Kim Jackson started her water recreation early in life. She grew up in Bullhead City, AZ and enjoyed waterskiing and jet skiing with her family on the Colorado River. After attending Northern Arizona University, she moved to California seeking fame and fortune, but what she found instead was a love for the ocean. Being the adventurous type, she and her husband purchased and lived aboard a 41’ sloop, despite the fact that at the time, neither one of them knew anything about sailing. They lived in a working harbor for 8 years before her husband convinced her to move to Idaho with promises of tall evergreens, snow-capped peaks, and pristine lakes fed by the melting snow. From 2001-2006, Kim served as the Head Ranger at Henrys Lake State Park, as well as the marine deputy for this remote mountain lake.

When she wasn’t busy saving stranded boaters, she spent her time teaching the park’s visitors about the wonders of the area, how to stay safe while boating, and introducing local schoolchildren to the art of sled dog racing. In the fall of 2006 until June of 2012, she held the position as Boating Education Safety Coordinator in Idaho until; she accepted the position of Arizona’s Boating and OHV Safety Education Program Manager. She has a Boating Safety Instructor certification through the National Safe Boating Council, is a certified Interpretive Guide with the National Association of Interpretation, and has attended training courses in close-quarters boat handling, open water boat handling, PWC Rescue techniques, and swift water rescue. She has also attended an accredited river guide school and is a paddlesports instructor.