JANE K. BESHEARFirst Lady of KentuckyOpening Speaker
First Lady of Kentucky, Jane K. Beshear is a life-long equine enthusiast, competitor and industry supporter. She has served on the board of directors for numerous equine organizations including Equestrian Events Inc., which organizes the Kentucky Rolex 3-Day Event and the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation Board. Recently, she was a member of the World Equestrian Games Foundation Board, which successfully hosted in 2010 the first ever FEI World Games outside of Europe, an event that attracted more than half-a-million attendees from around the globe.
Mrs. Beshear actively promotes Kentucky’s Adventure Tourism economic development initiative, which highlights and seeks to expand outdoor adventure activities and recreational trails for equestrians, hikers, bikers and motorized users throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Mrs. Beshear’s experience as an eventer, fox hunter, trail rider and farm owner has given her a practical understanding of the importance of trail system development and sustainability issues by trail riders and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Mrs. Beshear seeks to educate the youth of Kentucky on the joys and benefits of time spent in the great outdoors and devotes as much of her time as possible to her own farm in central Kentucky.
DR. SUSAN STORMEROwner, S&S Trail Service, L.L.C.Keynote Speaker
Susan Stormer has been a mountain biker and hiker for over 14 years, and an avid equestrian for over 27 years. She is a doctor of clinical psychology who maintains her licensure to provide assessment and counseling services when she is not working with Ryan to build trails. Susan began her volunteer trail work activities in west-central Florida in the mid-nineties, continued them while on residency in Jackson, Mississippi, then became even more involved in trail building when she moved to Austin in 1998. Susan has been a professional trail builder since 2003 when she partnered with Ryan to lead the BikeTexas Trail Doctors program. Susan was also a co-owner of Talon Trails before starting S & S Trail Services.
DARLEY NEWMANHost of EquitrekkingPlenary Speaker
Darley Newman is a travel expert, published author and the three time Emmy nominated host, writer and producer of Equitrekking, the Emmy Award-winning lifestyle television series that takes viewers on global travel adventures to experience culture, cuisine, history and adventure. Darley and local guides discover the best of each destination as they ride horses and camels, hike, snorkel and sightsee in stunning landscapes, capturing the world’s most beautiful locations and interesting experiences in high definition.
Equitrekking is broadcast on PBS stations across the nation, on Create TV, a Public Television lifestyle channel that reaches over 83% of the U.S. Equitrekking is also broadcast on international networks in over 65 countries including the UK, Ireland, Japan, Italy, France, Russia and Turkey. The series also appears in travel segments on the Starz Networks Encore Westerns Channel, where Darley trots through the American West and reveals locations where great Western movies were filmed. Darley is an entrepreneur who created her dream job from the ground up. She is also the founder of EquitrekkingTravel.com, featuring exceptional equestrian vacations.
MARCHETA SPARROWKentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage SecretaryConference Welcome & Introduction
Marcheta Sparrow comes to the post of Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Secretary with more than 30 years of tourism industry experience in both the public and private sector. Before her appointment as cabinet secretary, she served for nine years as President and CEO of the Kentucky Tourism Council where she managed a 575-member statewide association representing all sectors of Kentucky’s travel industry.
Prior to her work with the Kentucky Tourism Council, Sparrow served as Marketing and Public Relations Director at the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill for nearly nine years. There she developed and implemented communications and marketing programs for a National Historic Landmark with a 14-building living history museum, 80 overnight guest rooms, 125-seat restaurant, two craft stores, various meeting facilities and a riverboat operation.
FRANK BEUMU.S. Forest ServiceSession Speaker
Frank Beum became the Forest Supervisor of the Daniel Boone National Forest in August 2009. Before joining the Daniel Boone National Forest, Beum was assigned to the Forest Service’s Washington Office for two years as a legislative affairs specialist. He served as the agency lead for legislative activities on climate change related to forests and grasslands. In that role, he led a team that investigated issues related to managing forests and grasslands to reduce greenhouse gases, sequester carbon, and mitigate climate change. Beum has served as a District Ranger, Public Affairs Officer, District Recreation Staff, Wilderness Planner, Wilderness Management Fellow for the Wilderness Society, and Service Forester for the Ohio Division of Forestry. He graduated from Colorado State University with a Master’s degree in recreation and wilderness management, and from Ohio State University with a Bachelor’s degree in forestry.
