Board of Directors

Michelle Duncan, Chair

Panama City, FL

Michelle Duncan has focused her career on strengthening students’ connection with their coastal backyard. She earned her B.S. in Marine Science, M.S. in Fisheries Biology, and Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Counseling, where she conducted research on diversity barriers. For the past 20 years, Michelle has worked as a Fish Biologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and provides educators and K-12 students with hands-on touch tanks and beach seines to improve ocean literacy and stewardship. As a member of the Choctawhatchee Chapter, she has focused on improving membership communication and enrollment. Michelle will employ her research background to support increasing post-pandemic trail participation.

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James Powell, Vice Chair

St. Petersburg, FL

Chapter: Suncoast

Occupation: Attorney; Army veteran and retired reservist

Education: Harvard University, University of Florida Law School

Hobbies: Public speaking/academic lecturer

Volunteer experience: FTA Board Member, FTA trail maintainer, board and committee member of several community organizations

As a Harvard graduate and member of the Florida Bar Association, James is a partner with a successful law firm in St. Petersburg that has received Tier 1 Best Law Firm by U.S. News and Best Lawyers for seven consecutive years. His concentrations include corporate, commercial, banking, saving and loan, real property and related areas of law and he has provided legal advice as a guest lecturer at academic and civic institutions. Since the late 1970’s, James has served as Chair or president for many associations and committees in the St. Petersburg area to improve his community. James has been awarded numerous awards within his field, including an induction into St. Petersburg High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame and inclusion in the Best Lawyers of Tampa for over 10 consecutive years. James has previously served on The Florida Trail Association’s Board of Directors and has been active with the Florida Trail Association, as a volunteer, for over twenty plus years. James’ Florida Trail Association volunteer activity primarily is trail maintenance for the 20-mile corridor in the Green Swamp West, located to the East of Dade City, Florida. He will bring his vast trail experience to the Board to help improve and standardize infrastructure across all chapters.

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Elwood McElhaney, Treasurer

Tallahassee, FL

Elwood McElhaney is a retired Certified Public Accountant. He has been a member of the Florida Trail Association since 2012, where he has served as an Activity Leader and Chapter Chair of the Apalachee Chapter in Tallahassee. He enjoys hiking, cycling, paddling, and salt-water fishing, and has been known to crank out a few songs on his guitar around a campfire.

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Leslie Wheeler, Secretary

Jacksonville, FL

Leslie has been a member of Florida Trail Association ever since she went with the Western Gate Chapter on a field trip to Garcon Point and observed rare pitcher plants on her hands and knees. That would be 15+ years ago. After she moved to Jacksonville, she became active in the North Florida Trailblazers Chapter and has been instrumental in keeping that chapter going during a period of low activity. She considers her time serving at the state level as a learning experience and is grateful for the opportunity to meet many members of our great organization.

Leslie graduated from Millsaps College with a BS in Biology. She became a medical technologist and earned her Specialist in Blood Banking at Ochsner Hospital in New Orleans. She has a Master of Healthcare Administration from Tulane University. After a long career of managing transfusion services at Florida hospitals, she now works part time as a validation specialist for a healthcare software company.

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Tiffany Bright, Director

Jacksonville, FL

Tiffany Bright is a Florida Master Naturalist, Outdoor Educator, and Wilderness EMT with a deep passion for the wild Florida!

Tiffany spent years as a wilderness guide immersing children in nature through an adventure-based model of learning leading countless hikes, tours, and surveys! She is currently the Director of Operations of The Rattlesnake Conservancy - a non-profit organization dedicated to the conversation of imperiled rattlesnake species where she's developed a wide range of curriculum and education programs meant to foster a deep connection with the natural world. She has taught safe venomous handling skills and emergency snakebite management to professionals throughout the United States, and maintains a public display of native venomous snakes.

Tiffany is a lifelong outdoor enthusiast originally from West Texas who has been in Florida for over a decade and actively pursues hobbies like kayaking, paddleboarding, hiking, free diving, and wildlife photography!

