Staff

Ray Denis, Director of Development

Ray has worked as Development Officer for Leadership and Major Gifts with the MSPCA, Director of Development with the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center in Newburyport, and Director of Development at the Salem Animal Rescue League in Salem, NH.  He has been a development, marketing & public relations consultant for the Kent School and Town Hill Farm in Connecticut, and the Equine Welfare Committee in Hamilton. In addition to his work in development, Ray is also a USEF Dressage & Combined Training Technical Delegate and USEA Event Organizer.  He has worked with the Groton House Farm Horse Trials in Hamilton for many years. Ray’s goal is “to further enhance every involved individual’s relationship, commitment and participation within the structure of the ECTA.  Together, we are the new ECTA generation that will make this important organization ultimately the best it can be.” Ray’s background in successfully bringing smaller organizations to a new level, his energy and enthusiasm, and his history of living and working in our area make him a perfect fit for ECTA! Thank you for joining us, Ray!

Ashley Hill, Outreach Coordinator 

Ashley Hill joined ECTA in July of 2011 and handles all of the office duties including membership, administration, communications, and publications.  She grew up in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and Naples, Florida.  Witnessing the rapid growth and development in the Naples area, Ashley developed a strong interest in land use and protection.  Following undergraduate work at Sweet Briar College and completion of a Master of Landscape Architecture degree at the University of Virginia, Ashley worked for a design firm in Boston where she had the opportunity to contribute to several high profile landscape and planning projects in the Boston area, including the Mystic River Master Plan.  More recently, she has worked locally in landscape maintenance and design, and is a Massachusetts Certified Landscape Professional.  Ashley is an active member of the Myopia Hunt and lives in Newburyport.

Alex Van Alen, Project Director

Alex Van Alen currently manages trail construction projects and grant administration.  Alex served as Executive Director of ECTA from March of 2009 until February of 2012 and remains involved in many aspects of ECTA above his titled role. Prior to joining ECTA, Alex has worked for several land trusts in Massachusetts and his native Pennsylvania, most recently as the Director of Land Protection and Stewardship for 7 years at the Willistown Conservation Trust where he negotiated over 50 conservation and trail easements.  His family has donated miles of trail easements on its farm.  Alex received a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Conservation from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a Master’s Degree in Ecology from Colorado State University.  He lives in Ipswich with his wife Landi and their 2 boys, all avid trail users.

Carol Lloyd, Director of Trail Maintenance

Carol Lloyd has been with the ECTA in varying capacities since 2000. She has put endless hours into coordinating ECTA activities with landowners, conservation commissions and trail users throughout Essex county. Carol has coordinated the inventorying of all the public and private trails in 5 of our 6 towns in the form of maps. These maps are instrumental in understanding the trail system so that it is easy to pinpoint necessary trail maintenance. It also allows the ECTA to see at a glance, what trail segments are important to protect as trail easements. Carol has also developed Townwide Trail Management Plans that enable the ECTA to work quickly and efficiently with the town when the trail repair is needed in wetland and/or resource areas. These plans also create a way that the ECTA can help landowners permit trail repair on their private land.  In addition to the Townwide plans, Carol has completed management plans for Bradley Palmer State Park and Willowdale State Forest and now works closely with DCR officials to systematically maintain the trails in the parks. Carol also coordinates the completion of many of the trail repairs for the ECTA and is the Race Director for the ECTA’s Run for the Trails.

 

 

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