KMTC Board of Directors
Donald grew up on a farm outside of Wyanet, Illinois, earned a BS in Finance at Illinois State University, and moved to the Atlanta area over 25 years ago. As one of the luckiest Eagle Scouts alive, earning his award on 7/7/77, he has been a Boy Scout Leader for over twenty years and a trail club member the past nine.
He has been hiking at Kennesaw Mountain for many years now and credits Fred Feltmann, a co-founder of KMTC, for getting him involved with both the trail club and the local Boy Scouts of America.
While he was responsible for Eagle Scout projects and troop or pack volunteer activities in the park the last six years, he also trained as a KMTC crew leader. A bit of a civil war history buff, Donald is the current BSA Atlanta Area Council Membership Operations Chair, helping to recruit over 7500 boys to Scouting in each of the last three years.
Donald is an active hiker and backpacker. He has enjoyed trips in the past few years to climb Yosemite’s Half Dome, traversing Rocky Mountain National Park’s Andrews Glacier, and climbing Robson Glacier, Mt. Robson Provincial Park, in the Canadian Rockies.
He is thankful for the opportunity to have mentored over 100 Eagle Scouts through their projects in the park and enjoys getting to work with eager volunteers on park trail days each month.
Married to Leslie for twenty-eight years, they have two children, Preston and Madison, are very active at North Metro Church and have lived in Kennesaw twenty-two years.
President@kennesawmountaintrailclub.org
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VICE PRESIDENT -- Bill Gurry
Bill Gurry is a native of Aurora, Illinois. He missed the first ever “real” KEMO Trail club workday in 2002 but was here for the second in February 2003. He has been a volunteer and crew leader ever since.
Bill is an avid hiker and was an avid backpacker in his younger days. Without disclosing his age, he took his first Scout hike when Eisenhower was president and his first Boy Scout backpacking trip during the Kennedy administration. He graduated (twice) from Purdue University and his education and life’s work in civil engineering and construction helps with trail work.
Bill has been a history enthusiast since he was a small boy, especially the study of the Civil War. Although his studies in engineering left no time for Civil War studies, he was excited to take a job in a place with a national battlefield park, and first came to visit Kennesaw Mountain in June of 1973. He still has the excellent 1961/1966 park brochure and trail map of 16 pages, including the 10 cent price tag on the front. Later in 1973, as part of his work as a geotechnical civil engineer working on the MARTA tunnels, he was sent to Kennesaw Mountain to study the geology of the Atlanta area, Kennesaw Mountain being the biggest piece of geology around. He’s been coming back ever since and particularly enjoys the preservation and the many improvements to the historical aspects of the Park.
Bill is a member of half a dozen history/preservation groups and is the treasurer and a trustee of the Georgia Battlefields Association.
Bill has used the Park for training for long backpacking trips, for exercise, for getting away from work, and for taking his son on hikes long ago. While he loves the earthworks and the rocks, the museum, the bookstore, the trails, the nature, the public service, the pleasure of seeing results of trail work in heavy rains, and the outdoor exercise, his favorite part of the Kennesaw Mountain Trail Club is the friends he has made in the club.
VP@kennesawmountaintrailclub.org
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TREASURER -- Thomas Okerberg
Treasurer@kennesawmountaintrailclub.org
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Secretary -- Robert Brier
Bob is a twenty-five year+ Georgia resident who relocated to the area in the early 1990’s from Tidewater Virginia after completing a twenty-year career in the United States Air Force as a navigator and headquarters staff officer. A second career as a training system analyst/developer at Lockheed Martin Corporation drew him to the area where – following retirement from the aerospace industry – he discovered the joys of hiking the Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park’s many trails and the Kennesaw Mountain Trail Club’s crucial role in maintaining those trails.
His initial involvement with the Club included volunteering on scheduled Trail Work Days as well as periodic stints with both the ROMEO group and the invasive plants eradication folks on frequent weekday outings. In February of 2017 he participated in and completed the Club Crew Leader training course and took a more active role working with community volunteers on those monthly Trail Work Days.