ALISON BULLOCKNational Park ServiceSession Speaker
Alison Bullock has served as a Community Planner for the Chattanooga Field Office of the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) since 2000. She currently manages technical assistance projects in Tennessee and Kentucky. Prior to her career with NPS, Alison worked for the State of Tennessee as a Recreation Planner and Greenways & Trails Coordinator from 1995-2000. Alison is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a Master of Science in Planning (1994). She was awarded Great Outdoors Week 2004 Legends Award Winner for the National Park Service and in 2008 was one of 15 in the park service to graduate from NPS’s mid-level management development program. She currently is serving as project manager on two White House initiative projects on the America’s Great Outdoors.
DEB CAFFINU.S. Forest ServiceSession Speaker
Deb’s career began with the State of Florida as a Recreation Planner. She later joined the U.S. Forest Service as Trail Coordinator on the National in Tallahassee working closely with the Florida Trail Association on the Florida National Scenic Trail. Currently, Deb is the Regional Wilderness/Dispersed Recreation Specialist with responsibility for the Wilderness, Wild and Scenic River, Congressionally Designated Areas, trails and dispersed recreation programs for the Southern Region of the U.S. Forest Service. Deb received her Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Florida and her Master’s of Science in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management from Clemson University. Deb’s hobbies include horseback riding, hiking, camping, fishing, and boating.
CHRISTOPHER DOUWESFederal Highway AdministrationSession Speaker
Christopher Douwes is the Trails and Enhancements Program Manager for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in Washington DC. He has managed the Recreational Trails Program since its inception in 1992, and the Transportation Enhancement activities since 2003. He manages contracts for research, technology development, technical assistance, and training for trail-related activities, and participates with the National Trails Training Partnership. Christopher received his Master’s of Science in Transportation from Northwestern University in 1990.
TOM GILBERTThe Trust for Public LandSession Speaker
Tom joined TPL as Regional Conservation Services Director in January of 2008 to direct state and local conservation finance initiatives in the mid-Atlantic region. Since then, Tom has helped to design and pass ten successful county and local ballot measures to finance parks and land conservation in New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. As Chair of the NJ Keep It Green Campaign, a coalition of over 140 organizations, he chaired a successful statewide campaign to pass a $400 million bond measure on the Nov. 2009 ballot to continue open space preservation efforts in New Jersey.
Prior to joining TPL, Tom served as Director of Eastern Forest Conservation for the Wilderness Society and Executive Director of the regional Highlands Coalition where he led successful efforts to pass federal and New Jersey state legislation to protect the Highlands. He earned his M.S. in Natural Resources Planning from the University of Vermont. Tom resides in Bucks County, PA with his wife and two daughters.
ROBERT HORINECampbell County Fiscal CourtSession Speaker
Robert Horine has served as County Administrator for Campbell County Fiscal Court for 10 years. He is responsible for carrying out policies and programs established by the Fiscal Court. Robert has diverse experience in both the public and private sector, previously working in management and planning at Cincinnati Bell, the City of Covington, Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission and KZF, Incorporated. Robert has a Masters Degree in Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati and a Bachelors Degree in Urban Studies from the University of Kentucky. Robert is a graduate of Leadership Kentucky and has served many organizations committed to improving the quality of life throughout Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati.
BOB HOVERSONU.S. Forest Service (Retired)Session Speaker & Session Moderator
Bob is a native Montanan and holds a degree in Forestry from the University of Montana. He recently retired from the U.S. Forest Service after 42 distinguished years of service.
Early in his career, Bob held positions in trail planning, maintenance and construction, as well as in timber sale preparation and administration. For the past 23 years he has supervised the Ninemile Wildlands Training Center on the Lolo National Forest in west-central Montana. While in this post, Bob managed the U.S. Forest Service Northern Region Stock Winter Boarding Program and held the most revered position of his career – manager and professional packer with the Northern Region Mule Pack Train.
Bob is author of the book The Packer’s Field Manual and an instructional DVD entitled Mule Packing-Decker Style. He has taught stock-oriented, minimum impact camping and stock use skills for over 30 years. He has been a Leave No Trace Master Instructor since the onset of this national program in the early 1990s. Bob recently piloted a course in Leave No Trace stock use for “front country” applications in Indiana, Illinois, and North Carolina.
