Betsy Hutchins
President – TSP Board of Directors, Basecamp Coordinator
betsy@thesummitproject.org
Betsy Hutchins has been involved with The Summit Project since Memorial Day 2013, when she and her late husband Jeff met David Cote at their kitchen table. That was the day Jeff presented The Summit Project with her step-son’s, Cpl. Andrew L Hutchins, memorial stone. Born and raised in Maine, Betsy is graduate of Bates College with a BA in Sociology, and has been in the financial services industry for 30 years, for the past 19 years with Merrill Lynch/Bank of America. As a Gold Star family member herself, Betsy has become an important part of The Summit Project’s hosted events at Baxter State Park and Acadia National Park, leading basecamp operations. As many know, Betsy loves to cook and take care of everyone. You will often see her at these events making sure everyone is well fed and comfortable. For this, she earned her nickname Momma Bear.
Toni Bailey
Treasurer & Clerk – TSP Board of Directors
toni.bailey@thesummitproject.org
Toni Bailey is a wife and mother of two. She has worked for Maine Community Bank (formerly known as Gorham Savings Bank) for 25 years. She has also owned a Tax Preparer business for the past 26 years. Several of Toni’s relatives have served our country. When she learned about TSP through her husband Steve Bailey, she immediately wanted to become more involved with the organization. Since 2021, Toni has volunteered at several TSP events. She now looks forward to using her financial knowledge to further support the strategic goals of TSP.
Mark LoSacco
Executive Director, Secretary & Member – TSP Board of Directors
mark.losacco@thesummitproject.org
Mark LoSacco is a husband and father of two who enjoys running, hiking, guitar and card/board games of all kinds. Since earning his graduate degree in Software Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY he has worked as a software engineer at a variety of startup and established technology companies. After years of vacationing in Maine and dreams of making it their home, he and his family took the plunge in 2013, left Connecticut, and never looked back. Shortly after arriving, Mark became active on the leadership team of the Central Maine chapter of Team Red, White & Blue – an organization committed to enriching the lives of America’s veterans. He served as the Chapter Captain for four years before recently passing the torch.
Mark’s wife, Baerbel (a photographer), was the first in the family to hike with The Summit Project. It didn’t take long for her to involve the rest of the family at BSP, ANP and other TSP events over the last several years. Mark recently had the honor of being a hike team leader for recent TSP hike events. Mark considers TSP an extended family and is honored to step into the Family Liaison role on the TSP leadership team where he looks forward to serving our heroes’ families.
Steve Tupper
Hiking Team Coordinator
steve.tupper@thesummitproject.org
Steve Tupper grew up in Windham, Maine, where he attended school and developed a strong connection to the outdoors. After graduating in 2015, Steve quickly entered the workforce and pursued various manufacturing positions, which ultimately led him to Pratt and Whitney North Berwick, where he as been assembling aircraft engines since 2018.
Hiking has always been one of Steve’s biggest passions, which has driven him to plan and pursue various hiking challenges all cross the Northeast and beyond. Some of these include hiking the tallest 67 peaks in New England, working toward the tallest 115 in the Northeast, the Colorado 14ers, the NE Ultra 8, and various other list-based challenges.
Through work connections, Steve learned about The Summit Project and its noble mission to honor fallen Service Members. As an avid hiker seeking to make a meaningful impact, he signed up to carry his first stone up the Bigelows in Carrabassett Valley on Patriot Day 2023. It was during TSP at BSP 2024 that Steve truly recognized the profound impact he could have through this organization, connecting with the Gold Star families we honor.
With countless hours and miles of hiking under his belt, Steve is committed to ensuring the preparedness, safety, and overall success of future hikers wishing to make a difference. His leadership and enthusiasm inspire others to join in the mission of remembrance and connection through the great outdoors.
Linda Tupper
Hosted Events Manager
linda.tupper@thesummitproject.org
Born on the Incirclick Air Force Base in Adana, Turkey, and spending her early childhood years on base until her parents left the military, Linda grew up in Kennebunk, Maine. After graduating, she went on to study Biotechnology at Southern Maine Community College and the University of Southern Maine, finishing with an Associate’s and Bachelor’s of Science. In 2020, she started working for Abbott Laboratories, at the height of the pandemic, as a chemist making the Covid-19 tests. She currently works as a technical supervisor for the team making the critical bioreagents for a multitude of respiratory test kits.
Linda lives in Southern Maine with her husband, Steve, and their Coonhound pup named Clover. She starting hiking with TSP in 2023 for the 9/11 Operation Ascend to Remember after her husband told her about the organization. Upon learning of the mission of TSP and joining this event, she knew that this group was something extremely special and significant and wanted to help any way she could.
In their free time, you can find the Tuppers out on the many trails that New England has to offer! As avid hikers, the pair have both completed the NH48 and NE67 hiking lists and have check a few 14,000ft peaks off too. Linda is very excited and honored to be joining the TSP leadership team and looks forward to helping this organization grow!
Lucas Allen
Convoy Commander
lucas.allen@thesummitproject.org
Lucas Allen is a Controls Engineer from Sanford, ME, with three daughters who are each grown and graduated. In his free time, he loves working on bikes in the garage with his dog, Phoebe. His passion for motorcycles and mechanics not only fuels his professional life but also strengthens his bond with the riding community. It was within this close-knit community that he discovered fellowship and family. Along with this, he found his own personal mission: to honor and support veterans and their families.