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Karl Byars, Director

Milton, FL

Karl is a retired Army Officer and currently licensed as a Florida Nurse Practitioner. He has been a life-long hiker and an active member of the Western Gate Chapter since 2018 where he volunteers 1-2 times a week on average (approx 3- 5 hours per session). He received his National Sawyer Certification Card (April 2019) and also helps his chapter by trail mowing, lopping, tree removal, bog bridge-building and repair, campsite cleaning, and equipment transport.

His background and commitment provide an ideal foundation for advising the Association’s missions in these areas: public health awareness and safety; skills training (especially in emergency first-aid response); budget management; trail work planning and implementation; equipment requirements; and personnel and volunteer recruitment and oversight.

He received a BSN from the University of Mississippi and an MSN from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He graduated and received a Nurse Practitioner certification from Johns Hopkins University Post-Masters/Nurse Practitioner in Baltimore.

While on active duty he held clinical and management positions in Germany, Hawaii, Maryland, and Kansas. He served on the medical transition team for Presidential inaugural activities in Washington D.C. and on a special healthcare team during a Presidential European visit. After leaving the military, he worked as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) in internal medicine and gastroenterology practices in Maryland and Florida. He was a Clinical NP instructor at Johns Hopkins University and Howard University in Maryland. His other interests include hiking/camping (he has done sections of the AT and FT, among others,), boating (American Sailing Association certifications: Basic Keelboat Sailing; Basic and Intermediate Coastal Cruising; Bareboat Chartering), and travel.

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Tom Daniel, Director

Pensacola, FL

Tom grew up in Hialeah, Florida and resided in Dade County for 35 years. In 1980 his family moved to Pensacola. He received a BS in Accounting from Florida State University. He began volunteering with the Florida Trail Association in 1998 and has held positions as Activity Leader, Trailmaster, Eglin Section Leader, Trail Coordinator, FTA Board member, VP Membership (3/2007 – 12/2009) and VP Trails (3/2011 – 3/2016).

He is a founding member of the Choctawhatchee Chapter which serves Okaloosa and Walton Counties. He served as Trail Coordinator from the Chapters inception until February 2017. He personally supervised and coordinated the routing and construction of 95+ miles of the Florida National Scenic Trail on Eglin, Nokuse Plantation and Northwest Florida Water Management Division lands.

In the aftermath the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, Tom coordinated trail recovery in the Western Panhandle with local volunteers and USDA-FS. His trail related schools include Trail Crew Leader Training at the University of North Georgia and participation in several American Hiking Society trail maintenance and construction Volunteer Vacations.

As an Activity / Crew Leader, Tom has organized and lead well over 100 Florida Trail maintenance and trail construction activities. He has served as the Choctawhatchee Chapter Meetup Organizer from October 2008 until present. He and Anne are Lifetime Members of the Florida Trail Association.

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Eric Emery, Director

Malabar, FL

Eric grew up in central Florida. While in Boy Scouts he completed hi 50 mile hike in Ocala National Forest. 40 years later he would read an article about the Florida National Scenic Trail and realize he had hiked part of it. In that time he would spend 28 years in the Navy, then five years owning a wine shop in Washington state before becoming a Resident Volunteer in the park system. He did not start thru hiking until he was 55. His first attempt at the FT was a disaster and he barely made it to Billies Swamp Safari. That was in 2017. Since then he has completed five FT thru hikes; 2018, 2020, 2021 and his 21/22 YoYo to celebrate turning 60. In 2021 he completed both sides of Orlando and Lake Okeechobee as well as the OTLHT and the Blackwater connector. He has also attended FT work parties in both the Ocala and Osceola National Forests.

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Rick Robbins, Director

Gainesville, FL

Rick was raised in southwestern Ohio and has spent most of his life enjoying the outdoors. He has undertaken many backpacking and hiking trips, which include the Continental Divide, AT, Ice Age, and Florida Trails.

After receiving his degree in Soil Science and Resource Management from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, he accepted his dream job ….mapping soils. He couldn’t believe that he found a job where he was paid to hike 40 hrs/wk, 52 wks/year.

Later in his career, he migrated to designing land use interpretations and working with Geographic Information Systems. Rick is now semi-retired and resides in Gainesville.

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Jack Schofield, Director

Yankeetown, FL

Jack spent his early years growing up and exploring the outdoors in Connecticut. Living just a few miles from Long Island Sound, he was naturally drawn to the outdoors. His desire to experience more led him to the Boy Scout Philmont Scout Ranch, where he achieved the 50-mile award and ignited his passion for hiking.

