Our Stories

Brian Hager, Beth Keloneva, and Shari Sanderson: Volunteer Spotlight

2020 Leadership Awards

Brian Hager. The Wampum Chapter has benefitted from Brian’s apparently limitless ambitions. He created a podcast about the NCT and his Chapter, has rustled up local grants to benefit Wampum Trail projects, and organized a 5K race in Darlington, PA, which was so successful that he’s going to add two more in nearby towns. He is also locally well-known for appearing as Bigfoot during several Trail events.

Beth Keloneva. Beth’s leadership has been exercised to the benefit of the Western Michigan Chapter, where she began by joining the board at a time when the whole structure of the Chapter’s administration was changing. During her time as President of the Board she managed to continue her work on their Facebook page, while participating in major local events like the annual White Cloud Trail Town Celebration and serving on the committee which debated the fate of the White Cloud Schoolhouse, which the Chapter used to take care of.

Shari Sanderson. Shari is one of those people who becomes President of her Chapter (Harbor Springs) almost immediately, and then leads by example to enthuse numbers of people to join, volunteer, adopt trail segments, and go on hikes. A half-dozen years ago Chapter hikes may have had 3 to 6 people, whereas Shari’s endless barrage of public relations in the area has made hikes of 25 or 30 a regular occurrence. Currently she is trying to get permission for some reroutes of the trail and construction of a parking area, and nobody is betting against her persistence.

Who are you thankful for in your local Chapter, state or region? Nominate them for an NCTA Award! Learn more at northcountrytrail.org/volunteer/volunteer-awards.