Courtney Evans
Public Relations Manager
courtney.evans@thesummitproject.org
Courtney Evans came to TSP in 2018 and has been an active member ever since. She has stepped into roles as Assistant Team Lead for TSP at ANP 2019 and as Team Lead for both TSP at BSP and ANP in 2020. She achieved her Master of Education degree from the University of Maine and is employed as a clinical counselor at Acadia Hospital in Bangor, Maine, where she also calls her home. She is actively involved in Girl Scouts of Maine as a troop leader and as an adult learning facilitator for the organization. She is also the President of the UMaine Band Alumni Association, responsible for coordinating the homecoming events for the alumni band, which is always the largest returning organization each year. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors chasing the 4,000 foot summits of New England and going on amazing adventures with her daughter, Delaney.
Sarah Hanson
Concessions Manager
sarah.hanson@thesummitproject.org
Sarah lives in Sanford, Maine with her husband and two cats. She has been serving in the NH Army National Guard as Military Police since 2013. Sarah discovered the Summit Project when she started working at Pratt & Whitney in January, 2025. She fell in love with the Summit Project’s mission and feels deeply connected to the organization given her military experience. Sarah is honored to be a part of this organization as a leader managing our Cross Arena Concessions fundraising and assisting in other capacities.
Mike “Bazooka” Peterson
Photographer
Mike grew up in Michigan and has lived in Vermont, Idaho, and Maine. He currently resides in Millinocket, Maine. Photography is one of Mike’s passions. He takes a camera nearly everywhere he goes and photographs anything that’s interesting to him. He takes lots of pictures.
Since Mike’s Dad always had a camera in his hand, his photography follows in his father’s footsteps. They share a love for landscape/nature photography. While his Dad preferred not to photograph people, Mike decided it was an area of photography he needed to learn more about.
Mike is a regular hiker at our events and captures wonderful photos both on the trails and at base camp. His TSP name “Bazooka” is a reference to the massive camera lens he can sometimes be seen carrying around!
Stephen “Buddha” Crossman
Photographer
Stephen grew up on farms in Southern NH and went to work right out of high school, spending almost 50 years in the tech industry before retiring in August 2024. In 2005 he lost his wife to cancer. To work through grieving he started doing volunteer work, more hiking, becoming a hobbyist photographer, and of course more cooking.
In 2015, he ran across some info on the Summit Project – it seemed like a great match given that he could relate his loss to what Gold Stars were going through. Since that time he’s attended as many key events as possible, mostly assisting with basecamp and taking pictures, but has also carried several of the stones and stories of Maine’s Fallen Heroes at non TSP events like Run For the Fallen and Millinocket Half and Marathon.
Stephen’s TSP name, “Buddha”, was bestowed on him due to his calm nature, age, and wisdom.
Baerbel “Frau” LoSacco
Photographer
Baerbel was born in the 70s in East Germany, and witnessed the wall come down as a senior in High School. She studied Biology and English in Germany and came to the US in 1995 as an AuPair to improve my English skills. She met her best friend and better half during that year, and moved to the US permanently in 1997 to marry, finish her Biology studies and work as a research scientist in the field of immunology for a pharmaceutical company.
Baerbel became involved with TSP in 2016, when she participated in her first hike with her then 13 year old son, Erik. Very soon, her daughter Izzy and husband Mark became involved as well and all have been part of the TSP family ever since. She serves as one of the TSP photographers and looks forward to capturing many more moments at our upcoming events.
John Gold
Website Administrator
john.gold@thesummitproject.org
John Gold has been involved with The Summit Project since 2017 when he redesigned the organization’s website. Since that time he has assisted the organization with various web site and technology-related projects. John grew up in New Hampshire and graduated from the University of New Hampshire where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Zoology and a concentration in Journalism. His professional background is in Journalism and graphic design with more than three decades of experience as a writer, editor print and website designer. He is the author of several non-fiction children’s books. He has lived in Maine for more than 30 years and when he’s not fixing something around the house he enjoys a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, swimming and boating. He and his wife live in Saco.
U.S. Army Major Jason W. Goodson
Portland, Maine MEPS Commander
U.S. Army Major Jason W. Goodson is the Commander of the Portland, Maine, Military Entrance Processing Station. Originally from El Reno, OK, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in January 1997 and later enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 2004. He earned his commission through the Army “Green to Gold” program in May 2009. Major Goodson’s military career has focused heavily on communications and human resources and includes four combat deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan (2), and Kuwait. His professional military education includes the Signal Basic Officer Leader Course, Adjutant General Captains Career Course, Command and General Staff College, Airborne, Air Assault, Pathfinder, and the Army Operational Electronic Warfare Course.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Cameron University, Lawton, Oklahoma, a Masters Degree in Human Resources from the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, and a Masters Degree in Military Operational Studies from the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Major Goodson’s military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, four Meritorious Service Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, three Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, the parachutist Badge, Netherlands Jump Wings, Air Assault Badge, Pathfinder Badge, German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency (Gold), the Combat Action Badge, and various service, unit and personal medals and ribbons.
He and his wife, April, moved to Maine in June of 2024. They have four children, one grandchild, and two dogs. During his free time, Jason enjoys camping and attending sporting events.
TSP Ambassadors
Beth Copp
Anne Sullivan
Joe Sullivan
Additional TSP Photographers
Mike Cox