The ECGA Board of Trustees has overall responsibility for governance, fiscal oversight, and financial development for the Alliance. It is the decision-making body that guides the activities and actions of the Alliance. It is responsible for setting policy, hiring the Executive Director, and ensuring the financial health and viability of the ECGA.

The Board meets in person twice per year, in the spring and in the fall. Frequent Board Committee conference calls further business throughout the year. Currently, the Board Committees are as follows:

Committee of the Whole: The chief policy making body of the organization that reviews reports from the other committees and from the Executive Director, conducts strategic planning, provides fiscal oversight, and carries a substantial responsibility for fundraising.

Executive Committee:  The chief coordinating committee for the board, mapping out how the board’s business should be conducted, setting agendas, and organizing the activities of the other committees. The Executive Director often presents the committee with problems needing rapid resolution.

Finance, Personnel, and Budget Committee: Monitors the fiscal health of the ECGA, prepares the annual operating budget, recommends financial policies, reviews job descriptions and recommends salary ranges for all staff to the board, evaluates the Executive Director.

Governance, Nominations, and Planning Committee: Identifies, screens and recommends the best candidates to fill vacancies on the Board of Trustees, develops a recruitment and orientation program and materials for new directors and  officers, makes recommendations for membership on the Trail Council and the Advisory Board, responsible for by-law changes through a by-law subcommittee, holds primary responsibility for strategic planning.

Development Committee: Ensures that the Alliance is adequately funded to carry out its mission, oversees planning and coordination of fund-raising efforts.

Membership Subcommittee: Provide guidance on membership policies including dues levels, member benefits and fund sharing with state committees.

Trail Council: Oversight for trail development to ensure good progress on annual Blueprint for Action goals, resolution of trail policy and routing issues, and administration of trail designations.

Marketing Committee: Guides the development of an ECG marketing plan.

 

Board Members:

Chuck Flink, Chairman (NC)
Chuck is a landscape architect and President of Greenways, Inc., recognized as a leading national authority for the planning, design, and implementation of greenway and trail systems and facilities. Chuck has co-authored two award-winning books: Greenways. A Guide to Planning, Design and Development and Trails for the Twenty-First Century. He has lectured on the planning, design, and implementation of greenways at more than 150 national and international conferences. A graduate of North Carolina State University's School of Design (1982), he taught as an Adjunct Professor of Landscape Architecture from 1994-1998. He served three consecutive terms as Chairman of the Board for American Trails, Inc. in Washington, DC (1989-1992). He was elected a Fellow in the American Society of Landscape Architects in 2003.

 

 

David Read, Vice Chair (MA)
David Read has had a rewarding career managing complex health care organizations. He has served as the Administrative Director for Cardiology at Massachusetts GeneralHospital, Chief Operating Officer for the Department of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Health System and is currently Chief Administrator of Medical Oncology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. He views trails, and the exercise they can provide, as a wonderful way to help prevent and combat heart disease, diabetes, child obesity and certain types of cancer. He has an MBA from BostonCollege and a Masters in Public Health from HarvardUniversity where he studied epidemiology and health policy. He is also Chairman of the Border to Boston Trail Coalition in Essex County, MA. He lives in Topsfield with his wife Susie and two children.

 

Tony Barrett, Secretary (ME)
Tony Barrett is an avid cyclist and hiker. In the 1990's he cycled across the US on the TransAmerica route and completed hiking the Appalachian Trail.  He is a retired corporate executive with over 20 years of experience in managing complex business projects. His demonstrated leadership in negotiations, advocacy, government relations, and development in the energy industry are invaluable to the Alliance. Tony has also served on the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Trail Stewardship Council and currently is Vice President of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club. He is also active in a wide range of other trail-related efforts in his home state of Maine. Tony did his undergraduate work as well as recieving an MBA from the University of Chicago. He lives in Harpswell, Maine with his wife, Marguerite. When he crashes at the end of the day it is often to watch a game of basketball. 

 

 

 

Robert Russo, Treasurer (NJ)

Robert is a Certified Public Accountant and managing member of the accounting firm , Koenig, Russo & Associates, LLC, where he has worked since 1982. He received his Bachelor of Science in accounting from Seton Hall University in 1981 and his MBA in Finance in 1986. He has extensive experience in non-profit accounting, tax, estate, business, financial and income tax planning. He is an avid day-hiker and has hiked throughout the State of New Jersey. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants and the National Association of Tax Preparers.

 

Elizabeth Brody (NY)

Beth Brody, a retired lawyer and long-time civic volunteer, began her activities with the East Coast Greenway Alliance in 1999, and has served as trustee since 2005. With husband Warren Brody, whom she married upon graduation from Radcliffe College. she moved a few years later to New Jersey where she lived and worked for 51 years. Widowed in 2005, she moved in 2006 to Manhattan. She has two daughters and two grandchildren.

Beth assumed leadership of the New Jersey Committee for the East Coast Greenway in January 2003, and during her three-year term built it into the premier ECGA state committee. During this period she remained active with such groups as the Central Jersey Bicycle Club, the Union County Hiking Club, and the Union County Open Space Advisory Committee.

After graduating from Rutgers-Newark Law School in 1975, Beth remained for nine years as an assistant dean and dean of students. In 1986, she started a private law practice in New Jersey, which she maintained for 20 years.

Since moving to New York City, Beth has worked to make the New York Committee for the ECG a player in local, regional, and state greenway- and bicycle-advocacy circles. She now prefers riding her bicycle off-road, through Central Park and along New York City greenways, but she does ride in bike-club and ECG promotional rides and ECGA's annual donor rides, most recently in Florida.

