For only the third time since its inception in 1993, Teton County Search & Rescue has a new Chief Advisor. On January 1, Anthony Stevens took over as Chief Advisor, replacing Cody Lockhart who stepped down after serving in the role for eight years. Previous to Lockhart, Tim Ciocarlan was chief for 24 years. The team’s original commander was Alan Merrell, who helped assemble the first team in 1993 with then Sheriff Roger Millward.
Cody Lockhart served as TCSAR’s Chief Advisor for eight years. Photo: Joey Sackett
Incoming Chief Advisor Anthony Stevens has been a TCSAR volunteer since 2015. Photo: David Bowers
The position of Chief Advisor is one of six advisors that provide team leadership for TCSAR. Each position is elected by the rest of the 43 volunteers currently serving. Collectively, the group of six is known as the Board of Advisors (BOA). The BOA is the first to be paged by Dispatch after an emergency call. The advisors then determine how the team responds to backcountry incidents. The BOA and volunteers serve under the jurisdiction of Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr.
The current Board of Advisors is as follows:
Chief Advisor: Anthony Stevens, volunteer since 2015. Stevens previously served as the team’s training advisor since 2017.
Membership Advisor: Robb Sgroi, volunteer since 2004.
Planning Advisor: Alex Norton, volunteer since 2007.
Logistics Advisor: KC Bess, volunteer since 2015.
Medical Advisor: Dr. Tobin Dennis, volunteer since 2021.
Training Advisor: Ian Johnston, volunteer since 2021.
As Lockhart exits his role as Chief Advisor, the team and Foundation offer its sincere gratitude for his unwavering commitment to serve the Jackson Hole community.
Under his leadership, TCSAR continued to meet the moment, as he steered the volunteers to respond to ever higher call volumes with professionalism and compassion.
Photo: David Bowers
During his tenure, in 2023, the team secured a year-round rescue helicopter, the first of its kind in the state of Wyoming and which has become a game-changer in mountain rescue across the region.. This past fall, he led TCSAR as the organization hosted the International Commission for Alpine Rescue (ICAR), a conference that brought 600 alpine rescuers from more than 25 countries to Jackson for an entire week. Born and raised in a cattle-ranching family in Jackson, Lockhart believed in sharing the valley’s Western roots with ICAR’s international visitors. Part of making that happen was hosting a free rodeo during ICAR at the Teton County Fairgrounds, where more than 3,000 people showed up.
Beyond the headlines, Lockhart demonstrated a consistency that placed the team above the individual. Throughout his time as Chief Advisor, he led with humility, redirecting attention to the people beside him.
For 2026, Stevens steers a ship that will see 10 new volunteers become operational members, joining the other 33 members. As the founder of Wounded Bear Medicine and the team’s previous training advisor, Stevens brings vast knowledge of wilderness medicine and mountain rescue to the role. Stevens is a lifelong Jackson resident, and he and his wife have three children.
