Board of Directors

I have been with PRVFF since the fall of 2015.  Introduced to fly tying in the seventh grade, the sport of fly fishing has been my passion more than thirty five years.  I have always enjoyed passing along my knowledge and experience to those who want to experience catching a fish on a fly they tied themselves. A graduate of Fort Lewis College, father of four, grandfather of three and married to a fly fishing lady for thirty years, I still find it essential that I reserve time to help our men and women of service to experience what I have been free to do for so long.  I am committed to ensuring that our participants have the best chance at a world class experience, detailed instruction and all at no cost to them.   As a revenue cycle manager for Salud Family Health Centers, fifteen years in health care and a previous business owner, I will continue to share my business acumen for the growth and stability of the PRVFF organization.

Bernie Lodge is a Coast Guard and Navy Veteran serving 21 years in the sea going services.  Currently he is the Emergency Management Coordinator for a Norther Colorado Water Utility.  Throughout his career paths, Bernie recognizes the importance of relationship building and collaborative thinking to foster growth and the need for new ideas. Bernie grew up on the Florida Gulf Coast and began fly fishing 30 years ago chasing snook and redfish.  He continued to fish around the country during his service to the country fishing in Hawaii, Puget Sound and the Gulf Coast. Bernie continues to fly fish in saltwater and is an ardent believer in removing religion from fly fishing and exposing people to the joys to all forms of fly fishing.

Larry has served as a fly-fishing mentor, trip lead, and fly-tying instructor for the Platte Rivers Veterans Fly Fishing since 2012. In January of 2017 he became the PRVFF Board Treasurer, managing the programs budget and assuming the role of Scrooge when necessary. Larry is a former United States Marine and was stationed in the Philippines in the mid 1970s. He worked as a Geographic Information Specialist for the Bureau of Land Management in 2013 for over 30 years, and retired in 2013. He is an avid year-round mountain biker and enjoys traveling with his wife Esther. Together they have one son, Tyler, who resides in New York City. Larry has fished his entire life and takes as much enjoyment in helping others catch fish as he does catching fish himself. He does have to remind himself to “dial it back” when fishing with Colorado based board members.

Micah has served as a fly-fishing participant, volunteer, mentor, trip lead and coordinator and assistant program lead for Platte Rivers Veterans Fly Fishing since 2015. In March 2023, he became the PRVFF Secretary in support of recording minutes, grant writing, outreach and growing his passion for supporting the program and veterans we serve. Micah is a former U.S. Army Infantryman and was stationed at Fort Campbell, KY from 2000 to 2004. Micah served one tour in Operation Enduring Freedom and two tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Micah has worked for the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment from 2015 to 2021 as both a Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP) specialist and Local Veterans Employment Representative (LVER) serving veterans in many capacities. Since 2021, Micah has worked for the United States Department of Labor as a Research Analyst Lead for the Disabled Veteran Program. He grew up in Southwest Colorado and was introduced to fly fishing through a middle school trip to the San Juan in 1992, and has been fly fishing ever since. He has two children and resides in Fort Collins. His hobbies include tying flies, playing bike polo, camping trips and anything outdoors with his children and obviously, fly fishing.

I joined Platte Rivers when my brother, Ken asked me to bring my experience in fundraising to the organization. This was a no brainer because of my love for fishing and a feeling that any way I can help support our veterans is something I want to be part of. I grew up in Northern Colorado and some of my greatest memories are the weekends spent with my dad, Steve and my brother up on the river fishing. That is where my passion for all things outdoors developed. Today my wife Michelle and I live in Greeley with our 3 children, Katelyn, Madison and Colton. I work as an Account Executive for Shamrock Food Service consulting in the Northern Colorado area. When we have time to get away we are typically in the mountains camping and spending time as a family. No greater joy can be found than watching your children learn to love the things you love.

Mr. Hayhurst has been working with a network of consultants in the medical diagnostics industry both U.S. and Europe. He has been working closely with many biotech start-up companies as a consultant to advise founders, venture capitalists, and executive management on how to build the sales, marketing, and support functions of a new company. Previously he had 15 years’ experience working for three of the top five manufacturers in the healthcare diagnostic industry where he acquired much of his business acumen. The discipline he applies to his personal and professional life came from five years on active duty and 15 years in the Reserves as a pilot in the Marine Corps. The focus of his 27 years as a consultant has been on the cooperation and responsiveness of marketing departments and the execution activities of their sales team. Over the past 18 months he has been serving as the President and CEO of a startup surgical device company. The company is in the early stages of raising $5 million in the development of a unique single-use endoscope that produces superior images at a fractional cost of current instruments.

As an fly fisherman for over 30 years, David is still pushing himself to increase his casting skills, hatch mastery, and his overall fishing game. Fishing with others who love to talk fishing, and who get out there and make trips happen is an opportunity for all involved. PRVFF mixes the enjoyment, teaching, knowledge and instruction for an overall wonderful experience. David is a Colorado native living in Fort Collins with his family. He practices civil litigation and criminal law. If he weren’t a lawyer, he’d pursue interests in teaching, organizational development and design. When not working in his practice, or caring for his family, David gets his heart moving with mountain bikes. And, when time permits, he enjoys getting some fresh air while casting through the Poudre and local rivers. While not a military veteran, he is honored to work with others who have served our great country. PRVFF is a great fit, dedicated to providing fly fishing trips, fly tying, rod building tutorials and fellowship to Active and Veteran military.

I grew up in Thermopolis, a 5-minute bike ride from the Big Horn River in north-central Wyoming, where I was introduced to fly fishing and tying at an early age by my father, a US Army veteran. After graduating from the University of Wyoming, I began my 40+ year career in Banking, the last 16 years of which has been with Platte Valley Bank in Cheyenne. As a young man, I was fortunate to fish some of the premier western waters, and so grew my passion for trout and the beautiful places they live. As career, family and life became more complicated and busier, I got away from fishing for a number of years and invested my limited free time pursuing a variety of other activities; everything from to triathlon to upland bird hunting, with my normal obsessive commitment. It’s been a great ride, and the path has brought me back to fishing with a renewed enthusiasm. Much has changed in the many years since my dad took his young son fishing; the gear, the techniques, the popularity of the sport and the resulting pressure on the resource. The magic of a trout on a fly, however, is timeless, and should be shared. After attending the 2022 PRVFF Annual Banquet in Cheyenne, I became particularly interested in the organization and the important work they do. It is truly a cause I feel very strongly about, and I am honored to do whatever I can to further the PRVFF mission; To provide rest, recreation, and rehabilitation for active duty, veterans, disabled veterans, and retired military personnel through fly fishing related activities.

I was born and raised in Ashland OH. After graduating high school in 1992, I joined the Air Force as an ICBM Electro Mechanical Technician. I spent 20 years active duty with assignments in MT, ND, CA and WY. I have fished all my life but I didn’t start fly fishing until I moved to MT. When I retired from the Air Force in 2012 in WY, I started fly fishing more and more. I found the Platte Rivers group in 2021 and started attending regularly in 2022. Since joining the group, I have become the Co-lead for the Cheyenne area where I help with fly tying instruction. I also help lead and guide the Dubois trip. I work as a distiller for Pine Bluffs Distilling for my day job and I spend my nights tying flys, building rods and planning my next trip on the water.