Ron Tipton and Dick Anderson
On July 16, 2013, the Board of Directors of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy named Ronald J. Tipton the new Executive Director/CEO. Ron Tipton will begin leading the organization in late August. IAT Founder and Maine Chapter Board Member Dick Anderson had a chance to meet with Ron Tipton at the recent biennial conference and bring him up to date on the development of the trail in Europe.
For full announcement of Ron’s appointment:
Other Board of Directors News:
Cullowhee, NC (July 26, 2013) – On July 20th 2013, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) announced that Sandra Marra and Marcia Fairweather will serve on the board of directors. The board of directors is made up of 15 elected volunteers who are elected to serve two-year terms.
Marra of Alexandria, Virginia, is chair of the ATC and has been a volunteer to the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) for over 25 years. She has served in a variety of positions, including three terms with the former Appalachian Trail Conference board of managers, where she played an active role in the ATC’s reorganization process. Marra has also served on the Stewardship Council and the Development Committee. She also served two terms as president of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC). She is a life member of the ATC, an honorary life member of the PATC, member of the Benton MacKaye Society and the Appalachian Trail Legacy Society. Marra is currently serving as Chief Operating Officer for St. Coletta of Greater Washington, Inc., a Washington DC nonprofit organization that operates a school and adult programs for developmentally disabled children and adults. As a board member, Marra brings professional skills in nonprofit management and human resources to the organization.
Dick Anderson and ATC Board Chair Sandy Mara
Marcia Fairweather of Heathsville, Virginia, is an adventurer at heart and participates in many outdoor activities. After visiting the ATC headquarters on a rafting trip to Harpers Ferry in 1993, she caught the bug to hike the Trail. She completed the entire A.T. in August of 2008. She has initiated A.T. hikes for others as part of a mission to get as many people to hike at least 10 miles of the Trail in every state through her A.T. in Every State program (ATIES). As an avid Girl Scout, she was introduced to nature and the outdoors in her youth and has provided continued support as an adult leader and trainer. She plans outdoor adventure excursions through her Fresco Adventures program for adults and youth to explore nature by land, water, and even air with skydiving and hang-gliding adventures. She is a member of the PATC and Appalachian Mountain Club, as well as other outdoor related clubs, and is on the board of directors of Washington Women Outdoors. Her previous career in information technology and as a consultant in the business and real estate development industry provides professional experience to assist in the many development efforts required by the ATC.
“The board of directors plays a vital role in shaping the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Appalachian Trail by approving policies that govern the Trail and ensuring that the organization has the resources it needs to complete its mission,” stated Steve Paradis, acting executive director of the ATC.
The board is responsible for communicating the mission and the purpose of the ATC. They establish and maintain relationships with the stewardship council, clubs, partners, members, and other stakeholders. While enhancing the public standing of the ATC, they also ensure legal and ethical integrity and fiscal accountability.
Also elected to the board were new members Beth Critton, Edward R. Guyot, Carrie Rodriguez-Tweeten, Samuel J. Sarofeen, Nathaniel Stoddard, and Greg Winchester. Leonard Bernstein, Richard J. Daileader, Arthur Foley, Mary Higley, Terry Lierman, Elizabeth Pierce Thompson, and Clark Wright Jr. are all returning board members.
For more information on the AT and ATC, please visit www.appalachiantrail.org.
