The Appalachian Trail is managed under a unique partnership between the public and private sectors that includes, among others, the National Park Service (NPS), the USDA Forest Service (USFS), an array of state agencies, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and 30 local Trail-maintaining clubs. The ATC's role in this partnership is critical.

More than 45 year-round employees, under the supervision of the executive director, are responsible for implementing the policies established by the ATC’s governing board of directors and handling the day-to-day activities of the organization. Four senior managers are responsible for program-area or support departments, including Conservation, Marketing and Communications, Development, and Administration & Finance.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s governing body is composed of 15 elected officers and directors who serve two-year terms, meeting four times a year at rotating locations along the Trail. ATC's executive director is also a member of this board. The board’s role ranges from oversight of finances and administration to setting policies related to ATC’s core mission; conservation policies are considered based on recommendations from the Stewardship Council. No Board positions are compensated beyond travel expenses.

Officers

Chair: J. Robert (Bob) Almand of Suwanee, Georgia. During a long career with Bank of America, Almand was a project manager specializing in change management following business restructuring. As a member of the board of managers since 1999, he has been heavily involved in strategic planning and implementation efforts. He has chaired the board's Publications Committee for four years. A past president of the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club, he is president of the club-affiliated Len Foote Hike Inn, an avid hiker, and an active Trail maintainer with both the local club and regional Trail crews.

Vice Chair: Destry Jarvis of Hamilton, Virginia. Currently a conservation and recreation consultant, both with his own firm and with Booz Allen Hamilton, this 1995 biennial-meeting keynote speaker is involved in research, contracting, and policy development with a variety of federal agencies and national nonprofit conservation organizations. Jarvis has nonprofit management experience with the National Recreation & Park Association, Student Conservation Association, Conservation Fund, and National Parks Conservation Association. His government service from 1993 to 2001 included stints as senior advisor to the assistant secretary of the interior for fish, wildlife, and parks and assistant director of the National Park Service, responsible for external affairs. He has served on a variety of nonprofit boards.

Secretary: William L. (Bill) Plouffe of Freeport, Maine. During his 20 years of environmental-law practice, Plouffe has represented clients before federal and state natural-resource agencies and been instrumental in drafting and passing many of the state environmental laws in effect in Maine today. He specializes in land-use issues for municipalities, is active in civic affairs, and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. He serves as vice president of the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust, has served on the board of the Appalachian Mountain Club, and is a long-standing member of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club. His hiking credentials include membership in the New Hampshire and New England 4,000-Footer clubs.

Treasurer: Kennard R. (Ken) Honick of Sarasota, Florida. As a CPA and tax partner in an accounting firm, Honick has considerable experience with financial management and estate planning. He has advised ATC on planned giving, chaired the Board's Finance Committee for two years and the Membership and Development Committee for four years, and served as treasurer for six of his eight years on the board of mangers. He has been a strong advocate of ATC's strategic reorganization. He has section-hiked the A.T. once and is making progress on a second end-to-end hike.

Directors

Kara Ball of Vienna, Virginia

James E. Ditzel of Brunswick, Maine

Clark A. Dixon, Jr. of Ranson, West Virginia

Marcia Fairweather of Bowie, Maryland

G. Robert Lee of Warrenton, Virginia

Sandi Marra of Alexandria, Virginia

Charles Maynard, of Jonesborough, Tennessee

Kevin (Hawk) Metheny of Gorham, New Hampshire.

Elizabeth (Betsy) Pierce Thompson of Ridgefield, Connecticut,

Arnold F. Wellman of Washington, D.C.

Clark Wright, Jr. of New Bern, North Carolina

Appalachian Trail Conservancy Senior Staff

David Startzell, Executive Director: A native of Washington, D.C., Mr. Startzell was named to his position of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in November 1986.

He has been a manager on the ATC staff since January 1978, when he was hired as director of Trail-management services. He became director of resource protection in December 1979 and was appointed associate director in February 1981, with a wide range of responsibilities in congressional liaison, public affairs, fund-raising, and building management.

Mr. Startzell also is involved with various trails and conservation-group coalitions, most recently serving as chair of the task force that produced Trails for All Americans, a report on national trails planning that was the centerpiece of the National Trails Agenda Project of the National Park Service and American Trails, with support from the America Hiking Society. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt presented him with the department's highest "civilian" honor, the Conservation Service Award, in 1995.

Mr. Startzell was graduated from Miami University of Ohio in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in sociology. He earned a master's degree in planning from the University of Tennessee in 1976. While in graduate school in Knoxville, he worked as a planning consultant at the university's Technical Assistance Center, assistant to the state chapter of the American Institute of Planners legislative-affairs committee, and a planning consultant to the mayor's office. For the year prior to coming to ATC, Mr. Startzell was an assistant in the planning department of the city of Oxnard, California. He also serves on the boards of the American Hiking Society and the Partnership for the National Trails System.

Steve Paradis, Chief Operating Officer: Steve’s involvement with the A.T. dates back to a southbound thru-hike he completed over the winter of 92-93. He got his start as an A.T. volunteer as a corridor monitor for the Dartmouth Outing Club and subsequently served as the club’s monitor coordinator. He served on the ATC Board of Managers, Finance Committee, and Stewardship Council. He served briefly as an officer on the ALDHA board. In addition to his life membership in ATC, Steve values his memberships in ALDHA, DOC, and PATC, his local A.T. club.

Coming to ATC from industry, Steve has held positions in R&D and product development in the paper industry as well as in production and global manufacturing operations with Hewlett-Packard. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from M.I.T. and holds an M.B.A. from Stanford University.

Laura Belleville, Director of Conservation: Laura joined The Appalachian Trail Conservancy staff in June 2005 as the Southwest and Central Virginia Regional Director, assuming the conservation director role in 2007. She is a senior conservation manager with 20 years of experience including field research, resource management, conservation program development, and staff management. Her work has largely been focused in the non-profit sector, including work with the National Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy. Laura has worked extensively with local communities in Florida, Ohio and now Virginia, promoting awareness of natural resources conservation, outdoor recreation, and sustainable tourism development. She was an active steering team member of the 21st Century Responsible Growth Policy Team in Columbus, OH, and today is a steering committee member of the New River Valley Green Infrastructure planning project. In addition, she has planned and administered natural habitat restoration projects in southern Florida. She holds a master’s degree in biology from Florida International University. 

Stacey J. Marshall, Director of Finance and Administration: Stacey is a 1995 graduate of West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia, with a BSBA degree in Accounting. Her career in the non-profit industry began in 1997 at the American Farmland Trust in Washington, D.C. She went on to work for other respected nonprofit organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund and Project Hope, gaining invaluable experience before accepting the position of Controller at Appalachian Trail Conservancy in 2004. She was promoted to Director of Finance and Administration in 2008.

Royce Gibson, Director of Development: Royce is a 1990 graduate of American University in Washington, D.C. with a BA in Political Science. His career in the non-profit industry began at the American Institute for Cancer Research. He went on to gain extensive non-profit experience at Zero Population Growth, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and Public Interest Data  (a service bureau for 50 leading social and environmental non-profits) before becoming Membership manager at ATC in 2005 and finally ATC's Director of Development in 2007.
Royce also served two terms as an At-Large member of the DC Democratic State Committee.