About the George Masa Foundation

David Huff
Founder & Chair

David is a writer, photographer, conservationist, and co-founder of the George Masa Foundation.

His interest in George Masa grew out of his own connection to the mountains of Western North Carolina and a journey along Japan’s Shin-etsu Trail. That experience, and the time he spent learning more about Japan and the Japanese immigrant experience, gave him a deeper appreciation for the cultural connection between Japan and Appalachia. It also helped lead him to the largely forgotten story of George Masa.

David co-founded the George Masa Foundation to bring that story forward and connect Masa’s legacy to the work of conservation today. The Foundation’s programs focus on photography, education, stewardship, and helping young people develop a stronger relationship with the natural world.

David is an Appalachian Trail maintainer with the Carolina Mountain Club and serves as a trustee of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. His photography has been recognized by American Trails and Scenic America, and his images have been used by conservation organizations including the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Friends of the Smokies, and the Southern Environmental Law Center.

He is also a writer and speaker whose work often explores conservation, community participation, and our relationship to place. His journey on the Shin-etsu Trail has been featured by Backpacker and The Japan Times, and he has spoken about these themes through TEDx and other public programs.

Through the George Masa Foundation, David is working to make Masa’s legacy useful in the present: not simply preserving the story of the past, but using it to encourage people to see more carefully, participate more fully, and care for the places they share.