After high school, Jack spent one year in college before joining the United States Marine Corps and serving six years in Reserve Duty. During his time in the reserves, he returned to college and graduated from York College of Pennsylvania in 1974 with a BS degree.

Upon retiring after 40 years as an executive in the Retail and Wholesale Men's and Women's apparel industry, he redirected his newfound free time to outdoor volunteering.

With a background in successful grant writing and fundraising, Jack has secured critical funding for local projects, including FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grants, Florida Fish and Wildlife Boating Improvement Grants, and South Florida Water Management District Stormwater grants, all aimed at improving his community.

As a former council member and mayor of Yankeetown, Jack possesses extensive experience in leadership and collaboration, working effectively with local, state, and federal partners to support environmental initiatives. His enthusiasm for the Florida Trail is matched by his commitment to youth engagement, making him a strong advocate for encouraging the next generation of trail stewards.

Jack and his wife reside on the Withlacoochee River in Yankeetown, Florida, and are blessed with two children, Stephanie and Jack III.

Jack is a dedicated advocate for the Florida outdoors, bringing a lifelong passion for conservation and community engagement to the Florida Trail Association. His proactive approach and dedication to the FTA's mission underscore his invaluable role in preserving Florida's unique outdoor heritage.

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Charles "Buzz" Scott, Director

Sarasota, FL

Robert Charles Scott, who commonly goes by Charlie or his trail name "Buzz", was born in Ocala, grew up in Jacksonville, and has lived permanently in Sarasota since 1979. Charlie has been self-employed for the last 30 years as a Construction Consultant and is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified General Contractor. Charlie has degrees from the University of Florida and the University of North Florida. His work specialties are dispute resolution and expert testimony in construction litigation. His talent is explaining technical issues to a wide range of individuals. Charlie became familiar with the Florida Trail as he began adventure racing over 20 years ago. Although most of his FT experience has been either adventure racing or as a trail runner athlete, he has been a member of the FTA for several years and has begun to enjoy more camping and hiking. Charlie is also a Florida State Park volunteer and an active member of the Friends of Myakka River State Park. Charlie is currently very active with outdoor sports, and makes his best effort to camp with his wife on a monthly basis, preferably at a Florida State Park. Charlie is not retired, but does have a fair amount of time schedule latitude since he is self-employed. He believes he can be a valuable participant for any organization and is already familiar with FTA activities, goals, and needs. He has spent his entire life traveling throughout the state of Florida and is well acquainted with its geography, cultures and history.

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Chelsey Stevens, Director

Chuluota, FL

Chelsey Stevens is an avid hiker, outdoor enthusiast, and conservation advocate. Although she was born in Richland, Washington, her family moved to Florida when she was a child. Her parents fostered a love for nature, taking her on trips across the state camping and exploring springs, beaches, and parks.

In her early 20s, Chelsey moved to Oregon where she developed a love for hiking. Although the Pacific Northwest boasts beautiful landscapes, she eventually realized that seasonal depression made it difficult for her to call Oregon home. Returning to Florida, she settled in Chuluota near the Econlockhatchee River and the Little Big Econ State Forest, where she started a family.

After returning to Florida, Chelsey was surprised to discover that the state had numerous hiking opportunities. Her interest in hiking grew even stronger when she met her future husband, Chris Stevens. Inspired by their shared excitement for the outdoors and conservation, they started the Sunshine State Seekers, a blog dedicated to Florida outdoor adventures.

Over time, Chelsey became more involved with the outdoor community, taking on various leadership roles. She currently serves as the Programs Coordinator for the Central Florida Chapter of the Florida Trail Association and sits on the board for FT Thru hike, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting those attempting to thru-hike the Florida National Scenic Trail. Chelsey is also on the Communications Advisory Board for the Florida Springs Council, an organization focusing on the culture and policy changes that will lead to the protection and restoration of Florida Springs and Waterways.

Chelsey and Chris are gradually section hiking the entirety of the Florida National Scenic Trail, among other outdoor adventures. Chelsey is dedicated to spreading awareness about the beauty and importance of nature, and her passion for the outdoors has encouraged many others to explore and protect Florida's natural wonders.

