2021-22 KTA Board of Directors

February 2, 2022

The 2021-22 Kingdom Trail Association Board of Directors met this past weekend at Burke Mtn. Hotel for their annual retreat, a daylong opportunity to celebrate accomplishments, assess current dynamics, and plan for the future. Taking full covid precautions, it was a gift to meet in-person as their time together strengthened connection, collaboration, and capacity of Kingdom Trails. We were grateful to once again welcome Claire Wheeler of RE:WORK to facilitate and maximize the Board’s time and effectiveness.


This annual retreat marks the beginning of a new term for our Kingdom Trail’s Board of Directors. It is a bittersweet transition as we say thank you to those who have completed their service, yet welcome new members to the team.


Kingdom Trails is fortunate to be led by a group of dedicated volunteers who care about our landowners, neighbors, trails, members, and the beauty that surrounds us. The Board is composed of trail enthusiasts, local leaders, area business owners, and of course KT landowners, all bringing their unique perspectives and skills to guide the organization. 


Our 11 member Board of Directors can serve 3 consecutive 2 year terms elected at our annual meeting each November. As these terms are staggered, we find ourselves thanking Matt Langlais, Katie Story, and Ann Nygard for their incredible service to the Board. 


We are grateful for Matt’s 3 years of leadership as the Board Chair. He was a rock, providing steadfast and unflappable commitment to KT during a time of transition and welcoming a new Executive Director. Katie also served as Board Chair for a term, fine tuning roles and responsibilities and the efficiency of meetings. We congratulate Katie as she welcomed her first baby into the world this past Fall. Ann set forth a strong connection with Northern Vermont University that will continue into the future, as well as helping bring to fruition the KT Mini Grant program, extending $25,000 annually into our communities to advance the capabilities and capacity of other local initiatives. 


KT is thrilled to now welcome Ben Mirkin, Becky Tharp, and Georgia Gould to the Board! Ben is a Professor of Outdoor Recreation & Leadership at NVU. He is an avid backcountry skier, mountain biker, and a rock and ice climber from Kirby where he lives with his wife and two daughters. Becky spends time in both Williston and West Burke, biking with her husband and two sons. She is an Aquatic Scientist and founder of Just Water Consulting. Georgia Gould, having already served on the KT Trail Advisory Committee for 3 years, is a KT Landowner from East Burke alongside her husband, daughter, and son. Georgia is a 2x Olympic Mountain Biker, winner of a bronze medal in London 2012, and strong advocate for women in cycling.


Please know that we always encourage folks to contact the KT Board of Directors at Board@kingdomtrails.org. The Board meets every other month on the third Thursday of the month. Folks are also welcome to attend our Community Chat series as a few Board members will always join our Executive Director, Abby, to listen and learn. The next one will be March 4th (the day before Winterbike!) 5-6pm at Burke Mtn. Hotel. 


2022 KTA Board of Directors

Tabitha Bowling, Chair - East Burke

Elise Lawson, Vice Chair - West Burke, Landowner

Harry Morrison, Treasurer - Lyndonville

Tom De Carlo, Secretary - Kirby

Doug Clarner - East Burke, Landowner

Georgia Gould - East Burke, Landowner

Colleen Leonard - Sutton

Ben Mirkin - Kirby

Becky Tharp - West Burke/ Williston

Jake Wheeler - East Burke, Landowner

Eric Wilson - Kirby

Leadership Transition Announced at Kingdom Trails and the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative

By Sven Cole • July 25, 2025
Dear KT Community, I write to you today as I begin a transition in my relationship with Kingdom Trails. I have made the difficult decision to take the next step in my professional journey and step away from my role as Executive Director. Serving Kingdom Trails and this incredible community over the past eight years has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am deeply proud of the work I’ve led and supported, from navigating immense global challenges and natural disasters, to forging incredible relationships, with our landowners and community. And throughout this journey, the Northeast Kingdom has become not just where I live, but truly my home. It’s the place I chose to become a mother and where my family has put down roots. That said, I am ready to explore new ways to serve this community, ways that will allow me to continue growing as a leader. I’ve accepted the role of Interim Executive Director for the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, where I will carry forward the work I fell in love with through Kingdom Trails: strengthening our communities and supporting thoughtful economic development. In this new role, I’ll have the opportunity to advocate not only for outdoor recreation, which is so essential to the heart of our region, but also for the many sectors that make the Northeast Kingdom such a unique and vibrant place. Please know I remain deeply committed to Kingdom Trails. This is my home, and it will remain my home. I wish to always be an ambassador for KT, including playing a role in ensuring a graceful, responsible transition with care. The Board of Directors and I have committed to this, to ensure continuity, stability, and the trust you hold in this organization. I am grateful beyond words for the opportunity to have served my community through this role, and I look forward to closing this chapter with the same heart and good intention with which I began it. Georgia Gould is stepping in as interim Executive Director to lead the organization through this transition. Georgia has served on the KT Board of Directors since 2021, leading both the Landowner and Trail Advisory Committees. She is a KT Landowner with an impressive mountain biking and cyclocross resume - including a bronze medal in one of her two Olympic bids on Team USA and five career national championships in cross-country and short track mountain biking. Georgia, her husband Dusty, and their two young children are engaged members of the Burke community and the KT team. Her deep ties to the sport of cycling, dedication to providing great trails for all skill levels, and her love of this community make her the perfect choice to lead KT in its next phase. The Board and I are thrilled that Georgia has agreed to lead KT and feel confident that she will hold the mission of the organization at the center as she has throughout her Board service. You can reach Georgia directly and welcome her to this new role at ED@kingdomtrails.org . With deep gratitude, Abby ### Kingdom Trail Association The mission of the Kingdom Trail Association is to provide recreation and education opportunities by managing, maintaining, and building trails to foster the health of our community, surrounding environment, and regional economy. Kingdom Trails strives to accomplish this mission by offering a 100+ mile network of quality, non-motorized, multi-use trails for all levels of ability, incorporating the best of our local scenery and natural diversity. The Kingdom Trails are made possible through the generosity of 106 private landowners. Northeast Kingdom Collaborativ e The mission of the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative is to improve the quality of life for all residents of the NEK through coordinated economic and community development as the vision is a strong, vibrant Northeast Kingdom where we all thrive. The NEKC brings people together to spark positive change in our communities, creating structures that bring partners together across service areas, sectors, municipal and political boundaries to provide solutions for the renewal of the Kingdom. The NEK Collaborative serves as the backbone organization for the federally designated NEK REAP Zone and community partner for USDA Rural Development.

Cannondale Becomes KT's First Corporate Sponsor

By Sven Cole • June 17, 2025
Cannondale Dirt Party a Success
Vermont State Treasurer, Mike Pieciak, speaks at the 2025 Outdoor Recreation Day at the Statehouse

KT is taking action—on the trails and in the Statehouse!

By Abby Long • February 13, 2025
KT is taking action—on the trails and in the Statehouse! This 2025 Legislative Session, KT is teaming up with other amazing trail organizations through the Vermont Trails & Greenway Council, to advocate for H.147 a bill to establish the Recreational Trails Compensation Study. Why does this matter? Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy generates $2.1B annually, nearly 5% of the state’s GDP, that's 2nd in the nation after Hawaii (Go VT!) KT alone drives $10M in economic impact annually. Therefore, the state must recognize and incentivize these generous private landowners, including the 106 who make KT possible and allow public access to trails.
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