Who We Are

Staff & Board

Staff

  • Gail Farmer

    Executive Director

    Gail brings to Wissahickon Trails nearly 20 years of experience in the environmental nonprofit sector. When asked to summarize her role in a single word, she said “relationships.” She spends her time in partnership with staff, board, donors, and other community leaders to ensure that Wissahickon Trails is able to effectively fulfill its mission today, tomorrow, and for many years to come.    

    Gail currently serves on the Montgomery County Planning Commission’s Open Space Board, Philadelphia Water’s Green City, Clean Waters Steering Committee, the Water Quality Advisory Committee of the Delaware River Basin Commission, and is an advisor to the Wissahickon Clean Water Partnership.  She is a Senior Fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program and a Community Scholars Fellow of the University of Pennsylvania. In 2018, she received PennFuture’s Woman of Community Engagement and Environmental Education Leadership Award. Gail earned her M.Sc. in Environmental and Forest Biology from the S.U.N.Y College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry in 2001.  

    Gail lives in the Wissahickon watershed with her husband and two boys who share her passion for protecting, stewarding, and enjoying the natural world.  In her out-of-office time Gail likes to play the guitar, read, and explore the outdoors with her family. 

Development Department
  • Anna Marchini

    Development Director

    Anna creates opportunities for people to invest in work that is meaningful to them. A native New Yorker, Anna spent nearly a decade in Seattle before settling in Philadelphia. She began her professional career in the environmental field as a New York City Park Ranger, where her duties ranged from education programs to wildlife rescues to park enforcement. She firmly believes in access to open space and a healthy environment for everyone.  Anna is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)-Philadelphia chapter. 

    Anna is mom to two daughters, an ardent coffee drinker, amateur birder, and occasional runner.

  • Lisa Hansell

    Senior Development Manager

    Lisa oversees mid-level donor stewardship and manages fundraising events.  She started at Wissahickon Trails in 2003 and over the years, she has enjoyed getting to know many of our donors and volunteers. Lisa loves to keep it local. She grew up and still resides in the Wissahickon watershed in Abington Township.  

    Lisa loves to cook, especially using her veggies from Pennypack Farm, where she also volunteers. You might have met her husband, Todd, and daughters, Anna and Zoë, at a variety of Wissahickon Trails events. She keeps her cats at home, Edward, Jasper and Jake, but loves to share them on social media. 

  • Janis Lehrer

    Development Assistant

    Janis supports the work of the Development team by managing the donor database and the administrative needs of the department.  She has only worked in the non-profit sector and considers herself fortunate to have always found work that she is passionate about, whether it be focused on teaching, education policy, community affairs, or the environment.  

    She lives in North Wales with her husband, daughter, son, and her dog, Prince Henry. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, art, and spending time outdoors with her family.

Engagement Department
  • Jenn Bilger

    Engagement Director

    Jenn works with her team to deliver many of Wissahickon Trails’ community engagement initiatives, from education programs to community partnerships to public events. She loves being outside in nature and connecting people to their natural spaces. After realizing she really loves working with people outdoors, she earned her Master’s degree in Environmental Education at the University of New Hampshire.  

    Jenn grew up in New Hampshire and currently lives in Newtown, PA with her husband David and young son Ryan. She’s an avid cook who loves hiking, kayaking, and adventure seeking. Jenn is known for her signature laugh and her lifelong favorite bird is the Common Loon (a bird that also laughs a lot). 

  • Kelly Joslin

    Community Outreach Manager

    Kelly oversees our volunteer program, annual events, and community outreach activities. A native of Iowa, Kelly was influenced by parents who shared with her their love of nature, a tradition she continues with her own daughter Riley, husband Bryan, rescue dog Maisey, and everyone she has the pleasure to meet. Her passion for nature led her to a BA in Environmental Ed/Interpretation and a Master’s in Education. 

    Kelly is a self-described “bird nerd” who lives in Doylestown. She enjoys all manner of outdoor activities, mindful time in nature, and is a diehard Chicago Cubs fan.

