The Greenbrier River Trail 

Maggie Hutchison is a native West Virginian.  She has owned a home on the River since 1989 and in retirement it became her permanent residence. She returned to the state full time in 2013 after a successful career with the Naval Air Systems Command and subsequent consulting work.  She has applied her organizational and strategic planning skills in her leadership position with GRTA.   She loves WV and Greenbrier County and like fellow Board Members is inspired to preserve and share the beauty of the River and the Trail.  As the current Chair of the Board, she is focused on insuring the Strategic Plan developed by the Board is executed.  Public service has always been important to her as demonstrated by her Federal service and subsequent volunteer work after the 2016 Flood to include extensive disaster recovery efforts as Executive Director of Homes for White Sulphur Springs (Hope Village).  Her tenure on the Board also began one month after the Flood.

Mary moved to Pocahontas County, WV in 1983 to join her soon to be husband Gil in a partnership immersed in the outdoor beauty of the region. Together they have operated Elk River Touring Center, Inn and restaurant in Slatyfork in some form for over 37 years.They discovered the Greenbrier River Trail and provided bike rentals and shuttles to the new state trail. Mary and Gil were founding members of the Greenbrier River Trail Association, a citizens group created to support the trail. 

After the flood of 1985, in an effort to cast a light on the importance of the trail, the Association hosted the 'Great Greenbrier River Race' in April of 1986. Mary and a team from the Association and other trail users established a successful event which is now an annual event and a major fundraiser for ongoing maintenance projects on the trail.  

Treasurer

In 2000, Helen moved to Greenbrier County from Washington DC. The Trail quickly became a treasured place for her. In 2017, she joined the GRTA Board because she wanted to participate in a more active way. With fellow Board members, Harless helps raise funds to repair the Trail and replace facilities. Her former career as a professional fundraiser for nonprofits has continued on a volunteer basis. She has served on the Board of the Greenbrier County Public Library during the campaign to build the new library. In addition, Harless has served on the Boards of Greenbrier Valley Master Gardeners and the Shepherd's Center.As she walks the Trail, Harless counts herself lucky to have this priceless resource. Together, we will protect the Trail for everyone's benefit. 

Robert Gronan was cofounder of Greenbrier River Trail Association (GRTA) in 1979. Having led bicycling organizations advocating for rail-trails in other states in the 1970's, Rob promoted the then-new concept in West Virginia. He worked with legislators to introduce bills to establish the Greenbrier River Trail in the state parks system. This effort was successful with the establishment of West Virginia's first rail-trail in 1980.

Rob served as GRTA's first president from 1979-1985 and as secretary from 2012-2021. He has been instrumental in several important trail projects and is currently heading up the effort for interpretive signs on the trail.

Rob has a PhD in neuropsychopharmacology, and following grad school, was a professor/scientist for six years. He then went to medical school, and after residency was an emergency medicine physician at hospitals in Low Moor and Lexington, VA for 27 years.

Nancy is a retired vocational rehabilitation counselor who worked for the WV Div. of Rehabilitation Services for more than 30 years. Grateful for the joy, the good health, and the friendships that bicycling the Trail has provided over the years, she lucked into an opportunity to give back to the Trail that has meant so much to her, when superintendent, Jody Spencer, allowed her to clean the bathrooms on the Trail, following the torrential rains in June 2016 that badly damaged the Trail and required the full attention of the maintenance crew. Around that same time, she joined the Board of GRTA, which has provided additional opportunities to volunteer on the Trail and to involve others who love the trail and want to give back. Trail maintenance and improvements through volunteer efforts are her primary focus.

Tim Helmick is a native West Virginian, who was privileged to grow up in Pocahontas County.  He is married and the father of three grown children.  Tim is a self-employed real estate appraiser in the Greenbrier Valley, and a running enthusiast.    He can be seen running on the Greenbrier River Trail 2 – 3 times per week, and has participated in both the Greenbrier River Trail Marathon and the Great Greenbrier River Race.  As a GRTA board member since the spring of 2019, he is particularly interested in the maintenance of the trail.    

Leslee McCarty lives in Lewisburg. She owned and operated The Current Bed and Breakfast at Beard on the river trail for 21 years. After hearing about a race in Oregon from a friend, she and her friends, Gil and Mary Willis and John Walkup, decided we needed such a race on the Greenbrier River and Trail..thus the Great Greenbrier River Race was born after the 1985 flood. The 2020 Covid disaster is the first time the race has had to be cancelled! Leslee is a ninth generation West Virginian and holds a Masters of Social Work from WVU. The trail and the Association have been a part of her life for over thirty years, and she is proud to welcome so many great board members to the team working to promote and improve the GRT!  

Dale McCutcheon is a native of Greenbrier County and a lifelong involvement in hiking and biking.  He has a Masters Degree in Environmental Science, and has been employed as an environmental health specialist in public health offices in several areas of West Virginia.  He has also worked as an environmental consultant, primarily involved in   research and mitigation involving water and air pollution issues.  He is a licensed building contractor, enabling him to design and coordinate construction of two shelters and a public restroom with volunteer labor on the trail over the last few years.  He brings years of involvement in nonprofits to the board, having formerly served as executive director of Greenbrier Habitat for Humanity and on several other local committees and organizations involved in the welfare of the public and the environment.  His favorite getaways are hiking the Appalachian Trail and mountain climbing in the Rockies.

Dr. Liz Prichard joined the GRTA Board in Fall 2019. She comes to the Board with a Doctorate in Public Administration and Public Policy from Virginia Tech. Her doctoral research focused on sustainable community development in boom and bust economies. She holds a Masters in Public Administration from West Virginia University. Prichard spent several years in Washington DC as a development associate for a nonpartisan policy think tank. Her tenure in nonprofit development informs her volunteer position with GRTA where she works to build institution and foster institutional relationships toward collaborative and inclusive Trail projects. She enjoys family, music, and travel.