KT Welcomes New Members to the Board of Directors

April 18, 2024

Marking the end of an era!

The Kingdom Trails Board of Directors (KT BOD) gathered at the end of March for their annual meeting to usher in KT’s new fiscal year! April 1 marks the beginning of not only our organizational finances but also a new term for our BOD. It is a bittersweet transition as we say thank you to those who have completed their service and welcome new members to the team.


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


Our 12-member BOD elected at our annual meeting can serve three consecutive 2-year terms. As these terms are staggered, we find ourselves thanking Jake Wheeler and Harry Morrison for their incredible service to the Board over the past 6+ years.


It is truly the end of an era! Harry and Jake are the only remaining Board members who were serving KT when our Executive Director, Abby, joined the organization in 2018. Jake was even an original Board member when KT was founded 30 years ago! The time, energy,  onboarding, and transition to uplift this organization through those pivotal times were exceptional. And it never stopped! They continue to dedicate themselves by volunteering their time for trail work and events, driven by their passion for trails and community. 


While their presence will be missed on the Board, we are lucky to have them always as community members and Jake and his family, KT Landowners. We have high expectations that they’ll continue joining KT Trail Building Volunteer Days with their new Vermont Gloves, customized with the KT logo and their initials! We wish to express our deepest gratitude to both of them for their invaluable contributions and unwavering support to KT. Their legacy will continue to resonate for years to come.



KT is thrilled to now welcome Shannon Lenzini and Dave Eikenberry to the Board! Shannon is a Partner at Downs Rachlin Martin Law Firm and has experience in nonprofit work. She lives in St. Johnsbury with her family who enjoy KT throughout the  summer and winter seasons. Dave lives in Kirby, enjoying his days in retirement from the nonprofit financing world skiing glades, riding bikes and horses, and enjoying good conversation. 


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 4th Thursday of the month. Folks are always welcome to attend our monthly Community Chat as well.  A few Board members will always join our Executive Director, Abby and members of the KT Leadership team, to listen and learn. The next one is on Saturday, May 4th, from 11:30am-12:30pm at the East Burke Market gazebo. We hope to see you there! 


2024-25 KTA Board of Directors

Elise Lawson, Chair - West Burke, Landowner

Becky Tharp, Vice Chair - West Burke/ Williston

Stephanie Giese, Treasurer - Kirby

Georgia Gould, Secretary - East Burke, Landowner

Tom De Carlo - Kirby

Doug Clarner - East Burke, Landowner

David Eikenberry - Kirby

Caleb Grant - Lyndon

Shannon Lenzini - St. Johnsbury

Ben Mirkin - Kirby

Dana Prey - 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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