George Kohout – President & Event Emcee, a Northampton resident for over forty years, is well versed in the educational, political and recreational aspects of the Pioneer Valley. His work as a vocational counselor, electrician and community college administrator has provided him with a variety of experiences in Greenfield, Holyoke, Northampton and Springfield. He currently serves on the Northampton Planning Board. He cycles on a daily basis as an alternative to the car for chores, exercise and short trips.
Elena Huisman – Vice President, is a native Austinite and lived in Boston for 10 years prior to moving to Florence with her husband. She was an avid bike commuter before working remotely and continues to use her bike as her primary mode of transportation. Elena sees the bicycle as a means to improve public health, spur economic development, reach our climate goals, and connect community through healthy lifestyles. Elena works in environmental philanthropy and holds a MS in environmental policy and planning from the University of Michigan and a BA in environmental studies and international affairs from Northeastern University.
Josh Singer – Secretary, recently moved to the area in 2023. A Hampshire College graduate and sustainability nerd, Josh likes to spend his free time riding bikes, woodworking, and exploring the local trails. Josh brings his background in environmental science and policy, and love of biking in all forms to the FNT Board.
Karen Beyel – Treasurer, has lived in Florence with her husband Joe since 1980. She has raised two children here while also serving as head pharmacist at Valley Medical Group. She is an active user of the rail trail, an avid gardener, and plays a mean game of mahjong. She joined the Board in May 2019, and looks forward to helping promote more community bicycling events and enhancing the trail use for everyone in our community.
Craig Della Penna – Director, Author, Historian & Trail Advocate, worked for a short-line railroad, marketing rail freight and managing two large transloading facilities. Beginning in the mid-1990s, he wrote a series of books about old railroad lines and their conversion to bike and hike trails. He then became an organizer/lobbyist for Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, becoming involved in places in the northeast where the idea of a trail was not automatically favored. In 2004, he became a Northampton Realtor with a special niche: house sales near rail trails, greenways and conservation lands… the first in the U.S. He has given over 1,200 lectures in twenty-one states.
Jonathan Daube – Director, born and educated in the U.K., came to the U.S. in 1963. He has been an English teacher, a school superintendent, a graduate school director and, from 1978 until he retired thirty years later, a community college president. He spent 1968 to 1970 at the University of Malawi. He and his wife Linda have been married for fifty-five years and have three children and three grandchildren. He loves to travel, is a voracious reader, and believes strongly in FNT’s mission and its role in the community.
Amy Sugihara – Director, moved to the area with her family in 2021 and, after stints around the country, is happy to make this area home. She has worked in outdoor therapeutic settings, as a school counselor, and now you may see her handcrafted organic body care products at local farmers’ markets and gift stores. As an outdoor enthusiast and a recent wheelchair user, she is finding ways to access the outdoors using various mobility devices. She brings her enthusiasm for access to trails for all people, along with her love of native plants and art, to her work with FNT.
David Hoose – Director, was born and raised in the Hudson River Valley of New York State. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego and Syracuse University College of Law and has lived in Western Massachusetts since 1979. He is a long-time criminal defense and civil rights lawyer who enjoys the outdoors, especially cutting and splitting wood, cycling and cross-country skiing. He is a regular patron of the Northampton trails.
Gary Langley – Director, is a retired commercial architectural photographer. He and Linda, his wife, moved to Northampton from Nantucket, where they lived for 10 years while Linda was the minister of the Unitarian Church. They discovered the trails soon after arriving here and use them every chance they get. Gary joined the board in April, 2025 as a way to support the trails network, become involved in the community and meet like-minded folks. In addition to cycling, Gary enjoys hiking, hand drumming and reading.
Robert Isaacson – Director, a native Chicagoan, Robert studied soils and hydrology at Oregon State University and works in the environmental remediation field. He enjoys cycling, canoeing and exploring new places in both urban and wild settings. A recent resident of Northampton, he is excited to support FNT’s mission to advocate for our shared trails and trail users.
Jes Slavin – Director, moved to Northampton in 2021 and lives near downtown. You might see her out riding her bike or walking her dog, Molly, on the trail. Jes is interested in how trails can be used as a community space. One of her favorite things to do is to watch the diverse groups of people using the trail while hanging out at Familiars bike path seating. She is an avid better bicycling and safe streets advocate, and sees trails as a safe off road connection that can encourage active transportation and recreation. She is currently Communications Director at the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition.
Special Thanks to Our Founding Directors
Nick Horton – President
Julia Riseman – Vice President
Judy Cardell – Secretary
Susan Voss – Treasurer
Past Board Members
Victoria Gualario – Director | September 2024 – May 2025
Freeman Stein – Secretary | June 2019 – October 2024
Mark Cabral – Director | September 2022 – September 2024
Meg Bandarra – Director | February 2022 – February 2024
Sean Kinlin – Vice President | January 2011 – November 2023
Kelsey Wentling – Director | January 2020 – November 2023
Julia Oktay – Communications Director | October 2019 – December 2022
Tom Bodo – Director | 2019 – October 2022
Eric Boudreau – Secretary | 2007 – October 2022
Tim Deshaies – Treasurer | January 2019 – November 2019
Angie Gregory – Director | January 2019 – April 2019
Deb Henson – Director | January 2019 – April 2019
Andrew Smith – Director | January 2019 – May 2019
Kris Badertscher – Field Organizer | August 2017 – June 2019
Mary Jo Stanley – Treasurer | December 2013 – December 2017
John Gaustad – Secretary | January 2004 – December 2017