  • Lindsay Blanton

    Water Programs Manager

    Since 2015, Lindsay has enjoyed educating Wissahickon watershed residents about runoff, training volunteers to monitor water quality, and splashing through the creek collecting chemistry and biology samples. She loves a good infographic, brainstorm session, or community campaign! She can list every municipality in the watershed alphabetically and can name a dozen different bugs that live in the stream.   

    Growing up along the Delaware River, Lindsay has always been drawn to water and loves connecting the dots for local residents on the importance of clean water. In her spare time, you can find Lindsay hiking, crafting, or rewatching Parks & Recreation for the 80th time.

  • Kristy Morley

    Senior Naturalist

    A lifelong resident of the Delaware Valley (if you don’t count the two years in Minnesota), Kristy grew up with Herrontown Woods as her backyard, fostering an early love of nature and the outdoors. An extreme bird nerd and avid photographer, Kristy enjoys helping people to understand how everything is connected in the natural world. Kristy is the Christmas Bird Count Compiler for the Wyncote Audubon Society’s circle and serves on the Advisory Committee for City Nature Challenge.   

    In her down time, Kristy can be found studying field guides for her next birding adventure, reading, enjoying old movies with her wife or playing with their dogs Oliver and Henry.

  • Alex Cupo

    Water Programs Coordinator

    Alex educates and engages the public on water conservation and stormwater runoff issues in our region (and our backyards!). From meeting people to going out on the Wissahickon Creek and its tributaries for water sampling, he finds joy in being able to tie his passions into his work at Wissahickon Trails.  Alex grew up in Harleysville, PA and developed his appreciation for the environment at a young age. This drove him to a career where he can do what he loves–spending time outdoors and helping others while doing it.   

    When away from the office, you can find him perusing a record store’s collection, popping into a coffee shop for a cup, wandering through our area’s many museums, and finding new places to explore in and around Philadelphia.

  • Suzanne Smith-Oscilowski

    Environmental Educator

    Suzanne built our environmental education program in partnership with local schools more than 10 years ago, and she has been educating students about their local environment ever since. She holds a Pennsylvania Teaching Certification and enjoys sharing the importance of watersheds and the natural world with students of all ages. Suzanne lives in the Wissahickon watershed and serves on the Lower Gwynedd Township Environmental Advisory Council as well as the Temple University Ambler Arboretum Board and the University Board of Visitors.    

    In her spare time she enjoys beekeeping, running, cycling, and walking the trails with her husband and dogs, Asta Mae and Dakota.

  • Steve Blubaugh

    Head Miller

    Steve oversees the stewardship of our Evans-Mumbower Mill. This includes everything from ensuring that the facility is maintained and operational to educating visitors of all ages.  Steve has had a lifelong interest in history and technology innovation. For nearly 25 years, he was a volunteer Miller’s Assistant and docent at the Mill, and recently retired from a career as an electronics technician. Steve loves interacting with visitors to the mill and hearing their impressions of the experience. He also enjoys his role as “super miller” for the education program.  

    In his free time, Steve is an avid reader and bicyclist and enjoys attending a variety of concerts with his wife and friends.

Conservation Department
  • John Ferro

    Conservation Director

    John oversees our work to protect open space and the health of the Wissahickon Creek, improve habitats and trails, and monitor wildlife communities.  He has been with Wissahickon Trails since 2008 and in that time has built strong relationships with partners and volunteers. John grew up close to the Wissahickon and spent his childhood around the creek. 

  • Margaret Rohde

    Conservation Manager

    Margaret plans and implements habitat and trail restoration and management, monitors conservation easements, and oversees the bird banding program. Margaret is an NABC Certified Bird Bander and serves on Wyncote Audubon's Board of Directors. Her love of the natural world led to a degree in Environmental Studies and after a few nomadic years working with birds in five different states, she joined Wissahickon Trails in 2015.  

    Margaret grew up in New Jersey, where she spent her days exploring the lakes and woods around her home. In her spare time, she’s usually birding, hiking, drawing, or carving spoons (donations of good carving wood welcome). 