DR. JEFF MARIONU.S. Geological SurveySession Speaker
Dr. Jeff Marion is a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, stationed at Virginia Tech, where he is an Adjunct Professor with the Natural Resource Recreation program. Jeff specializes in recreation ecology research – the study of recreation impacts to protected natural areas. He is among a small number of scientists internationally who focuses on trails science research, which examines the elements of sustainable trail design and management. He is a recreation advocate who regularly consults with land managers on actions to avoid or minimize trail impacts through sustainable trail design and low impact practices. He is a founding member of the Leave No Trace Board of Directors and remains active in assisting with the guidance of this national program. He is a long-time trail user and has over 20 years of trail maintainer experience. He keeps llamas on his pasture, along with his neighbor’s horses.
JIM MAYERNorthern KY. Horse Network (NKHN)Session Speaker
Jim lives in Peach Grove KY., a rural area of Butler KY. Jim is currently retired after being a salesman for 34 years. Since retiring, he has been an active member of the Northern Kentucky Horse Network (NKHN) since 2008. During his tenure, he has served on every committee the NKHN has to offer and is currently the C0-Chairman of the Trail Blazers committee. Additionally, Jim is a member of the Kentucky Horse Council (KHC), Central Kentucky Back Country Horseman and Friends of the Trail organizations. Jim has been around horses all his life, is a trail rider enthusiast and raises both Quarter and Paints horses in his spare time. He played a pivotal role in the planning and creation of the Equestrian Horse Trails and Campground at A J Jolly Park located in Campbell County, Kentucky.
DAVID PLUMMERCampbell County Fiscal CourtSession Speaker
David has been a life long resident of Campbell County, Kentucky. He received his BA in Political Science from Xavier University and just completed his Masters in Public Administration (MPA) at Northern Kentucky University last May. He was awarded Kentucky Colonel status by Governor Ernie Fletcher for his work in completing the rank of Eagle Scout. David has been an Administrative Analyst for the Campbell County Fiscal Court since 2007. During his time with the Fiscal Court he has organized and participated in many activities and projects which include: energy efficiency, capital improvements, promoting litter education, regional household hazardous waste (HHW) clean ups, spay/neuter voucher programs and the construction of the AJ Jolly Equestrian and RV Campground.
DAVID L. SWITZERKentucky Thoroughbred AssociationSession Speaker
David L. Switzer is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. A 1967 graduate of the University of Kentucky with a BS in Animal Science, David has been associated with the Thoroughbred industry since 1958 working in both the breeding and racing areas. From 1979 to 1992 he owned an equine insurance and bloodstock agency. His duties as Executive Director of KTA/KTOB include lobbying, promoting the Kentucky Thoroughbred industry locally, statewide, nationally and internationally, and overseeing the registry of Kentucky bred horses. David is the 2006 Recipient of the University of Kentucky’s “Friends of the Equine Initiative” award.
DR. JAMES W. WARDAngelo State UniversitySession Speaker
Dr. Ward, ranch-raised and a life-long horsemen, is an Assistant Professor of Geology at San Angelo University in TX. His area of specialty is ground water quality and he can speak to the issue from the farm/ranchland and trail rider perspective. Ward holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Geology and a Master’s degree in Geology from Sul Ross University (TX) and a Doctoral Degree in Geology from the University of Kentucky. From 2007 – 2010, Ward was manager of the Eagle Creek Horse Motel and Trails in Sadieville, KY.
Dr. Ward has professional affiliations with the Geological Society of America, the National Ground Water Association, the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, and the Texas Academy of Science.
HUGH ARCHERKentucky Natural Lands TrustSession Panelist
Hugh Archer is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust which is working to establishing the Pine Mountain Trail State Park and protection of the first landscape project (Pine Mountain) in Kentucky targeting 150,000 forested acres running through five counties providing migratory corridors through the eastern coal fields. Hugh is a member of the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund Board, a board and executive committee member of the Kentucky Waterways Alliance, Inter-basin Coordinating Council, Kentucky River Watershed Watch, board member of the Kentucky Woodland Owners Association, and Pine Mountain Settlement School, and he serves on the Commonwealth’s multi-agency Watershed Steering Committee. Hugh is the former Commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Natural Resources, a position in which he served from July 1998 until May 2004. He graduated from the University of Kentucky “with distinction” in 1973 with a BA in Philosophy, and from the UK College of Law in 1976.
