Kathryn (Kate) Hoffman, Board President

Retired IT Executive 

A lifelong resident of Pottstown, Kate is active in the community, serving not only at SRG, but also on the Consistory of Trinity Reformed UCC of Pottstown.  She loves spending time with her family on the river and the trail.  You can find Kate at many of our events, especially the annual Ride for the River, where her team, Tomkat’s trailblazers raises funds in honor of her late husband, Tom Hoffman.

Kate has served in many roles over the last two decades of her involvement at SRG, and is now the Board President and chairs the Governance committee.

 Mark Nevenglosky, Board Vice President

Senior Principal Engineer, Comcast Cable

A resident of Schuylkill Township, in Chester County, Mark works for Comcast Cable. In his engineering role at Comcast, Mark is involved with architecture, design, deployment and operations of Comcast’s network and video systems. Mark is originally from Tamaqua in Schuylkill County and is a graduate of Drexel University.

Mark first became a Schuylkill River Greenways supporter after participating in the Schuylkill River Sojourn in 2008. He has continued to kayak in the sojourn each year and enjoys paddling various sections of the Schuylkill River throughout the year.  Mark has been a Ride for the River volunteer and participant.  He has also been a Schuylkill River Trail Ambassador for many years and is often on the trail running or walking his dogs.

Jan Marie Allen, Board Secretary

Retired, Associate Director, AT&T

Jan Marie Allen is retired and lives in Kutztown. She was an Associate Director at AT&T in Marketing Operations/Call Center Sales for 18 years and earlier, worked for the Penn State Extension Service in Lancaster. While in Lancaster, she was an active board member in community organizations including The Community Action Program and the Welsh Mountain Medical Center

Her love for the Schuylkill River Greenways began in 2016 on the Sojourn and she began volunteering for Serving the Schuylkill in 2019 and the Paddling Film Fest in 2020. She is active in various SRG committees and events and is an avid fan of Take It Outdoors. She paddles with TIO and has hiked with them as well. She is extremely grateful for the friendships and experiences SRG provides and has the deepest respect for the staff at SRG and what they do for the community, the Schuylkill River and the SRT.  Jan is also on the Development Committee of the Wildlands Conservancy.

W. Carter Lester, Board Treasurer

Carter has lived in communities on water most of his life.  He has always marveled at the way rivers through the ages have connected people to the outdoors and linked communities with the wider world.  He enjoys biking and kayaking, and is glad to be a part of the mission of SRG.  A Presbyterian pastor and former attorney, he has served congregations in Richmond, Pottstown, and Allentown, working in each community towards a better quality of life for all.  A graduate of Duke, the University of Virginia law school and Union Presbyterian Seminary, Carter and his wife, Kerry, live in Pottstown.

Rosann Bar

MCCC Liaison 

Rosann Bar received her Ph.D. in sociology from Columbia University in NYC.  She worked as a production editor for Globe Fearon, a division of Simon and Schuster, before becoming a full-time, tenured faculty member and Chair of the department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Caldwell University, Caldwell, NJ.  There, she taught numerous sociology and anthropology courses for nearly 20 years.  She educated students in culture and social life by designing multiple travel abroad seminars to various destinations around the world.

A Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Bar was the Dean of the School of Business and Social Sciences at Ocean County College in Toms River, NJ before assuming the position of Dean of Academic Innovation at Montgomery County Community College. She currently leads multiple areas of the College, including workforce development, dual enrollment, educational partnerships, the Challenger Center, and youth engagement.

Chris Cleary

User Experience Design Strategist, Vanguard Financial

Chris Cleary is a dedicated board member of the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area, bringing his passion for outdoor activities and environmental conservation to the organization. A native of southeastern Pennsylvania, Chris has a deep-rooted connection to the region and its natural beauty. An avid bicyclist, kayaker, and hiker, Chris spends much of his free time exploring the trails and waterways of the Schuylkill River area. His love for the outdoors is matched by his commitment to preserving and enhancing the natural and cultural resources of the Schuylkill River watershed.

“I have lived, worked, and pursued outdoor recreation all along the Schuylkill River from Schuylkill Haven to Philadelphia since I was born. I learned to swim in Lake Tuscarora, the headwaters of the Schuylkill, rowed competitively along Boathouse Row, and have enjoyed all the stretches in between. I see a great opportunity here to give back and help the organization connect people to the river and the river trail, while maintaining my stewardship of its watershed,” says Chris.

Chris’s involvement with the Schuylkill River Greenways began with his participation in various community events and volunteer activities. Chris is dedicated to promoting sustainable practices and encouraging others to enjoy and protect the natural environment.

Mitul Amjera

Sr. Manager Outage, Limerick Generating Station, Constellation

Mitul is currently the Sr. Manager of Outages at Constellation’s Limerick Generating Station. He has been with Constellation since 2004 in various leadership positions at Limerick. A Pennsylvania native, Mitul is a graduate of the Drexel University School of Engineering. He lives with his family in Montgomery County.

Mitul enjoys serving on the board of Schuylkill River Greenways because the value of a healthy Schuylkill River is obvious, and having an impact on its health and development is personally rewarding.  Mitul enjoys spending time with family and friends, outdoor activities, and travelling.

J. Manly Parks

Attorney

A native of historic Chestertown on the banks of the Chester River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Manly has had a lifelong love for the water. Following his education at Woodberry Forest School near Charlottesville, Virginia, where he spent his free time fishing and exploring the Rapidan River, at Colgate University, where he fished the Chenango River and spent thousands of hours on the water of Lake Moraine as a member of the crew team, and the College of William & Mary Marshall-Wythe School of Law, where he coached freshman undergraduate rowers, he moved to Philadelphia in 1994 to practice law.

