The Peninsula Trails Coalition is governed by a Board of Directors of up to 15 members.
Board meetings are usually held on the second Wednesday of every month.
The annual all-PTC membership meeting is usually held every year in April or May.
Minutes are available upon request.
VP Jefferson County – Merrily Mount
VP East Clallam County – Gordon Taylor
VP Middle Clallam County – Jan Whitlow
VP West Clallam County – Molly Erickson
General Board Members –
Continue reading "Friends of the East Jefferson Trails Connections"
Jeff Bohman, President
Joined the Board: 1991
After a career with the National Park Service and other employers in a series of natural resource and watershed management positions, Jeff spent his last nine years before retiring working for Olympic NP on the Elwha River Restoration project (hydro dam removal, etc.). Retirement is spent on various recreation and travel experiences, often with family, as well as a variety of community service activities.
Don Willott
Joined: 2024
PTC Focus: Progressive realization of our regional trails providing continuous habitat corridor for wildlife and people of all ages and abilities to be physically active in nature.
Don is a member of the Consortium working to complete the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s cross-country Great American Rail-Trail between Bainbridge Island and La Push, now dubbed the “Puget Sound to Pacific,” aka “PS2P.” This unites the Sound-to-Olympics Trail (STO) across Kitsap County with the Olympic Discovery Trail crossing Jefferson & Clallam Counties.
He and his wife, Judy, have been walking, cycling and bird watching along the Olympic Discovery Trail for many years, and now have homes both close to the STO near the Bainbridge ferry, and on the ODT near Port Townsend.
In Kitsap, Don wrote the concept for the STO in 2006, and co-wrote major grants that constructed its first sections. Don continues as the STO VP for the North Kitsap Trails Association.
The Willotts were deeply engaged in the Kitsap Forest & Bay Coalition, which conserved 3,500 acres of forest open space land in Port Gamble, now the Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park. In 2022, they worked with Forterra on the campaign which successfully purchased timber rights on 756 acres to preclude further clear cut tree harvest.
In Don’s own words: “Judy and I love collaborating with so many people to create an extraordinary linear park for people and habitat across the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas!”
Jan Whitlow, Vice President, Central Clallam County
Joined: 2016
PTC Focus: Representing the equestrian community to cultivate shared-use standards and practices on the Olympic Discovery Trail.
Background & Hobbies: Jan has enjoyed a varied career as an archaeologist, historian, and technical writer for computer and medical device manufacturers. Horses are her passion. She takes care of a small herd at her home in Port Angeles. Jan is also a member of Backcountry Horsemen of Washington—Peninsula Chapter and helps to maintain the trails in western Clallam County.
Gordon Taylor, Vice President, East Clallam County
Joined: 2013
PTC Focus: Trail projects. Liaison to the City of Port Angeles.
Background & Hobbies: Gordon worked in heavy industrial maintenance and military testing for 40 years before retiring from Nippon Paper in Port Angeles. He began bicycling after being advised to pick up lower-impact exercise. This led to riding the West Port Angeles trail before it had a bridge and paving, and then joining that trail’s improvement project and the Peninsula Trails Coalition. Gordon is also into metalworking, motorcycles, and auto racing.
One of Gordon’s favorite quotes: “Those that say a job cannot be done should not interrupt those that are doing it.” ―George Bernard Shaw
Bob Petersen, Jefferson County
Joined: 2015
PTC Focus: A jack-of-all-trades, Bob is up for taking on any trail project that needs to be done.
Background & Hobbies: Bob’s work life focused on building teams for complex technical project, first as an environmental engineer, and later in automotive software development. Today, Bob teaches people how to move using the Feldenkrais Method and is on the board of wind energy startup Regenedyne.
In Bob’s own words: “Coming from a long line of fisherman, being semiretired and living on Discovery Bay is like coming home in a very deep, satisfying way. I’m looking for a way to build community in my community. Building a trail across the Olympic Peninsula offers a unique opportunity to do that using the skills and interests I have developed over the years.”
Merrily Mount, Vice President, Jefferson County
Joined: 2019
PTC Focus: It gives me great pride, pleasure, and purpose to represent my community on the Board of Directors of the Peninsula Trails Coalition.
Background & Hobbies: My career spans a forty-five year period of time where I practiced primary care as a family nurse practitioner in settings around the world and transitioning to retirement in Quilcene, Washington. I enjoyed my career and had many new adventures hiking, walking, and bicycling. I find a great sense of well being sharing with nature. We have the best of the best here on the Olympic Peninsula.
The Larry Scott Memorial Trail / Olympic DiscoveryTrail will link our trail towns together so we can connect our energy and resources. This trail is an alternate transportation route. This trail will benefit all of us in many ways and will have a positive effect on our health and well being.
Hippocrates stated “Walking is man’s best medicine.“ Take time and enjoy life in motion.
Whether you are with a horse, a bicycle, a walking stick, solo or with friends… running, walking, or meandering in Nature… send a Smile and Hello as you pass.
See you on the Trail.
Goal: To have the Olympic Discovery Trail – “Pathway to the Pacific” – completed for all to use.
Jeni Little, Jefferson County
Board member 2014-2019; 2023
PTC Focus: Recruitment/retention committee member.
Background & Hobbies: As an avid runner/cyclist I’m interested in supporting events that happen on the Olympic Discovery Trail such as the North Olympic Discovery Marathon/Run the Peninsula races & Ian’s Ride which highlight accessibility to the ODT.
Longtime board chair/race director of the Port Townsend Marathon Association’s/ Jefferson Healthcare ‘Rhody Run’
Former Head Coach for PT Highschool Cross Country team.
Former board member and staff person for the Olympic Peninsula YMCA.
Longtime marathon & ultramarathon runner including Boston, New York & – Marine Corps Marathon, Mt. Si 50 miler & 50k.
Member of Threshold Choir in Port Townsend.
In Jeni’s own words: “In late August of 2019 Jeff Selby, Bob Peterson and I cycled the entire Olympic Discovery Trail (133 miles) from sunup at Boat Haven in Port Townsend to sundown in La Push… that experience sustained me in subsequent years and serves as the vision for completion of the Olympic Discovery Trail.”
Rich James, Clallam County
Joined: 2019
Rich worked for Clallam County for 28 years with 25 of those years being in the Public Works Department.
As the County Transportation Program Manager, Rich worked on planning, property acquisition, funding, engineering and contract supervision for the Clallam County effort to construct the Olympic Discovery Trail.
Rich also supervised the County Trail Volunteer effort in support of the trail and the County Chain Gang work in building the Olympic Discovery Trail Adventure Route segment.
Molly Erickson, Vice President, West Clallam County
Joined: 2018
PTC Focus: Trail projects. Liaison to the Forks and LaPush communities.
Background & Hobbies: After 44 years, Molly retired from the US Forest Service with 30 years in development and operation of recreation facilities and trails. As the former project lead for the Olympic Discovery Trail on Olympic National Forest, she continues to help link the West End communities with the rest of the trail system. She also is a member of the Red Cross, is a long term care resident advocate, and enjoys her three granddaughters and exploring our created world.
From Molly: “Help us make a Difference.”