  • Pat Oelschlager

    Stewardship Assistant

    Pat works with staff, community partners, and volunteers to design and implement trail improvement projects, manage invasive species, and improve habitats throughout the watershed. His work prior to joining Wissahickon Trails included environmental education, volunteer coordination, and Adirondack stream/riparian ecosystems research.  

    Outside of work, you’ll often find him strumming, fiddling, or dancing along to all types of traditional folk music, tending a garden, or off the beaten path in search of wild edibles, shed deer antlers, and cascading mountain streams!

General Administration
  • Michaelle Fleisher

    Finance & Human Resources Director

    Michaelle (pronounced ‘Michelle’) believes that giving back to your community is a priority and feels so lucky that she can work for Wissahickon Trails.  She is a longtime volunteer at the Ambler YMCA and is currently the Chair of their Board of Managers. She recently joined the Board at the Wissahickon Valley Public Library.  

    She and her husband love art, hiking, gardens and travel. She is accompanied almost everywhere by her yellow lab Nellie, or maybe it’s the other way around!

  • Madalyn Neff

    Communications Specialist

    Madalyn enjoys connecting with the community to share the mission and work of Wissahickon Trails. She is responsible for the website, social media, and all print and digital communications. She grew up in central Pennsylvania, where she took wooded areas and open space for granted. While attending Temple University, she discovered she could have a career that merged her passion for communicating with environmental conservation.  

    She enjoys eating breakfast for dinner, meeting new dogs, planning day-hikes, rereading Harry Potter, and traveling with her partner. 

  • Brianna Virginio

    Administrative & Operations Assistant

    Brianna is known for wearing many hats from greeter, calendar manager, IT specialist and neatness enforcer as Administrative and Operations Assistant. Most would say she ‘Excels’ at her position since she always keeps to her ‘Word’ and gets tasks done. Her love for outdoor activities and being in nature is what drew her to the organization and she is delighted to be able to align her professional work with her personal passion.   

    Brianna spends her spare time on hiking adventures, exploring creeks, kayaking, listening to bird calls or sharing her passion for the natural world through photography. 

Office Dogs
  • Woodles Blanton

    Senior Nap Specialist

    Enjoys exploring the Green Ribbon Trail when not napping. Will do tricks for treats. Terrified of large flies and beeping noises.

  • Nellie Fleisher

    Chief Greeting Officer

    Loves to meet you, make you feel welcome, shed on you, chase a ball and is very nosy. 

  • Prince Henry Lehrer of North Wales

    Director of Office Security

    Highly curious. Somewhat mysterious. Loves carrots and sunshine.

  • Henry Morley

    Director of Underdogs

    Loves cuddles and treats. Afraid of thunder.

  • Oliver Morley

    Squeaky Toy Coordinator

    Loves walks on the trails, tennis balls and de-stuffing toys.

Board of Directors

  • John Tierney

    Chair

  • Nancy B. Kreider

    Vice Chair

  • William F. MacDonald, Jr.

    Treasurer

  • Cheryl L. Young

    Secretary

  • Scott T. Bartow

  • Suzanne Bush

  • Mary S. Claghorn

  • Duane D. Deaner

  • Ellen T. Duncan

  • Keith Eby

  • Susan M. Floyd

  • Kate Harper

  • Kristen Haugen

  • Sara Hertz

  • Pete Hoskins

  • Mark Schafer

  • Neil Trueblood

  • Wendy Weirman

  • Kimberly Woods

Advisory Council

  • Hugh G. Moulton

    Chair

  • Philip R. Albright

  • Richard Collier, Jr.

  • George C. Corson, Jr.

  • Thomas Dolan IV

  • Cary B. Fleisher

  • Saly A. Glassman

  • Jim Hasson

  • Dolores E. Hillas

  • Timothy P. Hughes

  • Mark P. Letner

  • George M. Riter

  • Hugh A. A. Sargent

  • Jamie Stewart