Meet Your New Elected Officials
By Jess LaPolla
We are excited to introduce our new Executive Committee members, to serve for the next two years as leaders and ambassadors for the club. With diverse backgrounds and a wealth of experience and knowledge between them, we are confident that each of these individuals will contribute greatly to PATC and help us continue to reach our goals.
Secretary, Lynn Murphy
Lynn has been a member of PATC for many years and has a great appreciation for the club. She is looking forward to contributing to PATC's mission and to give some of her time in return for the many hours she has enjoyed on the trail. Lynn spent twenty years as Director of Finance for several non-profit organizations where she prepared board reports as well as attended board meetings, including strategic and financial planning. She was on the finance committee for PATC and understands the unique structure of the Executive Committee. Her professional background will offer a well-rounded perspective on the operations of the club.
VP of Volunteerism, Jayne Mayne
We welcome Jayne Mayne as our new VP of Volunteerism. In her former role as the Supervisor of Membership, Jayne coordinated monthly new member meetings, and took the lead on organizing and executing PATC’s first ever Fall TrailFest. As someone who has been involved with PATC for 15 years, Jayne brings a wealth of experience and insight to her new position. Her goals include building on improvements the former VP of Volunteerism implemented, creating better ways to communicate with each other, and encouraging more members to become involved in volunteer efforts.
Supervisor of Marketing, Chris Irick
Chris Irick is passionate about PATC’s focus of connecting people to the outdoors, and is ready to support PATC’s goals of growth and preparation for the next 100 years of service to the outdoor community. He has supervised and guided teams on various marketing campaigns and has many years of experience in marketing and management. His professional and personal experiences will be a great asset the club.
Supervisor of Communications, Kyle Schut
Kyle brings over seven years’ worth of experience in communications, including establishing a new website for a publication, forming and implementing communications strategy, supporting and leading all stages of content creation, and team management. One of Kyle’s goals is to help PATC pivot toward a younger and more diverse membership base. Understanding the mental and physical benefits of the outdoors, Kyle hopes to increase accessibility in outdoor spaces, so that more people can enjoy them.
Supervisor of Facilities, Anstr Davidson
For Anstr, this position is a culmination of his years working with the PATC cabin reservation system. Cabins and shelters are two of the bright spots of the club's activities. Skilled, hard-working volunteers with good leadership care for these treasurers, and Anstr would like to support and improve our facilities and reservation processes. His many years of dedicated volunteering and involvement with PATC, along with his time working for the federal government, has more than equipped Anstr to excel at this role.
Supervisor of Trails, Rush Williamson
Rush will continue his work as Supervisor of Trails, with the goal of supporting the trail maintainers, improving and protecting the 1200 miles of trails that PATC maintains, and strengthening our relationships with our Land Partners. reengineering effort, and implementing those policies and processes to make these things become a reality. Rush has been a member of PATC and a volunteer for 20+ years, with 15 years being a part of Council and EXCOM. He has served for over 30 years in a number of leadership positions for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Project Management Institute, and the Boy Scouts. Rush also received the prestigious Myron Avery award in 2012.
Supervisor of Outreach, Christopher Ede-Calton
Christopher is eager to bring his expertise in artificial intelligence ethics, climate policy, and strategic communications to support PATC in navigating today's complex global challenges. He is experienced in politics and is committed to advancing pragmatic solutions that can appeal across the political spectrum and drive meaningful change in areas such as climate resilience, outdoor education, and conservation. Christopher’s goal is to expand the outreach program, build more community partnerships, and keep PATC moving toward a better future.
Treasurer, Allison Kirsch
Allison is a PATC member and an avid hiker and backpacker, with 700 miles on the AT as a section hiker. She appreciates the work of PATC and other clubs along the trail for helping to make the experience more memorable, safe, and comfortable, and is excited to offer her experience to help give back to the community. Allision has a deep background in business operations after working for a number of years in various executive roles, including as Chief Operating Officer of a boutique management consulting firm, and Chief Business Officer of a mid-sized membership-based organization. She also has hands-on experience in various business functions, including finance and reporting, budgeting and planning, accounting and audits, cash and investment management, purchasing, capital projects and facilities management, Human Resources, IT, Marketing, and Sales.
Supervisor of Membership, Anne Brown
Service to and for the community has always been a passion of Anne’s. Helping others, answering questions, and finding solutions is what brings her joy, and she is looking forward to supporting PATC and the individuals that are seeking a path that connects them with the outdoors and nature. Anne has been with the Delaware Department of Transportation for 15 years, currently serving as the Director of Maintenance and Operations. She has also held positions at DelDOT, including Assistant Director of Finance, Chief of Administration, and Fiscal Management Analyst.
Supervisor of Lands, Russel Riggs
As the current Supervisor of Lands, Russel has learned so much about the critical role that lands play in protecting and maintaining the trails, huts, cabins and ecosystems overseen by the PATC, however, notes that there is still much to do. One of his focus areas of the last two years has been to better quantify the amount, location, and condition of the land that PATC owns and manages and maintains. He plans on continuing this work, and will also continue to explore opportunities to purchase and protect strategically located parcels of land that help protect, ecosystems, and access to huts, cabins, and trails. In addition to his previous term as Supervisor of Lands, Russel also has experience as a trail maintainer and is an avid hiker and outdoorsperson.
Vice President of Operations, Lee Congdon
As an avid hiker who frequently explores the trails maintained by PATC, particularly in Shenandoah National Park, Lee has developed a deep appreciation for the club's work and its impact on our natural spaces. His involvement in the reengineering effort has given him a comprehensive understanding of various aspects of the club, which he is eager to leverage in this new role. Lee is committed to actively engaging with both the membership and leadership to better understand our opportunities and requirements, ensuring that the club continues to thrive and grow. Lee has experience as Chair of the IT Steering Committee for PATC, and prior to his involvement with the club, had a distinguished career in the technology sector, serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Ellucian. Before that, he was Chief Information Officer at Red Hat. Lee won the Myron Avery Award in 2024.
President, Jim Fetig
Jim is inspired by what he’s learned about the club and its members over the past 18 months, and is excited to continue the work he has been doing across the board to strengthen the club and its operations. His goals are to continue building the PATC brand, programming, and communications efforts to attract members and leaders from all generations and backgrounds. He is also focused on adding rigor to our management processes and budgeting process. Jim has already served one term as club President, and prior to that, spent more than a decade as an activity leader, AT thru hiker, trail maintainer, ridgerunner and ridgerunner coordinator, service on various ATC and club committees, chainsaw and trail maintenance instructor. He also received the Myron Avery award in 2019.
