About the Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural Association (MDHCA)

The Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax exempt corporation formed in 1993 to ensure the effort and resources focused on the Goffs Schoolhouse property and surrounding Cultural Center will exist in perpetuity.

The Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association was formed as a nonprofit extension of the already-established volunteer organization, the Friends of the Mojave Road.

The goals and objectives of the Friends of the Mojave Road are simple. We support leaving the desert as free as possible without risking destruction of the basic environmental values.

Our approach to achieving these goals is through education. That education is accomplished with the Mojave Road Report newsletter, educational field trips in the desert, and especially through our Tales of the Mojave Road publications — books and guides that people use when they are in the desert.

Our Founder

Dennis Casebier, Founder of MDHCA
Dennis Casebier, Founder of MDHCA

Dennis Casebier, 1934-2021

Casebier, an adventurer, steward, author, and historian, is most famously known for his work to re-establish the famous 140-mile Mojave Road off-road trail in California, a path he hiked in its entirety twice before realizing the appeal it would have for off-roaders. Through Dennis, a whole new generation of explorers was introduced the term “rock cairn” in his quintessential Mojave Road Guide, and Casebier founded the original Eastern Mojave Heritage Trail (EMHT) route, as well as publishing a quartet of complementary guidebooks. As one of the most knowledgeable and respected historians on the topic of the Mojave Desert, Casebier curated our museum and archive in Goffs, California, where his legacy lives on with the Mojave Desert and Cultural Association (MDHCA).

On-Site Staff

  • Laura Misajet
    Director of  Museum Operations
    & Public Outreach

  • Chris Wirth
    Site Manager     & Public Outreach

 

Meet the Board of Directors

The MDHCA Board of Directors is comprised of accomplished men and women from widely differing fields of endeavor, yet all share the same passion for Mojave Desert history. These individuals give their time, support, and invaluable experience to guide the Association in achieving its Mission. They meet regularly to conduct the organization’s business. and ensure the MDHCA will continue to flourish well into the future.

 

  • Sean P. Holman
    President

  • Larry Vredenburg
    Vice President

  • Loris Mitchell
    Secretary

  • Darelyn Casebier
    Treasurer

  • Sam Sumitani
    Director

  • Jackie Ridge
    Director

  • David Hess
    Director

  • Garret Baquet
    Director

  • David Taylor
    Director

  • Greg Waggoner
    Director

  • Daniel M. Parker
    Director

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