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Christopher Stevens, Director

Chuluota, FL

As an active member of the Florida Trail Association, Christopher has gained valuable insights into the challenges faced and opportunities provided by the Florida Trail. He envisions a future where the Florida National Scenic Trail is not only preserved, but is also inclusive and welcoming to individuals of all backgrounds and identities. As an outspoken advocate for outdoor recreation and protection of the natural lands in our state, Christopher feels it would be an honor to serve as a member of the Board of Directors. His background is rich in volunteerism and community service, particularly in terms of conservation. He co-created the blog Sunshine State Seekers in 2018, which quickly morphed into a social media presence where he frequently promotes nature-minded efforts throughout Florida. This involvement with the community has provided many opportunities to become directly involved with various organizations that Christopher believes are making a big difference. On a local level, Christopher is a board member of the Seminole County Parks and Preservation Advisory Committee, and regularly assists with county maintenance activities, having adopted a nearby park. He attends trail maintenance with the Florida Trail Association every chance he gets and has participated with the Central Florida Chapter for several years, currently serving as the Vice Chair. He is a board member of the Florida Trail Hiker’s Alliance, and a registered volunteer with the Florida Forest Service and State Parks. Christopher is also an active member of the Florida Native Plant Society and Springs Council. As a writer for Floridahikes.com, he applies his communication skills to inspire others to connect with nature and seek out the many opportunities for hiking and exploring our beautiful state. Christopher provided extensive research to the fourth edition of the Florida Hikes Florida Trail Guide and continues to work with them to keep the Florida Trail section of the FarOut app as up to date as possible. Christopher is confident that his passion, experience, and dedication make for an outstanding candidate for the Florida Trail Association Board of Directors. He looks forward to the opportunity to contribute to the continued success of the Florida Trail Association.

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Bill Turman, Director

Oviedo, FL

Bill was born and raised in central Virginia and as a Boy Scout attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He enjoyed many backpacking trips on the AT. A graduate of Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Civil / Structural Engineering, he began his career as a construction engineer, then design engineer with Dominion Resources / Virginia Power. A unique work highlight included underwater inspection activities as part of the civil engineering dive team.

Bill moved to central Florida in 1990 when he took an engineering position with Westinghouse Electric Corporation, where he helped develop and implement gas turbine and combined cycle power plants. His responsibilities increased as he progressed into the positions of group and department manager within Westinghouse and later Siemens Power Generation when Siemens purchased Westinghouse. A career highlight was living in Germany, performing the integration manager duties.

A member of the Florida Trail Association since 1991, he has backpacked and hiked many of the trails in central Florida. Since retiring, Bill has been active with the Central Florida Chapter, helping to perform trail maintenance activities, acting as an activity leader, chapter chair, and representative at the Chapter Council. He is an avid hiker, cyclist and kayaker, and enjoys traveling the country with his A-frame camper, visiting the National Parks.

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Ryan Worthington, Director

Green Cove Springs, FL

Ryan W. is a Navy Veteran, where he was an aviation electrician, but now works full time for the Department of Defense in aviation maintenance. As a Florida Master Naturalist, Ryan W. enjoys promoting the conservation of Florida’s natural resources and preservation of its historic places primarily by raising awareness through social media, Youtube, and a weekly podcast called ‘The Florida Madcaps’. Ryan W.’s nonprofit experience comes from volunteering as a member of the Communication Advisory Board of the Florida Springs Council, where he uses social media to promote activism and awareness of the issues affecting Florida’s springs and waterways in addition to outreach events. Ryan W. also serves on the Board of the Friends of Gold Head Branch State Park where he promotes and supports the park through events and fundraising. Ryan W. lives in rural Florida, where he experiments with sustainable living and hobby farming and enjoys traveling the entire state of Florida and exploring its natural areas, usually by hiking or paddle craft. Ryan W. has enjoyed hiking the FNST in many areas of the state and has seen first hand how it allows hikers to experience some of the best natural environments that Florida has to offer. Ryan W. has participated in trail maintenance events and was a guest speaker for the FTA Central Florida Chapter. He would like to be able to serve and work to improve the FNST experience available to hikers as well as expand awareness of the benefits provided by the trail as a Board of Director.

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