In the Summer of 2017, he was approached about assuming the Club Secretary position upon the announced retirement of the incumbent. In the interim, he oversaw an update rewrite of the KMTC By-Laws which was adopted by the Club’s general membership at the 2017 Annual Business Meeting. He next undertook the creation of a series of Standard Procedures (SP’s) that will provide some much-needed clarification as to the roles and responsibilities of the various Club Officers and Directors. And, finally, he officially stepped into the Secretary’s role in January of 2018.
Bob’s other interests and avocations include a fifteen year+ stint reading/recording books for broadcast to the Georgia sight impaired community at Georgia Public Radio in Midtown Atlanta, officiating college track and field meets throughout the Southeastern United States, and traveling both nationally and internationally to address his interests in hiking, sightseeing and history.
secretary@kennesawmountaintrailclub.org
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Janie grew up on a farm outside Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. She earned a BS in Nursing from the University of South Carolina and a MS in Nursing, Family Practice Nurse Practitioner from Kennesaw State University. She enjoyed a 24 year career with the Navy Reserves and retired January 2015. In December 2015 she retired from the best nurse practitioner position in the metro area.
After retirement she searched for volunteer opportunities which would benefit the community, not be related to medicine (41 years in the medical field is enough) and would be FUN. Her brilliant husband Bob, suggested she check with the National Park Service for volunteer opportunities and a new Trail Ambassador was on her way.
Janie credits Cam Graham with giving her a superb Trail Ambassador orientation and helping her become more involved with the KMTC. Rumor has it he did such a great job that he recommended her for the Trail Ambassador Director Position. She appreciated President Doug Tasse’s assurance that she would have the full support of the board in helping her grow in this position.
Janie is married to Bob Brier. Their goal is to visit all 58 National Parks. They have lived in Kennesaw for twenty four years. Most Tuesdays you can find Janie hiking in the park with her good friend Karen and her dog Bentley.
ambassador@kennesawmountaintrailclub.org
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Trails Director -- Joseph Michael Collett
Mike grew up in Cobb County attending South Cobb High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from The Citadel in Charleston South Carolina. Upon graduation he entered the Navy as an Ensign. After leaving the Navy he worked as a chemist for a national Brewer. Wanting to move into Management he accepted a job as Plant Manager for a company that had an 80% blind workforce. When the laws changed forcing these businesses to close, he took a Supply Chain management position with a window manufacturer from which he would retire. After leaving active duty he entered the Naval Reserve he retired with the rank of Commander.
As member of the Boy Scouts, they frequently hiked and went camping in the North Georgia mountains. Kennesaw Mountain being his favorite. During his senior year of high school, he attended a seminar as the school’s representatives where they sat on top the mountain with their eyes closed and a rock in their hands listening to the wind. It was the early 70’s.
After moving back to Georgia 30 years later a friend A friend told him about the Atlanta Outdoor Club. He became a member taking part in their events. There another friend said to him one day “I do something the second Saturday of every month you might enjoy”. He has been a crew leader ever since.
Trails@kennesawmountaintrailclub.org
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Community Volunteers Director -- Rena Bailey
My name is Rena Bailey. I moved to Marietta in 2013 to be closer to family. Being an avid walker, I frequently walked at the park and soon, I ran into my first TA. Shortly after that, I started my work as a TA with KMTC. First, it was walking the trails. Then I started working with a number of the grants. These include EKIP and the Senior grant, Walking for Health.
As much as I enjoy my work with the park, my #1 love is Animal Welfare. I have fostered a number of 'bottle baby' kittens. These are kittens separated from their mother while they are still nursing. It is also not uncommon to see me out at dawn trapping colony cats for TNR. The cats are trapped, neutered and returned to their colonies to help reduce the number of stray cats.
I am looking forward to working with KMTC as your Community Volunteer Director. Since I'm not one to throw the dirt around, I'd rather work with the paper and other Community Volunteers.
volunteerdirector@kennesawmountaintrailclub.org
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COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR -- Fred Feltmann
Fred is a retired Software Engineer, Certified Quality Engineer and Certified Quality Auditor (ASQ), retired from the Department of Defense. He is married to Andrea and has 3 children, all grown and married, as well as 1 granddaughter. Fred and his family have lived in the Atlanta area since 1985. Fred holds a
Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics from the University of Missouri, Columbia, a Master of Arts in Business Administration from Webster University, St. Louis, MO, and is a Licensed Professional Engineer, Missouri (inactive since retired).
