Aaryn Kay has worked with more than one hundred non-profits in almost every U.S. state and Canadian province, and she brings this non-profit management skill set and two decades of experience in the trail industry to her role as Executive Director of PTBA. 

Aaryn is also co-owner of Kay-Linn Enterprises, a PTBA member company. Prior to founding Kay-Linn in 2009, Aaryn coordinated trailbuilding and advocacy events nationwide, co-taught 150 weekend long trailbuilding seminars for volunteers and land managers in 32 states, instructed a graduate-level environmental education course at Duke University, and directed Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment’s Community Outreach. Aaryn has a Masters of Environmental Management and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Duke University with a focus on conservation biology and environmental education. 

Dawn Packard has worked in Resource Management since 1990, starting her career as a Ranger for City of Boulder Mountain Parks and Open Space. While with the City she worked with the legendary trail designer Jim Angell, designing and implementing climbing access trails on Dinosaur Mountain. After ten years with Boulder, Dawn was hired as the Field Programs Coordinator for the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI), serving on the design team and overseeing construction on summit trails on many of Colorado's 14,000' peaks. From CFI, Dawn spent five years as the Executive Director of Headwaters Trails Alliance (HTA) in Grand County, Colorado, coordinating multi-agency and public-private partnerships benefiting trail development throughout the Middle Park region. Dawn founded Blue Sky Trails LLC in 2003 and has been a member of PTBA since 2004. Blue Sky Trails LLC offers a wide range of trail construction, design, and planning services to professional land managers. 

 Willie Bittner started working on trails 20 years ago with the Wisconsin DNR and over the years he has worked from coast to coast building trails and teaching the different methods and styles to volunteer groups, conservation corps and state and federal agencies. He founded Great Lakes Trailbuilders, LLC  in 2008 to bring a low impact and environmentally friendly approach to trailbuilding and design to the Midwest. 

As owner and lead designer, Willie is dedicated to sharing his experiences, engaging users and developing leading edge trails.  His projects have taken him from designing new National Parks trails in Patagonia to co-founding WisCorps, Inc. a Wisconsin based Conservation Corps to leading trainings on everything from sustainable trail construction to trail psychology and rigging.

Erin Amadon’s passion for trail work began over two decades ago when she first served as a member of a youth conservation corps, and she has been doing trail work ever since.  During Erin's 12 years as a dedicated partner of Peter S. Jensen and Associates LLC, a professional trail contracting business and member of the Professional Trail Builders Association, she contributed to the completion of many substantial trail projects.  Including a 3,200-foot helical anchor boardwalk for The Nature Conservancy, a natural surface accessible trail just under 3 miles for the Crotched Mountain Foundation and worked with a team of professional trail builders to complete 338 stone steps in the Niagara River Gorge.

As a former Training Coordinator for the Maine Conservation Corps, Erin developed and implemented an eleven-week environmental training curriculum for the Trail Training Academy.  Erin is committed to youth conservation work and supporting the next generation of trail builders through her work as a Conservation Work Skills Instructor for the Student Conservation Association and in her role on the Maine Conservation Corps Advisory Board.

Erin holds a United States Forest Service Sawyer certification, Wilderness First Responder, CPR, OSHA 10 Hour Construction Safety & Health, Leave No Trace Trainer, and American Canoe Association quick start certifications.  In 2017 Erin completed the 270-mile-Long Trail in Vermont which runs up the spine of the Green Mountains.   

Whether Erin is immersed in a technical stonework project, is building a machine-built trail that meets Federal Trail Standards for accessibility, or in the backcountry, she is committed to building high-quality, trails.  Erin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to volunteer groups, clients, students, and fellow trail lovers and continues to do this through her business Town 4 Trail Services, LLC.    

Jon Altschuld is a registered Landscape Architect (Colorado, California) with over 10 years of experience. As the founder and principal of Chinook Landscape Architecture, he is experienced in the design of natural areas, trails and open spaces, nature play, ecological restoration, parks, streetscapes, and transportation planning, and has an expertise in presentation graphics, 3D visualizations, master planning, drone data collection, and GIS mapping applications. 

