Manny worked as a firefighter/paramedic and eventually fire captain in El Dorado County, California from the 1980s until 2011.  A deep connection with the outdoors, the environment, and ecology took root while hiking with friends in the Sierra Nevada and backpacking there with his wife, Martha. 

While living in Placerville, he served as a board member for a land trust, was a member of a city planning commission, and was involved with many environmental and transportation committees.

After moving to Ashland in 2016, he didn’t know a great deal about the natural history of the area but could tell it had distinct and special qualities.   Getting to know the Klamath-Siskiyou region has been one awe-inspiring trek after another. Manny joined the KS Wild board in 2021.