He has been active in the Boy Scouts for over 25 years, and serves
as Chartered Organization Representative for Pack, Troop and Crew 75 and High Adventure Coordinator for Troop 75. Fred has been to Philmont Scout Reservation 15 times during the last 18 years and is planning his next trip for June, 2009.
In addition to his involvement with Boy Scouts and Kennesaw Mountain Trail Club as a charter member since 2002, Fred serves on the Foothills District Staff as a Member-At-Large and Newsletter editor. His talent as an amateur photographer has also been an asset to the club. He is also an active member of his church, and serves as Historian for the American Society of Quality, having served two terms as Section Chairman.
Some of Freds achievements include:
District Award of Merit Recipient (Foothills District – 1994, Atlanta Area Council)
District Award of Merit Recipient (Northeast District – 1998, Greater Birmingham Council)
Silver Beaver Recipient – Atlanta Area Council (1996)
Fred is currently serving as Communications Director and Newsletter Editor for Kennesaw Mountain Trail Club. He has also served as Chairman for the National Trails Day Event for the last 4 years.
ComDirector@kennesawmountaintrailclub.org
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Fundraising Director -- Scott Mackay
Scott Mackay grew up camping and hiking in the mountains of New England and moved to Georgia over 30 years ago. He has gone on family backpacking hikes of up to 5 days every year for the last 15 years. He started hiking regularly at Kennesaw in the late 1980s to stay in shape, joined the trail club in 2007 to help keep his favorite trails in shape. He completed crew leader training in 2009 and is also trained in First Aid and CPR. His daughter, Melissa, also grew up hiking and camping with her dad and is also a trained crew leader.
In working life, Scott is an Information Technology Business Analyst specialized in developing requirements for software products. He travels regularly to client sites around the USA.
fundraising@kennesawmountaintrailclub.org
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I.T. Director -- Jerry Givan
Webmaster/(past president)
Roles of IT Director
Jerry is a retired Integration Consultant with Unisys Corporation. His career included
working at First American National Bank in Nashville, Tn., software design and implementation at
Martha White Foods in Nashville and working for Sperry Corp which later became Unisys.
His 35 year career with Unisys include assignments as mainframe OS specialist, application design, project management, pre-sales support, corporate presenter and trainer, web application design and implementation, and Integration Consultant.
Work experience with Unisys, included assigments in Denmark, Canada and Germany.
His education
spans a degree in Accounting from the Western Kentucky University to system analysis training at the
University of Tenn. and Fortran programming at Vanderbilt University. He is one of the co-founders of KMTC.
Webmaster@kennesawmountaintrailclub.org
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Jay Haney and his wife, Anne Page Mosby, have been Park neighbors for over 25 years and enjoy hiking the Park’s trails. In 2007 they joined the Trail Club and are both among the original Trail Ambassadors. Since 2007 Jay has been a director in several roles. He has served as Finance Director, Development Director and Historian. He is also qualified to escort military units doing training at the Park (Staff Rides) as well as work at the Visitor Center Information desk. He serves as the Trail Club Archivist. He has had a leadership role as volunteer coordinator for events like the 150th Battle Anniversary.
Originally from Raytown, Missouri, Jay has lived in Marietta since 1974. Before his retirement Jay was an independent financial consultant. He previously held positions as Partner and VP with Atwater Consulting, Inc., CFO of Sheltering Arms Child Development and Family Support and is a retired Senior VP of Bank of America. Jay served as a Captain in the U.S. Army from 1965-1974, and as a Major in the Reserves from 1974-1994. He has a B.S. from the United States Military Academy and an MBA Finance from Georgia State University. He is an avid amateur military historian.
programplanning@kennesawmountaintrailclub.org
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Invasive Plants -- Danny Leigh
Danny is a life long resident of Cobb County. He graduated from Kennesaw State University with a BS in Accounting and while he enjoys working behind a desk during the week, he loves being in the outdoors in his spare time with his wife and 2 boys. He loves hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and gardening and has always enjoyed learning about plants.
Danny started volunteering with the trail club in January 2014 and became a crew leader in March 2014. He's been working with small groups to help control the many non-native invasive plants in the park but is working to expand the monitoring and eradication of the invasive plants.
plants@kennesawmountaintrailclub.org
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