Jed Talbot is the owner of OBP Trailworks, LLC (OBP), a Maine based company that designs, builds, and consults on all types of pedestrian and motorized trails. Hallmarks of OBP include technical stone work, rustic timber joinery, naturalistic accessible trails and challenging backcountry rigging systems. Jed’s philosophy is one that synthesizes traditional historic practices with innovative modern tools and techniques. His passion for understanding and developing safe and creative practices is matched by his desire to teach and inspire others who want to pursue conservation based work. Jed has facilitated over 100 workshops on trail building techniques and conservation related skills to volunteer, municipal, federal, private, public, and non-profit crews across the country.

In three decades, Tony has passionately led crews in sculpting almost 1000 kilometers of shared-use and purpose-built trails for mountain bicyclists of all ages and abilities around the world. His experience includes professional trail building companies, governmental agencies, and non-profit organizations.

His passion is creating sustainable, kinesthetically and aesthetically diverse trails that mountain bikers love to ride. He is highly skilled on the utilization and training of state-of-the-art trail technology like the Sutter 300 Mini Dozer/500 Trail Dozer, SWECO 480 Trail Dozer, miniature/micro excavators, loaders, tracked carriers, ATV rakes & harrows, hydraulic & gas powered drilling, and blasting with Magnum Blaster.

Tony is a pioneer in the evolution and art of creating sustainable, machine-built trails for mountain bikers. His accomplishments include: establishing the first mountain bike patrol in Colorado in 1989, training eight IMBA/Subaru Trail Care Crews (1997-2011), inspiring the IMBA Trail Solutions Program (2001), and assisting with both IMBA books (Trail Solutions: IMBA’s Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack and Managing Mountain Bikes: IMBA’s Guide to Providing Great Riding).

He has been an active member of the Professional Trail Builders Association and American Trails since 1995.

Owner, Tri-State Company

PTBA Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, 2022. 

"Charlie" began building trail, as a volunteer in 1958, while a Boy Scout. His company, Tri-State Company, has been building trail, professionally, since 1987. Tri-State's market niche is remote site construction, often employing helicopter support. In the course of 24 years, they have built, designed, reconstructed or maintained over 500 miles of trail. They are, perhaps, better known as the "bridge people", having built numerous bridges to include: cable suspension, glu-lam, steel, heavy timber, and their specialty, unique curvilinear screw laminated bridges/elevated walkways. Charlie views his company as more than a trail building company, he sees it as engaged in the art of "recreational infrastructure".

Doug Hansen owns and operates Cuddy Mountain Trail Company (CMTC), an Idaho-based trail design and construction firm. Doug started his first contracting business, YRU Contracting, in 1984 and has since completed over 200 trail and bridge construction contracts in 17 states. Doug honed his expertise while building and restoring more than 1000 miles of trail, installing 70 bridges, and designing nearly 100 miles of new trail. After selling his interest in YRU in 2017, Doug started CMTC with the primary goal to continue creating quality sustainable, multi-use trail systems. He specializes in collaborating with clients to design trails optimized for mountain bike use.

 Mariah began her 26 years of involvement in trail construction and reconstruction in the Green Mountains of Vermont in 1996.  She has extensive knowledge of multi-use trail design and management and diverse experience in natural resources, specializing in the New England landscape.  Before returning to Vermont in 2010, Mariah worked throughout the U.S. learning about multi-use trails (hike, bike, motorized, pack and saddle, ski, and water) from the Everglades in Florida to the Chugach in Alaska. 

She returned to New England as the Trails Supervisor for the Appalachian Mountain Club, where she managed the White Mountain trails and developed a contract crew, designing and building trails throughout New England.  She has a M.S. in Environmental Studies from Antioch New England and currently serves as a Regional Representative on the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council, is a member of the Green Mountain Club’s Trail Management Committee, and is an adjunct instructor of “Tools and Their Applications” at Sterling College.

Prior to joining the PTBA board in 2024, Mariah has been a leader in PTBA's efforts with the Trail Competency Framework and related skill breakouts, as well as work drafting the NOCTI Trail Technician test. 

