It takes a village: The East Coast Greenway Alliance relies on a unique collaboration between staff members, elected officials, and volunteer advocates to advance the Greenway.

Our Greenway Team

Meet the staff members and volunteer leaders who ​are spearheading the development of this ambitious, 3,000-mile linear park.

Meet the East Coast Greenway Alliance

Our staff members work from our headquarters on the Greenway in Durham, N.C., and from five remote locations along the route.

We value the diversity of perspectives, cultures, and experiences found throughout the Eastern Seaboard. We strive to respect and represent these diverse voices and we work to ensure that the Greenway's economic, environmental, and health benefits reach everyone, especially underserved communities.

2020 ecga staff crop
East Coast Greenway staff members pictured at the Durham Civil Rights Mural during our annual staff retreat in February 2020.

Staff Members

Executive Director | Dennis Markatos-Soriano

Deputy Director | Niles Barnes

Communications Manager | John Martin

Office Manager | Cheryl Ann Welsh

Development Manager | Debbie West 

Regional Coordinators:

   New England | Kristine Keeney

   Tri-State | Bruce Donald

   Mid-Atlantic | Daniel Paschall

   North Carolina & Virginia | Sarah Sanford

   South Carolina & Georgia | Brent Buice

   Florida | V Christiansen

Board of Trustees

Our Board of Trustees holds overall responsibility for governance, fiscal oversight, and financial development for the East Coast Greenway Alliance. The board sets policy and ensures the financial health and viability of the Alliance.

Advisory Board

Members of the East Coast Greenway Alliance Advisory Board are specialists in a variety of fields who lend their expertise and experience to support the Alliance's mission.

pat king

ECGA Co-Founder, Newton, MA, Chair

Patricia King

silvia ascarelli

Cycling enthusiast, Princeton Junction, NJ

Silvia Ascarelli

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Executive Director, Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission, St. Johns Island, SC

Dr. J. Herman Blake

ryan chao

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Washington, DC

Ryan Chao

wayne clark

Retired Computer Engineer  Cisco Systems, Washington, DC

Wayne Clark

ashley cooper heath

Paratriathlete, Kingsland, GA

Ashley Cooper-Heath

devin headshot

Velocio Cycling, Atlanta, GA

Devin Cowens

ramzi dabbagh

Director, C2 Electronics, New York, NY

Ramzi Dabbagh

nedra deadwyler

Founder, Civil Bikes, Atlanta, GA

Nedra Deadwyler

susan dixon

Vice President, National Audubon Society, Washington, DC

Susan Dixon

chuck flink

President Greenways Inc., Durham, NC

Chuck Flink

olivia glenn

Deputy Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Camden, NJ

Olivia Glenn

sarah hancock

Nonprofit leader, Cambridge, MA

Sarah Hancock

karen harley

Haliwa-Saponi Artist, Hollister, NC

Karen Harley

kevin hicks

IBM Engineer, Co-Founder, Spoke'n Revolutions, Raleigh-Durham, NC

Kevin Hicks

eleanor horne

Co-president, Lawrence Hopewell Trail, Lawrenceville, NJ

Eleanor Horne

patty huff

President, Florida Bicycle Association, Everglades City, FL

Patty Huff

diane jenks

Host/Producer "The Outspoken Cyclist," South Euclid, OH

Diane Jenks

stanley katz

Director, Princeton Univ. Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies, Princeton, NJ

Dr. Stanley Katz

atiba mbiwan

Zeist Foundation, Atlanta, GA

Atiba Mbiwan

eleanor mcmahon

President & CEO, Trans Canada Trail

Eleanor McMahon

bill nesper

Executive Director, League of American Bicyclists, Washington, DC

Bill Nesper

jeff olson

Principal, Alta Planning + Design, Saratoga Springs, NY

Jeff Olson

bill o neill

Retired President, Fuss & O'Neill Engineering, Manchester, CT

Bill O'Neill

michael oppenheimer 2

Milbank Professor of Geosciences and International Affairs, Princeton Univ., Princeton, NJ

Michael Oppenheimer

shaunak patel

President, Parks Hospitality Group, Raleigh-Durham, NC

Shaunak Patel

pucherheadshot 2015

Professor Emeritus, Raleigh, NC

John Pucher

hannah quimby

Executive Director, Quimby Family Foundation, Portland, ME

Hannah Quimby

dave read on bike

Vice President, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Topsfield, MA

David Read

diane robertson

Community Engagement Consultant, Carrboro, NC

Diane Robertson

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Commissioner, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, New York

Mitchell Silver

pablo torres

International Development Professional, Crown Agents USA, Washington, DC

Pablo Torres

karen votava

ECGA Co-Founder, Retired Executive Director, South Kingstown, RI

Karen Votava

judy walton

Program Administrator, Portland State University, Portland, OR

Judy Walton

eric weis

Sustainable Transportation Specialist, Providence, RI

Eric Weis

kenneth withrow

Senior Transportation Planner, Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, Raleigh, NC

Kenneth Withrow

Greenway Council

Our national body sets route standards and reviews new Greenway segments to ensure they meet those standards.

Council Chair: Andy Clarke, Virginia 

Jeff Behm, New York 

Scott Bogle, New Hampshire

Eric Brenner, Washington, DC

Champe Burnley, Virginia

David Connelly, North Carolina

Heather Dunigan, Delaware

Lisa Fernandez, Connecticut

Kathleen Gannon, Rhode Island

Robert Gaston, Maryland

Bob Hamblen, Maine

Matthew Johnson, New Jersey

Tom Kaiden, Virginia 

Jack Keene, Maryland

Shawn Megill Legendre, Pennsylvania

Chris Linn, Pennsylvania

Anne Maleady, Colorado

Megan Massey, New Jersey

Matthew Moldenhauer, South Carolina

Melissa Miklus, Maryland

Steve Mitchell, Connecticut

Colin Moore, Florida 

Janine Peccini, Massachusetts

Stuart Popper, Connecticut

Dave Read, Massachusetts

Mary Roth, Delaware 

Phil Riggan, Virginia 

Tommy Sailors, Georgia

Boaz Shattan, New York 

Karl Soderholm, Florida

Larry Stuber, Georgia

Iona Thomas, North Carolina

Join the Greenway!

Your support helps to develop this ambitious, 3,000-mile route, Canada to Key West. Your membership gift builds more protected miles that we can all enjoy, today and for generations to come.