t working you can find him on the gravel bars of the Upper Kenai.
VICE PRESIDENT
Bobbie Behrens
Soldotna
For more than 35 years, I have participated in subsistence fishing, developing a deep respect for the river, its fish, and the communities that depend on them.. Serving on the board of Trout Unlimited allow me to combine my professional commitment to stewardship and long-term well-being with my lifelong belief in river conservation. I am dedicated to protecting healthy fish populations and preserving the Kenai and other wild fisheries for future generations.