EDITH CONYERSCentral Kentucky Back Country HorsemenSession Panelist
Edith Conyers is a life long horsewoman, having grown up with ponies and horses. She has kept involved with horses throughout her youth, schooling, college and working life. Edith has competed in a lot of different equine activities and ridden/driven recreationally, but her preference has always been recreational trail riding, including riding all around the world in order to see different areas.
Edith started the first Backcountry Horsemen Chapter in KY (KYBCH) as an affiliate of the National BCH of America (BCHA) which has been primarily a Western organization but is now spreading eastward. In the last 5 years Edith has been heavily involved with Trail Advocacy in Kentucky. The current First Lady of Kentucky, Mrs. Jane Beshear, asked Edith to become involved to increase trails in KY and help to create a Cross Kentucky Trail (West to East & North to South). In Edith’s own words: “TRAILS have become my passion and through the many boards on which I now serve, I am trying to preserve what we have, motivate others in the state to take a more active role, care for what we have, and create more trails for non-motorized users.”
ROY M. CORNETTCentral Kentucky Back Country HorsemenSession Panelist
Roy is a lifelong horse enthusiast that makes a living as a real estate appraiser/broker/developer/property manager in Georgetown, Kentucky to support his horse habit. He has an extensive education and experience background that has nothing to do with his preferred horse world. He considers himself a mountain man in the flat lands.
Over the past 10 years he has become very active in the leadership of equine activities in his role as President of Central KYBCH, member of BCH at Eagle Creek, Kentucky Horse Council trail committee, been involved (with lots other equine enthusiasts) in establishing trails in Letcher, Bell, Scott, Fayette, and Harlan Counties in Kentucky. He and his wife Linda own the Eagle Creek Horse Motel in northern Scott County (KY) which Linda considers to be Roy’s sand box.
He helped develop a horse trail head at family-owned Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, Live Oak, Florida where he organizes a New Years Ride annually. This is in cooperation with the Suwannee River Water Management Authority which allows for shared use along the banks of the Suwannee River. This is an ongoing cooperative effort with the land managers and the equine user group. Roy was certified under Mike Riter for trail design, construction and maintenance of multi-use trails.
CLAY COTTONGIMShelby County Parks BoardSession Panelist
Clay Cottongim graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 1977 with a BS degree in Recreation and Parks Administration. Since then he has been with Shelby County Parks Board where is started out as a lifeguard and Aquatic Director in 1974 then upon graduation he became Director of Parks and Recreation in 1978. Through the years he has worked diligently to develop recreation programs and facilities for all ages and interest within the community. He has managed and directed the parks system to grow from 130 acres in 1974 to over 817 today of which 518 of those acres have been donated to the parks system. The latest donation was the 387 acres Shelby Trails Park which he has been working on since 2001 and was turned over to the parks system in July 2010 for an Equestrian and Nature Preserve with an indoor riding arena, stables and approximately 20 miles of riding and hiking trails.
JOANNE MITCHELLVolunteer and trail workerSession Panelist
For the past thirty years, Joanne Mitchell has focused on equestrian trails in East Tennessee: creating them, drawing maps for them, organizing groups to use them and encouraging others to follow her example. Her quiet diplomacy has influenced many conservationists from the casual day-hiker to public officials to respect and preserve trails throughout the region. Realizing the need to be politically aware, she often attends Park Service or Forest Service meetings and serves as liaison between these government officials and the many volunteer organizations in which she is active. Joanne’s contribution has often been unique and innovative, which has brought different trail users together to share the trails and to lean that they have much in common. Her main equine companion is Legend, a black and white TWH. They have competed in NATRC and Ride & Tie. Joanne and her husband, Bobby live in Sweetwater, Tennessee with their four horses and one pack mule.
ELAINE H. WILSONKentucky Office for Adventure TourismSession Panelist
Elaine graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a BS in Education. She worked for the Army Corps of Engineers at Green River Lake as a Naturalist and Interpreter, worked in Human Resources at a subsidiary of Atlantic Richfield (ARCO), and managed Visitor Services at Bernheim Arboretum & Research Forest. After graduating from the Marketing College in Georgia, she became the Executive Director for the Paroquet Springs Convention Centre and Tourism Marketing in Bullitt County where she worked for 20 years. She currently heads up the Office for Adventure Tourism for the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet as the Executive Director. Elaine has 40+ years experience as an outdoor enthusiast.
