Staff, Board, Volunteers
MISHA GOLFMAN
Executive Director
Prior to joining MRPA in April 2023, Misha served as co-founder and executive director of Kroka Expeditions for 28 years. Together, with his partner Lynne, he has raised four children on a nature-connected homestead and guided over one hundred wilderness expeditions in remote areas of the world. For many years, Misha led Vermont Semester students the length of the state on skis following the Catamount Trail, passing through, and falling in love with, the Mad River Valley. He believes that a footpath connecting communities and designed in harmony with nature serves as a powerful tool for social transformation and is excited to contribute his skills and experience to the expansion and completion of the Mad River Path.
Email Misha: misha@madriverpath.org
Sarah Johnson
communications specialist
Sarah Johnson joined the Mad River Path Association as Communication Specialist in October 2024. Sarah is a Montpelier resident with connections in the Mad River Valley through her work at Yestermorrow Design/Build School. Sarah works in marketing, communications, and outreach for nonprofits, and in her free time can be found running, hiking, or knitting.
Email Sarah: sarah@madriverpath.org
abby bell
community engagement and trail steward
Abby joined us in 2026 as an AmeriCorps Service Member and Community Engagement and Trail Operations Steward. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Abby came to Vermont in 2021 to attend the University of Vermont, where she earned her degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology. She fell in love with Vermont’s landscape, spending time in several towns before settling in East Montpelier. Abby is passionate about conservation and equitable access to nature, with previous experience in nature-based childcare and park and trail maintenance. In her free time, Abby enjoys skiing, birding, hiking, and gardening.
Jeffrey Doolittle
Implementation coordinator
Jeff joined the Mad River Path as Implementation Coordinator in May 2026. He has been coming to the Mad River Valley to ski and patrol at Mad River Glen, hike the many trails, swim in the Mad River and enjoy the area for 40 years. He has been a part time resident of the MRV for over 10 years and in the last two years, he and his wife relocated from Connecticut to the Mad River Valley full time. As an Engineer for more than 34 years he worked on many projects that included new and improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and he realized how much these benefit communities. He fully embraces active transportation projects and is excited to work on improving and completing the Mad River Path. Jeff believes this project will be a great benefit to all the Mad River Valley communities, their residents and visitors.
Board Members
The Path’s Board is currently filled by dedicated and caring people from the Mad River Valley.
ADVISORY BOARD
Liza Walker
Will Flender
Laura Brines
Betsy Jondro
Volunteers
We depend on dozens of volunteers to help us build new trails, construct boardwalks and bridges, maintain benches and gazebos, clear fallen trees, and keep an eye on trail sections. Check out the volunteer page for more info.
VOLUNTEER PATH STEWARDS:
Warren Path North: Jon Rickard
Warren Path South: Richard Czaplinski
Kingsbury Bridge Greenway: Suzanne Hassanein
Snowmaking Pond Loop: Jeff Doolittle
Cloud Water Farm Path: Paula & Paul Kahr
Yestermorrow Loop: Chris Lucchesi
Austin Walk: Bill Rogers
Fiddlers Walk: Emily Beliveau
Heart of the Valley (Taste Place - Maclay): Steward MRV
Heart of the Valley (Maclay - Bridge St): Lani Wharton
Heart of the Valley (Bridge St - Wait House): Sparky Potter
Wait’s Way: Liz Yetman
Spaulding Greenway: Needs a steward!
West Greenway: Abigail Cloutier