Info coming soon

PDG -- Sentiers Boréals

Founder of the provincial trail association and author of the "Guide d'Aménagement de Sentiers de Vélo de Montagne", Jérôme have over 20 years of trailbuilding experience. In 2009, he started Sentiers Boréals, Québec' leading mountain biking trail and bike park contractor.  

Matt’s career in the construction industry spans over 20 years working both domestically and internationally. His career started with single family construction and remodeling, but grew to cover commercial and industrial project management, ICC plan examination and code inspection, earthwork, recreation and sustainability consulting for the Top 10 multifamily developers nationwide.

As a lifetime outdoor enthusiast and trail user, Matt spent years volunteering his time towards trail advocacy, maintenance, and fundraising. He served several years as President and Vice President of Operations for the Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association overseeing the construction and maintenance of over 200 miles of single track. 

Eventually, Matt’s in depth construction experience and passion for outdoor recreation inspired him to found Nature Trails. Today Matt oversees operations of Nature Trails’ design, construction, fabrication, and maintenance teams while helping to create amazing outdoor experiences for users of all ages.

At 10 years old, I walked down a trail with my mom, and it changed the way I felt and saw the world around me. Soon after I found cycling and was able to keep that sense of breaking free and exploration as I moved along the curvature of the land. Trails have invited me into landscapes and taken me to places that had seemed impenetrable without the gentle guide of the path before me. Though not always easy to navigate, they always rewarded me.

My deep love of the natural world and desire to understand the forces shaping and acting upon it combined with my passion for mountain biking and exploration, lead me down the path to begin my own trail building company, Rogue Trails, in 2016. I would say there were many paths that I followed that have helped me arrive here; I enjoyed mountain bike racing for 14 years; served as President of the Ozark Off-Road Cyclists for 8 years helping it to expand from a social club to a respected 501c3 that gave voice to the cycling community; my initial career as an environmental scientist/engineer gave me insight into regulations and working with many different land managers, stake holders, and governmental entities; and now the spearhead of a team of passionate, sustainable trail builders carving our own paths.

Trail building has been and continues to be a driving force in my life. I work vigorously to bring sustainable and memorable trails into communities around the region to encourage others to have that awakening I found on a trail. I have been fortunate to join the Professional Trail Builders Association and serve on the board as well as now find myself leading the next generation of trail builders and stewards as I start a turn as a professor. I am humbled to be a part of this impressive community of trail builders and part of something so much greater than my own journey.

Over 16 years of experience as an estimator, project manager, and business partner in the construction field, whose main areas of expertise are in nature trail design and construction, industrial coatings, and concrete restoration. 

Owner, Northwest Trails

At the age of two, Gerry’s parents started taking him on mountain hikes and fishing trips. In 1972, as a way to put himself through college, Gerry began his professional trail career by bidding on trail maintenance contracts in the rugged North Cascades Mountains. Trail work has been his profession and passion ever since. In his first ten years in business, he had the good fortune of being able to work under several very dedicated seasoned career veterans in trails, learning the rich variety of skills necessary to be successful in this highly competitive industry.

Gerry has an extensive background in planning, designing, estimating and developing trails, bridges and greenways for local, state and federal governments, as well as private developers. He has received national & regional awards for his work and has a widespread reputation for innovative solutions in creating low-impact trails through wilderness and natural areas. In over forty years in the business he has served as project manager for several hundred projects while designing and drafting contracts for more than one hundred of them. He has managed or participated in numerous multidisciplinary project teams. Many of his projects have involved large budgets, challenging schedules, complex and remote structures, or other tricky design and construction issues.

Since 1990, he has taught many training classes and workshop sessions on designing, contract drafting, managing, maintaining and building quality, sustainable trails and systems. From 2004 to 2007, he served as President of the Professional Trailbuilders Association, and he currently sits on the board. When not working, Gerry enjoys spending time with his family outside. He has participated in all forms of trail based recreation and is particularly nuts about skiing, sailing and scuba diving - - or wherever his next outdoor adventure will take him.