Since 1999 he has resided in Delaware County. He is a partner with Duane Morris LLP in Philadelphia where his law practice includes antitrust, franchise, and distribution law, as well as general complex commercial litigation.  Active in state and local politics, Manly is a former township commissioner in nether Providence Township and Solicitor of the Delaware County Board of Elections.  An avid fisherman who loves nothing more than “simply messing about in boats,” Manly watched his native Chesapeake Bay and its people struggle through the challenges of population growth, pollution, collapsing fisheries and the ways of life they formerly sustained.

He brings his love of the water and deep commitment to the mission of the preservation and recovery of the great and historical waterways of the America to Schuylkill River Greenways, where he is inspired by the opportunity to contribute actively to the ongoing efforts to protect and improve the Schuylkill.

Kristie Otto

Workplace Experience Coordinator for Cushman & Wakefield

Kristie has worked with the Serving the Schuylkill committee for the past several years and with the Serving the Schuylkill’s silent auction sub-committee as well.  In addition, she joined this year as a ‘citizen rep.’ on the Sojourn planning committee.   Kristie lives in Mont Clare and works as a facilities management subcontractor for Vanguard in Malvern (Chester County).   Her background and degree are in Tourism and Hospitality Management from Temple University and she has worked at the Franklin Institute and then as Director of Sales for the Holiday Inn Express in King of Prussia.

Kristie comes from a running background having run several 1/2 marathons and is currently in training for the Phila. Marathon in November.  She has been a very active presence within the Valley Forge Park Alliance (formerly known as the ‘Friends of V.F. Park’), and got introduced to the SRG through our former Board member and NPS representative Barb Pollarine.

Ira Walton

Environmental Compliance and Efficiency Director, United Environmental Services

A resident of Orwigsburg, Ira works as the Environmental Compliance and Efficiency Director at United Environmental Services, in Schuylkill Haven. He does Health and Safety monitoring/compliance and also has expertise in marketing. Ira represents United Environmental on the Schuylkill County Chamber of Commerce and has worked with Bill Reichert and Schuylkill Headwaters on a project. He currently serves on the Schuylkill County Schuylkill River Trail planning group and is an SRT trail user and paddler (canoe) on the Schuylkill River. Ira’s a singer and songwriter ‘on the side’ and is interested in the arts and heritage of the region.

Shane Reustle 

Founder, Camp Douglass and Strata Japan
Shane is a senior technology executive and entrepreneur with over twenty years of experience building and scaling software products and engineering orgs across the US, Japan, and internationally. He is the founder of a Tokyo-based software development firm that partners with companies to architect and deliver digital solutions.

As a Schuylkill River watershed native, Shane grew up along the river and surrounding forests. He channels his passion for nature conservation, and his experience circumnavigating Earth by train and boat, into Camp Douglass, a secluded riverside campsite enjoyed by families from all over the region.

Matt Fritch 

Watershed Protection Program Manager, Philadelphia Water Department

Matt has been an environmental engineer with the Philadelphia Water Department since 2012, studying water quality, hydrology, and ecology in rivers and streams. He has a special interest in the Schuylkill River, which supplies drinking water to 40 percent of the city’s residents. One of his career highlights was helping to coordinate the reconnection of the Manayunk Canal to the fresh water flow of the Schuylkill River, improving its water quality and aquatic habitat. Prior to working at PWD, Matt worked as a music journalist and magazine editor. Matt enjoys paddleboarding and cycling, and he recently began rowing with the Vesper Boat Club’s master’s racing team.

Ben Meck

Ben Meck is a digital technology leader who has worked as a consultant and as a leader within large companies such as Aetna, CVS Health, and Adobe. He leads teams to develop software solutions and spearheads process and organizational changes to enable customer personalization through better connected experiences. He has experience organizing large scale philanthropy and fundraising events and volunteers with his church in Wayne, PA.

Despite his career in front of a computer, Ben would much rather be out on the Schuylkill River trail training for his next race. An avid endurance athlete, Ben loves triathlons, biking, and running. He’s excited to bring his experience with organization and customer engagement to help advance the mission of SRGA and engage with its amazing members and sponsors.

Amy Ruhe, Board Liaison NPS

Program Manager, National Park Service

As the Resource Program Manager, Amy oversees a diverse team of resource specialists that include an archaeologist, museum curator, historian, ecologist, and natural resource specialist, who work to protect and preserve the natural and cultural resources at two National Parks; Valley Forge National Historical Park and Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. Amy started in the Park Service as a biological science technician, and has worked as a biologist and natural resource manager prior to her current position. She is actively involved with the Valley Creek Restoration Partnership to protect the Valley Creek Watershed, an EV natural trout stream that flows through Valley Forge NHP to its confluence with the Schuylkill River. She also represents the National Park Service as a trustee for a grant fund for restoration projects in Valley Creek.

Before working at the National Park Service, Amy worked in various positions in the private sector including as a naturalist, river guide, wildlife menagerie manager, and Environmental Scientist. She has a BS in Environmental Science from Muhlenberg College and an MS in Biology from East Stroudsburg University. She has paddled the full length of the Schuylkill River as part of the Sojourn and is interested in building upon the existing Schuylkill River and trail connections within the national parks.

Danielle Guttman, Board Liaison DCNR

Regional Advisor, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Danielle works for the DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation (BRC) as the Southeast Regional Advisor, covering Chester and Montgomery Counties. In this position, she provides grant and technical assistance for community projects related to park and recreation facilities, trails, rivers, and open space. Prior to her role working for the Commonwealth, Danielle spent time in the non-profit world, working for the Appalachian Mountain Club doing community outreach and federal advocacy work.

In her free time, she enjoys exploring the natural world through hiking/backpacking, paddling, photography, and gardening.