 

David Dionne (AL)

David Dionne is Executive Director to Red Mountain Park.  Prior to joining Red Mountain Park, Dionne served as Chief of Trails and Natural Areas for Anne Arundel County, Maryland. David was selected to be the first Park Superintendent of the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail Park in 1987 and developed a park operations plan that included many innovative volunteer initiatives; trail operations practices and policies, and community building programs. Since 1987 Anne Arundel County has expanded its trail program to include several new trail projects that have been recognized nationally and internationally as models for trail operation and safety.

Dionne is recognized for his leadership in trails management and has been appointed to many important committees and panels.  In 1997 David was asked to be a member of the White House Millennium Council's Green Ribbon Panel on trails, where he helped set up the Millennium Trails Program. In 1999 he became a member of the National Endowment for the Arts' Committee for Art on Millennium Trails. From 2001 until 2005 David was the Chairman of the National Board of Trustees for the East Coast Greenway Alliance, a non-profit corporation linking local trail projects between Maine and Florida into a continuous 2900-mile route.  In 2005 David was appointed by Governor Robert Ehrlich, Jr. to be the Chairman of the Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee where he served until 2007.  In addition to his years spent with the Department of Recreation and Parks, Dionne has served a total of 31 years of leadership for non-profits entities such as the East Coast Greenway Alliance, Severn River Lions Club, and the Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails.

David is a 1979 graduate of West Virginia University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Wild Lands Administration, and a 1997 graduate of Leadership Anne Arundel. He has been a featured or keynote speaker at park and trail conferences more than 50 times throughout the country. David now lives in Hoover, Alabama with his two children, Natalie and Cameron.

 

Donald Fisher (PA)

Don is President of Talisman Interactive, a media company that uses interactive technologies to design, develop, and deliver marketing, educational, and transactional programs. As president, Don leads business strategy and business development activities of Talisman and is actively involved with the company's non-profit support activities, including outreach and business planning. 25+ years in the information technology field have given Don a thorough understanding of marketing, sales, and information architecture for successfully communicating specific messages to target audiences. Don brings both national and international business experience to the team, including extensive experience with new business development and planning.

 

 

Jim Langford (GA)

The MillionMile Greenway is the latest environmental cause championed by James B. Langford. The Georgia native feels a responsibility to help conserve greenspace, revitalize public land and protect history.

He co-founded or served in senior positions for five high technology and consulting companies. A seven-year stint with Atlanta-based Coca-Cola included positions in Atlanta, New York, Washington, DC, Argentina and Puerto Rico.

Mr. Langford uses that deep experience in corporate America to develop and manage environmental organizations. From 2004-2007, he served as the Georgia State Director of the Trust for Public Land.
TPL conserves land for the public to enjoy as parks, gardens and natural habitats. As principal creator of Atlanta’s “connected park system,” Mr. Langford played a key role in the city’s BeltLine initiative. It will create more than 1,200 acres of new parks in Atlanta, connected to 600 acres of established parks.

A passion for public service is also evident in Mr. Langford’s current and past affiliation with a number of non-profit, volunteer and government groups. Those include the Georgia Board of Natural Resources, the Georgia Humanities Council, the Coosawattee Foundation, and the Carter Presidential Center. He was the primary author of the Georgia Laws that protect archeological sites, and regulate treatment and preservation of human remains.

Mr. Langford graduated from the University of Georgia with a Journalism degree, and received his MBA from Harvard University.

 

Anne Maleady (VA)
Anne is the Recreational Equipment, Inc (REI) Retail Director for the North East region. She is a senior manager with over two decades of proven leadership in all aspects of retail store operations and ten years experience in multi-store operations. Anne has a strong track record of creating and implementing strategic plans, proven success in reaching and exceeding financial objectives, and a unique ability to identify, develop, and promote talented leaders. She is a leader with tested success in building dynamic productive teams and a demonstrated willingness to accept risk and challenge. Anne has served on the board of the American Canoe Association and cycled long-distance in Europe and in the southern United States.

 

Steve Mitchell (CT)

Steve comes to the Board with cycling and marketing experience…. and Passion! At 20 years of age, he rode his bicycle across America, from New London, CT to Tillamook, OR. However, twelve years later he was hit from behind by a car, and went backwards into the windshield. During the early 1990’s, when his kids were young, he and his wife (Kathy) would load the kids and bikes into the Caravan and go visit the “Rails to Trails” in Cheshire, CT.  

Steve attended Northeastern University (1976 -1981) and was captain of the ski racing team. He is a 3rd generation Auto Dealer in The Farmington Valley, Connecticut.  Every Father’s Day one of his favorite things to do is to ride with his three children (Justin, Heather, and Ashley) – now in their 20’s.

He was recruited by Connecticut State Committee Chairperson, William O’Neill to be an ECG Ambassador in 2007. This program was made possible by a grant from REI Outfitters. He has spoken at many community activities and events that support Rails to Trails, and Greenways.  His Public Access television show and various video clips that highlight the Rails to Trails activities earned him a 2008 award from the Connecticut Greenways Council.

Marketing and public awareness of the East Coast Greenway Alliance is his focus. His passion and persistence will likely be helpful to bring major corporations to the ECG organization. He truly recognizes that the East Coast Greenway is a network of hundreds of local organizations, involving thousands of volunteers and professionals that will have an impact on millions of people, for generations to come.