Meet the Team
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Marybeth McNicholas
President

Marybeth McNicholas
President
MaryBeth is a retired director of project management for a global IT services company. Besides implementing software, she frequently managed process, development, and/or organizational change initiatives and even a construction project or two. Since retirement, she continues to share her expertise with students at the Roux Institute at Northeastern University, volunteers with The Locker Project to help provide nourishing food for children in Portland, Westbrook and South Portland, and is a member of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine Community Spokes. MaryBeth enjoys exploring the Eastern Trail almost daily – walking with her dog Agnes, biking, or snowshoeing in the winter. She also brings knowledge and experience in accounting/finance, strategic planning, non-profit board governance, and sometimes much needed humor.
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Bill Hetzel
Treasurer

Bill Hetzel
Treasurer
Bill has lived in Kennebunk, Maine for 25 years. He is an avid supporter of the Eastern Trail, which he uses for biking, running, walking, and cross-country skiing. He taught his 2 daughters how to ride bikes using the Eastern Trail because of its car-free safety. Bill’s work experience includes serving as Plant Manager for Tom’s of Maine, where he was responsible for team building, performance of operations, quality, and safety. Bill was also Senior Vice President of Finance for Generac, where he developed strategy, managed budgets, and ensured accounting procedures compliance. Bill currently serves on the boards of 2 companies and was Treasurer for the board of the Chewonki Foundation in Maine for 12 years.
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Allison “Allie” Foster
Secretary

Allison “Allie” Foster
Secretary
Allison Foster is a science communications coordinator for Biodiversity Research Institute and lives in South Portland, Maine. Originally from Tampa, Florida, Allie moved to Maine in 2022 to pursue her master’s degree at the University of Maine in Orono studying spruce budworm and Maine’s forests. While at UMaine, she served as the grants officer and president of the Graduate Student Government. Since relocating to South Portland in 2024, she’s spent many days enjoying the quiet mornings, birdwatching, and taking in the natural beauty of the trail. If she’s not found on the trail, you can find Allie reading a good book, singing with the Downeasters Chorus, or baking up a sweet treat in the kitchen.
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Anthony “Tony” Koester
Trustee

Anthony “Tony” Koester
Trustee
Anthony Koester lives in Kennebunk with his wife and three dogs who often accompany him on walks on the Eastern Trail when he isn’t on a bike riding the Trail and other paths and roads in Maine. He is a retired attorney, who practiced commercial and real estate law for many years, including cases involving land preservation, green space acquisition and property rights. Tony spends his time now working with, among other groups, the Portland Wheelers. He is an enthusiastic supporter of the Eastern Trail and feels most strongly that the Trail provides outdoor access to everyone for many uses and establishes a strong connection among Maine communities from Kittery to Portland. Tony’s board experience has included his county legal bar association, a New Jersey Supreme Court committee church boards and committees, his sons’ Boy Scout Troop and hospital boards.
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Tracy Kolian
Trustee

Tracy Kolian
Trustee
Tracy Kolian is an experienced public health professional who has worked on a wide range of public health issues throughout her career. She has a deep understanding of the health benefits of trails and green space and has advocated for equitable transportation including biking and walking paths for all. In 2022, after 20+ years in DC, Tracy and her family relocated to South Portland and live just around the corner from the Eastern Trail, which they use daily. She loves to be active, explore, and read.
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Daniel “Dan” Matz
Trustee

Daniel “Dan” Matz
Trustee
Dan Matz is a Policy and Data Analyst in the Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, where he supports a wide range of public policy initiatives. He serves as a lead staff member for the Maine AI Task Force and manages the Governor’s Infrastructure Implementation Committee, coordinating interagency efforts to maximize federal investments. Daniel has developed dashboards and data tools to track the impact of billions in housing, infrastructure, and recovery funding, helping policymakers translate complex data into clear, actionable insights. He previously worked in healthcare administration at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and in food policy research at the Sustainable Food Center in Texas. Dan holds a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor’s degree from Colgate University. He lives in Portland, Maine, and enjoys running and exploring the outdoors.
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Eric Stoclet
Trustee

Eric Stoclet
Trustee
Eric Stoclet has over 40 years of experience in financial services and finance. He has operated at senior levels including board and C-suite levels in various geographies across the world. He has extensive experience in corporate finance, capital markets, debt restructuring, turnaround situations, covering various industries as well as experience in real estate lending, advisory, management of NPL portfolios through the acquisition and divestiture cycle, and property management. Prior to retirement, he was a Senior Credit Officer at Citigroup and an Approved Person under the UK’s financial services regulatory authority. Beyond his professional endeavors, Eric values quality time with his family with whom he shares his passion for travel, and recently embraced triathlons.
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Elizabeth Trask
Trustee

Elizabeth Trask
Trustee
Elizabeth is a South Portland resident and a dedicated legal and community-focused professional. She earned her Juris Doctor from the Massachusetts School of Law in 2012. She is also a 2008 graduate of the University of Southern Maine, where she completed a major in Political Science and a minor in Criminology. Elizabeth currently works for a leading company specializing in post-settlement solutions for individuals navigating the aftermath of workers’ compensation or liability settlements. In her role, she is committed to supporting injured parties throughout the settlement process. Elizabeth is an avid marathon runner, hiker, and yoga enthusiast. On most weekends, you can find Elizabeth and her husband running long miles on the Eastern Trail. Elizabeth is deeply engaged in the Southern Maine community and enjoys volunteering at Maine Needs, as well as spending time with her family and friends.
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Patrick Conlon
Trail Program Manager

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.
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Lee Auchincloss
Office Administrator

Lee Auchincloss
Office Administrator
Lee Auchincloss has called Maine home for more than 35 years and has long enjoyed exploring the state’s natural beauty by bicycle, kayak, and on foot along its beaches. In addition to her professional work, Lee is a mixed-media collage artist and a former potter. A lifelong bike commuter, she has always appreciated the freedom, connection, and sense of discovery that come from traveling under her own power. She is delighted to be part of the Eastern Trail Alliance and its work to promote and protect this unique community resource.
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John Andrews
Founder of the Eastern Trail

John Andrews
Founder of the Eastern Trail
The Founder of the Eastern Trail and an ETA President Emeritus, John was an inspiring man of vision and untiring spirit. John’s vision to create the Eastern Trail started in the early 1990’s. He was persistent, but patient, and made tremendous progress in a relatively short amount of time.
Sadly, John passed away on February 20, 2017.
John worked patiently and persistently for decades to put the Eastern Trail on the map throughout southern Maine. Today, hundreds of thousands of visitors enjoy the trail every year. Your membership, support for the trail and participation in trail events enable the Eastern Trail Alliance to continue John’s mission, working to ensure the existing trail is well maintained, safe, and clean, and ultimately extended to Kittery through ongoing trail-building campaigns.
