Get to Know the ETA Trustees and Staff

JOE YUHAS, TRUSTEE

A retired teacher/professor, Joe’s academic background is in Wildlife Biology,  with research on DDT and it’s effect in our environment.  He worked as a park naturalist and taught in Ohio before moving to Maine in 1975, teaching here until he retired in 2000. Joe is very interested in environmental issues and teaches courses on Climate Change and Natural History at York County Senior College. A biker both on and off the trail, he can also be seen snowshoeing and x-c skiing during the snow season. He has been a volunteer for the MLR since 2011 and can be seen at community events boosting the ET. Joe enjoys singing with his church choir and with Harbour Singers, a group that sings at bedsides, hospice, and nursing homes.

CHELSEY BERLIN , ETA/ETMD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Chelsey Berlin is the Executive Director of both the Eastern Trail Alliance and Eastern Trail Management District. She joined the organization with over fifteen years of experience working in global nonprofits, most recently as the National Director for Community Engagement Programs and Initiatives at HIAS, a humanitarian organization that provides vital services to refugees and asylum seekers. While at HIAS, Chelsey had responsibility for its national public programming and speakers bureau, DC-based volunteer program and community organizing, and served on the organization’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice committee. Prior to joining HIAS in 2018, she spent over ten years working with Israelis and Palestinians, including as Director of B’Tselem USA where she oversaw the organization’s day-to-day operations and provided strategic and operational leadership. She also served as a 2011-2012 Dorot Fellow and founding staff at Tomorrow’s Youth Organization. Born and raised in Old Orchard Beach, Chelsey loves being outdoors and in the ocean. She holds a degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Brandeis University and serves on the Northfield Mount Hermon School Alumni Council. Chelsey is thrilled to be back in Maine.

PATTI POOLE, OFFICE MANAGER

Patti has been a long time volunteer for ETA, most notably as the food service coordinator managing the post ride lunches for several years. She also volunteers for Saco Bay Trails as a trustee, past president and current treasurer. Patti retired in Dec 2019 after a long career managing IT in the chemical distribution industry, most recently for Azelis Americas. Her interests include boating, beaching, hiking and gardening. She lives in Scarborough with her husband Malcolm and has 2 grown children, Charles and Madeleine.

PATRICK CONLON, TRAIL PROGRAM MANAGER

Patrick has been visiting Maine and cycling the Eastern Trail for years. Since relocating from Jersey City, NJ to Biddeford, ME in 2021 he has been employed at Gorham Bike & Ski Saco as a bike mechanic and has launched Bike BS (Bike Biddeford/Saco) to promote cycling in the sister cities. Back in New Jersey Patrick was deeply involved in the cycling community. As a trustee of Bike JC, a non-profit bicycling advocacy organization, he worked with the city government to construct a network of protected bike lanes and organized all types of group rides and events designed to grow the area’s bicycle culture. He served as the organization’s president from 2017-2021. In 2018 he established a non-profit bicycle shop called the Newark Community Cycling Center in the city of Newark NJ. In late 2021 Patrick worked with the New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition and the Open Space Institute to organize the Bike 2 Trenton advocacy ride which helped to push Governor Phil Murphy to commit to building the Essex/Hudson Greenway, an off road rails to trails project connecting 8 of the most densely populated municipalities in the state. Patrick sees his work with the ETA as a fantastic opportunity to help grow and maintain Southern Maine’s Multi-Use Greenway.

LARRY GLANTZ, WEBSITE MANAGER

Larry got involved with the Eastern Trail after reading John’s Feb. 1998 article in the Press Herald. In those early years he served as a founding Trustee and Vice President of the ETA. He created ETA’s first web site in 1999 to showcase the Eastern Trail vision to the region, state and beyond. The web site won American Trails’ best local trail website award in 2003. Leaving the ETA board (and then designated as one of the first Trustees Emeritus!), he has continued as a volunteer but also returned as a part-time staff member starting in 2011 to manage the ever-growing ETA website. He is active in the great outdoors with special interests in bicycling, hiking and camping. Larry lives in Cape Elizabeth and is retired from careers at both USM (Muskie School of Public Service) and L.L. Bean.